Years ago, after Charles Morgan had opened Harbor Dock’s Restaurant in Destin, and before Chuck’s Fish in Mobile and Dharma Blue in Pensacola existed, they had a cook from Andalusia, Alabama, named Ann Jones who worked in the Harbor Dock’s kitchen for over 30 years. One day, she suggested to Charles that they open the restaurant for Thanksgiving.

It was the end of World War II. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz ordered that a flight demonstration team be organized to raise and maintain public interest in naval aviation. Within 90 days on June 15, 1946, a group of Navy aviators performed their first flying demonstration at the Naval Air Station (NAS) in Jacksonville, Florida. They were then called the Navy Flight Exhibition Team and were led by Lieutenant Commander Roy “Butch” Voris, who flew a Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat.

One of the smartest things I ever did was move to a town so beautiful that my friends quit asking when I’d come visit them and started asking how soon they could come to Pensacola. Like many Saturdays before, this past Saturday, my best girlfriends and I kicked off another fun-filled girls’ weekend with a little breakfast at The Coffee Cup, my favorite local diner, catching up over hash browns and cheese eggs before diving into our weekend festivities.

The Fall Festival Season is overflowing with chances to get out and enjoy the cool weather. It’s a great chance to relax before the hectic holiday season gets into full swing and there is something for everyone with festivals of all sizes and themes being offered across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know what a “Parrot Head” is: a devoted fan of the late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, known for his tropical-themed music and associated lifestyle. I knew that Jimmy had a huge fan base, but I was astounded to learn that these folks have conventions where members of Parrot Heads in Paradise, which has around 200 sanctioned clubs with 20,000 members, meet every year in late October and have been doing so for 33 years!

Summer 2025 is officially in the rearview mirror and there are all kinds of festivals and outdoor events happening so you can get out and enjoy the cooler weather. In addition to the Top 5 below, don’t miss our breakdown of events happening across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area over the weekend in the newsletter’s Tidbits and Best Bets – or visit the Scenic98Coastal.com homepage for easy access all weekend long!

September is shaping up to be an excellent month for the Scenic 98 Coastal community with temperatures (hopefully) starting to cool off, football season in full swing, and a packed slate of events to enjoy. In addition to the Top 5 below, we have linked to other September Events on our radar at the end of the article. As always, be sure to check out the Tidbits and Best Bets section of the newsletter and at Scenic98Coastal.com to see everything going on this upcoming weekend.

With the Summer Time Blues upon us, there is a lot of great music coming our way this month. Mark your calendars and get tickets now! Gallery Night in Pensacola is always a fun event, and with football kicking off at the end of the month, it's time to start planning your tailgating parties. Let the good times roll!