St. Patty's day is right around the corner and Downtown Fort Walton Beach is the place to be! It all kicks off with Ladies Night Downtown, sponsored by Bella Day Spa and Salon this Thursday, March 14 at 6:30. Bella's will be offering chair massages & demonstrations, over $400 in raffles and door prizes will be given away and don't forget Ladies, The ULTIMATE GALS WEEKEND Giveaway! The winner will be announced at December’s Ladies Night Out Event….but you must attend at least 6 Ladies Night OUT events in order to be eligible.No kids, no men, no hassles..just girl time!
If you're looking for an evening out with the family, check out the Downtown Art walk this Friday, March 15. This Free event will have local Artists lining the sidewalk of Historic Downtown Fort Walton Beach to share and sell their original art from 5:30-8:30. To make Artwalk even more fun for the family there will be live entertainment, food, face painting, and much much more!
Want to burn some pre-pub crawl calories? Join the crew over at Run With It. They had so much fun doing the “Lucky Leprechaun 5K & 10K Run” last year that they have decided to do it again it's a great run with a fantastic after party at KC’s Sandbar. Register at Run With It or online Here
Be sure to save some energy and get "green" at the FWB St. Patty's day pub Crawl, Sunday March, 17. Starting at 5 p.m be ready to walk the walk at any participating location. For more information any any of the great events visit, DowntownFWB. To keep up with all the the latest and greatest The Emerald coast has to offer be sure to pick up a Spring Issue of Life's A Beach, THE Visitor's Guide to The Emerald Coast.
If there’s one thing you won’t want to miss
this weekend, it’s the 36th Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival.
Recently named one of the USA’s top 12 food festivals by Parade Magazine, this spirited fall festival offers something for
everyone. Festival fun will include high-quality arts and crafts, a huge
selection of clothing, jewelry and other goods, collectibles and merchandise,
carnival rides and booths, kids’ activities, local and big-name entertainment,
and more!
Festival History
Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival 1978
The festival began back in 1976 in the town
of Niceville, then a happy little fishing village known simply as Boggy Bayou.
In those days, local fisherman poled flat-bottomed skiffs out into the bay at
night, listed for the jumping mullet, and cast their nets. During the
depression, mullet saved the Boggy Bayou area by providing pioneer families
with the means to barter with regional farmers for needed goods and services,
so this little town owes the mullet a lot.
Since its beginning, this annual festival
honoring the mullet has grown to one of the South’s most celebrated festivals,
gaining much recognition and notoriety nationwide. It has become one of the
best-known country music events in the South.
For folks living in the area, it’s an event
that brings the townsfolk together every year, allowing them to renew old
friendships and celebrate with neighbors. For visitors, it’s an excellent
opportunity to have some good old-fashioned family fun.
Food
Photo: MoscatoMom.com
Throughout the three day festival, thousands
of hungry mullet fans will consume up to 4 tons of this tasty fish. Of course,
everyone who goes the Mullet Festival will have something to eat. Aside from
fried and smoked mullet, a wide variety of menu options will be available including
seafood, oriental foods, Cajun and country cooking, sweet treats and more. Just
a few of these must-try items include shrimp, shark, alligator, crawfish, BBQ,
shrimp tempura, fried vegetables, bratwurst, wings, chicken, burgers, funnel
cakes, kettle corn, cotton candy, hot apple dumplings and ice cream!
Arts and Crafts
A large arts and crafts show will make for
some truly unique finds. This juried show features only original, high-quality
work. All exhibitors are eligible for the “Best of Show” Purchase Award. In
addition, there will be tons of hand-made and/or decorated clothing available
in the Boutique section.
Entertainment Galore
As previously mentioned, the Boggy Bayou
Mullet Festival has become known as one of the South’s best country music
festivals. Known for featuring nationally-recognized country acts in a small,
festival atmosphere, if there’s one thing there’s no shortage of at this event
it’s entertainment. The best part? The festival’s low admission price INCLUDES
all the entertainment. How awesome is that?
To see a complete schedule of entertainment Click Here.
Family Day
Sunday, October 21 is Family Day at the
Mullet Festival. Sponsored by Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities
Hospital, this is the festivals only alcohol-free day. No sales of beer or any
other alcoholic beverages will be permitted on this day. On Family Day,
volunteers from Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital will
be selling soft drinks on site to raise funds for the United Way.
