It’s almost time for Fat Tuesday- meaning purple, green, and gold will line the streets of Panama City Beach!  Mark your calendars for February 17th and 18th!  The new King and Queen of Panama City Beach’s Mardi Gras,Dominique Youx XXVI Rob Lienhop & his Queen is Cumi Walsingham, were crowed at the recent Mardi Gras Ball.  Below is the schedule for this year and some pictures from last year’s event.

Enjoy the Fat Tuesday celebrations!  To learn more about the Mardi Gras at the Beach, visit them online!

February 17th Events

12:00pm- Festival Village at LC Hilton

12:00pm-10:00pm- Classic Cars at Pier Park Circle

2:oopm-4:00pm- Hot Lava Performance at Pier Park Circle

4:00pm-6:00pm- Heritage Performance at Pier Park Circle

6:00pm- Pet Costume Contest at Pier Park Circle

7:45pm- Float Christening at LC HIlton East

8:00pm-10:00pm- Dr. Muffaletta Band Performance at Pier Park Circle

Schedule for February 18th

11:00am- Children’s Activities and Contest at BookIt.com Park

12:00pm- Festival Village at LC Hilton

1:00pm- Kids Parade at Pier Park Circle

2:30pm- Mardi Gras Parade thru Pier Park

4:00pm-6:00pm- Zydeco Gents Performance at Pier Park Circle

6:00pm-8:00pm- Kevin Jacobs Band Performance at Pier Park Circle

8:00pm- Fireworks at the City Pier

8:20pm-10:00pm- Heartbeat City Performance at Pier Park Circle

Some Pictures From Last Year:

Jason Koertge has an awesome vacation rental business in Panama City Beach that focuses on remarkable properties around the Pier Park area.  They range from 1 to 3 bedrooms, they’re clean, and amazing.  He can be found lurat PCBLP.com.

Regardless of your political affiliation, when a president or president hopeful comes to our neck of the woods, it’s something to take note of.  You may remember, not long ago President Obama came to our beach.  Love him or hate him, he’s still the president, and he along with all the journalists that were following him know about Panama City Beach.  Now, let’s add what could be our next President – Mitt Romney.  Grant it, we couldn’t get him on the beach, he was pressed for time, but at least our general area got some press!

Being a fellow Mormon, I have a natural attraction to Mitt and his position on how to run a country.  Of course, the fact that he runs a tight business ship and wants to make America better for business helps a lot too.  Being a small business owner myself, we need all the help we can get!

Anyway, I didn’t intend on this being a political soap box for me to share my views on who would be a great president (you can see why he’d be great here), just wanted to let you know he was here and share some pictures!

Keep your calendar clear for Saturday, April 14th!  The 10th Annual Mask Parade and Gala for Convenant Hospice will be taking place at the Edgewater Beach Resort!  Expect performers, artwork, silent and live auctions, dinner, and dancing!

Currently they are accepting sponsorships. Remember, sponsorships include recognizing your support of the Hospice in promotional opportunities leading up to the gala.  This includes the Mask Preview Party and the Parade which both occur in the weeks prior to the gala.  The deadline to confirm sponsorship is March 23rd, 2012.  Email Mask.Parade@covenanthospice.org for more information.

Last year’s gala raised over $90,000 for the 900 patients of Covenant Hospice in Panama City and surrounding areas.  These funds enabled them to provide end-of-life palliative care based on need, not someone’s ability to pay.  They also provide services for indigent patients, services not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or priviate insurance.

Looking for something to do this Friday night? (January 27th, 2012)  Join some of Florida’s top story tellers at Breakers on the Beach!  In the image above, you’ll see the faces of the readers to join the event, as well as where they originate from.

Reservations are recommended, but tickets will be available at the door.  Call 850.234.6060 to make your reservations!  Tickets are $10, including hor d’ouvres and the stories.  Happy Hour will be running from 4:00pm-6:00pm with an open cash bar all evening.  Story telling will begin at 7:00pm.

This evening promises to be heart-warming, full of laughter, and overall entertaining- so enjoy!

Raising awareness and funds for for the Autism Education Center through an art exhibit and DJ show.  The event will showcase several local artists including student artists from the school, who are donating all or some of the sales to the school.  There will also be a raffle for prizes, each entrant will receive one ticket and additional tickets will be for sale.  The event is free, but there is a suggested donation of $3.  (Donations will go directly to the Autism Education Center.)

