Panama City Beach – Celebrate Mardi Gras at Pier Park February 5-6 2010 with the Krewe of Dominique Youx

Panama City Beach - Feb. 5 – 6, 2010 - Panama City Beach will experience the excitement, glamour and pageantry of the age-old tradition of Mardi Gras as the Krewe of Dominique Youx hosts the 2nd Annual Panama City Beach Mardi Gras Festival and Parade.

The spirited season of carnival is alive and revered as the renowned festivities of Bourbon Street come to Panama City Beach’s Pier Park for two days of fabulous floats, masked performers, colorful costumes and a signature parade and street party.

The FUN begins at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5 as the streets of Pier Park are closed to vehicular traffic. Mardi Gras revelers at this gulf coast destination will enjoy a festive street party including live bands and entertainment, Cajun fare, float tours along with beads and doubloons aplenty. The evening culminates with a spectacular fireworks display over the Gulf of Mexico.

On Saturday, Feb. 6, Magic Broadcasting’s Island 106 radio personality, “That Guy Kramer”, will be broadcasting live starting at 10:00 a.m. as festivities kick-off with a children’s parade. Following the children’s parade, the Mardi Gras parade will begin at 2:00 p.m. as majestic floats make their way along Front Beach Road and roll through Pier Park. The street party celebration continues after the parade with live entertainment, regal costumes, masks, beads, trinkets, Cajun and low-country cuisine, and much more!

For additional event information, go to www.visitpanamacitybeach.com or www.dominiqueyoux.com.

Are you interested in participating in the parade by entering a float? For registration details and “Parade Entry Application” email the Krewe of Dominique Youx at information@dominiqueyoux.com or pleili@aol.com

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Panama City Beach – Best of Yesterday and Today

Panama City Beach - I got this idea from PCB Daily. We have been going to Panama City Beach for about 5 years so I am using their list for the best of PCB yesterday. I have tweaked the today list for our favorites.

Panama City Beach Yesterday

Best Place to Stay – Regency Towers
Best Place to Eat – Captain Anderson’s
Best Place to Party – Club La Vela
Best Place to Shop – Alvin’s Island Magic Mountain Store
Best Family-Friendly Attraction – Miracle Strip Amusement Park

Panama City Beach Today

Best Place to Stay – Celadon Beach Resort Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation
Best Place to Eat – The Boatyard for dinner and Schooners for lunch
Best Place to Party – Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge at Pier Park
Best Place to Shop – Pier Park
Best Family-Friendly Attraction – Shipwreck Island Water Park

These are just a few of the fantastic ways to have fun and enjoy Panama City Beach and that there are far too many to mention on one small list! Some of the old favorites are sadly no longer around, but the possibilities for the future are endless. What’s your pick? Do you have a favorite Panama City Beach restaurant or a place to shop on your Panama City Beach vacation? Do you remember somewhere from long ago that you wished was still here? Share your opinion – I’d love to know what you consider the best of Panama City Beach!

Panama City Beach - Taste of Bay 2009 at Pier Park

Panama City Beach - Come hang out at a panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation for the Second annual Taste of THE Beach comes to Bay County! Taste of THE Beach - Wine. Dine. Donate., a four-day culinary and cultural celebration taking place Nov. 5-8 along Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. This is the second year Bay County has hosted one of thirteen wine events and a Wine Maker & Shakers dinner at Firefly restaurant for the Taste of THE Beach.

Pier Park is the host location for the Taste of Bay, a food and wine experience under the stars. Wines, paired foods, live entertainment and retail wine sales will fill the main street of Pier Park on Friday November 6 from 5:30-8pm. Tickets for the event are $50 per person.

A more intimate event, a Wine Markers & Shakers dinner is being held on November 7 at Firefly Restaurant on Panama City Beach. Chef Paul will prepare a five-course meal, which will be matched with a celebrity vintner's reserve and older vintage wines at each of these locations to create an unforgettable evening. Tickets for this event are limited.

For more information on all events taking place during the Taste of THE Beach or to purchase tickets please visit www.tasteofthebeachfla.com

Panama City Beach – Weekend Activities August 6th to 9th 2009

Panama City Beach – In PCB this weekend here are some things to do…

Thursday August 6th 2009

Pier Park Summer Concert Series: Beach Mice
Pineapple Willy’s Pier Bar – Biscuit Miller Band Live
Margaritaville – Chuck Lawson Live
Club La Vela – 80’s Night – No Cover 21+ 9-11
Club Oxygen – DJ Doc Roc – Ladies free til 12 $1 draft

Friday August 7th 2009

Hofbrau Beer Garden – Free Beer Friday – Free Beer at 6 pm
Pineapple Willy’s Pier Bar – Biscuit Miller Band Live
Marina Civic Center – Backstage Pass Summer Concert Series: Gulf Jazz Society
Visual Arts Center – In Search of Norman Rockwell’s America **LAST WEEKEND**
Club La Vela – Bikini Beach Bash – No Cover if wearing a Swimsuit

Saturday August 8th 2009

Panama City Downtown – Main Street Striders and Old-Fashioned Sidewalk Sale
Coconuts – UFC Fight/ Stuff the Truck - Bring a food item for the needy as your cover
Pineapple Willy’s Pier Bar – Biscuit Miller Band Live
Hofbrau Beer Garden -Strong Man Contest
Spinnaker’s – Sex and The City Saturday – Ladies Free til 12
Sunday August 9th 2009
Spinnaker’s Afterburn Cantina

Our Suggestions:

A chance of rain all weekend, but should have lots of sunshine peeking through clouds. Families should get out this weekend by heading over to St. Andrew’s State Park, maybe grab some bikes and ride the tour or hitch a ride on the tour boat over to the island for some “getaway” fun.

For all you love-birds out there, Club La Vela’s 80’s night will be good fun and dancing like you’re Kevin Bacon in Footloose. Thursday night concert at Pier Park is the perfect way to watch the sun set.

