Mexico Beach: April 2016 eNewsletter

It’s time to start our season! We had a wonderful winter with visits from many of our snowbird friends, but now it’s time to get ready for summer. Our beaches are family-friendly, beautiful, and ready for sunbathing. The Gulf is awaiting swimmers and fishers, so pack your bags and come visit us! MEXICO BEACH VOW RENEWAL CEREMONY We are getting ready for our second Vow Renewal Ceremony and you’re invited. All married couples are welcome to come and resay your “I dos” in Mexico Beach! The ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 16 at 4:00 p.m. (CDT) on the beach at Sunset Park; a complimentary reception will follow. Last year’s event was so wonderful that we hope others will come and participate this year. To book your accommodations for the weekend, please click here. To RSVP, pleaseclick here. AND THE WINNER IS... Last month, we had a gift certificate from Lookout Lounge to give away, and the winner isJeffrey Wright from Stigler, Oklahoma. Congrats, Jeffrey! This month we are giving away two $45 gift certificates from White Sands Salon and Boutique; two winners will be chosen! White Sands Salon and Boutique wants you to come to the beach and get pampered. They are a full-service salon as well as a great boutique for finding that perfect beach outfit. If you would like to put your name in the hat, send an e-mail to Melissa atmelissa@mexicobeach.com and be sure to put your contact info in the e-mail. LING DING TOURNAMENT The annual Ling Ding Fishing Tournament will kick off in April and continue into May. The last two weeks in April and the first full weekend in May will be the time when anglers can reel for the title of Ling Ding Champ. There will be a first place prize of $2,000 for the heaviest cobia overall; cash prizes will also be up for grabs for second and third places. Weigh-ins will take place at the Mexico Beach Marina. For more information or to register, click here. Mexico Beach is the perfect place to say “I Do”! For more information on weddings or vow renewal ceremonies on the beach, visit www.mexicobeach.com. AMY & JACOB This month we get to introduce you to Amy and Jacob from Rome, Georgia. They wanted to have a beach wedding and it was a beautiful affair. We would like to wish them all the best. Congratulations, Amy and Jacob! Beach Blast Triathlon & Duathlon April 23 The Spring Beach Blast Triathlon and Duathlon is set forSaturday, April 23, 2016, offering choices of sprint or Olympic distances and triathlon or duathlon races. Pick your race and distance! The races take place on the beautiful Gulf Coast and its magical beaches. Location for the packet pickup and the race is Veteran’s Memorial Park in Beacon Hill—between Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe on Hwy. 98. All four races start from the same spot on the beautiful local beach. READ MORE Mexico Beach 16th Annual Photography Contest Now until July 30 The 16th Annual Photography Contest submission process is open until July 30. We welcome all photographs taken in Mexico Beach—past or present. Categories are Around Mexico Beach, Sunrises & Sunsets, The Beach, Fishing & Boating, People and Flora & Animal Life. We hope you will capture Mexico Beach through your “eyes” and enter our photography contest. Winning photographs will be displayed in the Mexico Beach Welcome Center after judging. For a registration form or more details, click here. READ MORE Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational April 22–24, April 29–May 1, & May 6–8 This year marks the 11th Annual America’s Great Plein Air Paint-Out all along Florida’s Forgotten Coast. Nationally known artists gather to capture what some believe to be the last vestige of authentic “Old Florida.” From the western end of Mexico Beach to the east side of Alligator Point, artists can be seen painting alongside the roads overlooking the Gulf, as well as in out-of-the-way settings. READ MORE

CATFISH VERA CRUZ This is a simple and tasty way to enjoy catfish, compliments of the MBARA cookbook. INGREDIENTS 4 catfish fillets Cajun seasoning ¼ cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons sliced green olives 1 teaspoon cumin ¾ cup salsa DIRECTIONS Sprinkle both sides of fish with Cajun seasoning to taste and either grill, bake or panfry in a nonstick fry pan until flaky (approximately five minutes on each side). Meanwhile, make sauce by combining all the remaining ingredients. Heat and spoon over fillets when served. RECIPES WANTED The Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association needs your best seafood recipe. They are currently working on the second edition of their famous seafood cookbook. It will be a completely new cookbook. Send your best seafood recipe to Carol Cox, PO Box 13006, Mexico Beach, Florida 32410 or e-mail her at ccox@mchsi.com. Put your name on the recipe and it will be printed in the new cookbook.

Business Humor — Signs from businesses On a plumber’s truck: “We repair what your husband fixed.” At a towing company: “We don’t charge an arm and a leg. We want tows.” On an electrician’s truck: “Let us remove your shorts.” In a non-smoking area: “If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.” On a maternity room door: “Push, Push, Push.” At an optometrist’s office: “If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.” Outside a muffler shop: “No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.” In a veterinarian’s waiting room: “Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!” At the electric company: “We would be de-lighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don’t, you will be.” In the front yard of a funeral home: “Drive carefully. We’ll wait.” At a laundry shop: “How about we refund your money, send you a new one at no charge, close the store and have the manager shot. Would that be satisfactory?”

PHONE 1-888-723-2546 ADDRESS 102 Canal Parkway Mexico Beach, FL 32456 EMAIL info@mexicobeach.com ©2016 Mexico Beach Community Development Council | (850) 648-8196 or (888) 723-2546 | info@mexicobeach.com 102 Canal Parkway, Mexico Beach, FL 32456

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