Want to celebrate Mardi Gras without the crowds of New Orleans?  The Krewe of Massalina is making sure that you celebrate Mardi Gras right, right here in Panama City!  More than 50 vendors will be set up, as well as two stages of N’Orleans style music to fill the air.

Schedule of Events

• Friday, February 3rd, Block Party 6pm-10pm in McKenzie Park
• Saturday, February 4th, Mardi Gras Festival 12pm-10pm in McKenzie Park
• Saturday, February 4th, Mardi Gras Parade 3pm on Harrison Avenue

Giveaways

• The Toad Lick Festival will be giving away several tickets to the biggest music festival in Dothan, AL.
• Over $10,000 in “The Great Downtown Giveaway”
• Assorted gift certificates will also be thrown out during the Mardi Gras Parade

Will you join the Krewe of Massalina to celebrate this year’s Mardi Gras?

It’s time!  This Saturday night the concert you have all been waiting for takes the stage!  Stars and Guitars benefitting the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center will feature Andy Griggs, Daryle Singletary, Randy Houser, Josh Gracin, and Ashton Shepherd.

Andy Griggs

Andy is from Louisiana and records on RCA Nashville’s label.

Some of his best known hits are:

• You Won’t Ever Be Lonely
• She’s More
• This I Gotta See

Please visit Andy’s website for more information.

Daryle Singletary

Darlye Singletary is from Georgia and released his first album in 1995.  Click here to visit his website.

Songs you might recognize are:

• I Let Her Lie
• Too Much Fun
• I’d Love To Lay You Down

Randy Houser

Randy Houser is a singer and songwriter from Mississippi.  He has written songs for Trace Adkins, Justin Moore, and Jessie James.

A few songs he has recorded are:

• Boots On
• Whistlin’ Dixie
• Anything Goes

Josh Gracin

Made famous for his appearance on American Idol, Josh Gracin is originally from Michigan.  You can learn more about Josh online.

Some of Josh’s most popular songs are:

• Nothin’ To Lose
• Stay With Me/Brass Bed
• We Weren’t Crazy

Ashton Shepherd

Ashton Shepherd made her way from Alabama to RCA Nashville to release her first album in April 2007.

Some of her best known singles are:

• Look It Up
• Takin’ Off This Pain
• Where Country Grows

This is a concert you don’t want to miss!  Tickets are available online for $27.50 downstairs/$20 upstairs.  Enjoy the concert and making a difference for the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center!

Cancer touches so many lives in the world today, few people don’t know someone who has been diagnosed.  Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Panama City is doing their part to raise money in the fight against the disease!  On January 28th the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, local celebrities, and professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars will be showcased on the stage of the Martin Theatre in a benefit for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Dance for Life has become an annual fundraiser for the Fred Astaire Dance Studio’s Relay for Life team.  This year Derrell Day (Talk Radio 101.1), Many (Island 106), Sara Violette (97X and 101.1), and Short Bus (97X) will battle on the dance floor to see who is the best!

All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society through Relay for Life.  Tickets are available at The Martin Theatre (850.763.8080) and the Fred Astaire Dance Studio (850.873.62.69).

Spring Break is around the corner and the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau is giving spring breaker’s a chance to spend their week doing good!  Visitor’s who register online before February 3rd, 2012 will have the opportunity to spend the week participating in a scavenger hunt around PCB.  Teams will collect special Panama City Beach mementos at specific stops along the hunt.How is that doing good you ask?  The winner will have a $10,000 donation made to a charity of their choice or for their organization.

Teams that are selected to participate in the scavenger hunt will participate in a weekly competition, where the winner of all four top teams being compared at the end.  The top team will win $10,000 and two runners-up will win $2,500 each.

Good luck to teams hoping to participate!

January 21st, 2011 the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, a local non-profit, will be holding the 4th Annual Country Music Jamboree “Stars and Guitars.”  The event is the primary fundraiser for the organization, raising funds that provide services to children suffering from abuse and neglect in our community.  At 7pm country stars Andy Griggs, Daryle Singletary, Ashton Shephard, and Randy Houser will take the Marina Civic Center stage!  During intermission, there will be a live auction.

In the local community there were over 8,000 reports of child abuse and neglect last year.  Tragic and disturbing, these numbers show how much the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center needs our help, so that they are able to make an impact in our community.

Tickets are on sales for $27.50 for floor tickets, and $20 for balcony.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the GCCAC at 850-872-7760 or online at the GCCAC or Marina Civic Center.

Thank-you for helping the GCCAC help neglected and children in our area!