Anyone Ever Been To The Seabreeze Jazz Festival (Destin)? (Holiday: hotels, trip)

[ABM]

We'll be heading down there (from Atlanta) in a couple of weeks. Looks like a very cool event. Hope we can get good seating as it's general admission festival (lawn) seating.

[LOnRainjer]

The stage of the festival is held in a bowl type setting. The seating is elevated as the stage sits at the bottom of the bowl and seating is elevated around it. Its always a great turnout and fun. Walk across the street from the band venue and you are on the beach. Hope you enjoy it.

[LOnRainjer]

oops my bad, they changed venues this year to the gulf place amphitheater. Its a flat field with a stage. Get there early or you will be waving from a distance. Still good music, in a great location, and at a great price, with awesome weather. Sorry for the mix up on the venues.

Gulf Place

[2bohemians]

We live right down the street from Gulf Place and ride our bikes over to the festival every year. It is always jam-packed beginning wicked early in the morning. It's actually not in Destin, but rather along the Scenic Highway 30A. If you stay in Sandestin or Destin, there are several hotels that have shuttle busses running back and forth to the event all weekend! If for some reason you can't get tickets, you can see & hear the music just walking around the event but without a ticket you can't get in to enjoy the various vendors or sit on the lawn. And yes, if you walk across the street, you will be on the beach.

Also, wanted to let you know that Seaside, which is just down the road, will be having their 1st Florida Jazz Festival coming up in May. The lineup sounds fantastic!

[sunrico90]

See linnk: Seabreeze Jazz Festival

[ABM]

We love the Destin area. In fact, we've sort of made it a tradition to get down there every Thanksgiving weekend. It's great in that it's not crowded, the accommodations are less expensive, and the weather's still very reasonable and mild. Good stuff.

We always like to stay at the Holiday Inn on the beach in Destin - especially up on the 9th floor. Great rooms! We'll be staying there this trip and, hopefully, catching a shuttle into the Jazz Festival. If anyone knows where to catch a shuttle from near the hotel, it would be much appreciated.

(Oh, and we hope to "finally" eat at Callahan's this time! We've heard it was great, but never got a chance to eat there. This time it's a priority, though. )

Thanks!

ABM

[2bohemians]

Originally Posted by ABM

We love the Destin area. In fact, we've sort of made it a tradition to get down there every Thanksgiving weekend. It's great in that it's not crowded, the accommodations are less expensive, and the weather's still very reasonable and mild. Good stuff.

We always like to stay at the Holiday Inn on the beach in Destin - especially up on the 9th floor. Great rooms! We'll be staying there this trip and, hopefully, catching a shuttle into the Jazz Festival. If anyone knows where to catch a shuttle from near the hotel, it would be much appreciated.

(Oh, and we hope to "finally" eat at Callahan's this time! We've heard it was great, but never got a chance to eat there. This time it's a priority, though. )

Thanks!

ABM

We've never dined at Callahans but we do make the drive over to purchase a couple of filets to cook at home .... and they are delicious ... If you stay on the 30a, we highly recommend a restaurant called Cafe Tango ... it's just down the street from the Jazz Festival at Gulf Place ....

[ABM]

Originally Posted by 2bohemians

We've never dined at Callahans but we do make the drive over to purchase a couple of filets to cook at home .... and they are delicious ... If you stay on the 30a, we highly recommend a restaurant called Cafe Tango ... it's just down the street from the Jazz Festival at Gulf Place ....

Thanks for that! Will definitely look to dine at Cafe Tango!. Also, we hear that there's an ongoing internal shuttle system to/from the Festival leaving from somewhere around the Gulf Place Resort. That being said, if we do take that shuttle, we're thinking about having breakfast at Another Broken Egg in the Sandestin Resort on the way over to the Festival on Saturday morning.

Thanks again.

ABM

[sirlun]

Originally Posted by ABM

Thanks for that! Will definitely look to dine at Cafe Tango!. Also, we hear that there's an ongoing internal shuttle system to/from the Festival leaving from somewhere around the Gulf Place Resort. That being said, if we do take that shuttle, we're thinking about having breakfast at Another Broken Egg in the Sandestin Resort on the way over to the Festival on Saturday morning.

Thanks again.

ABM

Not that familiar with area but where I stayed at the Grand Boulevard at Sandestin (last year) the shuttle buses were just across a few hundred yards away at the Public's Shopping Center right off of Grand Boulevard. I am going again this year again and staying in the same hotel. Also I live in Powder Springs so I hope you all will enjoy your trip and the festival (last year it was a blast).

P.S. Also bring a hat and pack a warm up because the weather was jekell/hyde last year. Saturday was great but it rained and a cold front came in and Sunday was cold and windy, so best to be prepared than not.

[2bohemians]

What about parking for the Seabreeze Jazz Festival?

PARKING ON-SITE is limited at Gulf Place. There also is limited public parking across the street at Ed Waline Park on the beach. You can park ALONG THE SIDE of County Highway 30-A as long as you stay off of the Bike Path. The Bike Path is a paved area just off the side of the highway. PARKING DIRECTLY ON THE BIKE PATH WILL RESULT IN YOUR CAR POSSIBLY BEING TOWED! Please be courteous and not park in front of residential driveways as well. Thank you!


BETTER IDEA FOR RESORT GUESTS: Complimentary shuttles will be provided for guests staying at either of our Featured Jazz Festival Resorts: Tops’L Beach and Racquet Resort and Surfside Resort. Both properties are located just east of Gulf Place and close to shopping, dining, and golf. Call ResortQuest at 1-800-380-4808 for reservations. We encourage all festival attendees to stay at either resort to take advantage of free shuttle transportation. These shuttle buses are large and air-conditioned…and will be dedicated ONLY to resort guests staying at either Tops’L or Surfside.


OFF-SITE PARKING SHUTTLES will be provided continuously from Grand Boulevard on Highway 98 just east of Sandestin Resort. Grand Boulevard is the exciting shopping complex with a new phase opening Spring of 2007. Look for the signs.