The Beach Vacation Blog » Entertainment

Digital Graffiti in Alys Beach

Garrett Realty Services — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:38:34 +0000

Without further ado Alys Beach announces the 25 digital artist finalists who will display their art at the Fifth Annual Digital Graffiti Festival and compete for $10,000 in cash prizes! This juried festival awards prizes in various categories and judged by a panel of art and industry experts. There were hundreds of submissions from artists from around the world eager to have their work displayed on the famous white walls of Alys Beach.

Digital Graffiti is the world’s first projection art festival and draws over one thousand spectators from around the world. Growing in number each year Alys Beach expands the festival for 2012. For two days guests can enjoy this one-of-a-kind event!

Friday, June 8^th, the Gallery Stroll is presented which allows guests to interact with the artists in a salon-style setting. The Caliza Restaurant will be taking a limited number of reservations for dinner and a cash bar at the Caliza Pool will be offered. The festival continues on Saturday, June 9^th at Fonville Press on the Red Carpet with VIE Magazine. Festival gates open for a show like no other! The evening ends with Caliza Pool’s traditional pool party where you will hear all winners announced.

Digital Graffiti is an event you do not want to miss! Visit Alys Beach June 8^th-9^th for the festival of the year! Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by visiting www.digitalgraffiti.com

Reservations, call Garrett Realty for your accommodations @ 1-800-537-5387

Spring to the Beaches of South Walton ~ Visit South Walton

Garrett Realty Services — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:29:09 +0000

This year the first day of spring lands on Tuesday, March 20^th. That means you have exactly 13 weeks and 1 day before the summer heat. The Beaches of South Walton have a calendar full of exciting events to keep you busy outdoors every day this spring!

Music fills the air from March through May in Rosemary, Seaside, and Alys Beach. Spring concerts are offered at 6:00pm every Wednesday and Thursday night. Bring your blanket, beach chair, and a bottle of wine and enjoy the sounds of talented musicians under the stars. For the movie buff, every Friday at 7:30pm take in a spring flick on the green lawn at the Seaside Amphitheatre. All spring concerts and movies are free and open to the public!

This time of year the Beaches of South Walton are famous for hosting our favorite annual events! Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach is the world’s first projection art festival, with artists using the latest technologies to project their original works onto the town’s famous white walls. This event draws over 3,000 guests to its now 2-day event in June!

Seaside hosts the 24^th Annual ArtsQuest and Music Festival. Over 130 international artists fill downtown Seaside with inspiring exhibits. A weekend of live music, artist workshops, KidZone activities, and fabulous fare can be had by all in the month of May!

The 26^th Annual Sandestin Wine Festival takes place in April. Unique wine events over a 4 day period include wine seminars, dinners, auctions, and tastings of over 600 domestic and international wines. Live music, gourmet food, and a never ending supply of wine makes this event a South Walton favorite!

Escape to The Beaches of South Walton this year and experience spring at its best! Come , Visit South Walton, today!

Call Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387 for reservations.

www.Artsquestflorida.com www.digitalgraffiti.com www.sandestinwinefestival.com

Where 2 Bars Are Better Than 1

Garrett Realty Services — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:24:53 +0000

Everyone is applauding South Walton’s latest restaurant, 723 Whiskey Bravo! Conveniently located on the site of the old Wheelhouse Restaurant in Seagrove Beach, Highway 30-A. Just a short walk, bike ride, or drive for South Walton’s residents and Garrett Realty Services vacation renters to enjoy great food and spirits from a 40-seat indoor bar or open air rooftop bar!

723 Whiskey Bravo was opened by Skip and Victoria Moore from Atlanta who, like many, fell in love with 30-A and the lifestyle the community promotes. A unique story behind the name can be found on their website as well as a menu of all the delicious dishes and signature drinks Whiskey Bravo is serving up! You will find a diverse and reasonable menu for lunch and dinner, including a weekend Bloody Mary bar and Sunday brunch.

This restaurant really does have everything! It’s the perfect place for the sports fanatic with beers on tap and a game on the screen. There is a private dining area that can be reserved for guests who prefer a more intimate setting. Of course there’s nothing like sipping your favorite drink on their rooftop bar taking in an amazing view of the Gulf.

