Get Out and Run For The Redfish

On December 5, 2009 runners from across the Southeast will participate in the inaugural Run for the Redfish, a combined half marathon, 5k run and kids fun run will be held at Pier Park. A portion of the proceeds for event will benefit the Coast Conservation Association (CCA).

The run will begin at the Front Beach Road entrance to Pier Park and continue down Front Beach Road, looping back to end at Margaritaville. Margaritville will host the post race celebration and awards ceremony. Shotgun start to the race will be at 8am for the half marathon and 8:30am for the 5k. All runners of the half marathon and 5k will receive a Run for the Redfish long sleeve T-shirt as part of their participation.

Race committee member Joe Edgecombe said, “As an avid runner in Bay County, I’m excited to help bring a running event of this caliber to our area. The Run for the Redfish has all the bells and whistles; a certified course, professional timing, a professional race day photographer to capture the moment, and a venue that is above all the rest. Panama City Beach, the Tourism Development Council, The Resort Collection, Pier Park, Margaritaville and a team of dedicated individuals have made this a destination event! The best location and the most “bang for the bucks’ road race in the entire region!”

The Run for the Redfish is not only a new and exciting event for Panama City Beach, but will bring awareness to the Coastal Conservation Association who works to protect our unique waterways and coastlines which are the habitat of the Redfish.

Race sponsors include Redfish Riviera Outfitters, Pier Park, The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach, seepcb.com, the Bay County Tourist Development Council, Beach TV, and Maragritaville. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

For more information on the run or registration visit www.runfortheredfish.com. Runners can register for the race online or at local retailers; there will be no registration the day of the event. Registration forms and payment can be mailed to PO Box 9927 Panama City Beach, Fl 32417.

Pier Park's Star Spangled Fourth of July Spectacular Schedule

Last year Pier Park’s 4th of July celebration set the standard for Panama City Beach events. This year’s show plans to set that bar a little higher. Coupled with the opening of the new Panama City Beach pier, this event should be one to remember. Here is the show schedule.

12 – 9 P.M. on SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009

STAR SPANGLED SPECTACULAR AT PIER PARK
Family fun includes free concerts, fun and fireworks!

WHAT: Pier Park invites you to its Star Spangled Spectacular on Saturday, July 4! Mayor Oberst will kick off the festivities, followed by an exciting F-15 flyover.

The day of family fun includes friendly competitions for patriotic pet costume, golf cart decorating and sidewalk chalk art contests, with awards presented to each winner.

The Family Activity Tent sponsored by GAC will be open from 12 – 7 p.m. near the carousel. There will be lots of family fun to be had by all. There will also be a Crafts and Coloring Tent sponsored by Regions Bank.

Several bands will be spread throughout the property during the day, with country music star Mark Chesnutt headlining at Aaron Bessant Park at 7:30 p.m.

Families are invited to enjoy a dazzling fireworks display at dark after the Mark Chesnutt concert.

COST: Free and open to the public

WHEN: Saturday, July 4 from 12 – 9 p.m.

WHERE: Pier Park
600 Pier Park Drive
Panama City Beach, FL 32413

6 New Things in Pier Park this Summer

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1 – Big Top Treats

Nestled on the festival grounds of Pier Park in Panama City Beach, two local Realtors are opening a Seaside-esque Airstream (silver bullet) snack shack coming fully stocked with everything you need to keep you cool in the summer sun. With everything from packaged ice creams to sodas to funnel fries and pretzels, Big Top Treats is sure to keep you feeling super cool. Expansion is already in the plans for the future of this new addition with it to morph into a full restaurant sometime in the next year.

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2 – The Miracle Strip Carousel

Resurrected from the Original Miracle Strip Amusement Park, Teddy and Jenny Meeks brought an old memory factory back to life and put it center stage in Panama City Beach’s most popular place to hang, Pier Park. An original 1960’s Herschel Carousel, this ride was built to last. Swarms of people have literally come out of the wood-work to relive memories and create new ones with friends and family alike. Rides are $3 or you can get an all day pass for $5.

