Thursday Evenings in the Park is a summer concert series co-hosted by the Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the Navarre Press. Each Thursday evening throughout the summer until September 4, 2008, local musicians will provide entertainment at the Navarre Park at the foot of the Navarre Beach Bridge and Hwy. 98. Concerts will begin at 6 p.m. and are free to the public. Music genres include jazz, gospel, rock, and big band. For more information and a complete line-up of acts, visit www.navarrechamber.com and click on “Special Events”or call 850-939-3267.   

Kenny Wilder, a local nature and wildlife photographer, was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America on Monday, July 7, 2008. Wilder shared one of his favorite photographs of a Navarre Beach sunset with the nation. To view Wilder’s sunset photograph, visit the Gallery Room of the Navarre Visitors Center in Navarre, FL. Addtional Kenny Wilder prints are also on display at the visitors center and can also be seen by visiting his online photo gallery by clicking here. And remember…if this sunset looked enticising on the television screen, imagine how incredible it can be when you witness it in person. 

Looking for an outing for the whole family?

Look no further. While staying at Navarre Beach, make sure to visit the Panhandle Butterfly House. There, visitors can learn about the life cycle of a butterfly and discover their contributions to the environment.

The Butterfly House is open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays noon to 4 p.m. The house is located in Navarre Park on Hwy 98 at the foot of the Navarre Beach Bridge.

So climb in the car and head to the Butterfly House to enjoy flights of fancy.

 

Kick off your Fourth of July celebrations with a concert in the park! On Thursday, July 3, 2008, there will be an outdoor concert in Navarre Park next to the bridge on Hwy. 98 beginning at 6 p.m. Lektric Mullet, a classic and Southern rock band, will be playing and light refreshments will be on sale. The concert will be followed by fireworks so pack up the lawn chairs and head to the park Thursday night. Fireworks will also be held in a number of other locations this weekend:

• Hurlburt Field Sound of Independence Celebration - July 3, 3 - 9:30 p.m.
• Fort Walton Beach (Fort Walton Landing) - July 4 at 9 p.m.
• Pensacola Beach (over the sound behind the Boardwalk) - July 4 at Dusk
• Destin (over the Destin East Pass) - July 4 at 9 p.m.
• Crestview (Spanish Trail Park) - July 4 at Dusk

Call our office for more information on specials beginning July 5 through the end of July. 

It’s the day when our American forefathers took on the royal crown and declared their independence against taxation without representation and an oppressive government by signing their names to the Declaration of Independence. A day when we reflect what the stars and stripes mean on our nations flag; a day for enjoying family and friends and appreciating the freedoms and rights that we’ve been blessed with by our Creator - the joyous Fourth of July - the United States Independence Day.

Navarre Beach will be bustling with folks here to celebrate the weekend.  To start the weekend’s festivities off will be the Concert in the Park music and fireworks. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 3. The free concert performed by Lektric Mullet will be followed by the oohs and ahhs of a firework show.

If you plan on attending, it is advised that you arrive early with your own blankets and lawn chairs. For more information call the Navarre Visitors Center at 850-939-8666.

The town of Milton located North of Navarre will be celebrating the Fourth of July with a parade and Riverfest.  The parade will take place 7 p.m. Thursday July 3.  On the Fourth the Riverfest will last all day long at the Milton Riverwalk with food and fun and at 9 p.m. fireworks over the water - weather permitting.

Pensacola Beach has big plans for the weekend with “Kaboom” a 3-day event of concerts. On the Fourth, several prefireworks shows will perform from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. featuring The Slammers, Anna Garrott and Brad Caswell and Woody Bradshaw.  At 9 p.m. the fireworks will go off over the beach. For more information call the Pensacola Visitor’s Center at 850-932-1500 or go to their website www.pensacolabeachfireworks.com.

In Fort Walton Beach, the Fourth of July events will be taking place at the Ft. Walton Beach Landing on Brooks Street from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. It will be open and free to the public with food, fun and festivities. For more information contact 850-244-8191. 

And Happy Independence Day!

The gentle roar of the turquoise water, the warmth of the Florida sun, and saying “I do” on a beautiful white beach…sigh.

