Northwest Florida Events

EVENTS

Northwest Florida Fair
FORT WALTON BEACH – The Northwest Florida Fair will open the gates to the public at 5 p.m. on Oct.28-Nov.2. Hours of operation during the weekdays is 5-11 p.m. with the Exhibit Halls closing at 10 p.m. each night. Hours on Saturday are from noon-11 p.m. November 2 is the final day and the hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday is Student Night and students enter free from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday is Military Night and active military and dependents enter free. Thursday is Workforce Appreciation Night and employees with employer identification enter free from 5-6 p.m. Friday is Halloween night and if you are dressed IN A COSTUME, you may enter free. Saturday is Kid’s Day and midway wristbands are $15 from noon-5 p.m. Sunday is Super Sunday and midway wristbands are $15 from noon-6 p.m. And, every day is Senior Citizens day and seniors 65 and over is admitted free. Visit our website, www.nwffair.com to download discount coupons for wristbands to be used Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights only and to view a complete schedule of admission prices and events. This is a fair you will not want to miss.

Florida Seafood Festival
APALACHICOLA – Celebrate the 45th Annual Florida Seafood Festival from October 31-November 1 at Battery Park. This is the oldest seafood festival in the state of Florida. If you love great seafood, arts & crafts, fine folks and wonderful entertainment all wrapped into a magnificent family atmosphere, then join us. The event will feature quality entertainment and maritime crafts paying tribute to the Apalachicola Bay's commercial fishermen. There is also an oyster shucking contest, oyster eating contest. Headliners this November 1st are Daryle Singletary at 4 p.m. and Little Texas at 8 p.m. For more information visit Website www.floridaseafoodfestival.com or call 653-9419.

Orange Fest
NICEVILLE – First Baptist and First United Methodist Church of Niceville will host the 4th annual Orange Fest on Oct. 31 from 5:30-8 p.m. Come out and enjoy the harvest festival with hay rides, puppets, face painting, carnival games, music, inflatables, candy, pumpkin patch and trunk treasures. All activities are free with a minimal cost for food vendors. Free shuttle service provided to and from Ruckel Middle School’s parking lot. Parking is also available at Bank of America, behind First United Methodist Church and behind First Baptist Church on 31st Street. New this year is the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center. Stop by their booth to support the work of the Center. Donate a new toy or gift card at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or Target for Christmas or toiletry and baby items for the Family Services closet. For more information, call 678-4621 or visit www.fumcniceville.org


Reformation Sunday
NICEVILLE – St. Paul Lutheran Church will celebrate Reformation Sunday, Oct. 26, at White Point Recreation Area (near the Mid-Bay Bridge toll plaza) with one service at 10 a.m. The festival service includes Holy Communion with music by the Sanctuary Choir, Contemporary Praise Ensemble, Hand Bells, brass, guitar, base and drums. Bring your own lawns chairs and join the celebration under the oak trees. After the service the festival continues with a German dinner: bratwurst, hot dogs, potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage, cole slaw, brotchen, hot and cold drinks, and dessert. There will also be an ump-pa-pa band, petting zoo, air jumps and special musical guests, the bluegrass band, Lock, Stock and Barrel. Tickets for the after-worship festival are $8 for adults, $4 for children 12 and under or a family rate of $22. Purchase tickets in advance from the church office. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door the day of the festival. Follow Highway 20 east to White Point Road. Turn right and follow the signs to the Mid-Bay Bridge. Just before you get to the toll plaza area, turn right at the sign for White Point Recreation Area. For more information contact St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1407 E. John Sims Parkway, Niceville by calling 678-1298.


Fall Festival
SHALIMAR – Shalimar United Methodist Church will have its annual on Oct. 26 from 4:30-7 p.m. at the church grounds on Old Ferry Road. Activities include chili cook-off, apple pie bake-off, Rock climbing wall, jumper, obstacle course, as well as kids games, face painting, pumpkin carving contest. Free and open to the public. For more information contact the church office at 651-0721 or website www.shalimar-umc.org. Call Holly Brelia at 651-6277.
 