Clubbers, who could pass up free beer at Hofbrau? Not me. And Spinnaker’s Sex and the City Saturday will be an event you don’t want to miss.
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Panama City Beach - Named Top Beach by TripAdvisor

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Panama City Beach, Fla., was just recognized by TripAdvisor(R) as home to one of America's top beaches.

Ranking third in the U.S. on the just-released 2009 listing, the destination's St. Andrews State Recreation Area was selected based on opinions of millions of travelers worldwide and the expertise of the editors of the world's largest online travel community, TripAdvisor.com(R).

Spanning 1,260 acres in picturesque Northwest Florida, St. Andrews State Recreation Area boasts sugar-white sand overlooking the clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay. The 1.5-mile-long beach has a calm, child-friendly area, offering swimming and snorkeling in a shallow, tranquil pool, protected by jetties. Visitors can take a quick ferry ride to nearby Shell Island for more surf and sun. Hikers and birders, meanwhile, enjoy the park's 1.25 miles of pristine trails with an incredible array of plants and wildlife, including deer, egrets and graceful tropical birds. At St. Andrews, anglers enjoy surf fishing, as well as fishing off a deep-sea jetty and two piers. Concession stands and campsites also are available for lovers of the outdoors.

Panama City Beach also enjoys recognition as a premier beach destination from Conde Nast Traveler, USA Today, The Travel Channel, Southern Living, Dr. Beach and the Clean Beaches Council.

"The destination offers something for everyone," explains Dan Rowe, C.E.O., Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Our award-winning beaches and predictably sunny weather have drawn travelers for generations. Visitors here today discover a wealth of new offerings. From new restaurants, shops and nightlife venues to outdoor concerts, festivals, fishing, golfing, eco-tours and more, there's always something fun going on in Panama City Beach."

Shoppers and culinary enthusiasts here are rewarded at the new Pier Park, located in the heart of town. Spanning roughly one million-square-foot Pier Park serves up soft sea breezes and an array of unique offerings as Northwest Florida's largest shopping, dining and entertainment venue. For marine life lovers, the nearby Gulf World Marine Park delights with animal exhibits and shows as well as opportunities to swim with the dolphins. Little ones marvel at ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Park, home to more than 250 animals, including rare and endangered species, in a lush, tropical setting. Family attractions abound, including Shipwreck Island Waterpark, one of Florida's largest theme water parks, and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium, featuring fascinating finds from around the world.

For outdoor enthusiasts, there's world-class fishing, hiking, kayaking and more. Adventurers find plenty of ways to test their skills with Panama City Beach's full spectrum of water sports - snorkeling, diving, parasailing, skimboards, Yolo boards, wave runners and more.

To showcase the destination's many charms, the Convention and Visitors Bureau recently launched a summer-long online video contest, offering $50,000 in cash and prizes, including customized vacations to Panama City Beach. Tapping into the fast-growing popularity of online videos, the contest encourages consumers to post their original works, offering an innovative travel personality twist.

Through July 31, consumers can visit www.RealFunContest.com and take a quick quiz to determine their Panama City Beach travel personality: Eco-Seeker, Wave Warrior, After Dark Shark looking for glittery nightlife, Soul Surfer who loves long strolls on the beach, or a leader of the family-friendly Sandy Bottom Bunch. Then, they can produce an original video that showcases their unique travel personality type. The top videos will be showcased for online voting, and five winners will receive $10,000 each in cash and prizes, including five-night vacations in Panama City Beach, customized to suit their travel interests. To date, nearly 2,000 people from around the country have taken the destination's travel personality quick quiz.

With so much to offer, it's no surprise that Panama City Beach attracts visitors from around the globe. Even more travelers are about to discover this Florida gem thanks to a new international airport slated to make its debut in the spring 2010. The airport's opening will increase accessibility to Panama City Beach for travelers nationally and internationally. With myriad green features incorporated into its design and construction, the airport aims to be the first in the U.S. to receive LEED certification.

About Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach boasts 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering the clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay. The Northwest Florida community is home to St. Andrew's State Park, a Top Three beach on the 2009 TripAdvisor list of America's best beaches. Panama City Beach also enjoys recognition as a premier beach destination by Conde Nast Traveler, The Travel Channel, USA Today, Southern Living, Dr. Beach and the Clean Beaches Council. Family attractions, championship golf courses, sporting events, award-winning dining, predictably sunny weather and a vast number of recreational activities draw visitors to this seaside community.
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Panama City Beach - Pier Park Summer Concert Series

Panama City Beach - Visiting PCB this summer? The Pier Park Summer Concert Series starts up in early June. Get your blankets, lawn chairs and coolers ready – this season’s lineup looks like a lot of fun! Here’s the schedule:

• De Lions of Jah - Raggae - June 4th
• Eric Lindell - Blues/Rock - June 11th
• Rollin in the Hay - New Grass - June 18th
• Cyril Neville (of the Neville Brothers) - R&B/Rock - June 25th
• The Lee Griffin Band - R&B/Rock - July 2nd
• PBS - New Orleans Fund - July 9th
• The Legendary JC’s - Soul/R&B - July 16th
• King Cotton Blues Band - Blues - July 23rd
• The Donnie Sundal Project - Variety - July 30th
• Beachmice - Eclectic Acoustic - August 6th
• Heat and the Zydeco Gents - Zydeco - August 13th
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Panama City Beach – Pier Park Restaurant

Panama City Beach - Hofbräu Beer Garden

Here is a restaurant close to our condos. Our daughters have visited the Hofbräu Beer Garden in Munich. The PCB version is not the same bit still nice.
Welcome to Hofbräu Beer Garden, located on Pier Park Drive in Panama City Beach. We are excited to bring the spirit of Munich's fabled Hofbräuhaus to the Panhandle of Florida. The Hofbräu tradition is one of legends, where people of all ages and walks of life come together to enjoy good times, a hearty meal and drink great beer!

