Through the Palm Trees Comes the Autumn Breeze - The Monthly E-newsletter of the City of Mexico Beach

Through the Palm Trees Comes the Autumn Breeze The fall season is here, but the warm weather is still enjoyable. The early mornings have a nice crisp coolness with daily temperatures in the high 80s. Fall evenings are among the best times in Mexico Beach because of our sunsets. With colors of deep pinks, purples, and oranges, the sunsets are as captivating as your favorite artist’s painting. In fact, we believe our sunsets are night paintings made just for Mexico Beach. There are also plenty of events and activities to enjoy during this time of year, including Music in the Park and the Farmers & Craft Market. Be sure to check out these events and more. Don’t let this fall season slip by without making a trip to Mexico Beach; you won’t be disappointed.

And the Winner Is... Up for grabs was a beach bag with a gift card from The Tyde at Mexico Beach, and the lucky winner is Audrey W. from Scaly Mountain, NC. Congrats, Audrey!     SEPTEMBER GIVEAWAY This month’s giveaway is a gift certificate for two beach chairs and one umbrella rental from Forgotten Coast Beach Co. This is a unique service in Mexico Beach that will bring the perfect beach ambiance right to your doorstep—or to the beach! Forgotten Coast Beach Co. offers a variety of beach rental services including beach chairs, umbrellas, sunshades, beach cruisers, e-bikes, golf carts, and more. Don’t stress over getting your gear to the beach; let Forgotten Coast Beach Co. handle this, and they will also pick it up! (FCBeach.com). To place your name in the hat, send an email with your contact info to Kathy at kathy@mexicobeach.com.

Fishing & Boating 1st Place Photo by Wallace Lamb

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST WINNERS We are proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Photography Contest! Each year, this contest brings together individuals who love capturing the unique charm and natural beauty that Mexico Beach has to offer. This year’s contest received over 170 entries. Winning photographs, along with additional contest submissions, will be featured at the Mexico Beach Welcome Center through August 2026. Visitors and residents alike are encouraged to stop by and enjoy the collection. Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s contest a success.   Category Winners   Around Mexico Beach 1st Place: Wallace Lamb 2nd Place: Maggie D. Shoaf 3rd Place: Wallace Lamb   Fishing & Boating 1st Place: Wallace Lamb 2nd Place: Bill Fauth 3rd Place: Joy Proctor   Sunrise & Sunset 1st Place: Wallace Lamb 2nd Place: Harold Schlehahn 3rd Place: Paul Schultz   People 1st Place: Hayden Branch 2nd Place: Priscilla Hightower 3rd Place: Joy Proctor   The Beaches 1st Place: Jennifer Rhodes 2nd Place: Gloria Sanchez 3rd Place: Brent Campbell   Flora & Animal Life 1st Place: Kathy Bouzard 2nd Place: Mary Gessert 3rd Place: Betty McCall

FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET SEPTEMBER 12 & 26 Come spend the morning at the Mexico Beach Farmers & Craft Market at Parker Park, located at 2500 Highway 98. Vendors will include produce, fresh jellies, one-of-a-kind crafts, and much more. Each market is sure to have new vendors, so be sure to come every time. If you’d like to be a vendor, sign up now. This market is put on by the Special Events for Mexico Beach, Inc.

WEEKLY BEACH CLEAN UP EVERY FRIDAY IN SEPTEMBER Help Keep Our Beach Unforgettable! Each Friday in September, we invite you to put on your work gloves and help clean the beach. Pick up cleanup supplies at the Welcome Center, then head to any beach entrance and collect trash. Once you’re done, bring your trash back to the Welcome Center and receive a gift for helping out! Stay all weekend and participate in our Slow Days & Sunsets events.

MUSIC IN THE PARK EVERY THURSDAY IN SEPTEMBER The Music in the Park concert series returns this September, bringing live music to Parker Park every Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Enjoy performances by talented local musicians and area favorites, all while soaking in the vibrant evening skies of Mexico Beach. These family-friendly concerts are free and open to the public, so grab your blankets, chairs, and picnic baskets for a relaxing night out.

READ ABOUT ALL EVENTS HERE

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 and please remain off the sand dunes and out of the sea oats to ensure their continued nourishment. There are boardwalks and walking paths that can be accessed to reach the beach. 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.

LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE We publish it with the compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association cookbook (MBARA.org). INGREDIENTS 1lb. pasta noodles, such as ziti or penne 2 Tbsp butter 2 shallots, finely chopped 3 Tbsp flour 2 cups milk ½ cup heavy cream 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 8 oz. white cheddar cheese, grated 4 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated 1 Tbsp chives, chopped Meat of 2 lobsters, chopped Salt & pepper, to taste DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain in a colander and put it in a stockpot. Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Once melted, add shallots and sauté until soft. Add flour and stir for 1 minute until combined. Whisk in milk. Bring to a slight boil, whisking constantly. Add cream, mustard, all cheese, salt, and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and stir together until all cheese is melted. Mix in pasta and lobster. Pour into a large baking dish. Bake until golden, for about 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with chives before serving. Enjoy!

The Best from Dolly With the recent passing of beloved Dolly Parton, here are a few of her notable quotes to live by.   The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Find out who you are. And do it on purpose. You’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try. Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life. We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. Smile, it increases your face value. It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world. The magic is inside you; there ain’t no crystal ball. You’d be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap. I’m the little engine that did.

MEXICOBEACH.COM

http://live.oysterradio.com/