Baytowne Wharf has fourteen scheduled event dates on its October and November calendar. Eleven of them cost nothing. The parking garage is free and the Village stays open during the paid events. That makes The Village of Baytowne Wharf, a place that can look like it belongs to resort guests, mostly a free outing this fall for anyone within a short drive of Sandestin.
The paid events get most of the attention because they sell tickets and run countdowns. The free calendar is longer.
Getting In Costs Nothing
It helps to know how you get in before looking at the dates. Baytowne says its public garage and auxiliary lots are free to the public and open at all times. During special events, a shuttle runs from the auxiliary lots to the Village. Valet is first come, first served, and the price isn't posted.
The gate is the part that trips people up. The Sandestin Owners Association says non-guests may drive to the commercial Village for a valid destination during business hours. Owners have a separate system. Their RFID vehicle decals go only to the owner of record, and owners can register day visitors for a gate pass. If you live inside Sandestin and have friends coming from Miramar Beach or Destin for a Wednesday concert, the pass is one option. The Village access rule means they can also drive in themselves.
The resort tram is free for registered resort guests with a resort card, and it stops at Baytowne. For locals who aren't staying at the resort, the free garage is the practical way in.
The Fall Calendar, Sorted by Cost
| Date | Event | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 | Wednesday Night Concert Series | 7–9 p.m. | Free |
| Thu., Oct. 15 | Bubbly Baytowne, 21 and up | Starts 5 p.m. | Free |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | Beer Festival: Baytowne Backyard Bash | 6–8 p.m. | $55 presale, $65 day of |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Beer Festival: Grand Craft Beer Tasting | 2–5 p.m. | $45 presale, $55 day of, $80 Pour Pass |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Hocus Pocus, Movie on the Lawn | Seating 6:30, film 7 p.m. | Free |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | Trick or Treat Street, fireworks at 8 | 6–8 p.m. | Free |
| Fri.–Sat., Nov. 6–7 | Tribute Weekend | 7–9 p.m. | Free |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | 14th Annual Sparkling Wine & Holiday Lights | 4–6 p.m. | $75 plus fee |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | The Polar Express screening | 6 p.m. | Free |
| Thanksgiving weekend | Here Comes Santa Claus | 6–9 p.m. | Free |
Both paid events fall on weekends. Every Wednesday in October is a free concert on the Events Plaza Stage. The lineup is Funky Lampshades on Oct. 7, Storm Folk on Oct. 14, The Aces on Oct. 21 and Forrest Williams on Oct. 28.
Mid-October Has Four Event Days in a Row
From Oct. 14 through Oct. 17, the Village has something going on four consecutive days. The Storm Folk concert is Wednesday. Bubbly Baytowne is Thursday. The Beer Festival fills Friday night and Saturday afternoon.
Bubbly Baytowne is the best free event of the fall. You check in at the stage at 5 p.m. and get a complimentary Baytowne Wharf glass plus a map of the merchants pouring champagne. It is 21 and up, and the Village stays open to the public that evening.
The 18th Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival comes next, and its two sessions are quite different. Friday's Baytowne Backyard Bash runs 6 to 8 p.m. and is set up like a tailgate, with football on a big screen, beer, bourbon, food, bonfires and live music from 55 South. Saturday's Grand Craft Beer Tasting runs 2 to 5 p.m. with more than 150 domestic and international craft beers. Seltzer Lane is back, and two new tasting areas have been added, Beer From Around Here for local brews and Import Lane.
Here is what the tickets cost:
- Friday only: $55 presale, $65 on the day if it hasn't sold out
- Saturday only: $45 presale, $55 on the day
- Pour Pass: $80 for Saturday, with a dedicated entrance, festival swag and a specialty tasting
- Two-day ticket: $95 for both sessions
Every ticket comes with a tasting glass. The event runs rain or shine, and there are no refunds.
