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.

Thunder Beach Will Be Huge. Thanks Myrtle Beach

If you’ve been aching to don that new leather vest and harness boots, ache no more. On April 30^th Panama City Beach shall rumble, heralding the return of the Thunder Beach Spring Rally. From end to end, families, riders, celebrities, artists and some of the most spectacular bikes in the world will cover the beach.

Regarded by many as the “most biker friendly free rally in the United States”, the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally is always a big event. But this year’s event may be the best and biggest Panama City Beach has ever experienced and Myrtle Beach may have a lot to do with it.

As many of you know, Myrtle Beach is Panama City Beach’s largest competition when it comes to bikers and rallies. But by the looks of recent law changes, they might be getting out of the business. Recently, a 3 million dollar property tax increase was passed in Myrtle Beach to fund anti-rally efforts. That’s not the half of it. Myrtle Beach has also added new laws declaring unpermitted rallies and events to be public nuisances, created a midnight curfew, closed bars at 2 am, required all motorcyclists to wear helmets (not a requirement under state law), towing and impounding all motorcycles that do not meet noise standards, checkpoints where motorcycles will be monitored for noise, and traffic diversion such as barriers and closed streets. So what does all this mean? Basically, it means a bigger rally for Panama City Beach, and I’m sure the local businesses will take it.

“We’re definitely expecting huge turnout this year.” Says Corky McCollum, A Thunder Beach Productions coordinator. “We’ve got bigger events, more venues and the total numbers of vendors have increased considerably.”

The schedule for bike week is substantial and the venues cover the entire beach. The list of venues include, Shoppes at Edgewater, Club La Vela, Sandpiper Beacon, Boardwalk Beach Resort, Sharky’s, Pier Park, Rockit Lanes and Frank Brown Park.

And the events this year are family-friendly. There will be demos all over the beach particularly the Harley Davidson Drill Team at Pier Park. They’ll be teaching and doing all sorts of stunts. If that doesn’t make you want to jump into your chaps, at Club La Vela, Speed Channel’s Jay Barbieri, host of American Thunder, will be hosting a televised “Build Off” allowing two bikers to pick any parts from their accessory demo rig to amp-up their bikes. Suckerpunch Sally, an old-school bike manufacturer will be giving away one of its beautiful custom bikes during a VIP party at Ebro Greyhound Park. At Frank Brown Park X-game enthusiasts can witness firsthand the amazing jumps seen on television as stunt bikers hit ramps and the “Ball of Death”. Live bands will be playing at all the venues. Everyone is welcome to come out to enjoy the events and, if nothing else, gawk at some amazing bikes.

Without doubt, the Thunder Beach Spring Rally is expected to be a success. So I guess, if things go as planned, we should all head to Hallmark, get a nice big thank you card and send it to Myrtle Beach. I’ll be the first to sign it.

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.”

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4248918&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1
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.

LoCash Cowboys Play at Tootsies

If you were following my Tweets Saturday night, then you know I was at Tootsies Orchid Lounge in Pier Park in Panama City Beach covering the LoCash Cowboys performing live, and boy were they awesome – tons of energy and talent.

They came by in promotion of their appearance in BamaJam and in promotion of the event as a whole. BamaJam will actually feature Kid Rock, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, The Black Crowes, Taylor Swift and tons of other big names.

With their huge fancy looking tour bus parked on the sidewalk they performed with all their hand and head accesories shining in the stage lights. The dance floor was packed with old and young alike getting their groove on and enjoying the live music. One old guy was playing the “air” fiddle with his cane on his arm. Welcomed by “Preston,” one of the lead singers, he signaled his violinist to play a solo in encouragement of the crowd’s enthusiasm.

The LoCash Cowboys put on a very energetic performance that included boisterous movements all over the stage. I actually quite enjoyed it, even though I’m not a huge country music fan.

Guy Harvey's is Open and Coming for an Appearance

Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, a chain of family-friendly restaurants with retail stores, opened its fifth restaurant-retail concept in Panama City Beach, Florida last week. The new 10,000 square foot restaurant is located in Pier Park, a one million square foot, open-air, lifestyle center across from the beach in the heart of Panama City Beach. Pier Park was developed and is owned by Simon Property Group.

Currently with four coastal locations in the southeast including Grand Cayman, Marco Island, Key West, and Orange Beach, Alabama, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants offer a variety of Americana fare and fresh, sustainable seafood in a unique dining atmosphere. The décor is accented with Guy Harvey’s distinctive marine, wildlife original art and prints, and Guy Harvey Artist’s Collection Wines can be paired with each dish.

Guy Harvey enjoys a storied career as a world-renowned artist, photographer, diver and scientist whose focus has always been beneath the waves. His artwork is in galleries, stores, and at fishing tournaments, and his conservation efforts to save marine life in the oceans are well known. So, it’s only natural that Harvey should enter into the restaurant business with Guy Harvey’s Island Grill. Each Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurant offers not only fresh, sustainable seafood in a casual dining atmosphere, but also a retail store and gallery that features original Guy Harvey artwork, signature clothing, and giftware.