Visit 30-A’s new “place to be”, 723 Whiskey Bravo!

723whiskeybravo.com

3031 Scenic Highway 30A

Seagrove Beach Florida 32459

Valentine’s Day on 30A

Garrett Realty Services — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:43:54 +0000

Valentine’s Day is full of excitement, romance, and love… if you’re a woman or a man! Much like a work day, good decisions must be made and mind-reading skills must be sharpened. This day can determine the future or at least get brought up in the future over and over again! So here’s a list of some of South Walton’s Valentine’s Day favorites you won’t go wrong with!

The Naked Grape at Gulfplace is a great place to start! With an extensive wine and beer selection as well as gourmet tapas, this intimate wine bar is the perfect place to begin an evening of romance. Just six miles east and you’ve arrived at the best spot in town to watch the sunset. Bud & Alley’s is famous for their outside, upstairs bar overlooking the green gulf waters.

Next on the list is V in Seagrove Beach for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. This sleek, South Beach style venue is serving a three course meal with a sweet heart theme. Enjoy delicacies such as: Lobster Gnocchi, Strawberry Sweetheart Salad, Pink Rose Pepper Seared Shrimp, and Triple Chocolate Molten Cake. The perfect ending is found at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach where you can dance into the next day to live music in a cozy atmosphere.

Make this the perfect Valentine’s Day and bring your date to 30A!

Of course, for a vacation rental call Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387

South Walton is the Place!

Garrett Realty Services — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:28:45 +0000

“This is the Place” is the title of Susanna Hoffs’ South Walton Single. The songs official launch will take place at the 30A Songwriters Festival next week. However, the song is already a hit thanks to the lyric preview video on YouTube that is viewed regularly and local media.

Susanna Hoffs is not the only Songwriter that our beautiful City of South Walton has inspired. Recent releases such as “Life Shines (The 30A Song)” performed by Bryan Kennedy and written by Kennedy and Mike Ragsdale can be heard on YouTube. The Beaches of South Walton are truly music making material!

Susanna Hoffs will debut her song live at the upcoming Songwriter’s Festival. Music lovers don’t want to miss this event. I guarantee you’ll “like it right here”.

For more information and accommodations, contact Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387.

30A ~ A Music Lovers Highway!!!

Garrett Realty Services — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:01:19 +0000

30A Songwriters Festival is back by popular demand and only a week away! Voted in 2011 as the hottest Annual Event on 30A, this year over 125 songwriters are ready to turn up the heat for 2012. From January 13^th- 15^th, you can enjoy three full days of folk, country, rock, and alternative music along the beautiful beaches of South Walton, Highway 30A.

Venues vary from intimate settings to open air amphitheaters and include 30A hot spots such as: Gulf Place Amphitheatre, Naked Grape, First Note Music Hall in Blue Mountain Beach, and Bud & Alley’s in Seaside. Performances by The Bangles, Rodney Crowell, Shawn Mullins, Matthew Sweet, Indigo Girls, Joan Osborne, and so many more. Truly a world class event of amazing performances at one of the most beautiful spots in the Country!

For a full list of artists and venues or ticket information visit www.30asongwritersfestival.com. Need accommodations, call Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387

A Holiday on South Walton Beaches!!

Garrett Realty Services — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:01:27 +0000

There is no better place to be this holiday season than at the beach! This Florida girl’s idea of a white Christmas includes walking in the snow-like sand of South Walton Beaches with my bare feet — where the temperatures are in the mid-to-high 60’s and wearing a scarf and boots never cross my mind!

Along with beautiful beaches that can be enjoyed all year round comes a calendar full of holiday happenings. On specific evenings throughout the week you can find lots of great events and activities going. For instance, try visiting the Seaside Amphitheatre for an outdoor concert under the stars. These concerts feature performances from talented, local musicians. They are free and open to the public. Included in the festivities are outside holiday movies on the big screen, visits with Santa, Art-Walks, and New Year’s Celebrations.

For those who don’t mind the cold, WaterColor presents The Polar Bear Dip. Take the plunge into 2012, on January 1^st at 8:00AM. Meet at the WaterColor Beach Club as you join the other daring dippers into the brisk waters of the Gulf of Mexico — guaranteed to wake you up no matter how hard you partied on New Year’s Eve!

