Modern Eldorados take the Events Plaza Stage tomorrow night, September 30, from 7 to 9. That show closes the free Wednesday Night Concert Series, which opened September 2 with The Typos and carried on through Six Piece Suits, Saltwater Revival and Duchess. Once the last chord ends, the Village of Baytowne Wharf changes how it schedules itself.
The events that need advance action sit in a tight window between now and Thanksgiving weekend. Beer Fest needs a ticket, Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights needs a ticket, and the Turkey Trot needs a registration. The rest of the Village's listed fall events cost nothing, apart from ice skating and one yacht dinner cruise. Once Thanksgiving weekend passes, the planning is done for the year.
The Weekend of October 15 Starts Free and Ends With a Wristband
Thursday, October 15 opens with Bubbly Baytowne at 5 p.m. It is free and open to guests 21 and older, and the Village stays open to the public throughout. Check in at the stage and you receive a Baytowne Wharf glass and a map of the participating merchants. The event is built around that map, with the evening organized as a sip-and-shop route through the Village streets.
Friday and Saturday belong to the 18th Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Fest, and that one is ticketed. Friday runs 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday runs 2 to 5 p.m. This year's listing promises more than 150 domestic and international beers, with live music on the lawn. The 2025 edition advertised more than 200. Tickets are sold through baytownebeerfestival.com.
Those three evenings run back to back. Thursday costs nothing and needs no advance step. Friday and Saturday each need a ticket bought ahead.
Halloween Weekend Charges Nothing
The next listed dates are October 30 and 31, and both are free.
Friday, October 30 brings a Hocus Pocus screening on the Events Plaza. The lawn opens for settling in at 6:30 and the film starts at 7. Saturday, October 31 runs from 6 to 8 p.m. for Trick or Treat through the Village streets, with merchants handing out candy along the way. Steve Hall plays the main stage, and a fireworks display closes the night at 8.
Sandestin's own calendar also lists a Halloween Dinner Cruise aboard the SOLARIS Yacht at Baytowne Marina on October 31 from 7 to 10 p.m. It overlaps the fireworks, so choose one, and confirm details with the resort before planning around it, since event schedules and ticket availability can change.
The Run, in Order
The table below puts every date in sequence. Dates marked "expected" come from the Village's 2025 pattern or from a Destin holiday guide, and have not been confirmed by the resort for 2026.
| Date | Event | Cost | What to do ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 15 | Bubbly Baytowne, 5 p.m. | Free, 21+ | Nothing |
| Fri-Sat, Oct 16-17 | 18th Annual Beer Fest | Ticketed | Buy tickets |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Hocus Pocus movie night, 7 p.m. | Free | Nothing |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Trick or Treat and fireworks, 6-8 p.m. | Free | Nothing |
| Sat, Nov 21 (expected) | Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights, 4-6 p.m. | Ticketed | Watch for the official date, then buy early |
| Sun, Nov 22 | 5th Annual Sandestin Turkey Trot, 7-11 a.m. | Registration | Register |
| Sat, Nov 28 (expected) | Santa's arrival and tree lighting, 6-9 p.m. | Free | Nothing |
| Sat, Dec 12 (expected) | Tuba Christmas, 5-7 p.m. | Free | Nothing |
| Thu, Dec 31 | New Year's Eve at the Village, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. | Free in 2025 | Confirm 2026 details |
The Weekend That Asks the Most of You
Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights is the entry that needs the most attention. The event pours more than 30 champagnes and pairs them with appetizers from Village restaurants. Proceeds benefit a local charity. It closes with the first tree lighting of the season and a preview of the Nights of Lights show. The official ticket page currently says 2026 dates will be announced soon. A Destin holiday guide lists Saturday, November 21 from 4 to 6 p.m. Last year's 13th edition ran on Saturday, November 22, so a Saturday in the November 21-22 range fits the pattern.
Tickets have a reputation for selling out well ahead of the day, and the Village caps attendance to keep lines short. Restaurants that have poured and served appetizers in past years include Slick Lips Seafood and Oyster House, Poppy's Seafood Restaurant, Marlin Grill and Hartell's Diner. The lineup for 2026 has not been published.
The tree lighting at the end of the event is a preview. Santa lights the tree for good roughly a week later, and the listed date for that is Saturday, November 28. That means a Sparkling Wine ticket buys a one-week head start on a display that is then free to everyone. You can decide which of those is worth the ticket price.
Sunday, November 22 is the 5th Annual Sandestin Turkey Trot at Baytowne Marina, with the event running 7 to 11 a.m. The 5K fun run starts at 7:30. A post-race tailgate follows, with NFL football on the big screen at 11. The 2025 event benefited Sandestin Foundation for Kids, and registration was $45 for adults and $35 for ages 17 and under. Sources differ on the 2026 fun walk start time and how many free T-shirts are available, so check registration before you plan around either.
If the expected Sparkling Wine date holds, the Turkey Trot falls the morning after it, the same Saturday-Sunday pairing as 2025. That puts a ticket purchase and a race registration on one weekend, which is the reason to watch for the official Sparkling Wine date now.
After Thanksgiving Week, the Calendar Turns Free
From Santa's arrival forward, the Village's listed events are free to attend. Last year's Santa celebration ran 6 to 9 p.m. with fireworks starting between 6:15 and 6:30, and the 2026 guide describes a horse-drawn carriage arrival, a parade around the Village and a fireworks show of about five to six minutes. The fireworks start earlier than the summer shows, so arriving late means missing them.
Tuba Christmas follows on the listed December 12 date, with more than 30 brass instruments on the Events Plaza stage. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair for the lawn. The annual Lantern Parade, created by artist Chantelle Rytter and the Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons, ran on Saturday, December 6 in 2025. The only requirement to join is a lantern, and golf carts were welcome in the lineup. A 2026 date has not been announced. In December 2025 the Nights of Lights show ran nightly at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. on the Events Plaza Lawn at no charge.
Ice skating is the paid exception. Baytowne on Ice ran from October 31 through February 8 in 2025, at $15 for a 90-minute skate and $3 for rentals. The 2026 season dates and prices have not been confirmed, so check the Village's ice rink calendar for the opening day.
Sandestin's calendar lists New Year's Eve at the Village from 6 p.m. on December 31 to 1 a.m. on January 1.
Know a Baytowne Wharf date this calendar should carry? Send it to Allison Richards at The Richards Group, and connect with the team for anything happening on the Sandestin side of 30A.