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3 – Hawaiian Snow Cones

With three locations, you can’t miss the opportunity to savor some super sweet flavored crushed ice. Notoriously overpriced, these syrup drenched cones are always worth it, and if you’re a parent, you know how much your kids just have to have one. Located across from Tootsies, close to the Starbucks and Henna tattoo place, and across from Old Navy, you can’t miss their cute little carts.

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4 – Repiccis Italian Ice

What’s the difference between Italian Ice and Snow Cones you say? Well, actually not much. However, Italian Ice tends to be “shaved”, whereas Snow Cones are more ground to a snow-like texture. And, the typical flavors tend to vary. Situated in front of and ran by Popcorn Kingdom, this Italian ice stand offers fruit flavors from mango to orange to lemon and is sure to quench your thirst in our crazy humid and hot weather.

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5 – Tropical Beach Knick-Knack Shack

Ok, so I made up the name, but the place is for real. Located right in front of As Seen on TV and Blender, Roger and his wife sell all sorts of hand-made-by-them knick knacks that would feel perfectly at home in your garden or around your home. With tons of really cute stuff from palm tree signs that rest upon wood “posts” to Tiki Signs, if you are looking for some cute beachy stuff, this is the place to go.

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6 – Little Tiny Turtles and Hermit Crabs

If you are here on vacation looking for that perfect pet, pick yourself up a tiny little turtle or a hermit crab. These little guys are so cute, and come with their own little habitat for $27. I personally wish these guys were in their natural environment instead of available for purchase, but if you promise to be very nice, you can go buy one.

Pier Park Summer Concert Series Schedule

The 2010 Summer Concert Series Schedule has been announced. Click here to view the schedule.

Dust off those ears and be sure to show up wax free for the summer concert series Thusday nights at Aaron Bessant Park at Pier Park in Panama City Beach. The fourth year running, I’m always pleasantly surprised at the phenomenal turnout each week.

If you are looking for an awesome way to spend some outdoors time with your family, this is the place to go. From 7 to 9 pm every Thursday, bands from Reggae to Blues to New Grass to R&B will be lighting up the stage and filling the air with sweet music.

The first of the twelve series shows will be on June 4th and carry through the summer to August 20th. Don’t forget to bring your picnic blanket, picnic dinner and coolers!

Schedule:

De Lions of Jah – Raggae – June 4th

Eric Lindell – Blues/Rock – June 11th

Rollin in the Hay – New Grass – June 18th

Cyril Neville (of the Neville Brothers) – R&B/Rock – June 25th

The Lee Griffin Band – R&B/Rock – July 2nd

PBS – New Orleans Fund – July 9th

The Legendary JC’s – Soul/R&B – July 16th

King Cotton Blues Band – Blues – July 23rd

The Donnie Sundal Project – Variety – July 30th

Beachmice – Eclectic Acoustic – August 6th

Heat and the Zydeco Gents – Zydeco – August 13th

Geneva – 80’s Rock –

FREE Rare Beer at Hofbrau Beer Garden Friday

Friday Hofbrau Beer Garden will be giving away a whole keg of rare Premium Unfiltered Lager. Yes, that’s the name, and if you are a German Beer fan, you know the name well. You also know that this beer is imported from Germany in a very limited supply and usually only supplied to bonafide Hofbrauhaus’. However, the owners made some calls and were able to score 6 barrels that they’ve been saving for the locals.

So, let me reiterate. Hofbrau Beer Garden in Pier Park in Panama City Beach has 6 barrels of Premium Unfiltered Lager imported in limited supply from Germany, and they are giving 1 of their 6 barrels away for free Friday night. They received these barrels a few weeks back and wanted to save them for the locals. The other 6 barrels are expected to go quickly Friday night as well.

Premium Unfiltered Lager is described by Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas as a unique, rare and creative beer that lets beer drinkers enjoy the rich taste of hops. It’s a German-style beer that dates back to at least the Middle Ages. It is matured unbunged (the beer is exposed) in deep vaults. The final product is a smooth, naturally cloudy beer that is rich in vitamins from the yeast with a crisp taste of hops. Premium Unfiltered lager is best served between 40 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It is said that Bavarians have been drinking this particular beer for 400 years.

