Kids & Family

The beach is a wash and the sun is taking a vacation - what to do on a rainy day in South Walton, Florida when the kids are restless and you're looking for indoor activities?

Eggs on the Beach Cooking Competition, taking place at Seascape Resort in Miramar Beach on Sept. 29, has partnered with the World Food Championships. The Judge's First Place Winner will receive a golden ticket to compete in the World Barbecue Championship with a waived entry fee and a chance to win $10,000. The BBQ category winner will then face the other nine category winners at the Final Table for the grand prize of $100,000 in cash and prizes. In addition, the first and second place People's Choice Winners will be invited to compete this year in the World Barbecue Championship.

Beach lovers. Art lovers. Food lovers. Movie lovers. Architecture lovers. Welcome home. Seaside was made for you.

Justin Gaffrey is a sensitive, insightful, creative and successful SoWal artist. He also kills yellow flies with a blowtorch.

He burns them to crisps, their burnt bits blending with colorful layers of dried acrylics texturizing the floor. He sent one to oblivion right in front of me after the little bastard made the final mistake of biting me. Sweet revenge in the studio!

Visiting Eden Gardens State Park is tuning out the rest of the world and tuning in the “Real Florida”.

Trade in your worries and turn on to the splendor of SoWal's great outdoors, with some Florida history to boot. Just a bit north of the beach, Eden Gardens State Park is nestled in the woods of Point Washington, along the shores of Tucker Bayou and the Choctawhatchee Bay. It's the ideal spot to relax and have family fun.

The 4th of July in Seaside, Florida is an all-American celebration of music, food, white beaches, flags, fireworks, and a parade through the middle of town. It just doesn't get any better. Join your friends for the annual 4th of July Parade at 8AM along Scenic Highway 30A, concluding in Seaside with even more fun!

The parade begins in Seagrove Beach and travels down 30A ending in Seaside! Then make sure to reserve your spot on the Seaside Amphitheater lawn for a festive, patriotic performance followed by the always popular fireworks finale—an annual 4th of July Seaside tradition!

At SoWal.com, we are committed to helping locals and visitors stay safe while enjoying our beautiful beaches. The beach is such a wonderful place to relax. At the beach, life is beautiful and we slip into a state of mind where we feel comfortable, carefree, and secure. That's what a vacation is all about!

However, the gulf waters can be dangerous and it's important to always put safety first. For detailed information about Beach Safety go here >

The State Parks and State Forest Lands in South Walton are spectacular. Protected lands make up about 40% of the land south of the bay.

We are so blessed to have such treasure all around us. The lakes, bayous, creeks, forests, dunes and beaches in our parks make SoWal a very special place. Incredible landscapes with coastal dune lakes, lake outfalls kissing the Gulf, flowering dune magnolias, soaring pelicans, dancing dolphins, flower-covered dunes - the wonders of coastal nature are everywhere you turn.

From now until Labor Day everyone can enjoy free day-use admission to Grayton Beach State Park and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. The Walton County Tourist Development Council has covered the cost of entry to increase available parking for beach-goers during the peak summer season, as well as raise awareness of the variety of eco-tourism activities in SoWal.