PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -Saturday night was the night to grab your dancing shoes and hit the dance floor. Basic Northwest Florida hosted their 5th Annual Red Tie Ball. The organization told NewsChannel 7 they have faced setbacks in the past few years due to Hurricane Michael and COVID but they were back this year. The president and CEO said more than 250 tickets were sold.
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)– After almost a year of recovering from a tragic car crash that police tell us involved a drunk driver, News 13’s Tess Rowland is celebrating the milestone in her recovery by hosting a local food truck competition that benefits the local community. The #TessStrong Food Truck Fest will take place on May 21 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Carl Grey Park.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – On Saturday, McKenzie Park will play host to the Discover Asia event which will give you an inside look at Asian culture. Discover Asia will run from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and will feature a wide variety of vendors and exotic Asian cuisine.
ST.ANDREWS, Fla. (WMBB) — St. Andrews Marina was full of people participating in the 25th Annual Blessing of the Fleet on Saturday morning. The event included a fish fry to raise money for Second Chance of Northwest Florida and a celebration of the end of winter with the Burning of the Socks.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – The Miller gallery will include a variety of Asian art pieces, ranging from textiles and scrolls of art to common household items to celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – House of Hope Outreach Ministry is hosting a Day of Hope this weekend with a community health fair. It will be from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 at the House of Hope Outreach Ministry at 1700 E. 11th Street.
BAY COUNTY Fla. (WMBB) – It’s going to be a busy summer on the FSU Panama City campus. The college is partnering with Bay District Schools on a new program that will provide public school students with Career Technology Education certifications. It’s called ASCENT and it will benefit both students and teachers. “Information technology degree focusing on career-related fields, specifically focusing on Cybersecurity and STEAM related fields,” ASCENT program manager Suzanne Remedies
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — A historical sailing schooner that was damaged during Hurricane Michael is officially being rebuilt. Panama City commissioners approved the short-term lease of the St. Andrews School pavilion for the Governor Stone rebuild project. Friends of the Governor Stone, Inc. has spent the last three years raising $150,000 to obtain a $1.5 million dollar FEMA Historical Grant to rebuild the boat.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — The Florida Roots semi-pro soccer team held its first game of the 2022 NPSL season against Tallahassee at Tommy Oliver Stadium. The Roots play 14 games this year, in its second season. Last year they went 1-11-2. But this season ownership has overhauled the entire team with new players and coaching staff
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – The second annual Hats and Horses charity benefit put on by VBA design to help raise funds for Club 360 took place Saturday. “We wanted to do something to benefit club 360 and it seemed like a great situation, a great excuse to have a Kentucky Derby party and watch the race,” VBA Design owner Victoria Williams said. The afternoon event looked like your standard Kentucky Derby party.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – The Market at St. Andrews celebrated more than its 18 birthday Saturday morning. It held its first farmer’s market at Oaks by the Bay Park in Panama City. It used to be in the parking lot of the C.S.S. Yacht Basin along Beck Avenue. Management said the new location will allow for less wind and more space, parking, and greenery for people and pets alike. “On Saturdays, it gives families a pretty cost-friendly thing to do for a few hours,” said Kelsey Douds, the Market Manager for the Market at St. Andrews. “It’s a safe place to hang out.”
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — The Panama City Center of the Arts opened an Asian and Pacific Islander art exhibit on Friday. The work is a collection of Asian and Pacific artifacts from people who live in Bay County. The exhibit features Chinese and Japanese watercolor paintings, textiles from Kazakhstan and Nepal and outfits and dolls from Korea.
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — This Cinco de Mayo is the one-year anniversary of the opening of a local taco truck. Buddies Seth Carpenter and Ian Weber are celebrating the special milestone. “Thought about who else would do it with me… Got Ian to help out and he’s been doing great, so we’ve just been running it together and things have been going fairly smoothly,” Carpenter said. “Especially for a first year, a lot of learning experiences, but we’re getting there slowly but surely.”
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — Comic book fans and collectors of all ages are in for a treat Saturday. It’s the 20th annual ‘Free Comic Book Day’. There will be comics for young readers, teens and adults at Comic Emporium, Arena Comics and at the Bay County Public Library. The comic shops will have comics available on a first come first serve basis. The library will have blind bags containing several age-appropriate comics.
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB)– Bay County residents have a saying, “I live where you vacation.” Tourism is the number one industry in the area, and several local organizations are taking the time to celebrate the opportunities the industry brings to the area. National Tourism Week takes place from May 1st through 7th, but the Bay County Chamber of Commerce and Destination Panama City are collaborating to host events all month long for locals to enjoy.