The festival is nice and it's not overly crowded. The lines are moving along swiftly. The food is…read moreok, but I see more pork samples than any other protein.

What a great event! It's located in the Harborwalk Village in Destin. Local restaurants compete…read morefor best BBQ offerings. All along the walk they are set up offering free samples...some of which were almost a meal by themselves. Great sliders, wings, shrimp, etc were offered along the entire length. Once you found your favorite you offered them the token you were given when you paid the entry fee. Also, they had several local brews available for sampling (7 sample tokens were offered with entry...additional tokens could be purchased). There were 20+ BBQ samples to try along the stretch as well as 12+ brews and drinks. Local artists performed on two stages (at opposite ends) performing classics and originals. Reasonable cover charge for an afternoon of fun. Would recommend to anyone in the area during next years event.

Chan's Wine World is one of the best places on the Emerald Coast to get craft beer. Chan Cox and…read moreRandy Hayden work hard to bring some of the biggest names in the craft beer industry to Destin every Fall for the Destin Beer Festival. This is what you would call "intimate" by festival standards, but you absolutely can't beat the selection of beers on hand. It's definitely quality over quantity. They also have live music, VIP areas, food trucks, merchandise and some killer raffles. I've been to a number of beer fests, but you can't beat the setup they have here in Destin. For a modest sized town, this is an amazing beer festival.

The price of the VIP tickets is not worth it. The ads give the impression of something it is not…read more There were only 10 restaurants serving samples. The shade, tables and chairs are for the first 75 people or so that enter. After that it is full. People do not give up those seats, because that is the only shade. There was no shade anywhere else and it was 90 degrees. The $65 price for a ticket gets you a few bites and loads of sweat. 1st and last time.........

10 hours in total but worth every hour to travel to Destin for their 49th seafood festival. We got…read morethere early so parking was not a probably. We splurged on VIP tickets which were in fact the way to go. We sampled 11 different Destin restaurant dishes and was able to vote for the best one. The festival is right on the water which is good for talking a sail and enjoying water. The weather was 72 degrees. We sat, ate, talked and drink our way around the Hussle and bussle of the VIP section. Our first time to Destin. Whether alone or with a group, there is so much to do! Next time you think of Orlando, think Destin FL. The beaches alone will make a believer out of you. Instead of roll tide, roll Destin?

Great evening of light entertainment. We were not disappointed. Be prepared to walk, a lot!…read more I've never seen a lantern display like this before

It is a beautiful sight to behold! Strongly suggest you bring your friends and come for…read moreentertainment. There are several items for sale and things for kids to do.

My family and I attended a concert at the Dugan Pavilion in Destin, FL last night. Yacht Rock…read moreSchooner gave a great concert playing much loved 70's & 80's music. It was put on through the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation. I am visiting here from Arizona. The location was easy to find, easy parking, large stage for everyone to see, friendly staff working the ticket counter, food trucks available, clean restrooms, dancing, and just a great time!!

Last night, my husband and I eagerly awaited the annual Yacht Rock concert at the Mattie Kelly…read moreevents plaza in Destin, Florida. Each time we attended in the past, the bands were outstanding, very talented and full of energy. Last night was a huge disappointment and a total waste of $80. The Yacht Rock Schooner band was unbelievably bad, off key and out of tune. Most of the audience members were just as surprised as we were: were they really that bad, was the sound equipment not working, was this band formed yesterday? We have come to expect high quality entertainment from the MKAF, but now are not sure we will ever come back. We, along with many others, left at intermission. I do hope this is a one-off and not an indication of what to expect in the future from MKAF. Enthusiastic audiences and fellow patrons of the arts deserve better.

place is nice. music was fun. fried chicken sandwich tasted like it would deter rodents…read more dont get it. please, dont get it. save yourself.

