Normal

The South Walton Fire District (SWFD) is once again hosting the Caring and Sharing “Angel Tree” for the 13th consecutive year. Each holiday season the “Angel Tree” is filled with names of children ages one month to 12 years of age who live in Walton County and otherwise may not receive Christmas gifts.
 

Over 100 fine artists from the Southeast and cities across the country gathered in Destin last month to exhibit and compete for $9,000 in cash prizes at the 18th Annual Festival of the Arts juried art show held at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village. Local artist Juan Franciso Adaro, originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina who now resides in Santa Rosa Beach, received the coveted "Best in Show" and $1,500 cash prize for his contemporary artwork.
 

Bud & Alley's of Seaside is an icon of the community. Rather than creating an ambiance, they have simply allowed the lifestyle of SoWal to dictate the atmosphere of all they do. This natural course has carried over to the Taco Bar. This festive little dive has all the colors and deliciousness of Mexico. Don't walk in expecting a generic taco experience. Taco Bar creates a fresh, authentic experience with a full bar offering tasty tequila and specialty drinks.
 

Members of the Freeport High School Key Club rolled up their sleeves and built one of the Cottages for Kids on display in Rosemary Beach. This is the 3rd cottage the club has built and this year's cottage is titled “The Pirate Ship HHK” (healthy, happy kids).

When Frasier Hansen and Shawn Sherman met a few years ago, opening a craft brewery in South Walton was just a seed of a dream. A lot of planning, anxiety, sweat, and financing has passed since, and Idyll Hounds Brewing Company is about to blossom. The duo beam like proud poppas when speaking of the first batch of ale soon to be to be brewed in their brand-new facility in the South Walton Commerce Park, off Hwy 98 between Point Washington and Rosemary Beach.

Shelter House, the domestic and sexual violence center serving Okaloosa and Walton counties, is currently accepting donations for its annual holiday food drive. The agency collects food and packages it into complete holiday meal baskets for domestic and sexual violence survivors and their families, taking into account the number of people in each home. 
 

Brett Martin, woodcrafter and owner of Made on 30A, grew up tinkering and building stuff in Georgia. He’s still building stuff, but on a much grander scale. The smell of fresh-cut wood permeates the air as Martin surveys his current workshop located on Hwy. 393 South. He speaks enthusiastically about his work and how he came to be here.

Having worked in the screen printing and embroidery business in Georgia for 20 years, he sold that business to move here with his family in 2007. The change in scenery necessitated a change in jobs.

Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is starting this holiday season with a special, sparkling event. The Village of Baytowne Wharf will be lit with holiday décor and cheer for Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights, presented by the Sandestin Wine Festival on Saturday, Nov. 16 from 4 to 7 p.m.
 

Andy Saczynski, 2013 South Walton Artist of the Year, is adding flowers to the Native Plant Demonstration Garden at the South Walton Center (SWC) of Northwest Florida State College (NWFSC). Saczynski is a local folk artist known for turning “junk into funk.” This week he is donating his time, talent, and materials to transform a blank wall of the college into an astonishing bouquet. His public art piece will be a feature of the Native Plant Demonstration Garden & Trail that can be enjoyed by visitors who stroll the grounds and by students and staff of the NWFSC South Walton Center and S