Events

Food For Thought Outreach expects to serve over 1,200 students each week through its backpack program during the 2015-2016 school year - a significant 56% increase from last school year’s 770 students enrolled in the program. Every month, Food For Thought sends over 50,000 food items out to help battle food insecurity in Okaloosa and Walton counties. Add the year-to-year growth to the increased demand for assistance from Food For Thought’s summer outreach programs, and that can empty a warehouse very quickly. 
 

Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated group of locals, South Walton has added an entire layer of recreation through artificial reef environments. The South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) has installed the first set of near shore reefs off our beaches.

The fifth annual Emerald Coast Duck Regatta benefiting the Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast Guild takes sail on Saturday, Oct. 10 at the Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

Coming up Thursday, July 16 is the last YOLO Board Relay for the season at The Bay. Everyone's invited to join the 8th Annual YOLO Board Relay Series at The Bay restaurant on the beautiful Choctawhatchee Bay. The relay event begins at 4:30 p.m.and will include race relays, giveaways,  refreshments and fun activities for kids.

Blue Highway, the chart-topping, award-winning, powerhouse five-member ensemble band, will headline Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s (MKAF) newest cultural event — Bluegrass at the Beach — a daylong family-friendly music showcase held Saturday, Sept. 12 at the MKAF Cultural Arts Village in Destin. 
 

Easy On 30A benefit concert is back for its fourth year to raise money for great causes. The free, family-friendly concert will take place on Friday, July 3 from 5:45 - 10:00 p.m. at WaterColor's Marina Park. Performers include Forrest Williams Band, The Rips, and Geoff McBride. Fabulous raffle and silent auction items donated by local businesses will benefit Alaqua Animal Refuge, the Lighthouse Family Retreat, and the Muscogee Nation of Florida. 

This July, All Kinds of Art, an educational outreach program of the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation, presents Kamp Kellywamba, a visual and performing arts summer camp offering  theatre, art, dance, and set design classes for youth. This year’s camp features a fun and festive 1950’s theme.
 

For the captain and crew of Cotton Patch, the 13th Annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic (ECBC) was anything but unlucky. Lance Hill from Orange Beach, Alabama labored for almost six hours on Friday afternoon before reeling in an event record 899.6-pound blue marlin. The record billfish was measured at 134-inches with a girth of 74-inches to earn Team Cotton Patch first place and a payout of $195,277 for a tournament that doled out more than $1.5 million in winnings. The Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the host venue for the event which took place June 17-21.

Magic for the 21st century comes to South Walton this summer as magician Jeanette Andrews returns to the stage in Seaside, Florida. Andrews presents a new and thought-provoking take on the art of the impossible with classic pieces and new magic that is sure to have everyone talking.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a wonderful place to explore any day of the year. You'll love taking advantage of some of the weekly events at the park this summer. What a great way to get out and explore one of South Walton's most beautiful coastal areas directly on the Gulf of Mexico. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park admission fees are waived for Summer 2015.