The Beaches of South Walton are made up of 15 beach neighborhoods. Each one with its own unique flare and famous celebrations that call me home for the holidays. Why not make it yours this year?

Sunsets from our Back Yards!!

Garrett Realty Services — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:25:01 +0000

Our sunsets aren’t the only reason to visit our wonderful Paradise!!!

Come Rent & Relax along Scenic 30-A with Garrett Realty Services, Inc.

Summer at the Gulf

Garrett Realty Services — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:00:07 +0000

Escape to Florida’s Panhandle, where the water sparkles clearer, the sand shines whiter, and the fun never stops. Our Editor reveals his favorite haunts.

(Post from Southern Living Magazine )

by John Alex Floyd, Jr.

I have vacationed here as a child, as a teenager, as a newlywed, and as a father. My wife and I plan to vacation here when we become empty nesters. That’s not uncommon for those who call this 95-mile stretch of Florida’s Panhandle, simply, The Beach. The lure of the place, once experienced, tugs for a lifetime.

From Destin east to Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe, you’ll find a curious mix of old and new Florida. Posh resorts vie with tiny bungalows. Bustling cities glitter in stark contrast with quaint fishing villages. Fabulous or rustic, tacky or elegant, vibrant or laid-back, the area has something for everyone. The common thread that runs through it all remains the emerald green waters and finest powder-white sand in the world.

Lodging–Family Fun on the Emerald Coast
To newcomers, the discovery is Destin–the sleepy fishing village-turned-mega-destination. Many families or couples spend an entire week here and never have to get into a car. Condos are the lodging of choice. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the area’s largest resort complex and features fine hotel rooms, condominiums, four great golf courses, upscale shopping, and a variety of eateries.

Seaside, the Panhandle’s first planned community, sets a look and style that still gives Scenic Highway 30A, the 19-mile loop off of U.S. 98, a fantasy feel. Next door to Seaside sits the WaterColor Inn and Resort, a swank new spot that opened last year. Nearby you’ll find upscale restaurants, shopping, condos, and private homes. Lodging in the Seaside area costs anywhere from $100 up to any price you want to pay. Rosemary Beach is also a favorite destination in this area.

Panama City Beach is a family beach, a teenage hangout, and a splash of old Florida all rolled into one. Classic family-owned motels have dotted this stretch of sand for decades, though remodeled chain hotels, high-rise condominiums, and private rental homes are common today. Marriott’s Bay Point Resort Village, which is on St. Andrews Bay, sports fine golfing and big-league resort accommodations. But beware: Traffic on Front Beach Road is a tangle on summer nights.

While the coastal towns of Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe are different, they feel the same. They echo the unspoiled scenes from the postcard days of travel. It’s not an area that time forgot, just one devoid of today’s crowds. Your best lodging bets here are beach cottages, bed-and-breakfasts, family-run motels, and beach campgrounds and cabins at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. (RV campgrounds are in the area too.) The easiest way to find a bunk is to check the cities’ Web sites.

20th Annual Seeing Red Wine Festival

Garrett Realty Services — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:34:31 +0000

DATE: 11/04/2010

TOWN: Seaside

Set during one of the prettiest seasons on the Emerald Coast, the 20th Annual Seeing Red Wine Festival will feature hundreds of wines from around the world November 4-7, 2010.

In conjunction with Taste of The Beach, the main tasting on Saturday is often described as the perfect afternoon. Wine enthusiasts stroll through tasting areas, sampling a wonderful selection of wines.

Each setting also features world-class music. Intimate lectures and tastings with featured guest winemakers, dinners, and reserve wine tastings are all part of the festivities. Special packages are available in the award-winning town of Seaside for accommodations during the festival.

Thursday, Nov. 4: Winemaker Dinner
Bud & Alley’s 7PM

Friday, Nov. 5: Al Fresco Wine Walkabout
Ruskin Place 6-8PM
$145/person (866) 976-7990

Saturday, Nov. 6: Seeing Red Grand Tasting
Seaside 1-5PM
$120/person (866) 976-7990

Sunday, Nov. 7: Champagne Brunch
Great Southern Cafe 11AM