Anderson’s had made it their lofty mission to get every fishing pole (and spear) in Bay County in the water. Their zealous efforts paid off—nearly two hundred lionfish were hauled in during the Second Annual Lionfish “Lion Tamer” Dive Tournament. Congratulations to last year’s winner, thirteen-year-old Courtney Galbreath of the Diver’s Den team, who brought in a whopping total of twenty-three lionfish! Capt. Anderson’s Marina furthered its efforts to inform the public about the destructive yet delicious lionfish and held free cooking demonstrations and tastings by Captain Ron featuring this emerging seafood delicacy. Just as the sun star ted setting at Aaron Bessant Park, the stars came out to play. The stellar lineup of musical talent brought festivalgoers in record numbers. VIP tickets, which included special perks such as preferred parking, stage-front seating, complimentary drinks, and access to stage-side seating, had sold out weeks in advance, and more than eleven thousand festival admission tickets were sold throughout the weekend. “I think the festival accomplished two goals,” says Lance Allison, president and CEO of the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce. “It brought people into town and at the same time provided locals with great enter tainment. It also far exceeded the expectations we had for this year: attendance was double what I was going to consider a success. We’re ecstatic about the turnout.”
Friday’s festival rocked out to Nashville singer/songwriter Abigail Rose, popular New Orleans rockers Better Than Ezra, and headliner Collective Soul. Saturday’s sizzling roster drew even bigger crowds with Ed Roland and the Sweet Tea Project, the Andy Velo Band, and classic rock ’n’ roll favorites Loverboy and Foreigner. “The success of last year’s festival highlights is why the tourist development council invested its first BP marketing suppor t funds into the park after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill,” Rowe says. “It is a lasting legacy. Having such a nice performance venue will allow us to create tourism oppor tunities, like the seafood festival and other big concer ts, for a lifetime.”
With excitement still lingering from last year’s event, plans are currently under way for the 2014 Panama City Beach Seafood and Music Festival. Details regarding festival dates, the calendar of events, advance tickets, and condo/ticket packages will be forthcoming. For more information, visit pcbseafoodfestival.com. resor tcollection.com | 61