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THE SEAFOOD STRATEGY: Don't wait till next year ... revitalizing Destin one fest at a time
'WALL-TO-WALL PEOPLE': Seafood fest pulls in 51,000 people (PHOTOS)
•For photos from the seafood festival, click here.
•For photos of all the catches on Day 1, including that first shark, click here.
Day 2 saw a bunch of Holy Mackerels!
Day 3 saw some Trigger Happy kids.
On Day 4, the pary boats were 'playing hard'
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RODEO RAP
Wondering what's biting on day two of the Destin Fishing Rodeo? Follow all the action on the docks at The Log's Rodeo Rap, brought to you by AJ's Seafood and Oyster Bar. Click here for the latest fish to hit the boards.
With the first harborwide Seafood Festival under our belts, let’s take a moment to savor the success. But only a moment, because there’s work to do.
According to organizers, more than 51,000 people enjoyed the sweet sounds and succulent seafood. It was a fitting tribute to the heritage of The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village with the Destin Fishing Rodeo at AJ’s serving as the centerpiece — almost literally — as food and craft vendors lined the boardwalk from HarborWalk to the Boathouse.
With the 33rd annual festival, we have shown that cooperation trumps competition. Restaurants, volunteers and charter captains pulled together to truly create something far bigger than themselves.
We also demonstrated that free admission pays off, and local talent can take center stage over big name acts.
Ruben Mendoza, a food vendor at the festival encapsulated it best: “Everybody’s happy. Everybody’s making money, I mean everybody.”
But there’s more money to be had — even in this struggling economy.
Consider that this year the Destin Boat Parade is marking its 25th anniversary. For the last quarter century, the Destin History and Fishing Museum has been putting on the floating light show for locals and visitors alike.
Sure it can be cold out there, but what’s stopping us from turning that unique event into another truly harborwide celebration. Aside, who wouldn’t want to hear Jones and Company belt out a jazzy Jingle Bells while sipping hot chocolate?
We could also resurrect Mayfest. First held at the Downtown Destin Shopping Center in 1988, the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce scrapped the annual celebration of spring amid mounting expenses in 2002 after 15 years.
The festival was designed to give restaurants and businesses a boost during the shoulder season. That need continues today.
So why not give it another go? But rather than setting it up in a parking lot, drop it on the docks.
The playbook is already complete, and there is no shortage of fine local musicians, artists and food.
And that is something worth celebrating — often.