The entertainment on this day is geared
specifically towards a family audience. Children can enjoy rides, clown shows,
cartoon characters, pony rides, magicians, face painting, and much, much more!
What’s A Mullet?
Black or striped mullet are a versatile fish
that can be found throughout the world in warm, coastal marine waters and
sometimes in fresh water. They are abundant in Florida Waters, especially in
Choctawhatchee Bay and its bayous. Mullet are sometimes called jumping, or
happy mullet because these fish leap right out of the water and skip along the
surface in great exuberance.
Well known and held in high esteem for
centuries, these fish were often included in the writings of the ancient
Romans. Mullet, which feed on vegetation, algae and plankton, take on the
flavor of their surroundings. In most areas, dirty or polluted waters render
mullet inedible. For this reason, the mullet is no longer a prize delicacy in
Rome because Italy’s canals and coastal waters became polluted.
Mullet taken from the Niceville’s
sandy-bottomed waters are fat and clean. Their firm-texture has a mild, almost
sweet, nutlike flavor. Don’t take my word for it, come out to the 36th
Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival and see for yourself!
Check out this Mullet Festival T-Shirt Worn by the "Sam Merlotte" Character on HBO's Popular TRUE BLOOD Series
What:“An
Evening in Margaritaville,” a pop-up dining event
When:August
23rd - 5:30-8:30pm
Where:Still
a mystery at this time
Mystery,
intrigue, food, entertainment and oh yeah, did I mention MYSTERY!? If you’ve
been following the progress of the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s pop-up dining
event, “An Evening in Margaritaville,” you know what I’m talking about. If not,
that’s ok, allow me to fill you in a little… as much as I can at least.
I
first heard about this event a few weeks ago, and I have to admit, I was intrigued.
The whole concept casts an air of mystery and excitement upon the occasion.
This enigmatic event has followers and interested parties eagerly checking
their email and Facebook accounts to see if the latest details have been
released. I know I’m sucked in! I guess that’s the beauty of these pop-up
dining experiences; you know that it could take place anywhere – a rooftop, and
airport hangar, an old warehouse, a restaurant – who knows! Food and
entertainment could include any wealth of options. Details of the event have
been kept secret and are being revealed as the event grows near. So, let me
tell you what I know so far.
Photo courtesy of SoWal.com
I
know that a portion of the entertainment will be in an art demonstration by the
talented mixed-media artist, Andy Saczynski. Andy’s usual “junk into funk”
style typically uses reclaimed materials and found objects to create original
(and not to mention sensational) pieces of art. The product of Saczynski’s live
demonstration will be auctioned off at the event, along with a few other pieces
that the artist will have on display.
Photo Courtesy of Legendary Inc.
Alright,
so we know we can expect an amazing art demonstration by a gifted artist, what
else? I’ll tell you what else! It has been announced that the meal will be
prepared by none other than Legendary Inc.’s Executive Chef, Jimmy McManus. YUM!
You KNOW that’s going to be one delicious meal! With his impeccable skills, and
vast knowledge and experience, McManus has received much praise and many honors
for his culinary genius. The menu will feature beef empanadas and coconut lobster
tartlets during the cocktail hour. This will be followed by a sumptuous buffet
with salads, grilled swordfish, roast pork tenderloin, rice, vegetables and a delectable
selection of desserts.
Last,
the most recent detail revealed that patrons can expect to be entertained by
the musical stylings of the Trop Rock sensation Coconut Radio. This dynamic duo
is comprised of award-winning violinist extraordinaire, Susan Kittredge and
singer/songwriter Steve Reeths. The music of Coconut Radio is meant to share
those feelings/emotions one feels when sharing a cold one with friends at the
tiki bar or watching a beautiful sunset. I think our friends at The Beachcomber
put it best when they said “(Coconut Radio's release 'Gone Bamboo') is the
perfect soundtrack for your spring and summer."
So
far, that is pretty much the sum of everything I know about this event at this
time. I know there’s more to come so I will continue to follow the Mattie Kelly
Arts Foundation on Facebook, for the latest updates about this event’s details.
If you’d like to do the same, follow this link to their page: Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation on Facebook
Also,
if you haven’t got your ticket yet, call the Foundation today at 850-650-2226
to reserve your place at the table. I understand that seating is limited to 100
people and tickets are selling very quickly.
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