Franklin County Launches Newest Getaway
The  Franklin County Tourist Development Council (FCTDC) will celebrate the New Year with a new Coastal Camping Getaway beginning January 10. Winners of this getaway will enjoy either a week's stay at a beachfront campground or a weekend stay in one of the campground's exclusive luxury cabins. Visit Saltyflorida.com on January 10 to sign up for the Coastal Camping Getaway.
The FCTDC announced the winner of two coastal getaways in December as part of its ongoing contest series designed to draw folks to the area during the mid winter season. 
The winner of the New Year's Eve getaway is Alicia Sullins from Rome Georgia. Alicia and family will enjoy a two night night vacation on St. George island during New Years' complete with meals and tickets to climb the historic St. George Island Lighthouse.
The winner of the Coastal Culture Getaway is Shan raetzloff from Nashville Tennessee. Shan and family will enjoy a weekend stay in Apalachicola to enjoy cultural events during January and February.
Art of the Oyster” Fundraiser,“Paint Party”, Exhibit and Auction
The Apalachicola School of Art will host an “Art of the Oyster” paint party at 6pm January 7 at the Apalachicola Center for History, Culture and Art, 86 Water Street, Apalachicola. Gallery ready canvases, brushes and acrylic paints will be supplied along with wine and appetizers.  The event is a fundraiser for the Apalachicola Volunteer Fire Department as part of its annual Oyster Cookoff January 1-16, 2016. Your completed Oyster Art painting will be on exhibit starting Friday, January 8 and be featured auction items for preview Friday night, January 15 with the auction continuing throughout the day on Saturday. 
Local Student Art Exhibited
The Apalachicola School of Art will host a special student art exhibit January 19-28 featuring the works of local students.The  Project Impact Art Exhibit: From Our Eyes, With Our Hands, is a collection of works created by the students of the Project Impact Afterschool Program. The opening night reception of the exhibit will be Saturday, January 23. Click here for details.
 
Yoga Classes Begin in January 

The Apalachicola School of Art will host a six week “Restorative Yoga” beginning January 21 and running through March 3. Classes will be offered on Thursdays from 5:15-6:30pm. Click here for details.
  