The service was amazing and so was the food! This is a great spot for families and couples.read more

I would give Redbird Art Experience ten stars if I could. My mom and I were vacationing in the area…read moreand found this online when searching for some art classes. Redbird Art Experience is nestled within a really cool and well organized antique shop with many interesting booths. I made a reservation with Robin from Redbird via text and she was very accommodating and kind. When we arrived for our reservation, Robin explained the process to us and encouraged us to let our creativity go wild. There were many substrates to pick from including rectangular pieces of wood, frames, wood cut into shapes like mermaids, stars, hearts, and more. Once we picked our "canvases" we explored the hundreds of materials Robin has in jars, buckets, and bowls around the studio. The materials were incredible. They ranged from glass, to seashells, beads, broken jewelry bits, glass doll body parts, scrabble letters, collage paper materials, and so much more. It was so exciting and fun to dig through jars of different materials, looking for the most peculiar and interesting piece to include in my artwork. I was especially intrigued by the glass doll body parts and Robin was so encouraging and excited for me to use some! Any additional materials needed like glue, scissors, or paint were also provided by Robin. We arrived for our reservation at 12 pm and left at 4 pm and let me tell you, time flew. I had such a blast creating my artwork using materials that I've never worked with before. During our time there, Robin played some great music and offered us water and snacks which was lovely because we were there for so many hours! If you are a creative person, I strongly encourage checking out Redbird. It is totally child friendly as well. I am so bummed that I live all the way in NYC and can't come do this at least once a month. Robin is awesome, the space is fantastic and so inspiring to be in, and the prices are unbeatable. It was $25 for the picture frame I chose to make art with, and all the materials are included in the price. There's literally no better way to spend a day than at Redbird!

As a terrible artist, I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Robin, the owner, is so hands-on and helpful…read more Such a joy be around and very accommodating. Her collection of materials is impressively vast. A terrific experience for families on vacation, couples on a date, and individuals looking for a cathartic activity!

This place had the best oysters we had on our visit! It was just a little hole in the wall place…read morewhich we love. I got a burger and it was very juicy and delicious. Our waitress was really nice and always checking on us if we had our food yet. We had a really good experience.

The service was terrible! Went for lunch on a Wednesday was only 10 customers in main dining. A…read moretable of 6 and 2 at bar then we came in. Took forever to get waited on and order. The other 8 was already eating already when we arrived. We got the special oysters and shrimp. The shrimp sauce is way different than before to much garlic. Oysters was ok then went back by the next night sit down NO ONE came over to our table to wait on us so we waited around for 15-20 minutes and just left. I always tell everyone to go to the Boat House if they go to Destin. After this past time I would say don't go very disappointed. We have been going to the boat house for over 15 years it was very sad.

We ate here on Halloween. Awesome restaurant with a cool vibe! The Shrimp and Grits are amazing as…read morewell as the Crab Cake appetizer! The service was excellent and our server always made sure we were taken care of. There were six of us and each couple had a Groupon for $20 off two entrees. We will definitely be back the next time we make the trip down from Ky!

Friday nite entertainment excellent. Place unique. You must see it to believe it. Food good. It's…read morenot open all the time so call for hours

Like many young girls growing up in Indianapolis, I had always dreamed of becoming a pirate…read more So yesterday I went to the Billy Bowlegs festival with great anticipation only to find that it was basically just a regular fair with a bandstand and some fried food. I had hoped more people would have dressed up but I too thought of breaking out my pirate clothes and decided against it. It was just too hot. I also timed my visit around the time the "pirates" were set to invade on their party barge and do battle with the mayor. I was very disappointed to see that the mayor and his posse not only did not put up a fight as advertised but they welcomed them and let them take over Fort Walton Beach. I had envisioned that there would be swashbuckling, shooting, screaming and perhaps a few casualties. BTW - if anyone actually does read my review I would be happy to do my civic duty and help out with the sword fighting next year.

Very tiny. Being from Tampa, I'm used to Gasparilla. However, the location was good because you…read morecould walk to local businesses (unlike Gasparilla).