"This isn't the end for the po'boys and Deep Fried Love that you have known for more than 75 years." That line comes from George and Ann Hartley's farewell letter, posted on the Seagrove Village MarketCafé website. The letter set Thursday, Oct. 22 as the last day for the Seagrove café and for its sister restaurant, Watersound Village Market. The Hartleys wrote that "since Hurricane Isaias, we have had to make some difficult decisions about our restaurants," and that their family would "use the time ahead to plan for what comes next."
AL.com reported the closure as permanent. The outlet noted that the business opened as a gas station and general store in 1949 and that the Hartleys bought it in 1999. It is also the second time in eleven years that the market has gone dark in late October. The first closure led to a new building next door and a reopening about a year later. This one has led to a holiday season that runs through other Seagrove addresses, from a shopping stroll at Greenway Station to a parade that steps off at Seagrove Plaza.
The market has said goodbye in October before
In November 2015, SoWal described the first farewell. On Oct. 29, 2015, the Hartleys threw a daylong party at the old market with free food, beer, wine and music. The building was then scheduled for demolition to make way for condos. The same story records that Seagrove developer C.H. McGhee opened the market in 1949, "when Scenic 30A was just a little piece of dirt road." Homeowners once left spare keys in a box at the counter for visiting family and repair crews.
That first closure came with a plan already attached. SoWal's updates through 2016 followed construction of a new building on the north end of the property, with a facade facing Highway 395 designed to resemble the old market and porch seating along the south side. By October 2016 the paint was on and the sign was up, and the reopening was set for November.
| October 2015 | October 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Last day | Oct. 29, 2015 | Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026 |
| Stated reason | Old building scheduled for demolition | Decisions made since Hurricane Isaias |
| What the owners said came next | A new market close to the old location | Time "to plan for what comes next" |
| Where to eat meanwhile | The new building opened in late 2016 | Surfing Deer, which takes the closed restaurants' gift cards |
Where the gift cards go now
The Hartleys named one place in their letter, and it is Surfing Deer. They wrote that the storm damaged the outside of that building and the damage is being repaired, but "inside it's business as usual with the same good food, the same friendly faces and plenty of room at the table." Gift cards from any of their restaurants are accepted there for food or merchandise. For readers holding a Village Market card bought as a gift last Christmas, Surfing Deer is where it can still be used.
The Watersound Village Market closure affects the east end as well. AL.com noted that the Inlet Beach café opened in 2023, and the Hartleys' message on that restaurant's page thanked the community for "these past three years."
Isaias did less damage to most of the area's dining. In an Oct. 13 recovery update, 30A.com reported that most restaurants, cafés and stores had reopened, with some running limited menus or services.
The parade starts in Seagrove
The biggest night on the Seagrove calendar this month is billed as a Seaside event. It starts in Seagrove. The Seaside Holiday Parade steps off at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, from Seagrove Plaza at 3723 E County Hwy 30A. It travels west on 30A and ends at the Seaside Amphitheater and Central Square.
The rest of the afternoon follows the plan on Seaside's Turn on the Town page. Emerald Coast Theatre Company performs at Krier Plaza, the Christmas tree is lit at the amphitheater, and Santa takes photos in the Christmas Village until 8 p.m. All parade-registration proceeds go to Point Washington Medical Clinic.
For one afternoon, Seagrove Plaza is the starting line. According to the plaza's directory, tenants include Seagrove Coffee & Donuts, Coastal Steamer & Cafe, Beachside Acai Cafe, the 30A Store, Frankly My Dear Boutique, Emerald Stitchery, Jewelry of 30A, A List Salon and Emerald Coast Massage 30A. Coffee and donuts before a 3 p.m. step-off are available right at the starting line.
Five weeks, in order
The season runs from early November to early December. Here are the dates in order:
- Sunday, Nov. 8, 1 to 4 p.m. The 30A Holiday Shopping Stroll at Greenway Station, 4721 E County Hwy 30A.
- Sunday, Nov. 22, 5 p.m. Ballet Pensacola's free performance of The Nutcracker Act II at Seaside Amphitheater. Lawn seating is first come, first served.
- Saturday, Nov. 28, 3 p.m. The holiday parade from Seagrove Plaza, followed by Turn on the Town in Seaside.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Seaside Holiday Market in Central Square.
- Saturday, Dec. 5, 6 to 10 p.m. Café Thirty-A's Annual Christmas Charity Ball.
Dec. 5 is the busiest day on the list. The holiday market closes at 4 p.m., and the charity ball starts two hours later.
One Seagrove dining room closes for a night, on purpose
The Café Thirty-A Charity Ball is the one holiday event that takes place inside a Seagrove restaurant. From 6 to 10 p.m. on Dec. 5, the restaurant closes to the public and is decorated for the holidays. Guests get complimentary valet and a glass of champagne on arrival. The evening includes hors d'oeuvres, a dinner buffet of signature dishes, a dessert spread, a cash bar, a DJ and a photo booth. Evening attire is requested, black tie optional.
The ball's growth explains why it now anchors the December calendar. Proceeds from the silent auction, raffle and tickets go to Caring and Sharing of South Walton, which provides food and financial help to local families and individuals in need. In 2025 the ball raised a record $90,905 from ticket sales, donations, raffle tickets and auction sales. Anyone planning a regular Saturday dinner at Café Thirty-A should book a different night that week.
The everyday tables that remain
Holiday events fill a few days. Most weeks depend on places open at breakfast and dinner, and the newest one in Seagrove opened this summer. Beach Happy Cafe + Cocktails and the flagship 30A Store opened together after a July 1 ribbon-cutting at 5311 E County Hwy 30A. They serve Amavida coffee, cocktails and curated wines alongside 30A merchandise, as 30A.com reported. The Seagrove location's posted hours run 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Greenway Station carries more of the dinner load. Its merchant roster includes Ghost Crab Pizza & Kitchen and Local Cantina, along with shops and galleries such as Jonah Allen Gallery, Canopy Road, Linen & Sand, Coast Hippie, Latitude 25 and Amor Boutique. The farmers market there launched this May next to The Lodge 30A. One market listing says it runs on Wednesdays through October and on select holiday-week Wednesdays in November and December. Call ahead before planning a morning around it.
The beach access opened this spring and is now in its first off-season. Walton County Tourism lists the Seagrove Regional Beach Access as open since April 7, with 23 parking spaces including ADA and bicycle parking, a 1,011-square-foot restroom, an accessible dune walkover and a connection to the multi-use path. SoWal's opening report gives the address as 3910 E County Hwy 30A. South Walton Fire District's Tower 21 there was scheduled for daily staffing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Oct. 31.
The path along that stretch is due for work. The Tourist Development Council's Oct. 6 financial attachment lists $2.175 million for "Multi-Use 30A: Rebuild 395 to Eastern Lake" and $500,000 for "Deer Lake Path Alignment." The rebuild segment starts at 395, the same highway the Village Market's facade was built to face.
If you own in Seagrove and want to talk about how this stretch of 30A is changing, from the 395 corner to Greenway Station, The Gettings Group follows these openings and closings closely, and we are glad to talk them through with you.