Apalachicola Area Gallery Crawl Jan. 23
Apalachicola art galleries join together in late January to host the first of what many hope to be an annual Gallery Crawl event. The inaugural event will occur January 23 in downtown Apalachicola. Participating galleries will provide refreshments, music, along with artists’ talks.  Resident and guest artists will be on hand to talk with patrons about the art.  Guests will enjoy visiting with friends while viewing the local art for sale and on exhibit. The seven galleries participating are; 49 Palmetto, Artemis Gallery, Bowery Art Gallery, Richard Bickel Photography, Iggy Art Gallery, On The Water Front Gallery and the The Center for History, Culture and Art. Participating galleries will hold a Scavenger Hunt competition and crawl participants visiting all the exhibitions will have the opportunity to win some special gifts. Click here for details.
Mardi Gras Barkus Parade Feb. 6
The Mystic Krewe of Salty Barkers will host a Mardi Gras Barkus Parade on Feb. 6 in Apalachicola. The theme for this year is Woofstock. Dogs dressed as hippies, flower pooches, the Grateful Dogs - with their people in similar garb. An after party with authentic Cajun food, refreshments, games, a picture booth, live music and dancing. Come immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes promised by this fun event. All proceeds go to the Apalachicola City Dog Park and the Franklin County Humane Society. Mark your calendars now. Call 269-568-9468 or 850-670-5064 for info or to pre-register.
Mardi Gras Dinner and Ball Feb. 6
Join in more Mardi Festivities later in the evening on Feb. 6 as  Franklin County Habitat for Humanity hosts its annual Mardi Gras benefit celebration in Apalachicola. The group will host a Mardi Gras Dinner and Ball on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 pm. 
Forgotten Coast Chef Sampler Feb. 28
The Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce will host the 16th Annual Forgotten Coast Chefs Sampler on Sunday, February 28, 2016, from 6:00-9:00 pm.  Chefs from all over the Forgotten Coast will prepare their most creative dishes at the historic Fort Coombs Armory located on 4th Street and Avenue D in Apalachicola.  Sample an array from our area restaurants. Tickets are $60. For more information, call the Apalachicola Bay Chamber at (850) 653-9419.
Oyster Cookoff Jan. 15-16
The 6th Annual Apalachicola Oyster Cook-Off to benefit the Apalachicola Volunteer Fire Department will be held on Saturday, January 16, 2016 from noon till 5 p.m. There will be a  Friday evening (Jan. 15) preview of the oyster-related silent auction items, along with a sampling of the Apalachicola Bay's tasty bivalves from 6-8 pm. The actual cook-off on Saturday will start at 12 noon, Judging starts at 3 pm.  Contestants are encouraged to enter with their favorite recipe. All forms of oysters will be available to taste: raw, steamed, fried. Other food items and refreshments will be available for purchase also. The day's activities will include live music and dancing performances. 
This annual event features a silent auction, oysters galore, shrimp, smoked mullet, hot dogs, hamburgers, local beer, live music, kids’ activities, dancing performances and a 5K run!
St. George Island Home Tour Feb. 13
The St. George Island Tour of Homes will be held Feb. 13, 2016. The tour features distinctive homes from beach to bay. The event is sponsored by the St. George Lighthouse Association.  A kick-off event will be held on Friday, February 12 from 6-8 pm at the St. George Island Fire Station on Pine Street.  Click here to learn more.  
African American History Festival Feb. 20-21
H’COLA’s 12th Annual African-American History Festival will be held Feb. 20-21, 2016. This event is a celebration of African-American history, life, music and culture. This outdoor, family-oriented event is filled with varied artists and entertainers, children’s activities, arts, history, education, health & wellness and more.  There will be live entertainment throughout the two day event. Admission is always free. The event is held in Apalachicola at Franklin Square 6th Street between Avenues L&M. 
Apalachicola School of Art Hosts Charlie Hunter Art Class Feb. 19-21
Charlie Hunter's distinctive plein air work turns heads and raises questions.  Why water-mixable oils?  Is it true that a squeegee is involved?  And what about those Stim-U-Dents and Q-Tips we keep hearing about?  All will be revealed in this fun and fast-moving workshop.  We'll take a look at some great paintings of the masters; we will go over some simple, yet invaluable tools for accurate rendering, and Charlie will expound and instruct about how and why he uses water-mixable oils.  We'll learn and laugh a lot during outdoor painting and indoor critique sessions each day while staying true to the credo of have big fun; make big mess. Click here to learn more.
Upcoming Events at a Glance
January 8 - The Forward Quartet
January 10 - Ben Sung, Violinist
January 15-16 - Oyster
Cook-Off 

January 15
- Adam Hendley Quartet
January 17 - Baroque String Quartet

January 18 - Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration
January 22
- Carlos Odria Trio
January 24 - Opera Favorites

January 29
- Jazz Copeland 
January 31 - Leon Anderson Group

February 5
Boyce Griffith Sextet 
February 6
- Mardi Gras Barkus Parade
February 12
Tyler Tolles
Quartet

February 12-13 - St. George Island Tour of Homes

February 12
Tyler Tolles
Quartet

February 12-14 - Panhandle Players - Dixie Swing Club
February 14
Forgotten
Coast Chef Sampler

February 14 - Ivan Moschuk

February 19
Samuel Winternheimer
February 21Longineau Parsons
February 19-21 - 

Composition in Plein Air with Charlie Hunter
February 20-21 - African-American History Festival
February 26
Brandon Robertson
March 5 - SGI Charity Chili Cookoff
March 5 - Artie Rodriguez, Dixie Theatre
March 6 - Inconcert - Reid Gainsford
March 11 - Camp Gordon Johnston Day
March 12 - Dixie Theatre presents Sligo Line
March 13 - Bay Area Choral Society
March 17 - Confederate Sailors Presentation
March 19 - Authors in Apalach
March 19 - Dixie Theatre presents Earl David Reed
March 26 - Dixie Theatre Presents Tribute to Jim Croce

Visit Saltyflorida.com/events for a complete list of area events.



