For five decades, the resort set on the spectacular Emerald Coast has drawn visitors to its beautiful white-sand beaches, made from quartz carried from the Appalachian Mountains twenty thousand years ago. After fifty years, it's no surprise that the largest resort to be situated on Florida’s Gulf Coast remains the ultimate destination for generations of coastal adventurers, families, couples, reunions, winter vacationers, and getaways.

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the all-encompassing resort located along Northwest Florida’s Gulf coast, announces Angelina Covington as the newly appointed General Manager. Covington brings a strong knowledge of the hospitality industry and the local area to the role, in which she will focus on improving the overall guest experience, managing revenues, and overseeing the hotel’s daily operations.

A group of locals has come together to help Chef Brannon Janca, owner of Down Island Gulf Seafood Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. The holiday fundraiser, called Janca’s Jingle Bell Jamboree, will be held at Down Island on December 17, 2022 from 6-9PM and will include live music, a wine walkabout, local area chef demos, a large silent auction, a professional photo booth, and so much more.

The Pink Walk Benefiting Fore Her is back and better than ever! The event which takes place on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at The Village of Baytowne Wharf will introduce a timed 5k race in addition to the Survivor Stroll and annual Walk. The community is invited to walk or run with friends and family, wear pink, and have fun while raising funds for breast cancer patients in financial need.

Ryanhood is bringing their high-energy, big-harmony, dueling acoustic guitar approach to Santa Rosa Beach for two shows, December 16 & 17, 2022.  "A Winter’s Evening with Ryanhood,” is a live holiday touring show based on the duo’s award-winning album, On Christmas. An evening of songs and storytelling, heartstrings and laughter, the show features a blend of original holiday compositions, wintry covers, and reworked classics woven together with holiday stories and memories.

Northwest Florida chef and restaurateur Jim Shirley received the 2022 Torch Award presented by the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) and is bestowed each year at the organization’s Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show in Orlando. The award was presented to Chef Jim during the FRLA fall board meeting on November 3 at the Caribe Royale Resort.

Chef Michael Sichel of Soleil in Destin, Florida will host another Chef's Table Wine Dinner, only this time it will benefit the Emerald Coast Children's Advocacy Center. The dinner will feature wines from Thompson Winery in Russian River Valley, CA. Guests will arrive and be seated at the Chef's table for a five course dinner - each course paired with a Thompson Winery wine. Chef will walk guests through each course, describing the wines and why they were chosen to pair with the dish.

This Thanksgiving, locals and travelers visiting the Emerald Coast can remove the holiday stress from their plate, leaving room for extra turkey and mashed potatoes. Whether they choose to dine at the elusive Hotel Effie for brunch or enjoy an exclusive Thanksgiving Fall dinner, below are options for chef-driven holiday meals for the whole family.

VIE magazine is thrilled to share that the 6th Annual Harvest Wine & Food Festival by DCWAF weekend was the most successful festival to date, with all eight events sold out well in advance! A virtual auction featuring rare wines, unique items, and experiential trips was also open for bidding throughout the festival weekend, raising over $100,000 for seventeen Northwest Florida children's charities.

Southern Sound Music Alliance is so proud to present this year’s Summer Haze Winter Fest on November 19 & 20, 2022! This event will feature some of SoWal’s favorite local & regional musicians at Distillery 98 & Idyll Hounds with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center.

On Friday, August 3rd, 2022, J.Leon Gallery + Studio, the area's newest fine art gallery, hosted its monthly Sip N' Stroll event, where three new artists debuted in the gallery's Fall show. The gallery welcomed artists, Liubov Haskins, painter and jewelry artist, Staci Dabson, skateboard and surfboard painter, and Dorothea Berkhout, oil painter to the talented lineup of featured artists.

Hotel Effie has partnered with the Emerald Coast Autism Center for a special one-night event hosted by celebrity chef Hugh Acheson on July 15 at 6pm-10pm. The pre-fixe dinner will take place at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Ovide, nestled in the heart of the world-famous Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.