Buying the two-day ticket instead of both presale tickets separately saves $5. Buying presale instead of at the gate saves $10 per session. Some of the proceeds go to Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and the Sandestin Foundation for Kids. The festival is 21 and up, and the Village stays open to people without tickets. A family can still go to dinner at Baytowne that weekend.
Tickets and the full festival schedule are on the Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival site.
Halloween Weekend Is Free
The last week of October has three event nights, and none of them costs anything. Forrest Williams closes out the concert series on Wednesday, Oct. 28. On Friday, Oct. 30, Hocus Pocus shows on the big screen at the Events Plaza. Seating opens at 6:30 p.m., the film starts at 7, and the Village suggests bringing blankets and lawn chairs.
On Saturday, Oct. 31, Trick or Treat Street runs 6 to 8 p.m. Kids go merchant to merchant, Steve Hall plays on the main stage, and fireworks start at 8. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, so the movie and trick-or-treating fill two nights of one weekend without a school-night cutoff.
November Moves Into the Holidays
Tribute Weekend, on Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7, is the last free music of the fall. Pandora's Box plays Friday and The 77 Experience plays Saturday, both from 7 to 9 p.m.
The only paid event in November is the 14th Annual Sparkling Wine & Holiday Lights on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. The Village calendar lists more than 30 champagnes, appetizers from Village restaurants, carolers and the Nights of Lights show to finish the evening. General admission is $75 plus a $5.89 ticket fee, and tickets are on sale through Nov. 20. The organizers say proceeds go to a local charity but haven't named this year's beneficiary. They also say the 2026 wine list is still to come.
Thanksgiving weekend has two free events. The Polar Express plays on the Events Plaza Lawn at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27. Here Comes Santa Claus runs 6 to 9 p.m. The calendar heading lists it for Saturday, Nov. 28, but the event description says Nov. 29. Check the Baytowne Wharf events calendar before promising the kids a night.
The Nov. 21 ticket includes an early look at the lights. Starting Tuesday, Dec. 1, and running through Thursday, Dec. 31, the Nights of Lights show is free every night at 6, 7 and 8 p.m. on the Village tree and Events Plaza Lawn. If the lights are the main draw for you, you can wait ten days and watch the full show for free.
Changes Across the Resort
There's more going on at Sandestin than the event calendar. Todd Felsen took over as vice president and managing director in May, Get The Coast reported in July. His role covers recreation programming, owner relations and capital improvement initiatives across the 2,400-acre property. In late August, the resort named Frank Radosti corporate executive chef. Radosti is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who previously held the same title at Kahler Hospitality Group. He now oversees menus and restaurant operations resort-wide, including The Beach House and Marina Bar & Grill. In the Destin Chamber announcement, he said he plans to bring "a fresh culinary perspective that celebrates the flavors and characters of the Gulf Coast."
Neither announcement lists specific menu or programming changes yet. This fall's calendar is the first one under this leadership team.
A Fall Plan That Costs Nothing
If you only go to the free events, a local fall at Baytowne looks like this:
- One Wednesday concert in October. The Oct. 14 Storm Folk show leads into the busiest stretch of the month.
- Bubbly Baytowne on Thursday, Oct. 15, from 5 p.m., for anyone 21 or older.
- Hocus Pocus on Oct. 30 and Trick or Treat Street with fireworks on Oct. 31.
- Tribute Weekend on Nov. 6 or Nov. 7.
- The Polar Express on Nov. 27 and Santa that weekend, once the date is confirmed.
- Any December night for the 6, 7 or 8 p.m. Nights of Lights show.
All six happen in a Village with a free garage and a gate that lets non-guests in to visit. Adding the two-day Beer Festival ticket and Sparkling Wine & Holiday Lights would come to $95 plus $80.89, and both are optional.
The Justin Myers Team lives and works along this stretch of the Emerald Coast, and we keep track of Sandestin's calendar the same way we keep track of its market. If you're thinking about Sandestin and want to know what a fall weekend there is like before you look at homes, call us. We'll share what's coming up and help you Find Your Emerald Coast Home.
