HALLOWEEN

8th annual ‘Tricks & Treasures’ Halloween event at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island

A Halloween evening filled with family-friendly fun awaits visitors to The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island this year.

• The popular destination will host its annual Halloween celebration on Tuesday, October 31, featuring trick-or-treating, live entertainment, games, contests and more from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A highlight of the event is a walkabout parade featuring costumed characters like the Parjai Squad Star Wars characters and stilt-walkers. DJ Mantra will provide music for the parade and throughout the evening.

The Boardwalk will also offer carnival games, pirate magic shows with Captain Davy and Kirby-Jake and the Crossbones, balloon artists, jugglers and a costume contest.

Families can pick up a treasure map (AND your KIDS EAT FREE! voucher) at the main entrance to take part in a trick-or-treating adventure along the Boardwalk. Completing the map earns a special treat from The Crab Trap restaurant.

The evening will end with a fireworks show at 8 p.m. The Boardwalk promises a “spooktacular night that’s a blast for the whole family.”

GIVING BACK

Ruby Slipper Cafe in Destin hosting brunch raffle benefiting the Emerald Coast Autism Center

Ruby Slipper Cafe is hosting a raffle to benefit the Emerald Coast Autism Center, a Niceville nonprofit that provides services for individuals with autism.

• Tickets are $2 each or six for $10 and will be sold from Oct. 20 through Nov. 3 at the Destin location. 
• The drawing will be held Nov. 4 (you do not need to be present to win).

The grand prize is brunch for six people, valued at $300. Proceeds will be matched by the Dugas Family Foundation.

“At Ruby Slipper, we believe in the importance of community and lending a hand to organizations supporting our neighbors,” said Christi Emerzian, Ruby Slipper Cafe’s general manager. “We hope this raffle will be a success in helping the Emerald Coast Autism Center continue to improve the lives of individuals with autism and related unique abilities, and their families.”

Founded in 2009, the Emerald Coast Autism Center is dedicated to educating and improving the lives of individuals with autism in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

• “We love supporting local causes that make a real difference here on the Emerald Coast,” said Emerzian. “The Autism Center provides critical services for so many families in our community. Hosting this raffle is a fun way for us to raise awareness and give back to an organization that does amazing work.”

Ruby Slipper Cafe opened its Destin location in May 2022. The New Orleans-based restaurant offers a lively and inviting atmosphere and is open seven days a week for breakfast, brunch, lunch and cocktails at 34902 Emerald Coast Pkwy.

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THINGS TO DO

MMA showdown hits Okaloosa Island this Friday night!

A live MMA event is coming to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center on Friday, November 3.

Promoters Domenech Group and Gladiator Promotions are teaming up to deliver intense fights and adrenaline-pumping action. The event promises to be an unforgettable night for MMA fans.

FWBMMA.com will livestream the bouts, allowing viewers across the world to watch the action. With a reputation for showcasing top talent and thrilling matchups, this event is a must-see.

• The spacious convention center provides the perfect backdrop. Doors open at 5 p.m., allowing fans time to soak in the atmosphere.

General admission tickets start at $25. VIP sponsor tables are also available by calling 850-543-1418.

Fights kick off at 6 p.m. For more details, visit FWBMMA.com.

SCHOOL

Crestview High School earns Bronze recognition on the 2023 AP School Honor Roll

Crestview High School has earned Bronze recognition from the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program.

• The honor roll distinction recognizes schools that have expanded access to AP courses while maintaining high levels of performance. More than 700 Crestview students are enrolled in the school’s 17 AP courses across 36 sections taught by 10 teachers.

In 2023, 41.84% of Crestview’s AP students scored a 3 or higher on AP exams, making them eligible to receive college credit, according to the Okaloosa County School District.

“Opening AP courses to all students gives them opportunities to earn college credit and maximize college readiness,” stated Superintendent Chambers. “This recognition is a testament to our hard-working students and the dedication of school staff and the school counselors, who encourage our students to challenge themselves academically and prepare them for the future.”

Crestview High Principal Victoria Hayden said the recognition reflects the school community’s commitment to supporting students.

