At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, writer Judith Dupré was scheduled to give an illustrated presentation of her novel-in-progress at the Walton County Coastal Branch Library on Greenway Trail in Santa Rosa Beach. It was a small weekday-morning event, and it was the last one on the 2026 calendar for Escape to Create, the artist residency Seaside has hosted since 1993.
There won't be a 2027 version. The residency's homepage now opens with one line: "ESCAPE TO CREATE IS ON HIATUS IN 2027. CHECK BACK FOR MORE INFO."
That changes the slow months more than it might seem to. Seaside's official winter events have always clustered on a few big weekends. For more than three decades, the weeknight and Sunday-afternoon culture in between came largely from a program run by volunteers and paid for by people who own and do business in town. Next January and February show what the season looks like without it.
A residency built from borrowed cottages
Escape to Create describes itself as a volunteer-managed nonprofit and a "multi-disciplinary creative retreat hosted by the town of Seaside, Florida since 1993." Its residencies are funded by Seaside homeowners, merchants and donors. The Seaside Institute's history timeline lists the residency's founding in 1993. Escape to Create's own site calls it a core program started by homeowners, and it thanks the Seaside Institute and the Seaside REP for supporting its outreach.
The format is simple. Artists get month-long residencies in January and February and stay in cottages in town so they can focus on their work. The Seaside Institute's winter 2024 issue of the Seaside Times reported that Seaside homeowners donate those cottages, and that 11 creatives were selected for sessions running January 1 to 30 and February 1 to 28, 2024.
So the program depends on the town's owners in a very direct way. During the two months when many cottages would otherwise sit empty or see short stays, a few of them housed composers, filmmakers and writers. In return, those artists gave the public readings, receptions, talks and performances. The residency also calls itself a "cultural cornerstone of five New Urban towns" along 30A, so its reach went beyond Seaside's own streets.
What the final season put on the calendar
The 2026 roster had two sessions. Session I was Eboni Fondren, Emily Harrold, Christine Murray, Laurence Sherr and Harold D. Smith. Session II was Dia Felix, Judith Dupré and Bryant Whelan. Here is how their public events were scheduled:
| Date | Day | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 7, 2026 | Wednesday | Eboni Fondren, jazz performance | Walton County Coastal Branch Library |
| January 25, 2026 | Sunday | Laurence Sherr, guitar work; Harold D. Smith, exhibit and artist talk | Anne Hunter Galleries |
| January 28, 2026 | Wednesday | Emily Harrold and Christine Murray, filmmaker presentations | Walton County Coastal Branch Library |
| February 22, 2026 | Sunday | Bryant Whelan and Dia Felix, artist reception and talks | Anne Hunter Galleries |
| February 25, 2026 | Wednesday | Judith Dupré, illustrated presentation of a novel-in-progress | Walton County Coastal Branch Library |
The pattern is clear. Every event landed on a Wednesday or a Sunday, and none of them overlapped with the town's big winter weekends. The program filled the gaps between them. That rhythm won't be there in 2027.
The holiday stretch is untouched
The first half of this winter is already set, and Seaside runs all of it. The town's Christmas in SEASIDE guide, published October 28, lays out a busy six weeks:
- Sunday, November 22, 5 p.m. Ballet Pensacola performs The Nutcracker Act II in the Amphitheater.
- Friday, November 27, 7 p.m. Central Square Cinema's Holiday Movie Night shows How the Grinch Stole Christmas with Jim Carrey. Bring a blanket, towel or lawn chair.
- Saturday, November 28, 3 to 8 p.m. Turn on the Town and Holiday Parade includes a parade on 30A, an Emerald Coast Theatre Company performance at Krier Plaza, the town lighting in the Amphitheater, and photos with Santa at the Christmas Village until 8 p.m. Parade registration proceeds go to Point Washington Medical Clinic.
- December 5 and 6. The SEASIDE Holiday Market brings local artisans and makers to town.
- December 12 through 23, 4 to 6 p.m. nightly. Santa visits.
- New Year's Eve, 4 to 9 p.m. Central Square has arts and crafts, face painting and a photo spot in front of the Post Office, with live music starting at 5:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. Watch from the Amphitheater or the beach.
Through the whole season, Miracle at The Daytrader is running daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., first come, first served. The guide calls it Northwest Florida's only Miracle Pop-Up Bar, set up under the bar's thatched roof. The Daytrader also made the 2026 Michelin Guide, and Chef Nikhil and Hannah Grace Abuvala credited their team and thanked their guests and the community.
On the town's calendar, December runs nearly nonstop. Fireworks on New Year's Eve close the run.
January 2027 rests on one long weekend
After the holidays, the official calendar changes pace. In its Seaside in Winter guide, dated October 15, the town lists the 30A Songwriters Festival for January 15 to 18, 2027. Seaside is home to one of the festival's two main stages, and the festival opens Friday night with headliners at the Seaside Amphitheater.
That four-day weekend is the biggest event of the month. For the rest of January, the steady anchor is the Seaside Farmers Market, which runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Amphitheater in January through May and again August through December. It runs rain or shine unless the weather turns unsafe.
Airstream Row also has a newer stop for those Saturday mornings. Wild Nectar, a juice bar and coastal kitchen owned by Kolbi Amos and Hayden Shaw, opened by mid-May 2026. It serves fresh-pressed juices, açaí bowls, salads, sandwiches and rotating seasonal specials. In the town's announcement, Seaside Community Development Corporation General Manager Kevin Boyle said the opening came after months of collaboration and adds to the experience the Airstream merchants offer.
The town's guide also suggests long lunches and slow afternoons, such as a sunset dinner at Bud & Alley's, which has served oceanfront dining in Seaside since 1986. It adds that shop hours vary by merchant in winter, so check ahead.
In 2026, Escape to Create had three events scheduled in January: a Wednesday performance, a Sunday reception and a Wednesday film program. In January 2027, the festival weekend and the Saturday market are what remain on the published schedule.
February belongs to the runners
February's anchor is the SEASIDE SCHOOL Half Marathon + 5K. Race weekend runs February 11 to 14, 2027, and race day falls on Sunday, February 14, Valentine's Day.
Compare that with last February. The 2026 residency's Session II artists held a Sunday reception at Anne Hunter Galleries on February 22 and a Wednesday morning talk at the Coastal Branch Library three days later. In late February 2027, the town's published calendar has the Saturday farmers market and no residency events.
The town's guide calls winter a quieter season on the Gulf, with more room on the beach and on the sandy paths. The Amphitheater and the Saturday market stay in use through it. For 2027, the artists in donated cottages and the small-room events between festivals are paused, and the residency that Seaside homeowners, merchants and donors paid for is asking visitors to check back for more information.
If you own a Seaside cottage and the quieter January and February are changing how you plan to use it, or whether you rent it out, James Sanchez and our team can walk you through what owners nearby are doing this season. We'll lay out the options in plain numbers and help you plan the winter, starting with a free home valuation.
