South Walton Spring Break 2026

[Kurt]

It's almost that time of year again friends & neighbors!

Atlanta week is April 6 – April 10, 2026 - always the most intense with the highest volume of visitors, traffic, and Walton County Sheriff action:


Alabama

Montgomery Academy: March 13 – March 20, 2026

Hooper Academy: TBD

Dothan City Schools: March 30 – April 3, 2026

Huntsville City Schools: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Birmingham Public Schools: March 30 – April 3, 2026

Jefferson County: March 23 – March 27, 2026

Mobile County Public Schools: April 13 – April 17, 2026

Baldwin County Public Schools: April 13 – April 17, 2026

Montgomery County Public Schools: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Auburn University: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Samford University: March 9 – March 13, 2026

University of Alabama: March 13 – March 22, 2026

Arkansas

Little Rock School District: March 23 – March 27, 2026

Arkansas State University Jonesboro: March 23 – March 27, 2026

University of Arkansas: March 23 – March 27, 2026

Florida

Bay County (Panama City): March 16 – March 23, 2026

Duval County (Jacksonville): March 16 – March 23, 2026

Escambia County (Pensacola): March 16 – March 20, 2026

Hillsborough County Schools (Tampa): March 16 – March 20, 2026

Leon County (Tallahassee): March 16 – March 20, 2026

Okaloosa County (Destin): March 13 – March 23, 2026

Orange County (Orlando): March 16 – March 20, 2026

Walton County: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Florida State University: March 16 – March 20, 2026

University of Central Florida: March 16 – March 21, 2026

University of Florida: March 14 – March 21, 2026

University of Miami: March 7 – March 15, 2026

University of North Florida: March 16 – March 20, 2026

University of South Florida: March 23 – March 22, 2026 (likely 16th-22nd)

University of West Florida: March 16 – March 22, 2026

Georgia

Pace Academy: March 2 – March 6, 2026

Lovett School: March 2 – March 6, 2026

Westminster School: March 2 – March 6, 2026

Cobb County: April 6 – April 10, 2026

Gwinnett County: April 6 – April 10, 2026

DeKalb County: April 6 – April 10, 2026

Fulton County: April 6 – April 10, 2026

Muscogee County: March 30 – April 3, 2026

Columbus State University: March 14 – March 20, 2026

Emory University: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Georgia Southern: March 16 – March 21, 2026

Georgia State: March 16 – March 22, 2026

Georgia Tech: March 23 – March 27, 2026

Kennesaw State University: March 9 – March 16, 2026

Mercer University: March 2 – March 6, 2026

University of Georgia: March 9 – March 13, 2026

University of West Georgia: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Indiana

Indianapolis Public Schools: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Hamilton Southeastern Schools: April 3 – April 10, 2026

Ball State University: March 1 – March 8, 2026

Indiana State University: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Indiana University: March 15 – March 22, 2026

University of Southern Indiana: March 9 – March 14, 2026

Kentucky

Fayette County: March 30 – April 3, 2026

Jefferson County (Louisville): April 6 – April 13, 2026

University of Kentucky: March 16 – March 21, 2026

Louisiana

East Baton Rouge Parish: April 6 – April 10, 2026

St. Tammany Parish: March 30 – April 6, 2026

West Baton Rouge Parish: April 3 – April 10, 2026

Jefferson Parish: April 3 – April 7, 2026

Lafayette Parish: April 3 – April 10, 2026

Louisiana State University: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Loyola University New Orleans: April 2 – April 6, 2026

Southeastern Louisiana University: April 3 – April 10, 2026

Tulane University: March 23 – March 29, 2026

University of New Orleans: March 3 – March 8, 2025 (likely 2026)

Mississippi

Biloxi Public Schools: April 3 – April 10, 2026

Jackson Public Schools: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Mississippi State University: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Jackson State University: March 7 – March 15, 2026

University of Mississippi: March 7 – March 15, 2026

University of Southern Mississippi: March 15 – March 22, 2026

Missouri

St. Louis Public Schools: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Missouri State University: March 14 – March 22, 2026