Locals and tourists alike have a favorite place to meet old friends, make new ones and enjoy the greatest beer in the world. Our food is authentic, featuring a menu of Bavarian Specialties developed by our Master German Chef. With authentic tables and benches from the original Münchner Hofbräuhaus, our customers will find themselves transported to a legendary Munich beer hall. Outside, our beer garden entices our visitors to soak up some Florida sun, all the while enjoying a crisp, cold Bavarian brew.

A visit to Hofbräu Beer Garden will be filled with "Gemütlichkeit", a word that has no exact translation, best described as a feeling of comfort and social belonging. A true Hofbräu experience is meeting as strangers and leaving as friends. So, if your table is not full make room for others, introduce yourself to your neighbors, raise your glasses and say "PROST!" For more information visit www.hofbraupcb.com.

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Family Spring Break Time in Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach - Parents looking for sun and fun are in luck: Family Spring Break kicks off in April. You'll find concerts by chart-topping teen bands, unique events, water sports, attractions and 27 miles of pristine white-sand beaches. Whether you spend your days building sand castles, hunting sea shells, gliding atop the water on a skim board, swimming with dolphins, reeling in a big catch, savoring the best grouper on the Gulf, or listening to live music by jazz greats and country music stars, you’ll find there’s something for everyone on this beach built for family fun.

Here’ s the lineup of Family Spring Break events in Panama City Beach…

• America’s Number One teen country music band -- The Springs – comes to Pier Park, April 9. The Springs was the 2008 ICM Youth Artists of the Year at the 14th Annual Inspirational Country Music Award Show. With two Number One hits off their debut CD, these inspiring young artists offer families a different kind of country music. The group has performed as the warm-up band for such country music stars as Steve Holy, Craig Morgan, Aaron Tippin, Kid Rock and Sara Evans.

• The Seabreeze Jazz Festival makes its Panama City Beach debut, April 16 – 19, also at Pier Park. Recognized as by JAZZIZ Magazine as one of the “Top 10 Jazz Festivals in the USA," the event attracts music lovers across North America. Performers include smooth jazz greats: Boney James, Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Nick Colionne, Warren Hill, Joyce Cooling, and more. For more information, visit http://www.seabreezejazzfestival.com.

• The Annual Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show and Music Festival rides into Panama City Beach, Wed., April 22 – Sat., April 25, for a weekend of music, arts, crafts, food, children’s rides, prizes and horse shows. One of America’s largest equestrian celebrations, the Gulf Coast Charity Horse Show draws thousands of travelers and locals annually to Frank Brown Park. Back by popular demand this year, the Ivey Brothers are among the groups promising crowd-pleasing musical performances. For more information, visit http://gulfcoasthorseshow.com.

Additional family-friendly concerts and event take place throughout April. For the full listing, visit http://www.familyfuninpcb.com.

Reel Adventures
Stand-up paddleboarding is the newest way to explore the Panama City Beach waters. As in surfing, riders stand on a buoyant longboard, but they navigate with an extended paddle.

The clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay make Panama City Beach a natural playground for other water sports too -- snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing, power boating, jet skiing, kite-boarding and parasailing. Dubbed the “Wreck Capital of the South,” Panama City Beach offers scuba divers a variety of historic wrecks and artificial reefs to explore. The shallow waters along the shores are also paradise for skimboarders.

For anglers of all ages, Panama City Beach’s Russell Fields Pier reopens in June following extensive renovation. Known to locals as the best spot to take in spectacular sunsets, the landmark, concrete city pier is a prime fishing spot. It will extend more than 1,600 feet into the calm Gulf waters, making it the longest pier on the Gulf Coast. Rod rentals and tackle are available onsite.

Family Attraction Action

Beyond the sand and surf, Panama City Beach serves up a wonderland of affordable family attractions.
Located in the heart of town across from the new pier, Pier Park is Northwest Florida’s largest shopping/dining/ entertainment venue. Spanning nearly one million square feet, the open-air complex houses a full array of restaurants and stores ranging from popular national chains to favorite local boutiques and eateries. Guy Harvey’s Island Grill joins the Pier Park lineup, April 16, 2009, bringing his distinctive marine and wildlife décor and menu of fresh, sustainable seafood and other American fare. Plus, Pier Park’s Grand 16 Theatre -- a 16-screen, 3,000-seat movie theater complex – treats families to the latest blockbuster hits.

Not far from Pier Park, Gulf World Marine Park’s Dolphin Encounter invites visitors to learn about preservation before getting into the water for a dolphin swim. In the six-hour Trainer for a Day program, guests study dolphin behavior then step onto the stage to perform alongside trainers during the Dolphin Show in the state-of-the-art Dolphin Stadium. Offering new exhibits, extended hours and more than 25 shows, Gulf World features sea lions, exotic birds, penguins and more. The attraction also is home to a rescue and rehabilitation program for sick or injured dolphins, sea turtles and other marine animals as area coordinator for the Southeast Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Thanks to the gentle care of the park’s onsite veterinarian and supportive staff, many stranded creatures have been successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

At one of Florida’s largest theme water parks – Shipwreck Island Waterpark – little ones favor the waterpark’s specially designed Tadpole Hole, offering slides, towers, tubes and swings. The 500,000-gallon Ocean Motion Wave Pool and 2,000-foot Lazy River provide cool relaxation, while water-based thrill rides are designed to get the adrenaline pumping. Older visitors prefer the White Knuckle River, a 600-foot family tube ride; the 65-foot Tree Top Drop; Great Ship Wreck, and Zoom Flume.

Get up-close-and-personal with animal friends as Keeper for a Day at ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Park. Designed to educate and amaze, this unique program promotes wildlife preservation through hands-on activities and personalized animal encounters. Visitors can feed endangered primates, assist in an animal show or go behind the scenes with a guided tour of the Tilghman Infant Care Facility, offering close-up views of the baby animals born at ZooWorld. The attraction is home to more than 250 animals, including rare and endangered species. Lions, tigers, and bears . . . along with monkeys, alligators, camels, giraffes, reptiles, exotic birds, and jaguars are all part of the educational entertainment.

