Monday, October 12, was the day Seaside began a limited reopening, with crews still clearing debris and the town asking visitors to check each merchant's hours before heading over. Bud & Alley's reopened that day, its Taco Bar running a limited menu, and Pickles opened right alongside it. Tuesday added Drome, Shrimp Shack, The Meltdown and The Seaside Style. By Saturday the 17th, Seaside's in-town rental management reported Town Center and every business back on normal hours. All three pools and the fitness center were open, and Cabana Man was back on the beach.
So Central Square needed five days. The beach is on a much longer clock, and the fall calendar sits entirely on the side of town that has already recovered.
Where Isaias left its mark
On October 17, owners and their guests could use every Seaside pavilion for beach access except two, Odessa and East Ruskin. If one of those is your usual walk to the Gulf, plan on using a neighboring pavilion for now.
The bigger story covers the whole county. Mid Bay News reported that nearly every Walton County public beach access took some damage, mostly minor, and that 10 of the 11 regional accesses had reopened when commissioners got their briefing. The dunes took the harder hit. WJHG reported on October 17 that storm surge eroded Walton's dunes. The county has met with FEMA and is weighing emergency repairs, and a plan covering nourished beaches is headed to the County Commission. The same report says design for the federally funded renourishment project probably won't be finished until October 2027.
Compare that with the town center. Shops that boarded their windows ahead of evacuation orders on October 9 were serving customers again within days. The dunes will be under discussion into the next storm season. Everything left on the fall calendar happens on the town side of 30A, in Central Square, the Amphitheater and Krier Plaza, and that's the part that has fully recovered.
What's left in October
Seaside's events calendar still shows its late-October dates. As of Thursday the 22nd, these are the ones to plan around:
- Saturday, October 24: Annual Halloweener Derby. The dachshund race and dog costume contest. The event page lists 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the costume contest at 9 and the race after it. Seaside's August fall guide listed 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., so check the event page before you put the dog in the car.
- Saturdays, October 24 and 31: Seaside Farmers Market. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and it's on both Saturdays.
- Wednesday, October 28: Sounds of Seaside with BOUKOU GROOVE. 5 to 7 p.m. in the Amphitheater.
- Saturday, October 31: Halloween in Seaside. 4 to 7 p.m. The event page says this year's theme is built around a golden ticket and a candy-themed town.
The Saturday before Halloween is the busiest day of the month. The market and the derby overlap in the morning, so a farmers market run can easily turn into a morning of costumed dachshunds.
Seeing Red turns 34, November 5–8
The Seeing Red Wine Festival is the first big weekend after the storm, back for its 34th year. It's spread across four days and several venues around town:
| Date | Event | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 5 | Vintner's Dinner | Bud & Alley's | 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Al Fresco Reserve Wine Tasting | The Lyceum | 6 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Battle of the Somms VIP | OBE Pavilion | 10 a.m. to noon |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Grand Tasting | Central Square | 1 p.m., VIP entry 12:30 |
| Sun., Nov. 8 | Celebration of Bubbles | Tent on Lyceum Lawn | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
The Vintner's Dinner is at Bud & Alley's, the same restaurant that reopened first on October 12. Seaside's festival FAQ still lists Daytrader as the Battle of the Somms venue, but the 2026 ticket listing says OBE Pavilion, so go with the ticket.
The Grand Tasting includes food from Seaside restaurants and other local spots. When the 2026 ticket page was last checked, the Friday and Sunday events were waitlist-only. Saturday general admission was still on sale at $318.39, while Saturday VIP at $477.08 showed a waitlist. If you live within walking distance and want in, Saturday general admission is the ticket still open, and it puts the festival right in Central Square.
Turn on the Town and a December built around the Amphitheater
The SEASIDE® Holiday Parade & Turn on the Town is Saturday, November 28, from 3 to 8 p.m. The parade leaves Seagrove Plaza at 3, heads down 30A and finishes in Central Square. After that, Emerald Coast Theatre Company performs at Krier Plaza, the tree lights up in the Amphitheater, and Santa takes photos in the Christmas Village until 8. Parade registration money goes to Point Washington Medical Clinic, so entering a float also supports a clinic in the community.
Emerald Coast Theatre Company has been the theater on Seaside's calendar all season. Its free children's show, Dragons Love Tacos, played the Amphitheater at 5 p.m. every Saturday from September 19 through October 17. That's the setup now that The REP Theatre is gone. As WJHG reported in July 2025, The REP closed after 25 years. It cited leadership turnover, rising operating costs and the non-renewal of its venue lease because of planned renovations in Seaside. Seaside's live theater now happens outdoors, at the Amphitheater and Krier Plaza.
The Amphitheater is busy in December too. Sounds of Seaside moves an hour earlier, 4 to 6 p.m., for the shorter days:
- December 2: Roman Street
- December 9: Max McCann
- December 16: Fred Domulot
- December 23: Max McCann
- December 30: Flow Tribe
There's a concert every Wednesday of the month, including the one just before Christmas and the one just before New Year's. Two other December dates: the SEASIDE® Holiday Market brings local artists and makers to Central Square on Sunday, December 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Holiday Show is on the calendar at the Post Office on December 4, with details still to come.
Plan around the pavilions, not the calendar
From now through December, the Seaside calendar looks the same as it did before Isaias. The derby, the wine weekend, the parade and the five December concerts are all still on. The changes are at the edge of the beach. Odessa and East Ruskin were still closed as of October 17, and the county is deciding how to repair dunes that won't see a finished renourishment design until fall 2027. If you're heading from the Grand Tasting down to the Gulf at sunset, pick your pavilion before you go. Merchant hours can still change after a storm, so the Seaside site is the place to check on the day.
Owning in Seaside means living with weeks like the one this town just had: boarded windows on a Friday and shops reopening the next Monday. If Isaias got you wondering how a storm season affects a 30A cottage, or what your place is worth now that things are getting back to normal, I'm happy to talk it through. Reach out to Chris Closes to book a free consultation or get your home valuation.
