Great Late Spring Destin Festivals

Destin, on the Florida Panhandle's Gulf Coast, has grown by leaps and bounds in the past thirty years. When I used to go down there with family in the 1950s and -60s about the only public party they threw was the Destin Fishing Rodeo every fall. Today, there are festivities for just about everything. It's a great town and the old Harbor area is a magnificent place to watch the sun set over the water. There are lots of happenings in the month of June this year that will appeal to a wide range of ages.

http://www.seabreezejazzfestival.com/new/
This festival has been one of the most popular in Destin for years. This year it has moved back to The Gulf Place Outdoor Amphitheater just east of Destin--a location on Scenic Highway 30-A near Santa Rosa Beach. This is entertainment mostly aimed at adults, and there's a lot of just sitting, so leave the kids at the hotel with a babysitter if you want to relax and enjoy the music to the fullest. Some features have been added this year. For one thing, there's a Smooth Jazz Dinner Cruise aboard the Solarthat cameos jazz saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa. The boat boards at the Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12th. Friday and Saturday, the shows run from 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The jazz lineups for both days features guitar and sax renditions, some smooth jazz gospel and other styles. Some of the performers are NILS, Nick Colionne, Kirk Whalum, Tim Bowman, Rafe Gomez, Boney James, and Mindi Abair. People can purchase online or by calling 1-800-595-4849. There's a free shuttle to the Gulf Place venue for people who either stay at or park at the Tops'L Beach Resort or the Surfside Resort, both located just west of Gulf Place. Tickets for all the perfomances on all three days can be purchased for $130. http://www.musicalechoes.org/

Something new this year is a three-day event, the 2007 Native American Flute and Cultural Festival this April 27, 28, and 29. This is a family event where kids can enjoy the Indian crafts, the food, cultural displays and the gentle flute music. They have native arts competition, flute-making competitions and flute playing competitions. The workshops are really wonderful. Children will just love some of these. There's one on bee-keeping, another on shell carving. Yet another gives instruction on ladies' basket making. These all cost money, so consult the web site to see about the fees. All this takes place at 6 Lakeshore Drive, Shalimar, Florida 32579. They can be reached at 850-582-1776. They can be reached by email at Information@musicalechoes.org .

There's also the regular spring winetasting this year at Seaside May 18 and 19. I have been to this event and it's wonderful. There's usually music on the public Green, and basically shops and restrurants participate by offering lectures by winemakers, and special luncheons and dinners They will feature more than 250 wines around the world this year. People really need to call them to find out how to make advance reservations at some of the events. 1-800-277-8696

http://www.culturalartsassociation.org/aqdetailsnew.html
Destin has been host to an arts festival for almost 20 years. It has relocated from downtown Destin to the Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin and people can conveniently park their cars at the Silver Sands Factory Outlet stores and be shuttled to the location. For a week, schools, churches and other groups put on fashion shows, musical performances and art exhibits that culminate on Saturday and Sunday with the Arts Quest Festival, May 12th and 13th. Artists from all over the country are judges on their work in all mediums with continuous live entertainment in the background. This is a very popular event because condo owners and homeowners can come here and purchase quality artwork for their homes. Because this festival is one of the top arts festivals in the country, it draws some excellent artists, many of whom go on to become quite famous. So this is a great way to pick up something to enjoy for a lifetime and also to benefit from possible immense appreciation with it. CAA member art exhibit, Okaloosa Walton College Exhibit and "kidszone"- activities for children of all ages. Contact them to enter artwork or to ask questions about the festival at (850) 622-5970. They ask for a mere $3.00 donation to enter the festival area.