COMMUNICATIONS
2023 Perfect in Walton County Awards:
The nomination period will be open from Aug. 15 to Sept. 9 with write-in nominations accepted only online on www.perfectinwaltoncounty.com. The general public (visitors and residents alike) can nominate their favorite Walton County businesses, events, and activities during this time. Visitor-facing businesses from either the north or south side of the Choctawhatchee Bay in Walton County are eligible for nominations.
Nominations can be made in as many or as few categories as you wish, but we will accept only one online form per email address. (No duplicates will be accepted.) Partners may encourage their guests, customers, followers, the general public, friends, and family to nominate and vote for their businesses on their social media channels. Please review the contest rules HERE. Remember: every nomination counts and every vote counts!
The top 5 nominees in each category will move on to the voting round, which begins Sept. 26 and ends Oct. 21 on www.perfectinwaltoncounty.com. The top 3 businesses with the highest number of votes in each category will be recognized as Diamond, Platinum or Gold winners at the Perfect in Walton County Awards in Jan. 2023.
To view a complete list of the 2022 winners, go to visitsouthwalton.com/2022-perfect-south-walton-awards or view the online version of the Perfect guide. For more information about the Perfect in Walton County Awards program, please contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at (850) 333-2728 or Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com.
2023 Walton County Artist of the Year:
The Walton County Tourism Department will begin accepting applications for the 2023 Artist of the Year Award on Monday, Aug. 15, 2022. Currently, in its 21st year, this award will recognize a local artist who lives and works in Walton County and whose signature style embodies the creativity and beauty for which the area is known.
Artists who meet the qualifications can find instructions and apply online at waltoncountyaoy.com. If you’d prefer to send in/drop off a hard copy, please download the rules and application.
The Artist of the Year Award is a community program that showcases local artists, promoting the selected artist’s work throughout the year through a variety of publicity opportunities and events. The winner will also receive an award of $4,000 in exchange for a commissioned piece of artwork that will be on display in Walton County.
The deadline for submissions for the Artist of the Year program will be Friday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. The winner will be announced during the Perfect in Walton County Awards presentation in January 2023.
Walton County in the News:
Walton County was featured in a variety of high-profile publications recently, including Southern Living, Travel + Leisure, TripAdvisor, Brides, and Southern Cast Iron. Examples of these press mentions can be found below, and a complete list is available HERE.
- Southern Living: 7 Best Beaches on Florida's Gulf Coast
- Travel + Leisure: The 14 Best Beaches in Florida — From Romantic Islands to Family-Friendly Spots
- TripAdvisor: 19 Crowd-Free U.S. Beaches to Escape to This Summer
- Brides: Here are 15 Beautiful Beach Wedding Venues to Book in the US
- Southern Cast Iron (Print Edition): The South's Best Farmer's Markets
Press Release Roundup:
We've recently shared information about the opening of nominations for the annual Perfect in Walton County Awards, the tourism department's director of marketing earning her CDME credential, and the tourism department's new director.
These press releases, and others, can be viewed HERE.
What's New in Walton County:
Does your business have a new menu, a new location/offering, an event, or have you recently renovated? We'd love to know "What's New" at your business. Please email Garrison Davis, content & public relations specialist, at Garrison@visitsouthwalton.com or call (850) 267-1216 for more information.
To view our latest "What's New" press release, CLICK HERE.
Walton County Cuts Ribbon on New Park:
On Aug. 10, Walton County Commissioners and community stakeholders held a ribbon cutting for its newest park facility, the Choctawhatchee River Paddle Trail at Cowford Landing.
Located approximately 100 yards past the existing Cowford Boat Launch, located at SR 20 and the Choctawhatchee River at 55 Big Cedar Road, Ponce De Deon, FL, this facility includes two screened-in pavilions, a restroom facility, picnic tables and benches, canoe/kayak racks, handicap accessible canoe/kayak launch and associated boardwalk, and parking facility. The construction of the site was funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund through the US Department of Interior, the National Park Service, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Walton County Preservation Fund.
This new park facility is an incredible addition to the Walton County community and will ensure that both residents and visitors can enjoy the area's incredible natural resources, whether they choose to paddle and kayak along the river or just enjoy the views and amenities of the park.
Create/Update Your Business Listing:
This summer we are making a big push to include all visitor-facing businesses throughout the county in our database. The team has been meeting with various industry partners to discuss how being a Walton County Tourism partner would be beneficial for their business(es), especially as we are highlighting the northern part of our county and its attractions, in addition to South Walton, in our print guides and on our website.
Are you taking advantage of the free business listings on our website? CLICK HERE to register your business or access our partner portal, where you can review and update your company information. If you are a visitor-facing business in Walton County and do not currently have a listing on our website, we'd be happy to help you create one. Our accommodations partners are listed on the Book>Direct search engine, while non-lodging businesses are listed under different categories of our Things to Do section.
Please contact Amelia Hester, database specialist, at Amelia@visitsouthwalton.com or (850) 267-1216 for assistance.
Free Hospitality Job Listings:
The Walton County Tourism Department wants to help support our partners who are looking to add to their teams. We've created a jobs listings page on our website to share openings and opportunities.
If you're currently hiring staff in the hospitality industry, we hope this is a great resource for you.
To list available positions on this page, please contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or call (850) 333-2728. Businesses must be located within Walton County and in the tourism/hospitality industry to be included.
Events Calendar:
Check out our Events calendar to find out what’s happening in Walton County! If you would like to share your upcoming event, on our calendar, CLICK HERE to submit your event details. For more information, contact Industry Relations Specialist Lisa Foster at Lisa@visitsouthwalton.com or (850) 333-2728.
| CONTACT US |
     Visit South Walton 25777 US Hwy 331 S | Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 VisitSouthWalton.com | (850) 267-1216 |