Designed to look like a 1950s luxury cruise liner run aground on the beach, the Ripley’s entertainment complex houses Ripley’s Moving Theater and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium. Showcasing fascinating finds from around the globe, the odditorium lists among its highlights: a shrunken head from Ecuador, a mummy discovered off the Florida coast and an 11-foot Eiffel Tower made entirely of matchsticks. Another dazzler, the 23-foot-long Lincoln Town Car, is adorned with 23,000 gold-plated British coins valued at $1.3 million.

Visitors can step back in time to the days when pirates roamed the Florida coastline aboard the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise. Cruise the Gulf waters in this authentic 85-foot pirate ship with cannons blasting, swords swinging and pirates hanging from the rigging. More adventures await aboard the Sea Screamer. Cruise the Gulf waters on this open-air powerboat. Playful dolphins and other marine life vie for attention much to the delight of passengers.

Coconut Creek Family Fun Park offers two unique attractions. Golfers swing their way through two 18-hole miniature golf courses that resemble a tropical island jungle. On the journey, they encounter exotic plants and animals, including life-size statues. Watch out for water-spraying elephants as you make your way around the courses. Then travel to Coconut Creek’s Gran Maze, one of America’s most challenging human mazes. Larger than a football field, the Gran Maze encourages young explorers to use their best navigation skills to complete this “a-mazing” journey.

Time to have some fun in PCB!
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Panama City Beach - First Pier Park Mardi Gras parade Saturday February 14, 2009

There eill be at least 40 floats, convertibles and other rolling displays. Anyone who needs more information can call Lienhop at (850) 233-6590 or Edward Leili at (850) 819-8711, e-mail to pleili@aol.com or see www.dominiqueyoux.com

The parade will start at 3 p.m. at Gulf World Marine Park, heading west on Front Beach Road into Pier Park and ending at the Grand Theatre. You can expect to see plenty of pirates.

Dominique Youx takes its name from a New Orleans buccaneer who used that pseudonym. He fought alongside Andrew Jackson’s troops against the British in the Battle of New Orleans, Lienhop said. “We’re 185 members, and it’s a men-only krewe,” he said. So “we consider ourselves pirates … with the support of our wives.”

Hope to see you there!
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Panama City Beach - New Restaurant Opening in Pier Park in April 09

Panama City Beach Pier Park- Guy Harvey's Island Grill scheduled to open in Pier Park in Panama City Beach, Florida around April 2009. Guy Harvey's Island Grill, a chain of family-friendly restaurants with retail stores, announced today that it is opening its fifth restaurant-retail concept in Panama City Beach, Florida in April 2009. The new location will open at the successful Pier Park project, a one million square foot, open-air, lifestyle center across from the beach in the heart of Panama City Beach.

Currently with four coastal locations in the southeast including Grand Cayman, Marco Island, Key West, and Orange Beach, Alabama, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants offer a variety of Americana fare and fresh, sustainable seafood in a unique dining atmosphere. The decor is accented with Guy Harvey’s distinctive marine, wildlife original art and prints, and Guy Harvey Artist’s Collection Wines can be paired with each dish.

Guy Harvey enjoys a storied career as a world-renowned artist, photographer, diver and scientist whose focus has always been beneath the waves. His artwork is in galleries, stores, and at fishing tournaments, and his conservation efforts to save marine life in the oceans are well known. So, it’s only natural that Harvey should enter into the restaurant business with Guy Harvey’s Island Grill. Each Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurant offers not only fresh, sustainable seafood in a casual dining atmosphere, but also a retail store and gallery that features original Guy Harvey artwork, signature clothing, and giftware.

“The restaurant-retail store concept, first established in my hometown of Georgetown, Grand Cayman, has proven so successful, that we have chosen to expand the Guy Harvey brand through this prototype into other markets including Panama City Beach,” said Guy Harvey. “With a booming local market and more than 7 million tourists who come each year for the fishing, sun, and surf, Panama City Beach is an ideal location to expand the Guy Harvey’s Island Grill concept. We believe this will be a very successful market for us,” concluded Harvey.

As part of his ongoing commitment to researching and conserving the ocean’s marine life, Guy Harvey has insisted his restaurants serve only carefully selected seafood that has not been over-fished. Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants do not serve over-exploited or threatened species such as swordfish, grouper, Chilean sea bass or any species of billfish or shark. By excluding these fish from its menus, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants aid in the long-term improvement of these fish stocks. A simple, responsible seafood guide, detailing what fish to eat and avoid, is available at all Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants to raise awareness of carefully selecting seafood for sustaining the oceans and marine wildlife.

Additionally, a portion of all proceeds from restaurant and retail store sales of Guy Harvey artwork and licensed products fund marine research for the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. Through Guy Harvey’s Ocean Foundation, new marine research and educational outreach programs are conducted to better inform recreational and commercial fishermen and the public of the need for additional conservation and best management practices for a more sustainable marine environment.

In the end, whether it’s Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, with its carefully appointed seafood menu, Guy Harvey’s distinctive marine wildlife art, or his marine research and conservation efforts, it’s all about the fish. For more information about Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, and its new location in Panama City Beach, Florida, please visit www.GuyHarveysIslandGrill.net or visit Guy Harvey’s Web site at www.GuyHarveyinc.com.
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Panama City Beach - Thunder Beach Motor Cycle Rally

Panama City Beach - Our Celadon Beach Resort Condo # 1405 is currently available if you are thinking about attending Thunder Beach in April...

Thunder Beach officials are proud to announce two brand new Official Venues to the 11th Annual Thunder Beach Spring Motorcycle Rally; Club La Vela and the brand new gulf-side entertainment and shopping complex Pier Park. Club La Vela, recognized as the "Largest Night Club in the USA", opens their doors and nearly 5 acre parking area for the 2009 Thunder Beach Rally Series as the home to the new Manufacturer and Builder Exhibition. This exciting new beach-side venue will be filled with some of the most recognized names in the power sports industry complete with full factory display rigs, installation trucks, and service teams. There will also be a full stage with live entertainment outside every day during the rally with Club La Vela’s taking over with even more live entertainment and dancing in any of their ten theme rooms.