Ilse Newell Concert Series Kicks off with Holiday Fare
The 2016
Ilse Newell Concert Series Kicks Off the New Year With Classical and Jazz concerts in Apalachicola and Carrabelle. 
Classic Concerts Schedule Classic Concerts Held in Apalachicola's Trinity Episcopal Church on Sundays at 4pm.
January 10
- Ben Sung, Violinist

January 17 - Baroque String Quartet
January 24 - Opera Favorites
January 31 - Leon Anderson Group

February 14 - David Kalhous
February 21Longineau Parsons
February 28 - Alessandra Feris
Jazz Concerts Schedule Jazz Concerts Held in Carrabelle's Rio Carrabelle on Fridays at 8pm.
January 8 - The Forward Quartet
January 15 - Adam Hendley Quartet
January 22 - Carlos Odria Trio
January 29 - TBA
February 5
- Boyce Griffith Sextet 
February 12
Tyler Tolles
Quartet

February 19
Samuel Winternheimer
February 26 - 
Brandon Robertson
Dixie Theatre Performances Begin 
in January

The iconic Dixie Theatre in Historic Apalachicola kicks off its 2016 performance schedule in January. New this year to the Dixie lineup is an original theatre production "Oystertown." Oystertown combines storytelling, music and historic archival footage to celebrate and examine the history of this hidden hamlet on the Forgotten Coast of Florida. Apalachicola is a small town that could be anyones hometown. It is filled with a rich history steeped in Southern tradition and American history. Join Dixie Theatre veterans Cleo Holladay, David Hemsley Caldwell, and many others as they weave tales of how Apalachicola began and where it is going. In the tradition of Dixie Theatre favorites, Leaving Iowa, Smoke on the Mountain and Almost Maine, Oystertown explores what makes us all the same and what makes this forgotten gem on the Gulf Coast so unique. Click here for details.
Dixie January Performance Schedule
Tallahassee Swing Band
January 9, 2016 3-5 PM (ET) 
Pas de Vie Ballet 
January 16, 2016 3-5 PM and 8-10PM (ET)
Bob Milne: Ragtime Piano 

January 23, 2016 3-5 PM and 8-10PM (ET)
Tribute to Patsy Cline: Margo Anderson 
January 30, 2016 3-5 PM and 8-10PM (ET)
Spencer Bohren
February 6, 2016  3-5 PM and 8-10PM (ET)
34 West Theater: Groovy Kinda Love 
February 13, 2016 
3-5 PM and 8-10PM (ET)
Oystertown: Musical Comedy 

February 20, 2016 3-5 PM and 8-10PM (ET)
Oystertown: Musical Comedy 

February 24, 2016 3-5 PM 
Oystertown: Musical Comedy 

February 27, 2016 3-5 PM and 8-10PM (ET) To see the entire Dixie Theatre 2016 Season Calendar, click here.
Apalachicola's Dixie Theatre Is A Community Icon
Apalachicola’s Historic Dixie Theatre has been a cultural landmark in Apalachicola for more than 100 years. The Dixie Theatre opened in Apalachicola in April 1913. Built by an enterprising local sponge diver Alexander Fortunas, the theatre was a stunning addition to the town with a front marquee that glowed with more than 100 white and colored electric lights. The Dixie featured a conical ticket office and a main hall with 360 folding opera chairs and a sunken pit for the orchestra.

The Dixie Theatre imported traveling theatre troupes and presented attractions featuring local talent.  In 1915, with the advent of motion pictures, the Dixie Theatre was converted to a motion picture house.

The Dixie Theatre had become the entertainment center for Franklin County, hosting theatre, movies and even political debates until 1967, when it was closed and shuttered. In 1994 the Theatre was purchased by the Partington Family and a major recreation began. Following an extensive four year renovation, the Dixie Theatre reopened in 1998. Today it remains one of only a few family owned & operated Professional Theatres in America. For ticket and performance information, please visit www.DixieTheatre.com.
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