PANAMA CITY BEACH — As 2014 draws to an end, the Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC) is looking forward to a full year of events in 2015.
Next year, Panama City Beach's calendar will be more packed than ever before, with a series of concerts and festivals scheduled to draw visitors throughout the year.
"Part of the event strategy we've had is always giving people another reason to come back to the beach," said TDC Director Dan Rowe. "This year, we are focusing on really continuing to grow the events we started in the past."
The 2014 fiscal year was a record-breaking year for tourism in Panama City Beach, and Rowe said the agency's focus on events during the shoulder seasons helped boost visitation during the traditionally slower times at the beach.
In fact, a majority of next year's events will occur outside of the busy summer season, with a particular emphasis on the fall.
"The shoulders are growing very strong, and the fall is just taking off," Rowe said, referencing new trends in "fall break" for schools. "We're giving people reasons to come back to the beach. Fall break is a real thing."
The destination will wind down the summer season with the third annual Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam over Labor Day weekend, and roll into a fall season that welcomes events nearly every weekend.
This year, the TDC is beefing up the events it hosts with more live music and bigger names, like country star Alan Jackson, who will headline the second annual Chasin' the Sun Music Festival in late September.
Aiding in that effort is the Aaron Bessant Park Amphitheater, which was completed in early 2013.
"Having the permanent stage and the amphitheater at Aaron Bessant Park, it really is a wonderful place to see live music," Rowe said. "It really is accomplishing the goal that we had of creating additional opportunities for live music on Panama City Beach."
With revenue gains from the Panama City Beach Tourism Development Tax growing 6.6 percent for the TDC in 2014, Rowe said the TDC is looking forward to another successful year.
"In Panama City Beach, we pride ourselves in having fun," Rowe said. "2014 was a record-breaking year for visitation, and with more events lined up in 2015 as well as new direct flights scheduled for Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport this spring, we invite everyone to join us at our Real.Fun.Beach."
2015 events
- Feb. 10: Winter Resident Senior Prom
- Feb. 13-14: Panama City Beach Mardi Gras & Music Festival
- April 22-26: Seabreeze Jazz Festival
- April 29- May 3: Thunder Beach Spring Motorcycle Rally
- Summer 2015: There's Music in the Air in PCB (Pier Park Summer Concert Series)
- July 4: 4th of July Spectacular
- Sept. 4-6: Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam
- Sept. 14-20: Lobster Festival and Tournament
- Sept. 25-26 : Chasin' the Sun Music Festival featuring Alan Jackson
- Oct. 2015: Pier Fishing Challenge
- Oct. 8-10: Pirates of the High Seas Festival
- Oct. 16-17: Seafood and Music Festival
- Nov. 7: Ironman Florida
- Nov. 9-14 Emerald Coast Cruizin'
- Dec. 31: Beach Ball Drop