Pier Park, Panama City Beach’s newest gulf-front shopping, dining, and entertainment complex will be the setting for the US Rider News “Best of The Beach” Bike Show and the new home to the Factory Demo Rides. These events and displays make Pier Park one of the most unique venues of the 11th Annual Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally.

The US Rider News “Best of The Beach Bike Show” at Pier Park was a huge success during the Autumn 2008 Rally with nearly 75 custom bikes displayed and thousands of onlookers throughout the day. The turnout for contestants at the upcoming Spring Rally event is expected to is expected to double.
The Factory Demo Rides taking place at Pier Park will allow attendees that have a motorcycle endorsement and a helmet to take a test drive one many of the newest motorcycles on the market. Scheduled for the Demos during the 2009 Spring Rally are Yamaha Motorcycles and Boss Hoss Custom Cycles & Trikes. These two venues expand the Thunder Beach Spring Rally to seven (7) Official Venues spread across all of Panama City Beach, Florida.

Official Venues:
Frank Brown Park Shoppes at Edgewater
Boardwalk Beach Resort & Convention Center Club La Vela
Pier Park Sandpiper Beacon
Sharky’s Beach Club
For Additional information please visit www.ThunderBeachProductions.com or call our offices directly toll free at 888.396.1638 or locally at 850.249.7627.

Thunder Beach Rally Information: The 11th Annual Thunder Beach Spring Motorcycle Rally is set to take place April 30 – May 3, 2009 in Panama City Beach, Florida. With seven (7) Official Venues spread out all over Panama City Beach, no gates or cover charges at any venue, free parking at every venue, 200 handpicked quality vendors, daily live entertainment, contests and giveaways every day, rides, and many other things “biker related”. The Thunder Beach Rallies attract approximately 100,000+ riders & visitors from around the southeastern United States and beyond. Located on the picturesque beaches of the Florida Panhandle, riders flock to the area for the beautiful rides, the overwhelming “Biker Friendly” attitude given to riders by the numerous businesses in and around the Bay County area, and the long lasting camaraderie found at Thunder Beach.

The 2009 Thunder Beach Rally is sponsored by The Sandpiper Beacon Resort, The Boardwalk Beach Resort and Convention Center, Arrow 95.9 Radio, and Full Throttle Magazine.

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Panama City Beach - Top Ten News Stories of 2008

In the annual Panama City News Herald Poll The good, the bad and the ugly stood out among readers and newsroom staff in 2008…Most of the stories are based on local events and do not deal with the Beach tourist trade so I will only list a couple of the stories.

Top 10 # 1 - County residents feel sting of faltering economy

Bay County's economy took a pounding in 2008, as high unemployment, a record number of foreclosure filings and a sluggish housing market took its toll on area residents and businesses.

The county's unemployment rate went from 4.9 percent in January to 7.4 percent in November, the highest level recorded since January 2002. Gulf Coast Workforce Board Executive Director Kim Bodine said the area's annual job growth rate measured a negative 3.4 percent in November, an overall loss of 2,600 jobs. Bodine said the county's unemployment rate could rise in early 2009, as the state's Agency for Workforce Innovation included more area job layoffs in its monthly totals. "I think next month will be up a half-percent at least," Bodine said Dec. 20, after AWI released its November unemployment numbers.

Area foreclosure filings were also on the rise in 2008. Irvine, Calif.-based foreclosure tracking company RealtyTrac had recorded 2,280 Bay County foreclosure filings through November. Filings in RealtyTrac's total included default notices, auction sale notices, and bank repossessions, with some properties with multiple mortgages receiving more than one notice. By comparison, the company recorded 960 Bay County foreclosure filings in its end-of-year 2007 market report, released in January. August was Bay County's highest month for foreclosure filings, according to RealtyTrac, with 328 filings. Like most other Florida metropolitan areas, Panama City recorded year-over-year decreases in existing home and condominium sales, as well as median sales prices, for most of 2008. The area did see a slight increase in November existing home sales. Bay County Association of Realtors President Jan Cox said in December she thought the area's housing market would start to stabilize in 2009 after a challenging 2008. The county's housing market must still work through a two-year existing inventory of residential homes and create a reason for prices to increase, Cox acknowledged. Cox said the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport could contribute to a housing market rebound that comes sooner than recoveries in other parts of Florida. "I see the Panhandle as having the absolute first shot at recovery and price appreciation," Cox said before Wednesday's meeting. [I am not in the market now but if you are looking for a Panama City Beach Condo there are some great prices on prime properties on the Beach.]

One 2008 economic bright spot was the end-of-year decline in gas prices. After spiking above $4 a gallon in the wake of Hurricane Ike's Texas landfall, gas prices dropped steadily over the rest of the year. By late December, Bay County gas prices had dropped as low as $1.63 a gallon at some area stations. The dip below $2 a gallon represented the first time area gas prices had fallen below that benchmark since February 2006.

Top Ten #3: Pier Park, new airport good news amid gloom

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The opening of Pier Park in Panama City Beach and continued progress on construction of the new airport near West Bay was some good economic news during this year's gloomy economy.
Dozens of restaurants and large retailers signed on to open stores at Panama City Beach's 93-acre Pier Park development, expected to reach 152 outlets when completed and 1.1 million square feet of retail space.

Construction of the Panama City-Bay County International airport picked up steam with the awarding of a bid for the new terminal and the decision to increase the length of the runway to 10,000 feet. In addition, a legal hurdle for the airport was cleared this year when a lawsuit was dismissed that sought to reverse a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the airport's construction. The lawsuit, filed by several environmental groups, claimed that building the $318 million airport would destroy valuable wetlands and that the Corps abused its discretion in issuing the permit. For now, officials say construction at the airport site is about four months ahead of schedule and the opening date is still planned for May 2010. [As a side note the Airport project has approximately 250 on site workers per day and offsite quarries, asphalt plants, truck drivers and other ancillary businesses employ another 350 people.]