Southeast Missouri State: March 9 – March 13, 2026

University of Central Missouri: March 9 – March 13, 2026

University of Missouri St. Louis: March 21 – March 29, 2026

Ohio

Cincinnati Public Schools: March 23 – March 27, 2026

Ohio State University: March 16 – March 19, 2026

Ohio University: March 8 – March 14, 2026

Tennessee

Hamilton County (Chattanooga): March 16 – March 20, 2026

Rutherford County Public Schools: March 30 – April 3, 2026

Williamson County Public Schools: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Knoxville County Schools: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Memphis Shelby County Schools: March 16 – March 20, 2026

East Tennessee State University: March 16 – March 22, 2026

Tennessee Tech University: March 16 – March 20, 2026

University of Memphis: March 9 – March 15, 2026

University of Tennessee: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Vanderbilt University: March 7 – March 15, 2026

Texas

Dallas Independent School District: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Fort Worth Independent Schools: March 16 – March 20, 2026

Houston Independent Schools: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Rice University: March 14 – March 22, 2026

Southern Methodist University: March 16 – March 22, 2026

Texas A&M University: March 9 – March 13, 2026

Texas Christian University: March 13 – March 22, 2026

University of North Texas: March 16 – March 21, 2026

University of Texas-Austin: March 16 – March 21, 2026

 

[Kurt]

 

[Joe]

Spring Break at Seaside will begin on March 1 and conclude on April 19. During those dates, Seaside will enforce a 7 p.m. curfew for minors without parental supervision.

"We are honored that so many families choose Seaside as their Spring Break destination, and we deeply appreciate that tradition," We want to reiterate our stance on unaccompanied minors to maintain the family-friendly environment that makes Seaside such a cherished place. Seaside is designed for families to come together and create lasting memories, and we are committed to preserving that experience."

 

[Teresa]

Hell Week + Hell Week 2


WALTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE:
It's the post you've all been dreading for. We mean waiting for.

We'll let you decide which side you think we fall under.

Below is the list of the major school districts and universities' spring break schedules.

Something to keep in mind: private properties like Seaside, Rosemary Beach, Watersound, etc., have set a 7 pm curfew for unattended minors.

This is NOT a county-wide curfew, which would mean we would have to enforce 1,200 square miles of unattended minors across Walton County. While that would be really, REALLY difficult to do, it's also not necessary.

So, we will be assisting those private properties with enforcement for those who have experienced large crowds in years past.

Our agency will also be restricting beach access to those under the age of 18 who do not have a parent or guardian in congested areas between Seaside and Inlet Beach.

Overall, our goal is to keep the quality of life on par with what you expect living in this amazing place. All the while making sure to keep a close eye on our amazing home beyond the beach north.

So, here it is. Don't be mad at the messenger.

March 1–7
Georgia schools, including Pace Academy, Lovett School, Westminster, and multiple Florida counties like Bay, Duval, Escambia, and Hillsborough.

March 8–14
A high‑volume week with students from Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Missouri, and Indiana, plus major universities including Auburn, Samford, UGA, FSU, LSU, UCF, Ole Miss, and many more. This is what we in the biz like to call "Hell Week".

March 15–21
Another busy week with schools from Alabama and Georgia, including Montgomery Academy and Huntsville City Schools.

March 22–28
Large districts from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and Ohio.

March 29–April 4
Schools from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and more, including Loyola University and Southeastern University.

April 5–11
Georgia districts such as Cobb County, Gwinnett County, and DeKalb County, plus universities in Arkansas, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, and Missouri. This is Hell Week #2.

April 12–18
Primarily, high schools from Alabama and Tennessee.

If you have some you'd like to add, drop them in the comments.

 

[Jane]

Wow 7pm curfew. Hasn't it been 8pm in the past? And I think it was 10pm before that.

Going to be tougher in a couple of weeks when daylight savings time starts.

 

[bob bob]

Heaven help the neighboring communities.