Folk Life Festival
BAKER - The Baker Heritage and Folk Life Festival will be on Nov. 1 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Baker Block Museum and Heritage Park. Exhibits will include antique turpentine and farm equipment, flintnapping, Native American storytelling & displays, pottery wheel, whittling, open fire cooking and demonstrations in our authentic log cabin. The Otahite Post Office will be opened for business with a commemorative Otahite postmark. Members of the Florida Public Archaeology Network will evaluation archeological finds. Kids can milk a dairy goat and have their picture made. Enjoy bluegrass and gospel music and a variety of foods to choose from. Bring your lawn chairs for a day of family entertainment. Contact the Baker Block Museum at 537-5714 for more information.

COMMUNITY

Halloween Costume Contest
DESTIN – Hog’s Breath Saloon will have their Halloween costume contest on Oct. 31 at 8 p.m. and will select a winner by midnight. Bill Garrett and the New World Beatniks will be performing live at 9 p.m. 1st prize is a 4 day 3 night stay in the Hog Mansion in Key West and a $100 bar tab at Hog's Breath in Key West; 2nd prize is $100 bar tab at Hog's Breath Destin or Key West; 3rd. prize is $50 bar tab at Hog's Breath Destin or Key West. Contact Jimmy Crawford at 837-5991.


Catholic Charities
FT. WALTON BEACH -Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida is holding their 1st Annual "Make A Difference" Gala on Nov. 1.  The event will be held at the Hilton Sandestin Beach and Golf Resort.  The Gala will provide a magnificent dinner and cocktails, along with live music from the award winning band, Jones and Company.  Also singing will be Rachael Shirley from Resurrection Church in Miramar Beach.  Tickets for the event are $100 each and can be purchased by calling Catholic Charities at 244-2825 or Dee Chernicky at 269-1100.  Everyone in our community is encouraged to attend the Gala and participate in the evening events. The proceeds help Catholic Charities to provide Christian counseling, adoption programs and support services to those in need.

Karaoke Halloween Party
SANTA ROSA BEACH – The Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club will host a Karaoke Halloween party at the Beach Club on Nov. 1 from 7–11 p.m. at the Beach Club Restaurant. The event is open to everyone and is not just members only. Guests should come dressed as their favorite entertainer or singer to belt out tunes and compete in the Club’s own version of American Idol. If talents are best kept in the car or shower - great! Come as a favorite Idol judge and support the karaoke singers. The night is planned to be fun and frightening with karaoke and costumes good, bad and ugly. Prizes will be awarded for best dressed male, female & ensemble. A buffet dinner will be available starting at 7 p.m. with one free drink (exclusions may apply) and karaoke until 11 p.m. The cost is $22.95 per person ($20.95 for members). Reservations should be made early by calling 267.2305. The Santa Rosa Club is located in Santa Rosa Beach on Scenic Highway 30A, near the intersection of 393 and 30A. For more information, call the Administration Office at 267-1240 or visit online at www.santarosaclub.com.

Two for One Sunday
FORT WALTON BEACH – Two for One Sunday at the Emerald Coast Science Center, 139 Brooks Street, Ft. Walton Beach on Oct. 26 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Buy one admission get one of equal or lesser value. Free. Call 664-1261.

Pioneer Day
NICEVILLE - Pioneer Day at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Nov. 1. Family activities will include candle-dipping, rag doll making, weaving and campfire cooking demonstrations. Other special activities include live dulcimer and flute music, quilting, storytelling and more. The main feature is the restored late 1800’s chuck wagon. There will be at least 15 exhibitors, many with hands-on activities. Families are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and picnics to enjoy beside the bayou.

Hippie Halloween
FORT WALTON BEACH – Bell-bottoms, platform shoes, and tie-dyed tees will be haute couture this Halloween as we celebrate Hippie Halloween in Historic Downtown Fort Walton Beach. The event, scheduled from 4–6 p.m. on Oct. 31 has shop owners offering groovy goodies and funky activities for the kids. Goovy Goody Bags will be available for $2 each at participating merchants. Retro fun for everyone.

MUSIC

Taco and Da Mofos Band
FORT WALTON BEACH – Taco and Da Mofos Band will perform on Oct. 31 at Shananigans (formerly Paper Moon) at 196 SE Miracle Strip Parkway. Call Shannon Harris at (901) 412-0682.