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Panama City Beach – No plans for New Year’s Eve?

Our Panama City Beach Condo # 1105 is still available if you have a wild hair to head for Panama City Beach for New Year's.

Panama City Beach – No plans for New Year’s Eve? Head to Panama City Beach for the first New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop at Pier Park. Here are the details:

New Year's Eve Beach Ball Drop Presented by Margaritaville
- Family time from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
- There will be stilt walkers, balloon animals and face painters on hand
- Bounce houses located in the green grass beside the volleyball court
- 24ft blow-up screen to feature live NYE countdowns across the world
- Barry Fish band to perform live in the promo area

New Years Eve Countdown
- From 9 pm to 1 am
- Roads will be closed to traffic from Front Beach Road to the circle in front of the promo area
- Live radio remotes provided by ClearChannel Radio (3 stations will be featured, tentatively they are 92.5 WPAP, Sunny 98.5, and 99.3 The Beat). Remotes will be located on every corner block that is closed to traffic.
- News Channel 7 will be here to broadcast the countdown live
- Countdown to midnight MC'd by ClearChannel D.J.
- Beach Ball drop will be located in the green grass across from the promo area
- Beach ball is an illuminated 8ft ball to be dropped 12 stories (120 ft.)
- Fireworks to immediately follow the ball drop

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Panama City Beach - Marketing Ideas

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The European tourist market is increasingly eyeing Northwest Florida as a vacation destination, and improving Panama City Beach's visibility overseas will become more important as the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport nears completion.

A market research expert told the full board of the Bay County Tourist Development Council Tuesday that interest in the Florida Panhandle by the European market, which he called a "beach market," was a recent phenomenon. "This is a market that you need to seed now and harvest down the road," said Walter Klages, president of The Klages Group, whose long list of clients includes McDonald's, the National Football League, Pizza Hut and Walt Disney World Inc.

Until that harvest can be achieved, however, tourists traveling by car are still the mainstay of Beach visitors, Klages said, representing about 84 percent in July through September 2008. [I agree with the numbers, they may even be a little low. Over the past year we have only had one couple fly to Panama City Beach to stay in our condos]. He presented a sheaf of statistics to TDC board members on the face of the emblematic Beach tourist.

The typical size of a group of visitors during that period was 3.2 persons, he said, with 8.4 percent representing first-time tourists to the area, most from nearby states such as Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Indeed, today's tourist is becoming increasingly reliant on the Internet for research into choosing a vacation destination, Klages said. And much of the information gleaned from the Web is becoming harder to control, with sites such as YouTube and Facebook becoming more popular.

He forgot the bestpanamacitybeachcondo.com site and jerryeyler wordpressblog about Panama City Beach.

"Consumer-generated information is beginning to dominate the Internet," he said. Because that type of information is irresistibly spreading, he urged board members to aggressively market the Beach's best asset, its uniquely white sand, which he described as rare in the world. To that end, board members decided to move forward on a contract with Jennifer Barbee Inc. to redesign the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau Web site. Barbee has already been working with the TDC/CVB since being chosen a month ago to quickly create a micro-site connected to www.visitpanamacitybeach.com for next year's Spring Break marketing campaign.

Rowe also told board members that the TDC was partnering with Pier Park for a New Year's Eve fireworks display and midnight "Beach Ball drop." An eight-foot glowing ball will be lowered from a 148-foot crane. The fireworks will cost $10,000.

Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can do a more effective job marketing our condos?

Jerry
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Panama City Beach - Weekend Holiday Events

Here are some Holiday-related activities in Bay County this weekend:

FRIDAY, NOV. 28
Home For The Holidays: Every Friday until Christmas in downtown Panama City.
Pier Park Tree Lighting: 6 p.m. in Town Center across from Old Navy. Santa will arrive by the Pier Park Express. Appearance by Mayor Gayle Oberst; live entertainment and holiday festivities.

Historic Apalachicola Christmas Celebration will light up downtown Apalachicola from 4-8 p.m. The streets will be lined with luminaries and filled with the sounds of carolers. Businesses also will be open late. Santa will arrive on a shrimp boat at 4:30 p.m. at the City Dock on Water Street, across from City Hall. Details: Call the Chamber office at (850) 653-9419.

Apalachicola Festival Of Trees: Nov. 28 to Dec. 13: Christmas trees decorated by area professionals and groups will be on display. Champagne reception is Dec. 13 from 7-9 p.m. Donations at the door.

SATURDAY, NOV. 29
Apalachicola Yule Log Lighting And Caroling: Nov. 29 from 1-4 p.m. Santa visits with children downtown, caroling, lighting of the Yule Log at dusk.

The Classic Russian ‘Nutcracker': The Willis Ballet and The Saint-Petersburg Classic Ballet Theatre of Marina Medvetskaya; 7:30 p.m. at the Marina Civic Center in downtown Panama City; Admission: $24, $34, $44; Tickets: (850) 763-4696 ; Discount: Visit www.willisballet.com to print out a flyer for a 15 percent discount; Details.

SUNDAY, NOV. 30
Apalachicola Tree of Remembrance: Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. A non-denominational ceremony at the City Christmas Tree, Water Street and Avenue E, to remember those no longer with us.
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Panama City Beach - Black Friday Events

Mayor's Tree Lighting

Join us at Pier Park on November 28th for this special day and the beginning of a Pier Park tradition. Mayor Gale Oberst will light the 20ft Christmas tree located in Town Center (across from Old Navy) at 6pm. There will be Christmas carolers from local schools and churches to perform carols before and after the lighting. There will also be community leaders, Chamber ambassadors, and Leadership Bay members present to help us kick off this holiday celebration. . . and of course an appearance from Old St. Nick himself!

