The Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights Festival takes place every year at the Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. The 2023 event will take place on Saturday, November 18th from 4:00-6:00pm.
The Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights event at the Village of Baytowne Wharf is an evening full of holiday spirit, delicious appetizers, and of course, sparkling wine.
This is one of the festivals that I never miss. It’s such a magical way to kick off the Christmas season in Destin.
Late November is a bit early to be thinking about Christmas for some people but not for me. I start thinking about Christmas in July so I enjoy having a holiday event before Thanksgiving to get in the spirit.
The Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights Festival takes place on the beautifully decorated streets of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin.
There’s a special magic about walking around Baytowne at night. It’s quaint, colorful and contained with plenty to see and do.
This magical atmosphere of Baytowne Wharf makes it the perfect backdrop for holiday events, and especially this one where the addition of holiday lights and Christmas decorations adds even more beautiful ambiance.
Food and Wine at the Baytowne Sparkling Wine Festival
Your Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights event ticket includes tastings of more than 30 champagnes and delicious appetizers from featured Baytowne Wharf Village restaurants.
The food and wine is spread out around the Village with each stop having a table with either an appetizer item or several wine options to try.
Ticket holders at the event will receive a festival guide at the entrance with a map of all the stops around the Village and details about each menu item available.
They will also be given a wristband and an engraved keepsake champagne glass to have refilled at the various merchant stops around the Village.
Participating restaurants serving appetizers include Slick Lips Seafood and Oyster House, Poppy’s Seafood Restaurant, Marlin Grill, Hartell’s Diner, and many others.
Menu items in past years have included Swedish Meatballs & Crab Bites from Rum Runners, Caprese Skewers from Robertos, BBQ Gulf Shrimp and Grits from Poppy’s Crazy Lobster, the award winning Gumbo from Slick Lips, and Key Lime Pie Bites from Hammerheads, among other things.
Tickets to the Baytowne Sparkling Wine Festival are $45 if purchased on the website in advance. Your wristband allows for unlimited tastings during the 2-hour event so you can even try your favorites twice.
Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights is one of Destin’s most popular events but Baytowne has an attendance cap on it to keep the lines from being long.
The years I have been, most of the lines were only a few people deep at the most but sometimes a little more for the most popular stops. At the most I waited only a few minutes for each.
Baytowne Holiday Lights at the Sparkling Wine Festival
There will be holiday decor all around the Village to enjoy while you stroll around the Village but the Sparkling Wine Festival will also end with the first tree lighting of the season and a sneak peek at Baytowne Wharf’s choreographed light show, 12 Nights of Lights.
This is just a sneak peek of the tree lighting and light show so don’t expect the Christmas tree to be lit up on the days following this event. That is Santa’s job when he makes his grand arrival in the Village a week later and officially lights up the big Christmas tree.
Get your tickets early for the Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights events because it almost always sells out well ahead of the event day. I have actually never seen a year when tickets are still available on the event day.
About Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin
The Village of Baytowne Wharf is located within the gates of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort but it is always open to the public. Sandestin is a gated resort in Miramar Beach but when you tell the guard you are going to Baytowne they will give you a pass.
You must have a ticket in order to drink and sample food at this event but friends, family, and children are welcome to walk around the event with or without a ticket.
There will be plenty of other things to do at Baytowne Wharf on the event night if you are just here to enjoy the Village ambiance and the sneak peak of the Christmas Lights.
The zip line, climbing wall, carousel, trampolines and arcade will all be open and running on the festival night. The winter ice skating rink will also be open.
Accommodations for Baytowne Sparkling Wine and Holiday Lights
Sandestin Golf and Beach resort offers discounted room rates for accommodations when you combine your room with event tickets. Call them directly for more information on the packages available. With it being off season, they often have good deals on accommodations directly in the Village where you might even have a view of the event from your balcony.
There are 4 condo buildings directly in the Village: Pilot House, Market Street Inn, and Observation Point North and South. There are 4 more condo buildings just steps away along a tree-lined path: Elation, Bahia, La Sata and the Grand Sandestin.
Another good option if you have a larger party is Le Jardin which is a cluster of 3-bedroom 3-story townhouses located in a gated courtyard directly in the Village. You can hear the sounds and festivities from your front porch there.
All of the options mentioned above can be booked directly through Sandestin Golf and Beach resort and combined with tickets for everyone in your party.
All of the accommodations on Sandestin property are individually owned so you can also check VRBO, Air BnB, or any other vacation rental management company for options if you purchase tickets separately. Sometimes you can get good last minute details in November.
The most extravagant option would be to stay at Hotel Effie, Sandestin’s newest luxury hotel located within a very short walk to the Village. You will have panoramic views of Baytowne Wharf and Sandestin marina from the rooftop pool and bar there.
Hotel Effie does not have ticket package options so you would need to purchase them separately.
Keep in mind that Sandestin is a very large resort so only the options listed above are within walking distance to the event. If you stay in other areas of the resort, there is a free shuttle to take you to the event or you can get there by golf cart if you rent a unit that comes with one. If you stay off Sandestin property you will need to drive to the festival.
I hope you enjoy this amazing Sandestin holiday event! I have included links for anything mentioned in this post and related posts below.
- RELEVANT LINKS
- –Purchase Sparkling Wine Fest Tickets (On Sale Summer of 2023): http://www.baytownesparklingwinefest.com
- –Book Sandestin Ticket Packages: https://sandestin.com
- –Book Hotel Effie: https://www.hoteleffie.com
- –Baytowne Wharf Events Calendar: https://www.baytownewharf.com/what_to_do.php
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Hi, I’m Sarah–the creator, writer and photographer behind this site. I sell prints, books, journals, and calendars all made from my Emerald Coast photography and I also manage a few vacation rentals on beautiful Holiday Isle in Destin if you want me to be your helpful, knowledgeable host when you visit.
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