“The restaurant-retail store concept, first established in my hometown of Georgetown, Grand Cayman, has proven so successful, that we have chosen to expand the Guy Harvey brand through this prototype into other markets including Panama City Beach,” said Guy Harvey. “With a booming local market and more than 7 million tourists who come each year for the fishing, sun, and surf, Panama City Beach is an ideal location to expand the Guy Harvey’s Island Grill concept. We believe this will be a very successful market for us,” concluded Harvey.

“Despite the volatile economic environment, 2008 was a banner retail sales year for Guy Harvey, Inc. and we are continuing to introduce the Guy Harvey Island Grill restaurant-retail store concept into additional growth markets throughout the southeast,” said Steve Stock, President of Guy Harvey, Inc. “Our new location at Pier Park in Panama City Beach fits perfectly with our expansion plans into select coastal markets.”

“Guy Harvey’s Island Grill will be an excellent addition and important asset to Pier Park. Its combination of Americana food, impressive array of retail selections, and commitment to conservation, all under the Guy Harvey brand, are very powerful and productive,” said Felicia Cook, Director of Mall Marketing and Business Development for Simon.

By expanding its restaurant-retail store concept to additional markets, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill hopes to increase awareness not only for Guy Harvey’s restaurants, Guy Harvey Wines, artwork and licensed products, but also for his efforts to save and conserve the ocean’s marine life.

As part of his ongoing commitment to researching and conserving the ocean’s marine life, Guy Harvey has insisted his restaurants serve only carefully selected seafood that has not been over-fished. Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants do not serve over-exploited or threatened species such as swordfish, grouper, Chilean sea bass or any species of billfish or shark. By excluding these fish from its menus, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants aid in the long-term improvement of these fish stocks. A simple, responsible seafood guide, detailing what fish to eat and avoid, is available at all Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants to raise awareness of carefully selecting seafood for sustaining the oceans and marine wildlife.

Additionally, a portion of all proceeds from restaurant and retail store sales of Guy Harvey artwork and licensed products fund marine research for the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. Through Guy Harvey’s Ocean Foundation, new marine research and educational outreach programs are conducted to better inform recreational and commercial fishermen and the public of the need for additional conservation and best management practices for a more sustainable marine environment.

In the end, whether it’s Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, with its carefully appointed seafood menu, Guy Harvey’s distinctive marine wildlife art, or his marine research and conservation efforts, it’s all about the ocean

Pier Park Easter Egg Hunt Awesomely Successful

Saturday, the first annual Pier Park Easter Egg Hunt attracted hundreds of kids and parents to enjoy beautiful weather, the furry Easter Bunny and tons and tons of candy. The first three rounds of egg hunts were for the kids and the fourth and final round was all for the parents, no kids allowed.

“There were 7,000 total filled eggs layed out today,” said Felecia Cook, Director of Marketing for Pier Park in Panama City Beach. The hunt took place in the festivity grounds or the grassy area in between the sand volleyball court and Buffalo Wild Wings.

The first age group sent for the hunt included kids 2 to 3 years of age. When Cook said go, it was a mini stampede across the grass in a scramble to collect as many eggs as possible. It was less of a hunt and more of a race to collect the most, but it was apparently fun for all as parents hurried to keep up with their kids.

The last round, reserved for “parents only” included candy-filled eggs mixed with prize-filled eggs from the retailers in Pier Park. Prizes included anything from charms from Shimmering Seas to free t-shirts from various retailers to soccer balls, volleyballs, pizzas and other foods. When Cook said go for the parent’s round, the crowd went wild, literally and scurried to their hands and knees to collect as many eggs as possible.

The weather was perfect, the turnout phenomenal and the energy high. I talked to my buddy at the new carousel and they had droves of kids riding most of the day.

Free Family Concert, Pier Park Aaron Bessant Amphitheater

Strap on your cowboy boots and dust off your ten gallon hat cuz The Springs are ‘a comin’ to Pier Park – yeeeeyaagh!

One of America’s top teen country music bands, The Springs, are coming to Pier Park’s Aaron Bessant Amphitheater this Thursday April 9th from 7 to 9 pm. The Springs was the 2008 ICM Youth Artist of the Year at the 14th Annual Inspirational Country Music Award Show. With two Number One hits off their debut CD, these inspiring young artists offer families a different kind of country music.

The group has perfomred as the warm-up band for country stars of the likes of Steve Holly, Craig Morgan, Aaron Tippin, Kid Rock and Sara Evans.

Easter Egg Hunts at Pier Park

On Saturday April 11th at 3pm be sure to be at Pier Park with the kids for an Easter Egg hunt with the Easter Bunny, live and in person – ‘er bunny.

The hunt will go down at the volleyball court and grassy area caddy-corner to Five Guys, across from Buffalo Wild Wings, and within earshot of the ice cream churn at Marble Slab Creamery. The hunt will be broken into three different age groups: 2 to 3; 4 to 6; and 7 to 10 year olds. Sorry pre-teens, no dice for you – ya gonna have to sit this one out. Maybe if you’re nice, your little brothers and sisters will share their candy.

Once you’re full of candy and you’ve put all the empty plastic eggs in their place, mosey on over to the Aaron Bessant Park Amphitheater to hear a free concert from the Mark Canfora Band from 4 pm to 8pm.