Black Friday Shopping Spectacular

Come to Pier Park on November 28th for the busiest shopping day of the year! Take advantage of special sales and discounts! Stores open at 9am (some stores may open earlier)
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Panama City Beach - New Pier Park Restaurant

Panama City Beach - New Tuscan Farmhouse-design restaurant at Pier Park is the first in Bay County

Olive Garden welcomes guests to its newest restaurant opening at Pier Park, located in Panama City Beach at 15701 Panama City Beach Parkway on Monday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. The beautiful new restaurant, built in the company’s Tuscan-farmhouse design, is the first in Bay County. Approximately 165 jobs will be created with the opening of the 247-seat, 7,441 square-foot restaurant.

Tuscan Inspiration
The Olive Garden in Panama City Beach has a rustic stone exterior, typical of the buildings in the Italian countryside, and an interior accented by Italian imports designed to make the dining experience here a tribute to the restaurant’s Italian inspiration. Ceilings supported by exposed wood beams, stone and wood accents throughout, and terra cotta tile highlight the interior. The bar top is crafted from lava stone, then hand-painted by artisans in Italy with design created exclusively for Olive Garden; vibrant imported fabrics decorate windows and dining seats; hand-painted plates adorn rustic stone and stucco walls; and the lighting fixtures are all distinctly Italian.

“We are extremely excited to share the breathtaking setting of our new Tuscan Farmhouse-design Olive Garden with the Panama City Beach community,” said Mark Swartz, general manager. “It was designed after our Riserva di Fizzano restaurant in Tuscany, Italy, which is rustic, charming, warm and beautiful – the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a genuine Italian dining experience.” To recognize Swartz’s role as head of the Olive Garden family in Panama City Beach and to emphasize the importance the company places on its general managers, Olive Garden honored Swartz by setting his name in stone. Travertine marble imported from Tuscany was chiseled with Swartz’s name and placed prominently by the front door.

Panama City Beach Olive Garden at a glance:
Opening Date: Monday, Sept. 8
Employees: 165
Square Footage: 7,441 square feet
Number of Seats: 247
Hours of Operation: From Monday, Sept. 8 – Sept. 14 the restaurant will serve dinner only:
- Sunday through Thursday: 4 – 10 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 4 – 11 p.m.
The restaurant will be open for lunch beginning Monday, Sept. 15. Lunch will be served starting at 11 a.m. every day.

Panama City Beach - September 08 Pier Park News

Pier Park in Panama City Beach announced the addition of more shopping options at the 900,000-square-foot retail and entertainment lifestyle center located on 93 acres that covers land from Front Beach Road (at the City Pier) to Highway 98 (Back Beach Road).

Pier Park is already home to nearly a 100 retail stores and to six anchor stores; the addition of these specialty stores, which are scheduled to open this summer and fall, will further establish the center as a world-class shopping and entertainment haven for locals and visitors of the Florida Panhandle.

New specialty shops scheduled to debut include the following:

Aqua Gallery
Ava Blue Boutique
Baja Grill
Carter's Clothing
Cost Cutters
Déjà vu
Great American Cookies \ PretzelMaker
Nails So Happy
Paint’n Place
Runway Collection
Shimmering Seas Jewelry and Gifts
The Eye Gallery
Pac Sun
Paradise Found

Aqua Gallery offers an eclectic mix of gifts based on works of art. The store will carry prints, books, carpets, electronics and more.

Ava Blue Boutique is a locally owned upscale boutique featuring women's designer apparel, shoes, accessories and jewelry that appeals to the modern women. Lines featured will include Free People, Color Me Red, Sugar Lips, Mystree, Spanx, Dahiny and B122 among others. The boutique will also offer monogramming services for flip-flops, t-shirts and jewelry.

Carter’s Clothing offers clothing for children from newborn through size seven including baby sleepwear, play-clothes and accessories. Carter’s offers trusted products that are super comfy, easy care, adorable and don’t break the bank. Carter’s has around 200 stores in the United States.

Great American Cookies/ PretzelMaker became an instant retail phenomenon in 1977 when the first store opened in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded on the strength of a generations-old family chocolate chip cookie recipe, Great American Cookies expanded in malls across the country and at the same time developed a complete line of cookies and brownies, including a signature Cookie Cake product, making it one of the best cookie companies in the industry.

Nails So Happy is a beauty services establishment that offers nail care services such as manicures, pedicures and nail enhancements.

Paint’n Place is a full service paint-your-own pottery studio. Paint’n Place provides a comfortable social atmosphere where guests can come together as family, friends and neighbors, to let the creative juices flow! Guests are invited to paint plates, mugs, vases, figurines and more. Paint’n Place also offers jewelry-making classes and proudly hosts child and adult birthdays parties, bridal showers, church and civic groups, company meetings, Girls’ and Boys’ Scouts, etc. All products are food, microwave and dishwasher safe.

Runway Collection is a men’s and women’s fashion boutique which offers high-end designer options in a range of prices.

The Eye Gallery is well known around the Florida Panhandle for the latest in sunglasses and prescription eyewear. Its distinctive collection of eyewear ranges from preserving the timeless, inspiring the creative and emphasizing the beautiful.

Pier Park’s diverse and unique roster of anchors, specialty retail stores and restaurants has shown much success thus far.

“We are thrilled to be a part of Pier Park and have seen an incredible response both from the community and from summer visitors,” said Kelley Horton, owner of Bellies & Babies. Bellies & Babies is Panama City’s newest maternity and baby boutique offering fashionable and modern maternity clothing and accessories for the mom-to-be who still wants to look trendy and hip even though she’s pregnant. It also offers stylish and unique baby clothing, accessories and gifts.

“As one of the first retailers at Pier Park, we have found our opening at the center to be incredibly successful and overall a wonderful experience,” said Betty Ezzel, owner of BeBo’z. BeBo’z offers gifts from Christmas-at-the-Beach, Webkinz and many other beach toys and gifts for less than $25.

