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Cottages for Kids is a SoWal-sponsored, unique fundraising event that benefits Children's Volunteer Health Network, Inc., a faith based, 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that seeks to enhance the lives of uninsured and under-insured children by facilitating free immediate access to medical, dental and mental health care.

With tremendous imagination and craftsmanship, builder's and architects come together to create, construct and decorate whimsical cottages that look like they have popped out from the pages of a fairytale to modern creations brimming with creativity.

The Annual Seeing Red Wine Festival in Seaside, Florida is always one of the SoWal's best events. Decades of southern tradition in our charming beach town sets the stage for a wonderful weekend of wine, food, and music.

The wine festival offers an extensive array of tasting tents with wines sampled from around the world and a retail wine tent so you can buy your favorites to take home.

Often it's referred to simply as "Noche", and it gets more fun, more creative, and more thrilling every year. It's a SoWal-sponsored Halloween tradition that has to be seen (and felt) to be believed. The setting at Alys Beach's Caliza Pool is world class, and it's an amazing setting for lights, camera, and plenty of ACTION during the annual Noche de los Muertos costume party.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon at fire station number two at WaterColor on Scenic 395. The firefighters of the South Walton Fire District opened their doors to fun, food, and education for SoWal families.

Rosemary Beach Florida was the postcard-perfect scene for the 2nd annual Rosemary Beach Uncorked Festival. During the SoWal-sponsored, sold-out event, the nine fine restaurants in Rosemary Beach laid out food and wines as folks strolled up and down the cobblestone streets on a perfect SoWal day in October.

October may be the most enjoyable month in SoWal and the South Walton Community Council's Back to Nature Festival is a treasured event every year. It kicked off Friday, October 14, 2011 with a party at Hibiscus House in Grayton Beach with food, friends, and live music from Chris Alvarado.

Saturday October 15, 2011 featured a slew of outdoor events all over SoWal. Perfect weather set the stage for coordinated activities at Grayton Beach State Park and Seaside with fun for kids, education, animals, and hands-on exhibits from local nature and wildlife experts.

For about two decades or more, metal Chicken Coops have been used by fishermen along the Florida Panhandle as artificial reef material to attract fish. In earlier years automobiles, old boats and small airplanes were used but their environmental compatibility was questioned and they were banned. The large metal chicken coops replaced those earlier materials and were quickly adopted as the fish attracting devices (FADS) of choice.

The tables were full and the shoppers descended, searching for the bargain of a lifetime, the one-of-a-kind quirky handmade item, or the priceless future family heirloom.

It was a gorgeous fall morning October 1, 2011 at the Seaside Amphitheater in the town center on Scenic 30A in South Walton, Florida.

Tropical Storm Lee made landfall well to the west of SoWal but it was a windy and wet Labor Day in South Walton. A full-grown Loggerhead sea turtle washed ashore and was stranded in Western Lake on Grayton Beach. Payson Howard and son Shawn got an up close look at her.

The turtle was banged up from the heavy surf so a call was made to South Walton Sea Turtle Watch volunteer Danny Burns who alerted a team to pick her up and take her for medical treatment at Gulf World in Panama City Beach. She's doing fine and will be releases back to the gulf after some rehabilitation.