Scallop festival excitement
Performer Eden Brent welcomes the crowd as she performs on keyboards together with her husband, Bob Brent on guitar. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Kyle Long, from Mexico Beach, sits next to one of his laser-cut wooden signs, of the Forgotten Coast. Long, a former cook who moved with wife Dawn from Missouri, has created a number of such wooden pieces, made from six layers of sandy pine, and birch plywood. The pieces, which range in price from $375 to $1,200, so far include those of St. Joseph Bay, the Emerald Coast, Mexico Beach, St. Andrew Bay, Apalachicola Bay and St. George Island. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
While her fiance, Diego Rutter sits at left, Crystal Follin, who has taken part in the scallop festival for 30 years, ever since she was age 13, talks with daughter Harmony, a Port St. Joe sixth grader. Follin’s booth showcased Coastal Ambiance, which specializes in sand art and sand prints, which memorialize handprints, and even paw prints. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Jason Byrd performs Saturday afternoon at the festival. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Eastpoint’s Dona Harris creates a lemonade shake-up with the help of Franklin County freshmen Kaci Harrell, far left, and Makenna Hathcock. Not pictured is Harris’ partner at Southern Sunny Sips, Brittany Turner. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Retired Air Force 1st. Sgt. Matt Standish, an Iraqi war vet who served for 26 years, shows off an autobiographical work he wrote entitled “You Can Smile Too.” Standish was at the festival representing the Vet Center, a program funded by the Veterans Administration, that addresses the behavioral and psychological needs of military personnel and retirees as well as their families. The center, with offices in Callaway, addresses post-traumatic stress disorder as well as a variety of other issues that can emerge during a military career. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Enjoying the festival are Panama City’s Richard Sersch and wife Amanda Hansel, with their children, from left, Ashton, 2; Aiden, 4: and Jordan, 8. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Amanda Hansel attends to the booth of acrylic paintings and wood pieces created by her husband, artist David J. Hansel. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
The 2024 Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival celebrated its 24th year under sunny skies last weekend, with a large collection of booths, foods and plenty of music.
Gulf County Chamber President and CEO Joe Whitmer oversaw a picture perfect event, put on with the help of a large crop of 22 business and individual supporters, led by partner sponsors D. R. Horton Inc., Rish Real Estate Group, and Renting the Coast Property Management Company.
On Saturday, the music line-up featured Ben Flournoy, Salt Rock Revival, Eden Brent, Jason Byrd and Blackcat Zydeco featuring Dwight Carrier.
On Sunday, the stage featured Sticky Tim, Blue Mother Tupelo, Dirty Little Billy and the The Funky Taters.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.