On a Float, On a Boat, In a Play...Santa Clause is Coming to Town!

The Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker is the quintessential holiday performance to see! Bring the entire family to celebrate the magic of Christmas with the Moscow's Ballet almost 40 ballerinas and danseurs on December 1, at the Panama City Marina Civic Center. Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker is known for its award-winning dancers, lavish costumes and backdrops and its Russian focus, including the life-size Matryoshka Dolls. Adults and children will enjoy the special effects of the flapping winged owl on the Grandfather clock, the growing 50-foot-tall Christmas Tree, the Dove of Peace with a 20-foot wingspan, and of course, the leaps, spins and extraordinary moves of the performers!

On Saturday, December 2, bring the entire family to Downtown Panama City for a night of magic at the annual Jaycees Christmas Parade. For seventy years, spectators have lined Harrison Avenue to watch the wonders unfold and anxiously await the arrival of Santa Clause! This years' theme is "A Whoville Holiday". But, don't worry, the Grinch isn't here to steal Christmas this year - the parade is sure to bring cheer to all, far and near!

The following weekend, Christmas lights will adorn boats and yachts at the annual Boat Parade of Lights. A nautical Christmas tradition overlooking St. Andrews Bay, the Boat Parade of Lights is free family-friendly event. The parade begins on Saturday, December 9, at 4 PM. Viewing locations are located at the St. Andrews Yacht Club, the Panama City Marina, the St. Andrews Marina and Sun Harbor Marina. There will be a variety of fun activities available at the viewing locations including Christmas music, photo ops with Santa, food and craft vendors, and a fireworks show at the Panama City Marina.

For a night full of laughs, catch The Best Christmas Pageant Ever playing at the Martin Theatre with multiple show times on December 8 - December 16. In this hilarious Christmas classic, a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with casting the Herdman kids - probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won't believe the mayhem - and fun - when the Herdman's collide with the Christmas story head on!

Comedian Ron White will be at the Marina Civic Center on January 5, 2018. Best known as the cigar smoking, scotch drinking funnyman from the highly acclaimed "Blue Collar Comedy Tour", White has two Grammy nominations, a Gold Record, TV show specials, and a New York Times Best Selling book. This act is for mature audiences. You can purchase tickets by visiting MarinaCivicCenter.com.

Discover more events by visiting our website.

Gift Yourself a Trip to Panama City

Look forward to your winter vacation with sunny skies and pleasant temperatures in Panama City! We offer great winter lodging rates, diverse shopping and charming restaurants that serve freshly caught seafood all year-round.

Our winter activities on the beautiful shores of St. Andrews Bay are endless. Eat your way through more than a dozen stops and meet some of the fastest oyster shuckers on the Panama City Oyster Trail. Hire a professional guide for the best charter fishing you've ever known. Inshore or offshore, the fish are biting year-round. You hook 'em and a professional chef will cook 'em at select local restaurants. Enjoy picture perfect sunsets and spend your evenings listening to live entertainment at a variety of venues.

Download the Panama City Visitors Guide for free trip planning information or call (850) 215-1700.

Artists Jean McDougal

Panama City's sparkling blue waters and breathtaking sunsets are the perfect inspiration for creativity. As a result, talented artists of all stripes and colors call Panama City home. Every month, we feature the handmade objects and inspiration of this creative core. This month, shell diver, Jean McDougal.

Meet PC Artist Jean McDougal

How long have you been doing this and how did you get started?
I've been diving for 28 years. It's a family tradition. My grandmother started collecting shells from the Red Sea and the tradition continued.

How did you learn the craft?
I learned from my mom. She taught me how to properly clean the shell without damaging or hurting it. There's a lot of chemistry involved.

What are your current focuses or themes?
Some people are not interested in just the shells, so we try to turn them into more of an art form by creating shadow boxes and ways of displaying them.

How has your work and technique evolved over time?
It's a learning curve. You have to be able to properly clean and identify the shells, know your scientific terms, how to measure them and how they grow. Science is always changing and you learn new things every day. Once you find the shells and get them to the boat, they have to go in water or on ice. Once they are home, they are cleaned like a regular scallop, then the process of cleaning and removing growth with dental tools begins.

How do you source your materials?
I dive for the shells and find them anywhere from 60 to 120 feet deep in the Gulf. They like the reefs the most, but they can also be found in bridge spans.

Are you a native of the area, or did you relocate here?
I was born on Tyndall Air Force Base, but I moved and then came back in 1995. That's really when the shell collecting started for me. This area along the Gulf is one of the best areas to find them. Once you get past the "big bend", they're almost impossible to find.

The Destination Panama City Visitors Center is now open! Visit us at 1000 Beck Avenue for free local information.