On a sunny and brisk Sunday, February 20th, 2022, 3,200 runners from the local area and 40 states took their places at the start line in the New Urbanism town of Seaside, Florida, to participate in the 20th running of the Seaside School Half Marathon and 5K. The Seaside School Foundation proudly reports that over $700,000 was raised to benefit the Seaside School, Inc., through Seaside Race Weekend efforts.

Just in time for the 2022 season, Chef Jim Shirley opened two new establishments in Seaside, Florida—The Great Southern Cafe's Chicken Shack and C-Bar (Container Bar). Both are located between Sundog Books and The Great Southern Cafe and share a communal courtyard for dining and relaxing.

Royal Destinations offers beach vacation properties throughout the Scenic Highway 30-A area of Florida's Gulf Coast that truly give guests a "home away from home" experience. The local team at Royal Destinations is committed to providing hand-tailored experiences that go beyond the four walls of your vacation rental, with concierge services to help visitors with all their beachgoing needs and activities during their stay. Check out some of the highlights here!

Welcome to 30Avenue, where work and play meet! This stunning outdoor lifestyle center located in Inlet Beach, Florida, beneath the towering lush palms offers a little something for everyone and is the perfect place to catch up with friends and family. Featuring stone walkways and a gorgeous flowing fountain, 30Avenue will make you feel like you have been transported to Palm Beach. Known as the "Gateway to 30A," for a reason, 30Avenue is located just a short walk or bike ride from charming Rosemary Beach and is a fantastic place to escape to meet your gang for happy hour. 30Avenue offers the following culinary experiences that you need to add to your must-try list!

30A Songwriters returned for its 13th year. The event featured 175 talented artists and 225 performances spread throughout 30+ venues all over South Walton. Six acts headlined the outdoor amphitheater stage at Grand Boulevard on Saturday and Sunday. The lineup included Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, Chris & Rich Robinson (the Black Crowes), Dawes, Jenny Lewis, and Rickie Lee Jones. there was truly something for everyone, with genres ranging from blues to folk, soul, Americana, and country. It's safe to say guests had a fabulous weekend, and we are already marking our calendars for next year!

The Fashion Show will take place Sunday, February 20, at 12:30 p.m. “Our Spring Fashion Show gives us an opportunity to showcase some of the fabulous items that are donated to Caring & Sharing throughout the year,” says Carly Barnes, executive director of Caring & Sharing of South Walton. “Everything you see in the show has been pulled from our Boutique and is modeled by a Caring & Sharing volunteer.”

Please join us on Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19 for the first-ever Soirée on the Bay! The event is presented by and hosted at the stunning Dugas Estate in a lavish gathering of fine wine, food, and spirits. The beneficiary of the event is Children's Volunteer Health Network. The weekend will include vintners, incredible food, live music, fireworks, and VIE magazine's exclusive 100th Issue celebration, all for a great cause!

VIE was thrilled to hear of the return of the local favorite Harvest Wine and Food Festival. The festival is produced each year by Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF). It returned on Saturday, November 6, for its fifth annual event after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic and raised over $100,000 to help children in need in Northwest Florida. The mission is simple: to connect wine enthusiasts to raise money to benefit children in need in NW Florida. Cheers to all of the distributors, chefs, sponsors, and guests for making the grand tasting such a wonderful event year after year!

The brainchild of Tribe Kelley founder and CEO Brittney Kelley, the residential light show in Grayton Beach, Florida, will support mental health awareness. Grayt Lights is the perfect holiday activity to gather friends and family together, so visitors and locals alike can drive through a magical holiday wonderland by the beach and support a great cause while enjoying the holiday cheer!

The Say It Southern Getaway is a must-attend event. For those of you who don’t know, Courtney Goolsby and Sarah Stone Smith are the creators and cohosts of the Say It Southern (SIS) podcast and The Getaway. They are champions of women entrepreneurs who love to tell stories about Southern women and their passions. I knew from the second I listened to my first SIS podcast that I wanted to find a way to be involved in this event and it did not disappoint! The long weekend took place along the beautiful beach towns of Scenic Highway 30-A in Northwest Florida with around forty guests from around the Southeast and beyond. We all left with new friends, renewed energy, and new ideas on how to live our best lives and have fun while doing it.

Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel, founded in 2021, is downtown Pensacola's newest boutique hotel owned and operated by the Studer Family of Companies. After a complete interior renovation led by Bear General Contractors, the hotel has officially opened its doors on Bayfront Parkway. Established in the historic district of downtown Pensacola the property’s concept focuses on local authenticity, modest luxury, and natural design and is the city’s first hotel to focus on sustainability and wellness.

The venue of the day is the relatively new and buzzed-about Hotel Effie. Named after the owner's matriarch, the Hotel has a family element that emanates through the graciousness everyone working here seems to possess. Walking into the bright and spacious lobby, I feel transported to a swanky metropolitan city, minus the ostentatiousness that comes with that. The modern yet breezy design is refreshing from the typical beach casual decor we Floridians are so used to seeing. Perhaps it's because I am finally off 30-A? Anyone who stays on 30-A knows the running joke of Destin/Sandestin being a faraway "big city." So take it from me, Hotel Effie came to play.