• “Crestview High School is honored to receive this recognition, and it is the result of the unwavering dedication of our staff and families to support our students to believe in themselves and reach beyond expectations,” Hayden said.

The College Board’s AP program allows high school students to take college-level courses and potentially earn college credit by passing end-of-course exams. More than 1 million students took AP exams in 2022.

“AP represents an opportunity for students to stand out to colleges, earn college credit and placement, and potentially boost their grade point averages,” said Trevor Packer, head of the AP program. “The schools have shown that they can expand access to these college-level courses and still drive high performance – they represent the best of our AP program.”

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COASTAL RESOURCES

‘Blackbeard Pirate Ship’ reborn as the newest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach coast

The Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team successfully deployed the Aj’s Blackbeard Pirate Ship as the newest artificial reef off the Destin-Fort Walton Beach coast on Monday, October 30.

• The steel-hulled vessel was donated by Alan Laird, owner of Aj’s Seafood & Oyster Bar in Destin. According to Laird, the ship had been a fixture in the harbor for 15-18 years and was previously known as the ‘Flying Eagle.’

“I don’t remember how long my neighbor owned it, but I picked it up probably 10-12 years ago,” Laird said. “We had a great business running it. We re-skinned the whole thing, and put a whole new hull in it.”

Laird said the ship was being repaired in a boatyard when it caught fire from someone cutting a metal plate, destroying the wooden interior and equipment.

“It was a catastrophe,” he said.

After unsuccessfully trying to rebuild it, Laird decided to scuttle the Blackbeard and bought a different wooden schooner for his tourism business.

The Blackbeard was a popular vessel, Laird said, used for Billy Bowlegs Pirate Festival, excursions from his restaurant and sunset cruises before the fire.

• “Blackbeard was a boat that I had for a long time and just couldn’t seem to get the thing back where I needed it to be,” he said. 

When the opportunity came up to turn it into an artificial reef, Laird jumped at the chance to partner with the Okaloosa Coastal Resource team. Laird is no stranger to sinking artificial reefs. He previously sank the Harbor Belle, which was originally a restaurant-barge on the harbor. Additionally, he acquired a large water basin from Eglin Air Force Base and used it to enhance more than 300 chicken coop deployments over the years. 

“Fishing, and our fishermen, is Destin’s culture and is what makes this town what it is,” Laird said. “So by being able to put Blackbeard down on the bottom means everything.”

Laird said the steel ship standing upright on the seabed will attract both bottom fish like grouper, while also attracting mackerel and cobia higher up. 

• “We’ve had great success in the past, and I’m looking for great success when we sink this one,” he added.

Laird said the partnership continues the ship’s tourism legacy above and below the waves.

“It covers two spans of tourism, so it continues to be a vital part of the community, along with the fishing and diving industry,” he said.

Laird said he is happy to partner with the county on this artificial reef deployment and said he’d be open for other opportunities that may arise in the future.

“They [Coastal Resource Team] have resourced so many wrecks and fishing reefs. This vessel will join a big area that’s been turned into a whole boatyard down there,” Laird said. “And partnering with Alex Fogg and the Coastal Resource Team has been tremendous.”

Before Monday’s deployment, the Blackbeard was in its final cleanup stages at Morgan Marine in Freeport. Coastal Resource Manager Alex Fogg explained that all debris was removed and that the steel hull is intact.

• The ship will join the Cordanzo tugboat sunk earlier this year at the county’s Yacht Club artificial reef site about 16 miles offshore, according to Fogg.

“In recent years, our artificial reef program has really taken off,” Fogg said. “And a lot of folks have been coming to us wanting to partner on these projects by providing vessels to us for free like this.”

Community partnerships like the one is vital for the success of the county’s artificial reef program, Fogg said. And given the Blackbeard’s history with tourism, it’s only right that it transforms into an artificial reef. 

“It’s come full circle,” added Fogg. “It’s only appropriate that its final resting place is in the Gulf of Mexico, making more habitat for the fish that people like to see while diving and fishing.”

If you’re looking to explore the Blackbeard, here are the coordinates:

• 30° 08.340 N, 86° 33.897 W

To see more pictures from yesterday’s deployment, click here.