Tag: 4th of July

Recap: Panama City Beach's Best 4th of July Ever

4thofJuly199The title is obviously difficult to quantify, but as a lifelong resident of our great city, I can say without a doubt, that I’ve not experienced a better 4th of July on this beach before.

All week long you sensed the buzz. On Thursday afternoon you felt it. By Friday morning rumblings became a full-on stampede, all leading up to a Saturday 4th of July that, at least in one writer’s opinion, was Panama City Beach’s greatest Independence Day event ever.

It was a hot, very hot, but beautiful weekend perfect for beach lovers who showed up in droves. From end to end, Panama City Beach was packed with tourists. Hotels and Condos were sold out, restaurants stayed on waits, attractions were packed to the door and if you were brave enough to step foot into Walmart, you had no doubts as to the overwhelming surge of business.

The Veteran’s Memorial was rededicated at Pier Park where several Vets saluted the flag and prayed for soldiers currently protecting our country. Throughout the day there were concerts, contests and all sorts of food and fun to be had.

At sunset, the real show began. From Grand Lagoon down to Pier Park, Panama City Beach tourists and locals were witnesses to a stunning celebration. Night skies came to life, and Pier Park put on one of the most amazing fireworks displays I’ve ever seen. It was awesome.

I hope that this weekend’s events were not just benchmarks for future events, but a precursor to what Panama City Beach can expect in the years to come.

More pics and video to come soon.

Fireworks on Grand Lagoon for the 4th of July!

Restaurant owners and Marinas come together to make history on historic Grand Lagoon.

July 4, 2009 Panama City Beach, FL: Capt. Anderson’s restaurant, Boatyard restaurant, The Treasure Ship restaurant, Lighthouse Marina and Pirates Cover Marina are reaching deep in their pockets to celebrate the 4th of July in spectacular fashion on Grand Lagoon. “We’re making a little history on this historic old Lagoon,” said Sparky Sparkman, co-owner of Boatyard restaurant, “We have hired an awesome pyrotechnic group from Tennessee, Pyro Shows, Inc; these guys are going to put on an amazing show!” (www.pyroshows.com)

According to Lansden E. Hill, Jr., President and CEO of Pyro Shows, Inc., the Grand Lagoon fireworks show will begin at approximately 8:30pm.

“It’s going to be better than going to Disney,” according to Lisa Todd of the Treasure Ship, “I wish we had it back when I was a kid. Can you imagine? Especially here at the Ship – we’ve got pirates running around a big wooden ship, face painting going on – and then you add fireworks to the picture! Amazing!”

Steve Counts, of Counts Real Estate Group said, “Grand Lagoon is the perfect place for a fireworks show. I don’t know why we waited so long to do it! You’ve got the three marinas… Treasure Island Marina, Pirate’s Cove Marina and Lighthouse Marina… and the best restaurants on the beach lining the lagoon, with docks all the way around. There’s plenty of parking and tons of places for people to watch the show.”

“We’ve been here on the lagoon since 1967, and there’s never been a fireworks show on the 4th,” reported Yonnie Patrons of Capt. Anderson’s restaurant. “When we had the kick off for Grand Lagoon National Tournament last year, we got a taste of what it could be when Bill Spann did the fireworks for that event, and we’ve all been talking about it ever since … how nice it would be to have fireworks for the 4th. A lot of planning, a lot of work, and a lot of money has gone into it, and we’re all very excited about it. It’s been a lot of fun working with all our neighbors here on the lagoon to make it happen, too. I think this show will be the closest you can get to the actual fireworks action, and I really believe it will become the number one fireworks celebration in Northwest Florida – so, a lot of people are looking forward to being a part of history; they can say they were there the first time the FIRST 4th of July fireworks lit up the sky over Grand Lagoon!”

“The fireworks will be launched from a platform at the center of the lagoon, so you have a spectacular 360 degree view. You can watch from a waterfront table at Capt. Anderson’s… or pick a seat, upstairs or down, at the Boatyard… I think our friends at The Treasure Ship may have the most spectacular views… they’ve got Hooks dockside, the Main Dining Room with those incredible floor to ceiling windows and, then, they have the very top of the ship – you can see the whole lagoon from up there,” Toni Davis of Boatyard explained, “Of course, we’ve got great views from Boatyard, too! We don’t usually do reservations at Boatyard, but we’ve had so many requests for waterfront tables on the 4th since the word got out about the fireworks. But, you don’t need a reservation to find a great spot on the docks to watch the show – or, you can come by boat.”