Celebrate and Give Thanks in South Walton - Events, Dining, Towns, Parks & Shops

Discover plenty of things to do in South Walton and along the coast during the week of Thanksgiving! Locals are traveling to see family or staying home and likely having family and friends visiting for the holiday. Visitors are flocking to the beach from all over the Southeast and beyond.. and taking over the grocery stores! Either way, this is a busy week along Scenic 30A and all along the Emerald Coast. 

Here's a taste on what's happening in SoWal starting this week: events, live music, dining, shopping, parks and beach towns. The beach towns are all decked out and ready for celebrating our holiday traditions in old Florida style.

See SoWal Events Calendar for details on the following events. Check SoWal.com home page for feature stories, photo galleries and video on many upcoming events and holiday scenes around town.
 

South Walton Events

Tue Nov 25
Seaside Farmers Market - special holiday market 10am - 2pm
Every Christmas Story Ever Told at Rosemary Beach 2-3pm 
Festival of Trees Kicks off at Grand Boulevard 4-6pm

Thur Nov 27
30A Thanksgiving 10K and 1 Mile Fun Run in Rosemary Beach 7:30am

Fri Nov 28
Alys in Wonderland at Alys Beach 10am - 12pm
Old Town Holiday Tree Lighting | Merchant Open House at Rosemary Beach 6-8pm
Local Catch Thanksgiving Party 8pm 

Sat Nov 29
Seaside Farmers Market 9am - 1pm
Grand Boulevard Farmers Market 9am - 1pm 
Holiday Market at Rosemary Beach 9am - 5pm
Every Christmas Story Ever Told at Alys Beach 
Seaside Turn on the Town Parade & Festivities 4-8pm
Old Florida Holiday & Winter Market at WaterColor 5-9pm
Here Comes Santa Claus at Baytowne Wharf 6-9pm

Sun Nov 30
30A Farmers Market at Rosemary Beach 9am - 1pm
The Market at Gulf Place 12-4pm

Baytowne on Ice is open! For those who miss the cold and ice, the ice skating rink at The Village of Baytowne Wharf is the perfect opportunity to get into the winter spirit. The seasonal ice skating rink has become a local holiday favorite. Find out more about the schedule.

A whole sleigh full of holiday events coming to the beach in December and can be found at SoWal.com/Events! 

The Seaside REP's Every Christmas Story Ever Told comes to the main stage in Seaside starting the first week in December.

Don't miss the 12 Nights of Lights, Wednesday night concerts and Holiday Paper Lantern Parade coming to The Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin.

December events also include Sinfonia's Orchestral Holiday, Holiday Toast on the Coast, Pensacola Symphony Orchestra in Seaside, Eden Gardens Candlight Tour, and quite a few New Year's Eve parties. 

Check SoWal Events Calendar often as we add more community-wide events daily. Also, readers can find detailed updates on community events in SoWal Events & Activities Forum, where events are added daily by SoWal staff, businesses and locals!
 

Food + Dining

Read about South Walton restaurants serving Thanksgiving brunch, lunch and dinner in the SoWal Dining Forum. Some restaurants are closed for Thanksgiving Day, but many are serving a special menu such as Stinky's Fish Camp, Marie's Bistro, Cafe Thirty-A, The Bay, Great Southern Cafe, Fish Out of Water, The Marigny, Restaurant Paradis and many more delicious options for turkey day.

You'll find a variety of other dining and food news in the Dining Forum as well. Join the conversation and let us hear about your favorite restaurants in South Walton.

In addition to Thanksgiving Day feasts, local restaurants are serving up special evenings and live music throughout the week such as:

Grayt Coffee House is hosting Thanksgiving 50/50 Special Evening with Phil Madeira Nov. 29.

Local Catch is throwing a Thanksgiving Party on Thanksgiving night with live music by Forrest Williams Band.

Sunday Brunch is a local tradition throughout the year in South Walton. Read about Sunday Brunch at the Beach for all the hot spots offering great food and live entertainment on Sunday Funday at the beach.

The SoWal Dining Guide is filled with fresh food news and provides a guide to all of the outstanding restaurants in South Walton and all along the coast. 
 

Live Music & Nightlife

Grayt Coffee House is hosting Kelsey Anna & Chris Alvarado with special guest Matt Miller Nov 25, 6-9pm.

The Bay is having their weekly sunset bonfire with live music by Forrest Williams and Friends, 6:30-9:30pm. Every Wednesday night!

Hotel Oscar is performing at Funky Blues Shack Baytowne on Friday night!

Live music is always happening at Pandora's - it's party central in Grayton Beach.

Dread Clampitt will be at The Red Bar on Sunday at noon.

Get the entire live music lineup for this week at SoWal Music Calendar. More music added daily! South Walton is home to several award-winning singer/songwriter artists and quite a few incredibly talented rock, blues, reggae and pop bands. Don't miss a chance to listen to great music at one of many restaurant/bar venues at the beach.
 

Florida State Parks

Take time to visit at least one of the beautiful parks in South Walton during the week and walk off the turkey. You'll really enjoy discovering our incredible dunes, coastal lakes and preserved beaches and lands that make South Walton such a unique and beautiful place. Read about South Walton Parks in this feature story.

See the SoWal Parks Guide for info and photos.
 

Shopping

Get your holiday shopping started at some of South Walton's boutiques, art galleries, jewelry stores and shops! You'll score unique finds all over town. Also, pick up your local tshirts and gear at some of your favorite restaurants such as Stinky's Fish Camp, Bud and Alleys Restaurant, Whiskey Bravo, The Red Bar and Seagrove Village Market Cafe.

Find out about holiday open houses and events hosted by local businesses in the SoWal Business Forum, or Events & Activities Forum. The perfect place for businesses to announce their sales and events. Holiday shop events we know about so far are The Studio in Grayton Beach (Dec. 4), Lily Pads (Nov. 29), Grayton Artist Collective ( Dec. 4), Artists at Gulf Place (Nov. 28-29), and Alys Shoppe (Meet the Designers Nov. 29). 

Visit Justin Gaffrey Studio & Art Gallery in Seaside on Friday, Nov. 29, the last day before this gallery closes. The Blue Mountain Beach studio and gallery remains open. Read about Justin Gaffrey's art evolution at SoWal.com feature story.

Don't miss the La Vie Est Belle's Cyber Monday sale at WendyMignot.com for Wendy Mignot's fine pearl and leather jewelry. Or drop in at the Seaside shop to browse the hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind, “perfectly imperfect” creations. 
Shop local! Search shops at SoWal Shopping Guide.
 

South Walton Beach Towns

SoWal towns and resorts are lighting up now for the holidays to kick off Thanksgiving and take us into the rest of the holiday season through New Year's Eve. Catch the beauty of the season at the beach by visiting Seaside, WaterColor, Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, Gulf Place, Sandestin and The Village of Baytowne Wharf. See a collection of the holiday photos captured by SoWal.com over the years .

Explore SoWal beach towns from Inlet Beach to Miramar Beach. Walk the nature trails and parks, try out a new restaurant, browse shops and galleries, and take in the unique character and beauty of each community. 

Of course, take the time to relax on the beach, have an adventure on the water, or hike and bike Scenic 30A.

Happy Thanksgiving from SoWal.com!