Destin Harbor Went Back to Weighing Fish Three Days After Isaias. Its Holiday Season Builds to One Weekend

The day after Hurricane Isaias came through Destin as a Category 2 storm, Capt. Mike King brought the Hiliner back through the Intracoastal Waterway, the stretch charter crews call "the ditch." The Destin Log reported that he dodged lumber in the water until he passed the Mid-Bay Bridge, and that by around noon that Saturday his crew was grilling triggerfish at the docks. Other boats had gone east to St. Andrews Marina in Panama City or to Bay Point, and some anchored in the bays and bayous. Capt. Cliff Atwell of the Reel Grace planned to lead a caravan back through the Gulf on Sunday morning. The Boathouse Oyster Bar crew took down boards and tarps Saturday, found the building dry, and reopened Sunday. By 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, volunteers had the Destin Fishing Rodeo scales ready for weigh-ins again.

That quick reopening shapes the rest of the season. The 78th Rodeo was scheduled to run through Oct. 31, with free weigh-ins every day behind AJ's. Since then the harbor has gone straight into its holiday calendar. Three separate hosts are filling it: the City of Destin, HarborWalk Village and the Destin History & Fishing Museum. Each runs its own events through November, and they all meet on Harbor Boulevard on Dec. 12 and 13.

The Rodeo Dock Hosts a Kids' Tournament This Saturday

The first event after the Rodeo uses the same dock. The City of Destin's 28th Annual Pinfish Classic runs Saturday, Nov. 7, from 7 to 9 a.m. The city lists the location as "the weigh-in on the dock behind AJ's Restaurant," at 116 Harbor Boulevard.

The Rodeo's scale is built for big Gulf fish. Pinfish usually fit in a child's hand. Here are the details from the city's listing:

• Who can fish: children 14 and under. Catch and release only.
• What to bring: your own pole. The city supplies the bait.
• Awards: largest and smallest pinfish in each age group, plus a prize for the most fish caught overall, given out at 8:45 a.m. at the registration site.
• Cost: free, but every child has to pre-register online at cityofdestin.com/reconline. The recreation office is at 850-654-5184.

The 7 a.m. start matters because the event is over before most of the harbor opens for the day. A family can be on the dock at sunrise and done by 9.

November Fills In One Event at a Time

After the Pinfish Classic, the hosts trade off. HarborWalk Village takes most of the November dates, and the city holds its own events at the Destin Community Center on Stahlman Avenue.

The weekend of Nov. 13 and 14 is the first one where two hosts overlap. The Holiday Craft Show fills the Community Center on Friday and Saturday. That Saturday, HarborWalk Village's Blues, Brews & BBQ moves tastings along the waterfront. The two venues are only a short way apart on the same side of town, so one Saturday can include a craft-show table in the morning and barbecue by the water in the evening.

Thanksgiving weekend starts the holiday season on the harbor. The Grande Tree Lighting on Black Friday brings caroling and hot cocoa at HarborWalk Village, followed by the Sip & Shop with local merchant discounts. The next afternoon Santa arrives by the harbor with a parade of elves, and photo time follows on the stage.

December Brings Both Parades to Harbor Boulevard

The city's own holiday events start on Thursday, Dec. 3, with the 40th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Destin Community Center, 101 Stahlman Ave., from 6 to 8 p.m. It's an outdoor family evening with Santa and entertainment. The city asks each guest to bring one non-perishable food item.

The tree lighting and the harbor's lighted boat parade both reach their 40th year in 2026. Nine days after the tree lighting, the city and the harbor hold their biggest events on the same weekend:

1. Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m.: the City of Destin's 42nd Annual Christmas Parade. This year's theme is "Merry Christmas America," marking the nation's 250th birthday. Floats start at Destin Methodist Church, 200 Beach Drive, go down Beach Drive, and then head west on Harbor Boulevard, which is U.S. 98, to Stahlman Avenue. The city asks spectators to watch from the north side of Harbor Boulevard.
2. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12–13, noon to 8 p.m.: Mistletoe Market at HarborWalk Village. Local vendors, live music and visits from Santa, according to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach tourism calendar.
3. Sunday, Dec. 13, 6 to 7:30 p.m.: the 40th Annual Holiday on the Harbor Lighted Boat Parade. The Destin History & Fishing Museum lists spectator viewing along the harbor between Harry T's and Harbor Docks. Fireworks over the harbor follow the boats.

From the Saturday morning floats to the Sunday night fireworks, the weekend runs about 34 hours, and the same stretch of waterfront hosts all of it. The parade comes down Harbor Boulevard by land on Saturday. The boats come through the harbor by water on Sunday. The Mistletoe Market stays open between them both days.

Anyone entering a float has an earlier deadline. In place of an entry fee, the city asks each entry to donate new toys, personal care products such as cologne or perfume, or money. Applications and donations are due at the Destin Community Center by Friday, Dec. 4, the day after the tree lighting at the same building. A family could pick up an application at the tree lighting and drop off the donation the next morning.

Getting Around This Month

Two city operations will affect November driving and errands.

The first is Airport Road. The City of Destin's Oct. 27 traffic advisory covers milling and resurfacing from the curve near Destin Executive Airport to U.S. 98. The schedule:

• Nov. 2–4: milling of the existing asphalt
• Nov. 5–6: cleanup and milling around intersections, curves and manholes
• Nov. 9–11: asphalt resurfacing
• Nov. 12: final cleanup and removal of traffic control devices

Today, Thursday, Nov. 5, and Friday, Nov. 6 are set aside for the work around intersections, curves and manholes. Paving falls in the week of Veterans Day, and the cones are set to come down the day before the craft show opens. Temporary striping comes first, followed by permanent striping as soon as possible after Nov. 11. Expect lane closures and flaggers. Access to businesses and properties along Airport Road may be limited at times, and the whole schedule depends on weather.

The second is storm debris. The city plans more than one collection pass. As of the update Get The Coast reported on Oct. 22, crews were working Zones 2, 7, 8 and 10, and two more trucks were heading to Zones 5 and 6. By then they had collected 7,760 cubic yards of vegetative debris across 140 truckloads, along with 88 hazardous hanging limbs and six hazardous leaning trees. The city's instructions still apply:

• Keep vegetative debris separate from construction and demolition debris.
• Set piles at the curb, clear of roadways, sidewalks, storm drains, fire hydrants and utility equipment.
• Don't park on streets where crews are working.

The city also says a pile left behind on the first pass will be picked up on a later one.

Event plans can change, so check the City of Destin, HarborWalk Village or the museum before heading to any of these dates.

The weeks since Isaias have also been a time when Destin homeowners are looking hard at their properties and their plans. If a storm, the season or a change in your family's situation has you thinking about what your Destin home is worth or how a sale would be timed, the Andra Morgan Team can walk through the numbers with you calmly and on your schedule. Let's work together.