Fall Festival Season Begins · October Events Along 30A + The Emerald Coast

Fishermen take notice! Stinky’s Bait Shack is adding pompano to the 10^th annual fishing tourney along with a new name “Stinky’s Fall Pompano Beach to Bay Grand Slam Fishing Tournament” and a fall kick-off party. Grab your reels and get ready to compete in this fun-filled tourney with fish weigh ins from 10AM-6PM daily through October 28th.

Time to roll out the barrel and discover unique suds & ales! The Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin presents the 15th Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest on October 6th & 7th, 2023. American specialty beers from around the nation will be available for participants to sample and savor. The main event will feature more than 200 domestic and international craft beers available for sampling.

After many years, the 45th Annual Destin Seafood Festival is returning to its original home on the Destin Harbor. A tribute to the rich history of the Destin Harbor, activities include fireworks, arts, crafts, fresh local food, kids’ activities, and live music. Approximately 70,000 locals and visitors are expected to attend this FREE festival!

Main Street DeFuniak Springs will host its 3rd Annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 5PM to 8PM in Historic Downtown DeFuniak Springs. The event, held outdoors on Baldwin Avenue between S. 7th and S. 8th St. will feature craft German beer, assorted German-themed vendors, live music, axe throwing, and activities for kids and families.

Be part of the coolest fishing event around – the Okaloosa Gas Navarre Fishing Rodeo! Fish from the shore, a boat or kayak, or from the pier. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in open, kayak, and junior divisions. You can only win one prize in each division for your best fish. Come to Juana’s Pagodas for food, fishing, and fun!

Porchfest Returns! Listen to Live music on the porches and lawns of the Watersound Origins community. Free and Open to the Public. The current lineup includes Lori Ubowski, Weston T. Hine, Boukou Groove Duo, Tanglewood, and Mary Bragg (with full band). MyOhana and Curry in a Hurry food trucks will be onsite. Bring a lawn chair and friends and be ready for an afternoon of good music, good people, and good neighbors.

World-renowned pop songstress Macy Gray and her band California Jet Club headline the inaugural Salt Water Music Fest presented by Salt Water Vacations and Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation. Experience the electrifying, eclectic talent of Grammy-winning Macy Gray along with additional featured performers Locash, Ben Burgess, Jared Mullins, Jordan Minton, Jordan Reynolds, and Josh Mirenda Band.

The Inaugural “Tapas & Tunes at Topsail” event will take place from 6PM until 10PM and will benefit Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, one of Florida’s premier state parks. Restaurants will compete for the Judges’ Top 3 Tapas, along with a Peoples’ Choice award. Attendees will also enjoy live music throughout the evening, an online silent auction, cash bar for wine and beer, and much more!

This annual event features unlimited tastes of South Walton’s most creative and innovative bloody marys made with Distillery 98’s Dune Laker Vodka and served by the finest restaurants and bars on the Emerald Coast, with proceeds benefitting Habitat For Humanity Walton County! Along with the best bloody in town, you’ll also enjoy listening to live music by Catalyst, watching football, sampling local food from our merchants, shopping, and enjoying a beautiful fall day!

Presented by Bay Breeze Patio, Eggs on the Beach will celebrate the delicious results of foods cooked on the Big Green Egg within a beautiful coastal setting at Seascape Resort. Tasters enjoy unlimited bites, live music, Knob Creek samples, a chance to win a Mini-Max Big Green Egg, and more. Cooks bring their own food and cook a variety of dishes on a Big Green Egg, which is provided for each cooking team.

Enjoy live music, a kids zone, and of course, great wings at the 5th Annual Wing Cook-Off Fundraiser to support Navarre’s Special Needs Community. Funds from this event help support our iPad for Communication Program, Ortho-Helmet Program for Military, and other related medical services for children with different abilities.

Whether you’re a foodie, a cocktail connoisseur, or simply looking for a fun afternoon out, Toast on the Coast is the event for you. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to savor the flavors of the coast and celebrate all that makes this region so special! This event will raise money for the Child Clothing Project which annually clothes over 300 children in Okaloosa and Walton County.

Harvest Wine & Food Festival returns WaterColor this October for four days of epicurean excellence that is sure to delight both wine and culinary enthusiasts alike. Rated as one of the premier wine and food festivals in the Southeast, Harvest provides patrons the opportunity to sip and savor some of the world’s finest wine and culinary selections.

Alys Beach Crafted celebrates the collaboration of talents that come together to enrich the 30A experience and aims to tell the stories of crafted beverages, culinary experiences, artistry, and workmanship. Crafted will be a weekend of events here in Alys Beach, a gathering of renowned craftspeople from around the country sharing the process, the inspiration, and the product of their craft.

The Festival of the Arts, produced by Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF), is one of the Southeast’s premier juried art festivals. A celebration of art, food, and family fun, it is staged in the MKAF Cultural Arts Village in Destin. Enjoy artist demos, live music, creative children’s activities, street performers, food truck fare, beer & wine garden, and more. This event is free for attendees.