Yes, the summer months are here and June is traditionally known for its June brides and wedding vows. According to statistics, June is the most popular month for weddings, followed by August and then tailed by September, October, and May.  But whatever month you may be planning your big day, Navarre Beach provides the perfect picturesque backdrop for your memorable occasion.

And when planning a romantic honeymoon, don’t overlook the warm waters of Navarre. Ninety-nine percent of all newlyweds decide to take a honeymoon. And although gas prices are putting a damper on long road trips and exotic getaways, Navarre Beach is just a short trip away.

Create beautiful memories and enjoy a beach getaway with Navarre Beach.  

Get your bait and hooks ready because the Red Fish Tournament is on its way to Navarre Beach.  The tournament is to be held June 21, 2008.

Registration will take place at the Captain’s Meeting to be held at Juana’s Pagoda located at 1451 Navarre Beach Causeway at which dinner will be served.

The tournament launch site is at the Navarre Beach Park.  Details such as check-in time is to be announced at the Captain’s Meeting.

The IFA Redfish Tour is a growing catch and release fishing organization.  It allows the opportunity to enter your team and fish to win a Ranger Banshee with a 40 HP 4 stroke Yamaha outboard motor which is one of the first prizes for the qualifying events. It has an estimated retail value of $20,000. 

So prepare you boat and fishing gear and head to Navarre Beach for the Red Fish Tournament.

For more information or to get your entry form go to www.redfishtour.com or contact bs@palmerconrad.com or call 941-323-0078.

The panhandle of Florida is an area rich in military history and heritage.  To experience it, spend a day at the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola. 

Admission to the museum is free. It has daily tours with volunteers who are knowledgeable on all the different air crafts. And you will learn about naval aviation from the beginning to current day jets.

The museum also has an IMAX theater that has shows from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..  The main show recognizes the Blue Angels and follows the aviators through their training process and their performances. And with IMAX, you feel like you’re soaring through the air with them.

For any kids small or grown, the flight deck with model cockpits is a must see. There visitors can climb in a Blue Angel jet, Apache helicopter, or a Tomcat just to name a few on display.

If you get hungry step into a replica of the original Cubi Bar Cafe’.  The walls are lined with squadron memorabilia and the food is tasty.

So take time when staying with Navarre Properties to have an afternoon for a flight of adventure.  For more information go to www.navalaviationmuseum.org.

 And don’t forget, the weekend of July 12 the Blue Angels will be practicing and performing their awe-inspiring aerobatics over Pensacola Beach.

    

Planning a family vacation when kids are involved can be challenging. Rest and relaxation are not in their vocabulary.  The dreaded word “boredom” is bound be said after a busy day of bouncing in the surf or building sandcastles.  So how does one prevent it?

Well, at the Summerwinds Condominiums, Bob Holderman, who runs the snack and gift shop, Banana Beach,  has provided some help. His shop organizes activities for tykes of all ages to get out and enjoy the great outdoors at Navarre Beach.

One activity is the Kid’s Crab Contest.  It takes place in the evening hours when the crustaceans will be on the move. Each kid that registers is provided with a pail, net and flashlight to go out and hunt up some crabs to fit the specified categories: the cutest crab, the most well behaved crab, and so on.

Aside from the Crab Contest, the shop also provides an outlet for kids to do treasure hunts and shell collecting. The walls of the shop are decorated in shells and other beach finds from Navarre Beach out the back door.

So keep “boredom” at bay and enjoy a family vacation at Navarre’s beautiful beach.

For condo vacation rentals in the Summerwind Resort check out condo units on our Navarre Properties website or call us at 1.866.936.1312.

Photo by Mike Odom courtesy of Navarre Press.

Next time you’re driving over the Navarre Beach Bridge, look twice for some of Navarre’s newest residents: black skimmers and least terns. Black skimmers are nesting shore birds and they return to Navarre from the Caribbean to nest from May through August. Their nesting sites are located near the state park and causeway. Least terns, which are small, white-bellied birds with a black patch on top of their heads and yellow bill also nest on Navarre Beach during this time. They protect their nests using dive bomb techniques and can be avoided by staying out of restricted nesting areas.  Black skimmers are considered a species of special concern by the state of Florida and the terns are classified as threatened species. Visitors and those driving over the bridge should use caution around marked nesting sites and watch for baby chicks on the road.