Christmas in Destin and along the Emerald Coast

The wonderful season of glad tidings, peace and "good will towards men" is rapidly approaching here in Destin and along the Emerald Coast as Ocean Reef gets everything ready for our holiday visitors. Many of our guests come here for an annual family tradition just before, during or right after Christmas. Our beaches are decorated year round for this special holiday with pure white “summer snow”, the kind that doesn't melt!  Although sand castles are the usual monument of creative fun at the beach, this is the perfect time of the year to build a snowman out of sparkling, white sand!  Besides sandy snowmen, other fun filled Christmas activities in Destin abound here as well.

Destin starts the season on December 2nd with their official Christmas Tree Lighting at the Community Center across from HarborWalk Village. On December 4th the Annual Destin Christmas Craft Show is held at the same location from 9am to 2pm with lots of unique, hand crafted jewelry as well as silk floral arrangements and artwork. On Saturday, December 11th at 10am, the Christmas Parade starts at the Downtown Destin Shopping Center and goes down Harbor Boulevard, (aka Highway 98). This year the theme is Christmas Movies of the Silver Screen so be sure to see your favorites go by for an enjoyable, family event. This parade is highlighted by great Americana type local school bands, decorated floats and even boats!

Speaking of boats, the 24th annual Destin Boat Parade hits the harbor on Sunday, December 12th at 6pm. This dazzling event features watercraft of all sizes which are festooned with a myriad of Christmas lights and is hosted by the Destin History and Fishing Museum. Most visitors from America's interior heartland have never seen anything like it! Due to the sheer size of our private fishing fleet, which is the largest on the Gulf of Mexico, Destin has one of the best Christmas Boat Parades in the nation. At 5pm, captains will be lining up their boats at Crab Island on the bay side of the Destin Bridge which is a good place to watch them assemble. You can enjoy a fun evening eating and drinking at one of the fine restaurants here while watching the show at Harborwalk Village where there will be some festive Christmas music. Parade Boat judging will be done at Harry T's. Other great places to watch this floating parade are all along the harbor including the Lucky Snapper, AJ's, The Boat House, Dewey Destin's Harborside and Fisherman's Wharf.  Be sure to get there early to catch the sunset over the Gulf beforehand and perhaps check in advance for reservations at the restaurant of your choice.

Prior to this event, Santa starts to arrive at various locations from Destin to Miramar Beach, down Scenic 30A and all the way to Panama City Beach. (It is his busiest time of the year after all!) Old St. Nick will be on hand at Destin Commons on Saturday, November 20th in a celebratory parade down Main Street where he will light the fifty foot tall Christmas Tree. Magical village lighting, playful fountains and holiday music complete the mood.  Destin Commons is the perfect setting for retail adventure, tasty food or a good movie at The Rave in a very family oriented, Disneyesque environment.

In Miramar Beach at Silver Sands, America's largest Designer Outlet Center, the sixth annual Evening of Giving is being held from 3 to 8pm on November 21st.  Over 100 stores here, owned by a “Who's Who” of acclaimed nationally known designers, offer substantial discounts on clothing, shoes, jewelry, linens, china, crystal and home apparel. Literally millions of shoppers come here throughout the year for one stop, bargain shopping. The Evening of Giving is an event that benefits twenty local charities including the Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center, The Shelter House, and the Children In Crisis foundation. All of these groups provide help for abused or neglected children, emergency foster care services and food donations for those who are hungry. This worthy event is also being co-sponsored by Harry and David's, Tommy Hilfiger, as well as Dooney and Burke. Besides gaining a feeling of good will, the voluntary $5 per ticket donation gives each shopper additional special retail discounts on already marked down items. The ticket donation receipts also qualify each person for some $500 Silver Sands Shopping Spree drawings. There will also be refreshments, carolers and live entertainment by the Swinging Dick Tracy Band. At 7pm over 70,000 lights will be lighted on a towering Christmas tree, which will be choreographed to holiday music for an on-going, ever changing, magical display. Enjoy dining or the Special Holiday Happy Hours offered on site between 4 to 7pm at Carrabba's, Cheeseburger in Paradise and SanGelato's. For the “shop till you drop” crowd, there will be a Midnight Madness Sale on Friday, November 26th starting at 12am and ending at 9pm.

On November 26th at 6pm in nearby Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, there's a Golf Cart Christmas Parade! (This IS Florida afterall!) The “jolly old elf” himself will be arriving this way to light the Christmas tree, which will be followed by a village light show and fireworks over the lagoon. This charming village, which sits on Choctawhatchee Bay, is filled with lovely retail shops, restaurants and bars as well as activities for the kids. In fact on Saturday, November 27th they kick off their free Family Movie Night on the village green playing Miracle On 34th Street at 7pm. In the Event's Plaza there will be a kid’s “Bounce House” along with, (believe it or not!), an ice skating rink open during the afternoons.

Scenic 30A which runs along the coast from Dune Allen all the way to Rosemary Beach, has lots of unique, Norman Rockwell type Christmas festivities of their own. In picturesque Santa Rosa Beach, there will be an Artist's at Gulf Place gathering on Friday, November 26th from 10am to 6pm. Artists from all over will be selling their wares here with live musical entertainment, food venues and of course...Santa! Right down the road, in the world renowned village of Seaside, there will be another Christmas Parade on Saturday, November 27th.  The fun starts at 4pm in Seagrove Beach where the parade begins on Scenic 30A and signals the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus where it culminates in Seaside at the outdoor amphitheatre.  The Claus duo will switch on the Christmas tree and “Turn on the Town” for an awesome, simultaneous display of lights! Afterwards, at 7pm their Holiday Movie Night begins with a showing of Fred Claus. Further east in the charming, Dutch colonial inspired, idyllic village of Rosemary Beach, Santa will be making yet another stop and even be available for breakfast on November 26th. Later in the day from 1 to 3pm, on South Barrett Square located in the center of town, families can gather on the lawn to watch Every Christmas Ever Told for a free, memorable holiday show. This presentation will be repeated again on November 27th. in front of the Town Hall from 1 to 3pm.

Not to be out done, Panama City Beach has lots of holiday cheer to pass around for visitors at that end of The Emerald Coast. On Friday, November 26th the Mayor officially lights the Christmas tree at Pier Park accompanied by carolers and of course Santa. This megaplex boardwalk, which runs from Highway 98 all the way to the Gulf, provides a huge variety of retail establishments and restaurants in a friendly, pedestrian setting. It is anchored on the south end by one of Jimmy Buffet's famous Margaritaville Restaurants. Here you can enjoy another Florida Christmas tradition...a green colored, holiday margarita! Panama City does their own version of a boat promenade with the annual Parade of Lights at 5:30pm on Saturday, November 27th. Thousands of people gather for this annual event which starts at the Baypoint Yacht Club and ends at the St. Andrews Marina with plenty of spots along the way to enjoy this shimmering, floating, festival of lights.

Here at Ocean Reef, it is our pleasure to offer a vast selection of vacation rentals and welcome you and yours to join all our other guests for the beginning of a meaningful, holiday tradition in the land of summer snow. May your family be blessed by the glad Christmas tidings which celebrate Love, Compassion and Peace!