Night at the Opera
NICEVILLE – The second concert of the 22nd performance season of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra will be held Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center on the Niceville campus of Northwest Florida State College.
The “Night at the Opera” concert will feature national guest soloists Maryann Mootos, tenor John Matz and David Murray. These soloists will be joined by the more than 70 talented voices of the regional Northwest Florida Symphony Chorus who will perform with the orchestra. Tickets for the concert and all other NFSO season concerts are now available from the Mattie Kelly Arts Center box office for $22.50 each for adults and $16 each for youth age 18 or younger. Tickets are available in person, by phone at 729-6000 or online from the box office website at www.mattiekellyartscenter.org or the symphony website at www.nfsymphony.org. Tickets are also available at the door on the night of the concert starting at 6 p.m. Currently enrolled NWF State College students may receive one complimentary ticket per valid student ID, in person from the box office only. For additional information see the symphony’s website at www.nfsymphony.org.

Spanish Explorers’ Footsteps
PENSACOLA – The Choral Society of Pensacola presents a concert titled “Spanish Explorers’ Footsteps” at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3400 Bayou Blvd. Each of the Choral Society’s four concerts during the 2008-2009 seasons will highlight a different aspect of Pensacola’s history as the City of Five Flags. Tickets for the concert are $15 for reserved seating, $12 general admission, and $5 for students. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted for advance ticket sales, and there is a $2 discount per ticket on the purchase of reserved or general admission tickets for groups of ten or more. Tickets can also be purchased with cash or check through the Pensacola Junior College Lyceum Ticket Office (484-1847). Tickets for Choral Society concerts are always available at the door on performance nights. For more information about the Choral Society of Pensacola: phone 484-1806; e-mail csop1@juno.com.


Chauncey Packer
PENSACOLA – Pensacola Opera favorite Chauncey Packer is coming back to town for one night only, Nov. 1, for a special Salon Series Concert hosted by Capt. Elise Gordon at her home, the Hopkins House. After cocktails and a dinner buffet, Packer will serenade guests with operatic arias and African-American spirituals. There's no one better to kick off the Opera's Salon Series, with our favorite nationally-known artists hosted in some of Pensacola's most famous homes. Tickets are $150 a person for this amazing evening of song. There are only fifty tickets available for this exclusive event, so call the Opera Center at 433-6737 to make your reservation today. Cocktails and dinner are served at 7 p.m.; Chauncey starts this intimate concert at 8 p.m. Valet Parking is provided - dress is cocktail attire. Mr. Packer's appearance is made possible by Jan and Ron Miller.


American Gospel Ministries
NICEVILLE – The American Gospel Ministries will present our First Saturday Night Gospel Concert on Nov. 1 from 6-8 p.m. featuring The Mitchum Brothers from Edgewater. Don’t miss this musical opportunity by the Southern Gospel Music group. The concert will be held at First Baptist Church, 622 Bayshore Drive, Niceville, Florida. Pre-concert, offertory, and intermission music will be conducted by Saxophonist Ike Gilmore. A love offering will be received to defray the expenses of our visiting artists. Photo and biography of The Mitchum Brothers may be viewed at www.themitchumbrothers.com or www.americangospel.org. For additional information or directions please contact Jim Harkins, Sr. at jharkins@americangospel.org or by phone at 862-6211, 862-4429, or 218-1779.

Tops In Blue
NICEVILLE – The United States Air Force presents Tops In Blue World Tour ’08 with this year’s show Déjà Blue, celebrating 55 years of musical entertainment. The performance will be on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Northwest Florida State College Outdoor Theater on the Niceville campus. The live performance by Tops in Blue is free and open to the public. Guests are invited to bring their own seating. A variety of information including history of Tops in Blue, etc. is available at www.topsinblue.com. Mr. Don Cox, local coordinator of the event, can provide additional information. Call 882-0760 or email donald.cox@eglin.af.mil

Choral Society of Pensacola
PENSACOLA – The Choral Society of Pensacola presents a concert titled “Spanish Explorers’ Footsteps” at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3400 Bayou Blvd. “Spanish Explorers’ Footsteps” will feature the 60 singers of the Choral Society of Pensacola, under the direction of Xiaolun Chen; the Pensacola Guitar Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Joe Stallings; and popular local vocalist, soprano Sewell Jeter Griffith, in an evening of music from the rich literature of Spain. Tickets for the concert are $15.00 for reserved seating, $12.00 general admission, and $5.00 for students. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted for advance ticket sales, and there is a $2.00 discount per ticket on the purchase of reserved or general admission tickets for groups of ten or more. Tickets can also be purchased with cash or check through the Pensacola Junior College Lyceum Ticket Office (850-484-1847). Tickets for Choral Society concerts are always available at the door on performance nights.