Events

Start the New Year by taking a “SPLASH” with your family and friends at the first ever SWFD Polar Bear Splash. Come join us as “Splashers” take to the gulf waters on New Year’s Day. 

This invigorating event will surely get your blood flowing and for those that brave the winter waters, we will also be hosting a beach bonfire to help warm you up. 

Date/Time/Location- January 1, 2014. 11am at Ed Walline Park
$20 donation - All proceeds will benefit the SWFD Department Relations Committee.

Walking on the beach can change your perspective. There's nothing better than being at the beach on the first day of a new year. First Day Hikes offered by Florida State Parks are a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family - or a solitary sojourn.

There are hundreds of First Day Hikes sponsored at state parks across the country on New Year's Day - but you'll find no better place than our state parks right here in and around South Walton!  
 

Lazy days in SoWal are often spent relaxing close to nature and noshing on delicious eats. With the local, fresh, seasonal movement in full force, our local farmers markets provide a place where foodies and local growers form a strong sense of community. So whether you sustain an organic lifestyle or just like to have fun, these seven farmers markets on our latest SoWal List are worth a visit.
 

The Village of Baytowne Wharf is decked out for Christmas and ready to celebrate the season with with lights, fireworks and a ton of holiday festivities taking place in the heart of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. Come out and treat your family to all of the fun holiday traditions on the coast throughout December. 

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park is a wonderful place to explore any day of the year. Mark your calendar and make plans to attend some of the weekly music events and park rangers programs coming up in December at this Florida State Park located on the west end of Scenic 30A in South Walton.

Wine World at Uptown Station proudly announces that they will host the Fort Walton Beach Beer Festival Preview on Saturday, December 28, 2013, from 1:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m.
 

Emeril Lagasse is one of our favorite TV personalities and one of our favorite chefs. He's also become a great friend and neighbor here in South Walton. His generosity is well known from his efforts to help others through the Emeril Lagasse Foundation.

Established in 2002, the foundation supports non-profit organizations and educational initiatives that create new opportunities for children, especially for those from disadvantaged circumstances, in the communities where Emeril’s restaurants operate.

Shelter House, the domestic and sexual violence center serving Okaloosa and Walton counties, presented its 3rd Annual Luminaria Run to End Domestic & Sexual Violence on Dec. 7 in Destin. The 5k and 9k courses were illuminated by more than 2,000 luminarias, representing how Shelter House and its community partners light the way to a safer place for victims of domestic violence. The 9k distance serves as a reminder that a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds in the U.S.

GigDog is teaming up with 30A Songwriters Festival for the second year in a row to present the "30A Songwriters Festival" radio station. GigDog will be launching a streaming radio station on their website featuring music from the 150 songwriters who will be performing during the 30A Songwriters Festival from January 17-19, 2014. Listeners will be able to discover the music of the festival's performers from the comfort of their own homes or the convenience of their mobile devices.

Wyndham Vacation Rentals, the world’s largest professionally managed vacation rental business and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), today announced its participation as a presenting Sponsor of A Peter White Christmas. The event takes place Friday, December 13, 2013 at the Fort Walton Beach Civic Municipal Auditorium in Fort Walton Beach, Fl.