Ron Jon Hosts Beach Cleanup, Gives Away Surf Board

Come hungry and ready to pick up trash because Sunday Morning, Ron Jon Surf Shop in Panama City Beach’s Pier Park will be hosting their 2nd annual beach cleanup. Coffee and donuts will be served and all that show up will automatically be entered to win a free surf board.

Last year participants came to support our area and show their appreciation for our beautiful beaches. When asked what spawned the idea, Dan Kirk, General Manager of Ron Jon said, “we just love the beach, that’s our area’s greatest assett and we always pick up trash anyway, so we thought this would be a good way to bring the community together.”

Dan said everyone should arrive at 7:30 am Sunday morning to coffee and donuts. They’ll then be escorted across the beach to pick up trash and clean up from around the city pier down to Barefoot Beach Club and back. All that show up to help clean up will be entered to win a free surf board. When they get back from cleaning up, the drawing will take place and one lucky winner will go home with a free beautiful board pictured above.

New Additions to Pier Park

As if it were physically possible for Pier Park to get better, it just did by adding a few new features everyone will enjoy.

Here are the new additions:

The Miracle Strip Carousel – This carousel was purchased from an auction of the equipment used at the Miracle Strip Amusement Park, which closed in 2005. The carousel is a 1964 Allen Herschall 36-foot model featuring 30 horses and 2 chariots.

Transportation Booth – Owned by a local entrepreneur, this booth offers surrey rentals and Pedi-cab rides throughout the Pier Park property.

Train – Don’t miss out on the five-car train that travels up and down Pier Park Drive. Hop on to rest your feet and enjoy a tour of the property.

Euro Bungee Jump –This dynamic bungee experience slings groups of four people at a time 35-feet into the air!

Coconut Tree Climb –Up for a challenge? Grab your friends and see who can scale this 30-foot simulated coconut tree the fastest!

Spider Mountain –Spider Mountain welcomes children of all ages to safely scale up to 35-feet using a labyrinth of ropes, nets and safety harnesses.

Manhattan-style Hog Stand –Enjoy delicious refreshments like hot dogs, cotton candy and an array of drink options after a fun afternoon at Pier Park.

If you haven’t yet ventured out to Pier Park, or even if you are a frequent visitor, now is the time to grab the family and check out these new additions. Not only has Pier Park added attractions, but new stores as well. Feathers Shoe Boutique has recently opened while fashion retailer Rue 21 and Spring Ridge Welcome Center will debut in May. Happy shopping.

Seabreeze Jazz Festival A Swinging Success

An amber sun sets on Panama City Beach and I watch two couples, vacationers from Mobile, Alabama, dance amid hundreds of others in the Seabreeze Jazz Festival attendance. It is their second day at the event and the energy from the first day hasn’t waned at all. Around them, vendor booths selling artwork, food, wine and music make a halo around the Pier Park’s outdoor amphitheater. Creamy jazz rhythms saturate the air. From where I stand, the couples are having a wonderful time, as is everyone else. Reluctant to interrupt their fun, I stopped and asked them what they thought about the festival. One of the husbands, still dancing, shouted back to me, “Ya’ll should do this kind of stuff more often. This is the most fun I’ve ever had in Panama City.”

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Nick Colionne at the 2009 Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Pier Park Panama City Beach from Jason Koertge on Vimeo.

That was the scene at this weekend’s Seabreeze Jazz festival held at Pier Park. If you missed this it, you missed on heck of an event. The place was packed, the food was delicious and the music intoxicated everyone in the amphitheater. Hosted by internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist Nick Colionne, the event featured some of the most skilled jazz musicians in the world. The likes of Eric Darius, Boney James, Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Althea Rene, Warren Hill, Joyce Cooling and others hit Panama City Beach like a silk-covered bomb. From the start of the event until the end the music was just outstanding; without doubt the best you’ll ever hear live in one sitting. Singers, Guitarists, Saxophonists, Fluotists–you name it, they rocked it. The attendance was stratospheric; not an empty patch of grass anywhere. And best of all, the artists loved being on Panama City Beach.

“The Seabreeze Jazz Festival is at the top of my list because the people here are so receptive; they come out to hear the music,” said Nick Colionne, “The people here are beautiful, everyone has been so nice to all the artists. I look forward to coming back next year.”

