Emerald Coast Christmas shines Saturday, Sunday

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Celebrate the season with all the glitter of the holidays and the message of the Gospel during An Emerald Coast Christmas on Saturday and Sunday at Aaron Bessant Park — where it is even beginning to feel like Christmas.

"As of this morning, we canceled Friday's activities because of the weather. Everything else is a go," Emerald Coast Fellowship pastor Dr. Steve Taylor said Thursday. "It should clear out real early Saturday. Both days will feel like Christmas, but at least it won't be wet and cold."

Emerald Coast Fellowship and Woodstock Church of Panama City Beach have teamed up for the free festival. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 2-8 p.m. Sunday.

"We're all about Jesus, and if we can come out and sing about Christmas and Jesus, it's a community win in the process," Taylor said. "We're involved with kids with backpacks, started the Elevate Bay program. We love the community. We love schools. This is an extension of that and we want to see our community prosper as a year-round destination with family activities. We're offically sponsored by the TDC, Visit Panama City Beach. It's a big deal to be endorsed and for them to welcome us. We are really trying to get outside these four walls and be tangible for the community."

A living nativity will be set up, as well as a children's area with PC Inflatables bounce houses, a train and bungee swings. Pines and Pastures in Vernon, which features a lot of rescue animals, will bring sheep, goats, a donkey, a baby calf born in the last month, and two baby lambs born in the last couple of days for the petting zoo.

A full food court with food and beverages for purchase will allow friends and families to make a day of it in the park. Selections include Dovalina's Wood-Fired Pizza, Smokin' Butts BBQ, Temperley's British Eatery, HaolePino Hawaiian-Filipino Island Cuisine and Kona Ice. Food-related vendors also include Kilwins, Cook Girls' Bakery, Hennie Honey Hams, Panama City Honey and Tastefully Simple.

Do a little holiday shopping with $5 bling on the beach, Primitive Stitches, Tina Louise Boutique, Lilla Rose Hair Accessories, Posh with Amanda, Sydney Ruth Boutique, That's Too Cute, The Daily Cupboard, LulaRoe, Angel Wings Creations, St. Joe Soaps and Essentials, Coast to Coast Candles, Designs by Barbara, Cici's Coastal Jewelry, E's Fashion & Online Boutique, Incognito Skin Arts, Stained Glass by Ken, and Mermaids and Moonbeams.

Music

On Saturday, the main stage will be turned over to the community with local schools and dance companies performing throughout the day. (Saturday's celebration also coincides with the Optimist Club of the Beaches' Christmas Parade that winds through the adjacent Pier Park at 5 p.m.)

"It's a great way to not only bring the spirit of Christmas, but to give local musicians an opportunity to play on a stage like this at Aaron Bessant Park," Taylor said.

Emerald Coast Fellowship and Woodstock will have a special combined performance from 3-5 p.m. Sunday, including an intermission. While 1,000 chairs will be set up, festival-goers are encouraged to bring their own as well.

"I think people will be pretty shocked to see the level of technology, the quality of the program," said Taylor, whose choir recently performed at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Emerald Coast Fellowship has presented an annual Christmas production for the past 15 years at the Lynn Haven church, but this year provides an opportunity to reach even more community residents and visitors.

"For a long time, it's been a pretty big program, a big deal. Last year, we had to turn people away 30 minutes before," said Clay Owens, worship minister at Emerald Coast Fellowship. "The program will include Handel's Messiah, Celtic, contemporary stuff, Christmas carols, campfire songs, stuff with kids, Irish dancers, aerial dancers, and selections from Carnegie Hall. Our choir at Emerald Coast Fellowship was invited to be a part of a Christmas musical there the Monday before Thanksgiving. Several choir members were there for the American Festival Choir. We have over 60 members, and there will be over 100 singers with kids and people coming from members of Woodstock this weekend, and we will have 50 in the orchestra."

To put on this year's "massive undertaking" at Aaron Bessant Park, Taylor needed a little help from his friends — recruiting Woodstock Pastor Rick Young and his wife, Wendy Young.

"One thing we want to do is serve the community," said Wendy Young, Woodstock worship leader. "We want to reach out to the community, get out into the schools and serve people every day who serve the communities."

Woodstock Church of Panama City Beach was formed four years ago as a satellite campus for the First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Ga.

"Emerald Coast Fellowship has always been very supportive," Young said. "Our choir is small and we always just have special services, not a full Christmas program."

But there is strength in numbers.

"Our choir is singing with them, and we have a couple of instrumentalists playing in the orchestra," she added.

Two Woodstock members will be performing Gospel music at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and Woodstock's worship band will perform praise and worship songs at 7 p.m. Saturday.

"Sometimes churches travel across the world and country," Taylor said. "We're a city with visitors to the community from all over the world."

PERFORMANCES

Saturday, Dec. 9

10-10:30 a.m.: Hutchison Beach Elementary School Chorus

10:45-11:15 a.m.: Hutchison Beach Elementary Ukulele Ensemble

11:30 a.m. to noon: Rutherford High School Marching Band - “The Pride”

12:15-12:45 p.m.: Mosley High School Choir

1-1:30 p.m.: Mosley High Sound of the Southland Band

1:45-2:15 p.m.: Palm Bay Prep Soundwave Show Choir

2:30-3 p.m.: Everitt Middle School Band

3:15-3:45 p.m.: West Bay Elementary School Soaring Eagle Show Choir

4-4:30 p.m.: Polar Express by Aerial Teen Performance Co.

4:45-5:15 p.m.: Rowena Ryan Academy of Irish Dance

5:30-6 p.m.: Woodstock PCB

6:15-6:45 p.m.: Arnold High School Band

7-7:30 p.m.: Woodstock Band

7:45-8:15 p.m.: Deborah Smoots and Michaiah Smoots

8:30-9 p.m.: Collide Band

Sunday, Dec. 10

3-5 p.m.: Emerald Coast Fellowship and Woodstock Church of Panama City Beach

What: Festival to celebrate Christmas season with food court, vendor village, children's area, living nativity, live performances; presented by Emerald Coast Fellowship and Woodstock Church of Panama City Beach; Stuff the Bus Dropoff location

When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 2-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8-10

Where: Aaron Bessant Park, 600 Pier Park Drive, Panama City Beach

Admission: Free

Details: Clay Owens at cowens@emeraldcoastfellowship.com or 850-890-9195; Facebook.com/ECChristmas/

AN EMERALD COAST CHRISTMAS

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