Category: Events

Panama City Beach Scottish Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on
2018 PANAMA CITY SCOTTISH FESTIVAL & HIGHLAND GAMES

Tomorrow is the Panama City Beach Scottish Festival. This one-day event is hosted by the Celtic Cultural Alliance and held at Frank Brown Park. The event includes Highland Games, premium scotch whisky tasting, Irish Step dancing performances, a British car show, Scottish Bagpipe bands, kids play area, and vendors selling Celtic-inspired goods. The Highland Games include a Stone Throw, Scottish Heavy Hammer Throw, and the Sheaf Toss. Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for kids aged 6-14, and free for children 5 and younger. Please note that the premium scotch whisky tasting requires a special ticket costing $35. Learn more about the Scottish Festival and the Celtic Cultural Alliance by visiting their website here. 

Chipley Craft Fair

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Coming to Chipley this Saturday, March 5th, is the Boat Lake Spring Craft Fair and Yard Sale. From 9am – 5pm, this free event will be hosting a multitude of vendors selling a variety of crafts and goods. If you or someone you know is interested in taking part as a vendor, booth spots are $10.00 per booth spot with set-up beginning at 8am. To sign up as a vendor or to learn more about the event, please call 850-832-4771 or email boatlakedirector@gmail.com. Visit the Facebook event page here to stay up-to-date with event announcements. 

Benefitting the PCB Senior Center

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The Panama City Beach Senior Center counts on donations to keep its lights on and to continue serving the community. Consider supporting this keystone of the community by visiting its upcoming craft fairs. Today, from 9am to 2pm, the PCBSC will be hosting the Winter Craft Fair. The fair will be held at the Lyndell Conference Center right next door to the PCBSC. The Craft Fair will have crafts, jewelry, local goods, lunch items, baked goods, and more!

The second fair will also be held at the Lyndell Conference Center. On March 5th, PSBSC will be hosting an Everything Sale. It will have everything available at the Craft Fair and more! For more information about either event, call the PCBSC at 850-233-5065 or email sue@pcbsc.com. 

Mardi Gras Barkus Parade

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    Tomorrow is the 11th annual Mardi Gras Barkus Parade. This is a special Mardi Gras parade hosted by the Mystic Krewe of Salty Barkers, a Krewe of dogs and their humans.

    The Krewe is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and the parade proceeds will go towards the benefit of local animal charities. The theme of this year’s parade is Pirates of Oyster City; the event will include live music, local food and drink, and arts and crafts vendors. Festivities will start at 11am at Riverfront Park. The parade of costumed dogs, people, golf carts, boats, and floats will begin at 1pm. As always, the King and Queen of the Apalachicola Mardi Gras parade are shelter animals who are up for adoption; they have a place of honor in the parade. Learn more at the Mystic Krewe website here. 

    Mardi Gras GRAND Parade

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      The annual Pensacola Mardi Gras Grand Parade is coming up this February 26th!

      The Grand Parade is the city’s largest parade; it includes more than 6,000 participants and 10,000 viewers. The parade features local Krewes, marching bands, organizations, and Scout Groups. Additionally, there are a number of out-of-town Krewes and organizations that visit specifically for this event. Interested in attending? The parade takes place on Palafox and Garden Streets in historic downtown Pensacola. It will start on February 26th at 2pm and lasts until 6pm. There will be a dedicated children’s viewing area free of alcohol and tobacco to ensure families can have a good time during the high-energy parade. Learn more about the parade at the Pensacola Mardi Gras website here. 

      Mardi Gras Parade

      Debbie Roney Smith on

        The largest men’s Krewe along the Florida Panhandle, the Krewe of Lafitte, is hosting their Illuminated Parade in Pensacola on February 25th! This all-male crew features 300 “gentleman” pirates, twelve floats, and is the only after-dark parade in the county. The parade will start at 7:30pm in Downtown Pensacola. Visit the official Krewe of Lafitte website to learn more about the parade float captains and other events held by the organization: https://www.kreweoflafitte.com/the-krewe/. 

        Amelia Island Book Festival

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        The Amelia Island Book Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. This annual festival is designed to engage adults and young people in the joy of reading and writing through a series of public events; the events typically feature New York Times best-selling authors, independent publishers, independent authors, awards programs, and workshops. The Annual Author Expo is occurring February 18-19. The event offers the opportunity to engage with more than 100 authors, listen to panel discussions, and get books signed; admission is free to this event.

        Additionally, there will be a 20th Anniversary Gala hosted at the Ritz-Carlton. The featured authors at this evening event will be David Baldacci, Mary Alice Monroe, Jennifer Niven, and Jeannette Walls; there will also be a cocktail reception, an author panel discussion, and a book signing. Learn more about the Amelia Island Book Festival and the organization it benefits here. 

        Random Acts of Kindness

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        Tomorrow is National Random Acts of Kindness Day! Currently ongoing is Random Acts of Kindness Week which started February 13th and will end on February 19th. Both events are designed to help spread kindness and empathy in the world; the motto of these annual events is “making kindness the norm.” Random Acts of Kindness can be gifted to any person by any person, and includes a plethora of actions from holding a door open to making an anonymous donation and more. Looking for some inspiration to get you started? Consider one of the following acts:

        • Share words of kindness online
        • Take part in a community cleanup
        • Check-in with a friend/family member you haven’t talked with in awhile
        • Leave quarters at your local laundromat 
        • Donate items/money to an organization/individual in need
        • Plant a tree or native flowers
        • Leave an extra-generous tip for your next server

        Visit the official Random Acts of Kindness website for more ideas, tips, and to learn more about the movement and the people involved. 

        Cirque Italia: Water Circus

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        Cirque Italia has reimagined it’s popular performance to include lighted water fountains, a pirate adventure, death-defying acts, and a chance for visitors to be part of the search for a buried treasure. Upcoming dates include Tallahassee shows February 17th-21st, Panama City Beach shows February 24th-27th, and Pensacola shows from March 3rd-6th.

        The Water Circus recommends that all guests wear a mask to events and is enforcing recommendations set by the CDC. Visit the official Cirque Italia website HERE for more information and to purchase tickets online. 

        PCB Conservation Park Birding

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        Interested in birding, photography, or learning about the natural world? Consider taking part in one of the upcoming Birding Walks at the Panama City Beach Conservation Park. The walk will be held twice this month on February 12th and again on February 19th from 7:30-9:30 am. The early morning walk will be led by a member of Bay County’s Audubon Society. Participants are not required to have their own binoculars but are encouraged to bring water. For more information, please contact the PCB Parks Department at (850)233-5045.