So the question remains, was the Seabreeze Jazz Festival a success? Well, that depends on the lens with which you view success. If you view success by sheer number of people, then the Seabreeze Jazz Festival was a smashing success. Pier Park had no parking, which is quite a statement being that Simon works hard on providing that service so close to the shore. People were everywhere; in the amphitheater, around the mall, in the streets—everywhere!

If you judge success by the festival’s economic impact, well, by that standard, the event was a success as well. I don’t know about you, but to me, the traffic on the beach felt awful “summer-y” as did the waits at restaurants and the lines in the shopping centers. Mind you, the Zap Pro Skim Jam and the UCA Cheerleading Camp aided in filling the beach, but the crowds seemed to stretch from one end of the beach to the other and that spells dollars for most the businesses on the beach.

So was this year’s Seabreeze Jazz Festival a success? Well, there’s one other way to view success. For me, the degree of the event’s success manifested itself in the two couples who danced on our beach until the stars came out. They decided on a vacation to Panama City Beach and, as the man said, it was the most fun they’ve ever had. That’s success.

Tip-of-the-hat to all the people involved in bringing the Seabreeze Jazz Festival to Panama City Beach. It was a blast. You guys did a great job.

I have to give a shout out to our good buddy Arlene Froeming. Thanks to her and her generosity in loaning me a sweet telephoto lens, we had the ability to produce some stunning close-ups. She does some freelance photography and can be found here.

A Jazzy Introduction to A Weekend of Smooth Music

Thursday afternoon at Pier Park’s Border’s Bookstore, I listened to a sample of the artists performing at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival. And if this weekend’s entrée is anything like the appetizer, this beach will never be the same. I witnessed first-hand Nick Colionne, Eric Darius, Shilts, Matt Marshak, and Jackeim Joyner transform a normally quiet bookstore into a raucous jazz club. Honestly, I’ve never experienced a bookstore as exciting as Border’s was on April 17th.

Jackeim Joyner started things off with a silky saxophone that swayed heads and rocked shoulders throughout the building. Shilts, then Matt Marshak followed, working the crowd with one of the best jazz guitars I have ever heard. All this before Eric Darius got into the crowd, literally, as he saxed his way through cheering fans, electrifying the entire bookstore. Quite the showman, internationally acclaimed guitarist Nick Colionne came afterward and smoothed things over with a guitar for the ages.

By the time the show was over, the CD’s were sold out and waves of people danced their way back into Pier Park for shopping and dining excited about the night’s festivities.

Trust me, if you don’t do anything this busy PCB weekend, go see one of these bands. The jazz is absolutely amazing and the artists are the most talented in the country. PCBDaily will be covering the whole event so if you see us, give us a shout and let us know what you think about what’s sure to be an annual treat for residents and tourists alike.

No Spring Break. No Summer. No Problem.

The next three weeks on Panama City Beach should be awesome.

For years PCB’s tourism paradox, which is the last three weeks of April, has bewildered businesses all around the beach. After the Spring Break season is over and before the summer season crowds the shores, there has always existed a perennial lag. During this time hotels are still operating at full staff, so are the restaurants and attractions when, frankly, business has slowed enough to validate a winter-like hibernation. There just isn’t a season and no reason for people to visit the beach.

Well that was then and fun is now.

The TDC and private sectors have put together a string of events for the next three weeks that will keep our beach so packed it should provide a seamless segueway into summer.

This is what’s coming up on Panama City Beach:

April 17 – 19^th – The 11th Annual Zap Pro/Am Skim Jam

April 16 – 19^th – Seabreeze Jazz Festival

April 22 – 25^th – The 11^th annual Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show and Music Festival

April 30 – May 3^rd – Thunder Beach Spring Rally

I hope the beach is ready because these upcoming events are bound to have the beach rocking. In fact, most accommodations around Pier Park are already sold out while others are starting to see the benefits of the efforts. If you’re a vacationer, now is the time to get your best value on accommodations and dining. If you’re a resident you should definitely get out while the weather’s great and traffic is loose to enjoy the activities.

This post is somewhat of a tip-of-the-hat to everyone who put in the effort to keep the business flowing on the beach. If we keep this up before you know it we’ll have a whole new season. Question is, what should we call it? Any suggestions?