Rebecca Ellerson, owner of Peace Frogs, couldn’t have agreed more. “Pier Park is the perfect retail environment. Not only is the number of visitors to our store incredible but they are all having a great time at Pier Park. Customers are in a great mood when they enter the store; we have customers laughing, singing, and even dancing in our store all day long and we love it,” said Ellerson. Peace Frogs is an eco-friendly brand of clothing and accessories. It features t-shirts printed on organic cottons and carries several lines of jewelry, handbags and other accessories that are made of recycled, sustainable materials or fair trade made.

Shop and Play at Pier Park and stay at our Panama City Beach Condo!!

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Panama City Beach Trolley New Service

From the News Herald...

The Pier Park Express is up and running….Beach Mayor Gayle Oberst led a group of county government and business officials on board the inaugural trolley run from the Wal-Mart Supercenter to Pier Park on Friday morning as the summer trolley service quietly commenced operations at 10 a.m. Oberst praised the effort to add weekend trolley service to the Beach, noting Front Beach Road traffic congestion has increased considerably as a result of new resorts and the opening of Pier Park.
"I hope this is the first of many projects" to add transit options to visitors, Oberst said, noting the planning under way to establish a commuter transit system connecting the Beach and the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport at West Bay.
Financed by a $125,000 Florida transportation grant and anticipated advertising revenues, the shuttle is designed to provide tourists, residents and Beach employees dedicated mass transit service each Friday through Sunday.
The east-west shuttle service uses two Baytown Trolley vehicles traversing the city in opposite directions from Wal-Mart to Pier Park. The system will operate 10 a.m. to midnight each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with scheduled stops every 30 minutes during its season, which runs from June 20 through Sept. 28.
The Express is in addition to normal Bay Town Trolley operations countywide on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Express fare is a flat rate of 50 cents per person, per ride.
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Panama City Beach - Pier Park Stores 6.08

Pier Park is in Full Gear with over 80 stores open. Here is the current list for June 2008:
• Dillard's (126,000 sq ft) NOW OPEN
• JCPenney (83,692 sq ft) NOW OPEN
• Target (137,000 sq ft) NOW OPEN
• AT&T
• Borders Books and Music NOW OPEN
• The Grand Movie Theatre NOW OPEN
• Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville NOW OPEN
• The Fresh Market
• Old Navy NOW OPEN
• Long Horn Steakhouse NOW OPEN
• Olive Garden
• Panera Bread NOW OPEN
• ULTA Cosmetics NOW OPEN
• Aeropostale NOW OPEN
• American Eagle NOW OPEN
• Ann Taylor Loft NOW OPEN
• Alltel Wireless NOW OPEN
• A.M Cafe' Accessories on the Boardwalk NOW OPEN
• As Seen on TV & More NOW OPEN
• Back Porch Seafood House NOW OPEN
• Baja Café
• Bath and Body Works NOW OPEN
• Beach Scene NOW OPEN
• BeBo'z NOW OPEN
• Blender A Fusion Clothing Store NOW OPEN
• Blue Door Boutique
• Bootleg BBQ NOW OPEN
• Buffalo Wild Wings NOW OPEN
• Cache NOW OPEN
• Camille's Sidewalk Cafe NOW OPEN
• Candymaker Candy Stores NOW OPEN
• Carlyle & Co. NOW OPEN
• Carter's Children Apparel
• Chico's
• Claire's NOW OPEN
• Coastal Living
• Coldwater Creek NOW OPEN
• Cost Cutters
• Del Sol NOW OPEN
• Emerald Coast Photography NOW OPEN
• The Eye Gallery
• Famous Footwear
• Fish Tales - Glass Art Gallery NOW OPEN
• Five Guy's Famous Burgers and Fries NOW OPEN
• Footprints Coastal Décor
• GameStop NOW OPEN
• GNC NOW OPEN
• Great American Cookie Co./Pretzel Time
• Guglielmo's Italian Grill NOW OPEN
• Guy Harvey's Grill
• Hana Japan
• Hofbrau Beer Garden NOW OPEN
• Hollister NOW OPEN
• Irene and Co. Resort Wear and Boutique NOW OPEN
• Jake at the Beach Life is Good Genuine Neighborhood Store NOW OPEN
• Jos. A Bank NOW OPEN
• Journey's
• Justice NOW OPEN
• Kay Jewelers NOW OPEN
• Kilwin's Chocolate NOW OPEN
• Lane Bryant/Cacique NOW OPEN
• Lid's
• Marble Slab Creamery NOW OPEN
• Massage Envy NOW OPEN
• Maurices
• Merle Norman Cosmetics NOW OPEN
• Mermaids Trading Company NOW OPEN
• Motherhood Maternity NOW OPEN
• Nails So Happy
• New York & Company NOW OPEN
• No Regrets Stationery and Gift Boutique NOW OPEN
• Pac Sun
• Paint N' Place
• Paradise Found
• Payless Shoes NOW OPEN
• Peace Frogs Apparel NOW OPEN
• Perfumania NOW OPEN
• Popcorn Kingdom
• Quizno's Sub NOW OPEN
• Rack Room Shoes NOW OPEN
• Red Brick Pizza NOW OPEN
• Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
• Reggae J's Island Grill
• Regions Bank
• Rocky's Cheesesteaks
• Ron Jon Surf Shop NOW OPEN
• Shimmering Seas Jewelry & Gifts
• Smoothie King NOW OPEN
• Solace Day Spa Salon and Aveda Concept Store NOW OPEN
• Southern Water Outfitters NOW OPEN
• Starbucks NOW OPEN
• Sunglass Hut NOW OPEN
• Sunglass World NOW OPEN
• SUNSIGHTS by Solstice NOW OPEN
• Tatoe Tots Children's Clothing NOW OPEN
• Tilly's NOW OPEN
• Things Remembered
• Tootsie's Orchid Lounge NOW OPEN
• Trader Tom's Shells and Gifts NOW OPEN
• Tran Fashions NOW OPEN
• Verizon NOW OPEN
• Victoria's Secret NOW OPEN
• The Walking Co. NOW OPEN
• Yankee Candle NOW OPEN
• Zales Jewelers NOW OPEN

Let us know which store is your favorite and why!
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