 

[bob bob]

On Tuesday night, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office shut down a party full of underage spring breakers.

Deputies arrested a 19-year-old, Aidan Baker, who allegedly threw bottles from a balcony, nearly hitting a security guard.

Property management evicted the group of teens this morning. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said part of how they plan for spring break is by creating partnerships with rental managers for when something like this happens.

“Let them know our expectations and listen to them and what they want, and the key is they want us to have constant communication with u,s and they want to be in the know,” Sergeant Philip Kent said. “If they have an issue going on at their property, they just want to know.”

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said it will not tolerate disturbances to local neighborhoods.

 

[bob bob]

Aidan Baker, 19, was arrested. Deputies said he admitted to throwing the bottles from the balcony.

According to the arrest report, Baker said, “I threw every one of those bottles, every single bit of trash you see out here on the road.”

Investigators said no one inside the home was 21. The adult who rented the home was the mother of one of the teens staying at the house.

Baker is charged with breach of the peace, a misdemeanor. He is expected to appear in court Thursday morning.
Sheriff’s Office working with property managers during spring break

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies have been working with property management companies to identify people in rentals who cause problems during spring break, including destroying property, house parties, noise complaints, and other issues.

The property management company evicted the group from the home. The sheriff’s office said it uses that approach so evicted parties do not receive a refund.

 

[bob bob]

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with vacation rental companies to control underage parties and related incidents as the area enters its high tourism season.

Deputy Chandler Rowe said the agency has seen a range of issues tied to the influx of spring break visitors.

Walton County Sheriff’s Office spring break rentals crackdown

The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with vacation rental companies to control underage parties and related incidents as the area enters its high tourism season.

www.wjhg.com

“We’ve obviously had a lot of issues with traffic, traffic crashes, and we’ve even had a couple of pedestrian crashes lately that are probably of concern, along with our noise complaints and some juveniles,” Rowe said.

On March 11, a group of underage spring breakers was evicted from a rental property in Miramar Beach. A 19-year-old was arrested for throwing bottles off a balcony.

Four days later, another underage group was evicted from a separate Miramar Beach rental. A 19-year-old college student was arrested on charges of open house party and possession of alcohol.

Rowe said the sheriff’s office receives a disturbance complaint, notifies partnered rental companies, and remains on scene to maintain order — but deputies do not carry out evictions.

“Our role was initially identifying the issue and identifying the criminal complaint that went along with it, notifying the rental companies that we’ve partnered with to assist us, and getting these parties under control, and then the rental companies come out and deal with it from there. And we just stand by to ensure the peace from that point,” Rowe said.

Rowe said the house parties become a problem when the sheriff’s office gets noise complaints, property damage, or littering.

The sheriff’s office will continue to patrol beach areas throughout the spring break season. Rowe said home checks are available to property owners concerned about their rental properties. Anyone who sees or hears trouble is asked to contact the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

WJHG reached out to a vacation rental company, 30A Escapes, about their procedure for rentals and how Spring Break has been so far.

“During the Spring Break season in South Walton County, 30A Escapes and many other vacation rental companies along 30A are committed to welcoming guests responsibly while helping protect the character, safety, and quality of life of our local neighborhoods. As a member of the local Rental Operators Alliance, we follow a clear set of certification requirements and best practices designed to ensure that property managers are doing our part to be good neighbors in the community, while also making sure the guests staying in our homes understand and follow all community rules, occupancy standards, and behavioral expectations.

These standards include clear guest communication before arrival, strict occupancy limits, prohibition of house parties and unlawful activity, reinforcement of neighborhood rules related to noise, parking, refuse, and common areas, and active oversight of our properties during guest stays. We believe responsible vacation rental management is essential to preserving the experience of both visitors and full-time residents throughout South Walton.

We also work closely with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, and we sincerely appreciate their partnership and dedication to keeping our beaches and community safe, respectful, and enjoyable for everyone. Their support, along with the shared efforts of local property managers, residents, and guests, helps ensure Spring Break remains a positive experience across our community."