On Saturday, October 23, The Market Shops will host its Sixth Annual Bloody Mary Festival. The annual event, powered by Step One Automotive Group, will feature unlimited tastes of South Walton's most creative and innovative bloody marys made with Distillery 98's Dune Laker Vodka and served by the finest restaurants and bars on the Emerald Coast.

Guests are invited from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to enjoy up to 25 of South Walton's most coveted bloody marys served in specialty cups provided by Compass Builders of Florida and Frillseekers Gifts. Restaurants confirmed to compete for the 2021 Best Bloody Mary in South Walton include Bijoux Restaurant + Spirits, Bitterroot, Emeril's Coastal, The Henderson, Jackacudas, Ovide, Signature Catering of 30A, Stinky's Fish Camp, The Grove, The Local Catch, The Beach House and many more. A panel of select food critics and local celebrities will judge each bloody mary to select the winners for the most delicious and most creative. There will also be a highly coveted first-, second-, and third-place People's Choice Award that is selected by each guest in attendance whose votes will be tallied by Hill Coleman, CPA.

Apart from the bloody marys, there will also be plenty of food from the various restaurants located directly in The Market Shops, including Ben & Jerrys, Bijoux Restaurants + Spirits, and Jon Smith Subs. For the non-bloody mary aficionado, there will be local craft brews served by Idyll Hounds Brewing Company along with champagne, provided by Hey Mama Wines, from the Bubbly Bar sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, Residence Inn by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, and the Hyatt Place by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard. Guests will be able to cool off with alcohol-infused popsicles provided by Swell Pops and a hydration station by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty. A lounge area with additional seating and cornhole games provided by Vacayzen will be set up on the main lawn, along with SEC football streaming on the big screen courtesy of Insurance Zone.