Love Is in the Air - Mexico Beach February newsletter

WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR!

Our winter visitors have returned and we are always happy to see old friends while welcoming new ones. February is still a nice quiet time to really enjoy Mexico Beach and the best part is you practically have the entire beach to yourself. With Valentine’s Day and our annual Gumbo Cook-Off coming up, there is no better time to enjoy the beach with the one you love. If you have a chance, go ahead and start enjoying your 2018 vacation by making plans to visit us this month. We promise the only thing you’ll be sad about is that you didn’t come and enjoy our white sandy beaches sooner.

AND THE WINNER IS... Last month we had a discount certificate from Salt Air Living toward a 5+ nights' stay up for grabs, and the lucky winner is Trey Green from Leesburg, Georgia. Congratulations, Trey! FEBRUARY GIVEAWAY This month we are offering a gift certificate to 40th Street Pizza. With fresh, made-to-order pizzas, salads, and more, any night is perfect for pizza night. To put your name in the hat, send an e-mail to Melissa (melissa@mexicobeach.com) and be sure to put your contact info in the e-mail.

MEXICO BEACH FARMER’S & CRAFT MARKET February 10 & March 10 Spend the day going from booth to booth at the Mexico Beach Farmer’s and Craft Market. The market will take place at Parker Park, located on Hwy. 98 in beautiful Mexico Beach, and will be open to the public from 10:00 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. (CST). There will be plenty of produce, crafts, photography, jewelry, and much more to choose from. READ MORE

MEXICO BEACH GUMBO COOK-OFF February 17 We are just days away from a great community event, the 20th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off. This year there is a new location for the event—Parker Park. Locals and visitors compete each year for the coveted blue ribbon and recognition for being the best. We’ll have great gumbo plus a Brunswick Stew Competition. And, to be sure nobody goes hungry, we’ll have Mr. Bobby grilling his famous sausages. Cold beer and a nice selection of wines will be available to go with all the great food. To top off this fun-filled day, live music will be performed by Stainless Steel. Come out and enjoy a great day of gumbo, music, and sun in Mexico Beach. READ MORE

MEXICO BEACH SNOWBIRD LUNCHEON March 1 Each year we show appreciation for our winter visitors (Snowbirds) with a complimentary luncheon and social afternoon. All those who have made Mexico Beach their home away from home are invited to join the Mexico Beach Community Development Council at the pool deck of the El Governor Motel. Fun, food, and music will be enjoyed as we say thank you and see you again soon! READ MORE

MEXICO BEACH 18TH ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST April 1–July 31 The Mexico Beach 18th Annual Photography Contest starts April 1and runs until July 31. We accept all photographs taken in Mexico Beach—past or present. You can either drop your photos off at the Mexico Beach Welcome Center or mail them in. A complete form can be found online at MexicoBeach.com. There is no fee to enter and the contest is open to all ages. READ MORE

UNFORGETTABLE WEDDING VOW RENEWAL CEREMONY April 14 For the fourth year the Mexico Beach Community Development Council will be hosting their mass wedding vow renewal ceremony on the beach, and all married couples are invited to attend. The ceremony will take place on the beach at Sunset Park at 4:00 p.m.The event will include a traditional champagne and cupcake reception after the ceremony. Check with our vacation rental companies as some have special rates for that weekend. READ MORE

A FRIENDLY REMINDER:

Mexico Beach is a Leave No Trace community, and we appreciate your assistance in helping us keep our beaches clean. Any items left on the beach unattended from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. will be removed and disposed of by the City of Mexico Beach. Items include, but are not limited to, tents and tent frames, beach chairs, coolers, umbrellas, toys, etc. Also, please fill in any holes before you leave. Your assistance with these requests will keep our beaches beautiful and pristine. For full details on this ordinance or questions, click here or contact City Hall at (850) 648-5700.

GOOD STUFF (A GREAT WINTERTIME MEAL)

This recipe goes perfectly with the cool weather. We publish it compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association Seafood Cookbook (www.mbara.org).

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds grated or diced potatoes 1 large onion (diced) 6 celery stalks (diced) ½ stick butter 2 pounds crab meat (real or imitation) 1 pound scallops 2 pounds shrimp 1 pound fish fillet 1 pint half-and-half 1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh) 1 teaspoon Seafood Magic ½ teaspoon Poultry Magic ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon red pepper

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and boil until done. Serve with a loaf of French bread and enjoy!

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

This month we celebrate St. Valentine’s Day. But what’s that all about? Well, there’s a lot that we don’t know about who St. Valentine was or the history of the holiday. Legend tells us that St. Valentine was a wonderful priest who married young couples but did so against the wishes of the Roman emperor Claudius II. For St. Valentine’s disobedience, he was beheaded on the 14th of February. Now Valentine’s Day is celebrated as a special romantic day, and here’s some trivia about the holiday and some folks that got married on that date. ♥ 110 million roses (mostly red) will be sold and delivered within a three-day time period ♥ While California produces 60 percent of the roses in the US, the vast majority of roses sold on Valentine’s Day are imported (mostly from South America) ♥ 73 percent of the people who buy flowers on Valentine’s Day are men ♥ About 1 billion cards are exchanged each year—second only in volume to Christmas ♥ Hallmark has over 1,000 different cards specifically for Valentine’s Day ♥ About 25 percent of Valentine’s Day cards are romantic ♥ About 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates will be sold ♥ The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine’s Day ♥ About 3 percent of pet owners will give a Valentine’s Day gift to their pet ♥ Gift givers will spend an average of about $77 on Valentine’s Day gifts FAMOUS FEBRUARY 14th WEDDINGS 1991 – Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid 1994 – Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia and Deborah Koons 1995 – Roseanne (Roseanne Barr) and Ben Thomas. She wore a red velvet Richard Tyler dress with “Ben and Roseanne” embroidered on it. 1995 – Brian Wilson (Beach Boys founder) and Melinda Ledbetter with the Beach Boys in attendance 1998 – Sharon Stone and Phil Bronstein

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