Business

Here is the 2025-2026 School Calendar from Visit South Walton - Use it to help plan your trips to SoWal. Locals can see when to promote business, events, and when to plan around traffic, and crowds at restaurants and grocery stores. The school calendar shows when K-12 schools and universities/colleges in our major travel markets will be on break and for school start dates.

South Walton School Calendar includes 30A travel info for Fall Break, Winter Break, Spring Break and other holidays.

The Seaside Institute has announced Marieanne Khoury-Vogt and Erik Vogt as the recipients of the prestigious 2026 Seaside Prize, which is awarded annually to individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of architecture, urban planning, and community development.

As the sun touched the horizon on the Gulf of Mexico on a recent evening in Seaside, a familiar sound echoed from the rooftop deck—but this time, the bell wasn't just signaling the sunset. It was a toast to 40 years of "Good Food, Good People, and Good Times."

To celebrate four decades as the heart of Scenic Highway 30A, the entire staff of Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant gathered on the rooftop for a celebratory toast, honoring a legacy that began with two friends and a dream.

The days of stuffy, windowless boardrooms are fading into the past, replaced by the coastal elegance and bright, open spaces of Hotel Effie in Miramar Beach.

If you live anywhere in South Walton, or drive Hwy 331 north of the bay, you're hearing the buzz and seeing the progress in Freeport.

As commercial and residential land in SoWal gets gobbled up, Freeport has become more popular with open spaces and lower prices. New subdivisions, apartments, restaurants, parks, schools & churches have made Freeport among the fastest growing cities in the country. Progress is in the air with more and more families are moving to Freeport, Florida.

Step into the kitchen with Chef Jim Shirley, founder of many South Walton favorites such as Great Southern Café, Farm & Fire, The Bay, North Beach Social and The Meltdown on 30A! Shirley’s unique take on modern Southern cuisine was inspired by learning international cooking from his two classic Southern grandmothers. Watch and learn more about how his vision for his restaurants is to create a shared experience that aligns with the overall sense of interconnectedness in these local beach neighborhoods. 
 

Join us in Rosemary Beach for an unforgettable evening as JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery and Pescado, partner with Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN) for an exclusive multi-course Charity Wine Dinner.

An Evening of Fine Wine & Giving Back at Pescado Seafood Grill and Rooftop Bar on Thursday, December 11th at 6pm - JUSTIN Vineyards Charity Wine Dinner Benefiting Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN) at Pescado, Rosemary Beach with Moriah Giguere.

Watersound Town Center is adding national and regional retail stores, new dining concepts and professional office tenants - St. Joe’s open-air lifestyle shopping center located at the entrance to the Watersound Origins® community in Inlet Beach, FL, which is now 98% leased.

Just north of Grayton Beach and Scenic 30A is a large parking lot with trolleys that runs every 15 minutes back and forth to the beach and "Downtown Grayton" by the Red Bar.

Resort Resale on US HWY 98 in Santa Rosa Beach offers lightly used designer furniture & decor at prices around half of what you would pay for the exact same items at designer showrooms. And you can have it today, with no ordering and waiting.