Grand Boulevard spreads its holiday season across just four dates and one set of Tuesdays. Inside Sandestin, The Village of Baytowne Wharf puts on a light show at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. on every night of December.
So a Miramar Beach holiday plan has a simple order. The Grand Boulevard dates go on the calendar first because they happen only once. Baytowne fills the gaps, since it will still be lit on any night you pick.
Grand Boulevard Holds Four Dates
Grand Boulevard's season starts on a Friday evening and is mostly finished by the first Saturday in December. Every major event takes place at 495 Grand Boulevard or in Grand Park at its center.
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 20 | Hometown Holiday Parade | 5 to 7 p.m. | The Boulevard |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Festival of Trees, Holiday Sip & Shop, Candlelight Christmas Concert | 4 to 8 p.m. | Grand Park and The Boulevard |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Holiday Market | 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | North Lawn |
| Tuesdays, Dec. 1 to 22 | Holiday Entertainment on The Boulevard | 6 to 7 p.m. | Grand Park |
The Hometown Holiday Parade opens the season with local high school bands, sports and dance teams, and the Emerald Coast Theatre Company. The listing gives a practical tip for anyone driving in: "Come early for dinner, shopping, and a great parking spot."
December 4 is the busiest night on the Grand Boulevard side. The Festival of Trees fills Grand Park with 16 Christmas trees, each decorated by a local nonprofit. Visitors can browse from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and vote for the People's Choice Award. A panel of judges picks three winners, and each one earns a cash prize for its organization. Winners are announced at 7:30 p.m. The same evening, Holiday Sip & Shop runs along the Boulevard from 4 to 8 p.m. with champagne tastings from 4 to 6. The Will Thompson Band plays the Candlelight Christmas Concert in the park from 5 to 7:30. Because the trees, the shopping and the concert all overlap, one visit between about 5 and 7:30 covers every part of the night.
The Holiday Market on December 5 is the holiday version of the Boulevard's farmers' market. It's an artisan market on the North Lawn from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Baytowne Wharf Runs Every Night
Baytowne puts its holiday season on a nightly loop. Nights of Lights runs from December 1 through December 31 on the Events Plaza Lawn, with shows at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. It's free, and this year the Village's own listing promotes a "NEW tree" as the centerpiece. That makes the light show the easiest holiday outing in Miramar Beach. You don't need a ticket or a particular date, and if you miss one show, another starts an hour later.
Baytowne on Ice is already open. The seasonal rink runs from October 30 through February 7, with hours that change daily and are posted on a separate rink calendar. Skating costs $15 for 90 minutes plus $3 for skate rental. Skaters must be at least 3 years old, and children under 6 need a parent or adult family member with them. A waiver can be completed online before you arrive.
Baytowne also adds dated events on top of its nightly shows:
- Saturday, Nov. 21: the 14th Annual Sparkling Wine & Holiday Lights, 4 to 6 p.m., with more than 30 champagnes, appetizers at Village restaurants, and carolers. It closes with the choreographed light show. Tickets are $75 presale or $85 the day of, and the event usually sells out.
- Friday, Nov. 27: a free screening of The Polar Express on the Events Plaza Lawn at 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Here Comes Santa Claus, 6 to 9 p.m. Santa rides down Baytowne Lane to the Event Plaza Lawn to light the Village Christmas Tree, with face painting, balloon making, a brass band and fireworks. It's free.
- Fridays, Dec. 11 and 18: Grinchmas, with free Grinch photos from 5 to 7 p.m. and The Grinch from 2018 on the big screen.
- Saturday, Dec. 12: Tuba Christmas from 5 to 7 p.m., free, with Santa visits during the same hours.
- Thursday, Dec. 31: Baytowne Countdown at the Village, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Tuesday in Grand Park, Wednesday at the Wharf
The two calendars line up best on weeknights. Grand Boulevard's Holiday Entertainment on The Boulevard brings a rotating lineup of local holiday musicians to Grand Park every Tuesday from December 1 through December 22, from 6 to 7 p.m.
On the next night, Baytowne holds the Holiday Edition of its Wednesday Night Concert Series, from 6 to 8 p.m. and free, with Santa at each one. Santa's listed dates are December 2, 9 and 16. The Niceville High School Chorus opens the series on December 2, and the Fort Walton Beach Choir closes it on December 16. The Destin High School Band is also on the lineup.
For the first three weeks of December, that gives Miramar Beach live holiday music two nights in a row. The Tuesday show in Grand Park is an hour long and walkable from the Boulevard's shops and restaurants. On Wednesday at the Wharf, you can stay after the concert and catch the 7 or 8 p.m. light show.
December 5 Is When the Two Calendars Meet
Most of the season, the two venues alternate nights. On Saturday, December 5, they fill the same day, Grand Boulevard in the morning and Baytowne at dusk, so one day can take in both.
- Morning at Grand Boulevard. Start at Perla Baking Co., which opened its second location at Grand Boulevard this past spring. It serves the bakery's regular menu along with items only sold at this location, daily specials, seasonal drinks and an expanded matcha menu, as Get The Coast reported when it opened.
- Late morning on the North Lawn. The Holiday Market runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., so there's time to browse the artisan vendors before lunch.
- 5 p.m. at Baytowne. The Lantern Parade steps off. Artist Chantelle Rytter and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons created it and march with a dozen giant lantern puppets. Anyone with a lantern can join, and Rytter's website has a lantern ideas page for anyone making their own. Decorated golf carts can ride too, after registering through the email address on Baytowne's event page. After the parade, the puppets gather by the Christmas tree.
- After dark. Stay for Nights of Lights at 6, 7 or 8 p.m. on the Events Plaza Lawn.
The Lantern Parade is the event on either calendar that depends most on the community. Every lantern in the parade was made by someone who came to march.
Getting Into Baytowne on a Busy Night
Baytowne sits inside the gates of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, but the Village describes itself as free and open to the public, and it stays open during events unless a listing says otherwise. According to its FAQ, public parking is free in the garage and several auxiliary lots. Valet is first come, first served, and a shuttle runs from the lots to the Village during special events. The Village map shows the Horseshoe Bayou parking facility as the park-and-ride connection.
Sandestin's resort tram runs winter hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through February 28, 2027, but the resort describes it as a service for registered guests. Locals should plan on the event shuttle or the walk from the garage instead.
On the Grand Boulevard side, the parade listing tells visitors to arrive early for parking, and the December 4 events overlap closely enough that one early arrival covers all of them.
If you're deciding which Miramar Beach holiday traditions to make your own this year, 850 Properties is glad to share how we plan these weeks around Grand Boulevard and Baytowne Wharf. Reach out, or explore communities across the Emerald Coast with us.
