For 17 years, the 30A Songwriters Festival has drawn thousands of music fans from around the world to Scenic Highway 30A, transforming the Gulf Coast into a mecca for original songwriters. The 2026 festival takes place January 16–19 with more than 125 artists performing over 300 shows across 30 unique venues, from intimate patios to 6,000-seat outdoor stages.
Presented by Grand Boulevard, this year’s festival will feature headline performances at Grand Boulevard’s Town Center main stage by Mavis Staples, Toad the Wet Sprocket, 10,000 Maniacs, I’m With Her, Nikki Lane, and Paul McDonald & the Mourning Doves. Additional artists will be announced this summer.
Venues throughout South Walton will once again be converted into state-of-the-art listening rooms, ranging from 100 to 1,000 seats. Amphitheaters, town halls, restaurants, bars, and theaters provide fans with the rare opportunity to experience world-class songwriters in intimate settings. WMOT, based in Nashville, will again record select performances for its World Cafe sessions in partnership with WXPN Philadelphia.
Weekend passes and VIP tickets are available now. VIP packages include premium seating and complimentary gourmet food and drinks in the VIP tent during main stage shows, as well as full weekend transportation options for groups.
The festival is produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and Russell Carter Artist Management, presented by Grand Boulevard with support from Visit South Walton, WaterColor Inn & Resort, and ASCAP. Festival passes and details are available at 30ASongwritersFestival.com.
Sean Dietrich Releases New Novel Over Yonder
Explores Family, Fatherhood and the Unexpected Roads of Redemption
Acclaimed Southern storyteller Sean Dietrich—known for his warm reflections on family, faith, and finding joy in the ordinary—releases his newest novel, Over Yonder, on Oct. 7.
Part Southern road novel, part meditation on fatherhood, Over Yonder follows a defrocked priest just out of prison, a pregnant teen searching for a way forward, and an emotional support goldfish as they journey through the Deep South. Poignant and humorous, the story is Dietrich’s tribute to second chances, flawed families, and the unexpected ways people find grace and connection.
“This book is a love letter to fatherhood,” said Dietrich. “Fathers, those misguided, flawed, beautifully imperfect humans who tried, failed, got everything wrong, and, in spite of themselves, somehow became our greatest teachers on the subject of love.”
Laura Wheeler, senior acquisitions editor for Thomas Nelson Fiction, added: “Sean is an innately gifted storyteller—his voice can’t be taught; it’s simply who he is. His novels are emotional and redemptive, filled with cantankerous old men with big hearts, tongue-in-cheek humor, and flawed characters who remind us that forgiveness and kindness can be found in the most unlikely places.”
Over Yonder will be available in bookstores nationwide Oct. 7. Learn more at tnzfiction.com/9781400235681/over-yonder/sean-dietrich.
Northwest Florida Ballet Unveils 2025–26 Season
Northwest Florida Ballet’s upcoming season features three distinctive productions. It opens Sept. 19–20 with the Emerging Choreographers’ Project Blackbox at NFB Studios in downtown Fort Walton Beach. Showcasing the innovative choreography of selected members of the NFB company, this production features ballet and contemporary works set to a diverse range of music genres, accompanied by a visual art exhibition that offers audiences a compelling glimpse into the next generation of artists from the NFB Académie.
The beloved holiday classic Nutcracker returns Nov. 21–23 to the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, featuring more than 140 performers, including international guest artists and over 100 local children, with live music by the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra.
The season concludes March 7–8 with the company premiere of Jill Eathorne Bahr’s Alice in Wonderland, a vibrant new adaptation blending neoclassical dance and imaginative storytelling.
Season subscriptions, which include tickets to The Nutcracker and Alice in Wonderland plus numerous subscriber perks and discounts, are now available at NFBallet.org—$80 per adult and $37 per child (12 and under), a savings of more than 15% compared to box office prices. You can also purchase season subscriptions, additional performance and event tickets, and membership packages.
Sinfonia Gulf Coast Opens Registration for 2025–26 Youth Programs
Sinfonia Gulf Coast has opened registration for its 2025–26 youth music education programs, offering beginner through advanced students the chance to train and perform with the region’s only professional orchestra.
Programs include the Sinfonia Youth Orchestra (advanced, intermediate, and beginner ensembles) and an expanded After-School Beginning Strings program launching at additional schools this fall. Ensembles welcome strings, winds, brass, percussion, and piano accompanists.
Since 2007, Sinfonia’s education initiatives have reached more than 220,000 local children, providing mentorship from professional musicians, unique performance opportunities, Bright Futures volunteer hours, free concert tickets, and senior scholarships.
“We believe our youth orchestra programs foster a strong sense of community, allowing members to connect with like-minded fellow musicians in a safe, collaborative, and welcoming environment,” says Sinfonia Youth Orchestra director Margaret Gordon. “It is our goal to achieve high level performances while making sure every student is assisted in reaching their full potential as musicians.” Gordon adds, “It is an honor to be able to offer beginning strings instruction to students of Okaloosa and Walton Counties through our after-school programs. I am incredibly excited to welcome a potential 160 new students in our programs this year.”
Learn more or register at SinfoniaGulfCoast.org or email mgordon@sinfoniagulfcoast.org.
