The Navarre Beach Fishing Pier runs a mile out into the Gulf. When Hurricane Isaias came ashore on Friday, Oct. 9, the pier was the first thing in Santa Rosa County to feel it. Navarre Press reported that winds above 100 mph and storm surge damaged the pier, and drone footage from Jason Stanley showed sections missing.
A month later, the first big community event of Navarre's holiday season is a surf fishing tournament, with anglers casting from the sand at Blue Heron Pavilion on Saturday, Nov. 14. The same day is also the deadline to enter the Navarre Community Christmas Parade. Everything after that, from the Thanksgiving weekend tree lighting to the Dec. 5 parade, depends on what gets settled on Nov. 14.
The pier came back with storm-season rules
On Oct. 15, Santa Rosa County's Hurricane Isaias Update #14 said the Navarre Pier "sustained damage and will be closed until further notice." The next day, Update #15 changed course. It announced the pier would reopen daily from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting Tuesday, Oct. 20. Anglers were asked to bring their own ice, which would be unavailable until further notice, and bait was expected to be restocked by Thursday, Oct. 22.
So the pier came back under tighter terms: set hours, a cooler you pack yourself, and bait arriving a few days after the gates opened. Those terms matter more for a big group event than for one person with a rod. A tournament with youth and adult divisions, a weigh-in deadline and an awards ceremony needs room to spread out. The beach has that room.
Saturday morning at Blue Heron Pavilion
Cast for a Cause: The Derrick Stone Surf Fishing Tournament is on the Navarre Beach Area Chamber of Commerce calendar for Saturday, Nov. 14, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Navarre Beach's Blue Heron Pavilion. The host is Together We Thrive, Inc., and the organizer's registration page lays out the day:
- 6:30 a.m.: Line drop.
- By 1:30 p.m.: Anglers return for weigh-in.
- 2:00 p.m.: Winners announced.
There are two divisions. The adult division covers ages 12 and up and costs $30. The youth division covers ages 11 and under and costs $15. Each division awards prizes for first, second and third place. Two adults and two kids 11 or younger can all enter for $90.
The tournament is named for Derrick Stone. Together We Thrive runs it with Derrick Stone Safe Sleep. According to the organizers, the money raised supports child-safety education and prevention, including safe infant sleep education and resources, home and child safety supplies, caregiver outreach and community programming. In the organizers' words, "You don't have to fish to be part of Derrick's story." They point anyone who would rather not fish toward registering, sponsoring, donating or sharing the campaign.
The sponsor list is local. The presenting sponsors are Florida Health – Santa Rosa County and Cribs for Kids. Also backing the event are British Swim School of Greater Pensacola, IDump.Co Dumpster Rental, SeaChange Mental Health, Eglin Federal Credit Union and FishBites. Z96, at 96.5 FM, is the exclusive media partner and Tin Can Beverage Co. is the exclusive beverage partner. The tournament rules were reviewed by the Gulf Coast Land-Based Fishing Guide Association. The organizers ask anglers to read them before tournament day.
The same Saturday closes the parade lineup
While anglers are weighing in on the beach, the Chamber stops taking entries for the December parade. The Annual Navarre Community Christmas Parade page lists an entry deadline of Nov. 14. Entries cost $50 for Chamber members and $100 for nonmembers.
Any church group, scout troop or small business that has been meaning to put together a float has until Saturday, Nov. 14, to sign up. The 2026 parade marshal is Craig Born of Risen Savior Lutheran Church. The Chamber's Christmas in the Park page adds one rule for entries: no political candidates or political organizations.
That deadline also locks in the parade route for Dec. 5. The parade steps off at 1 p.m. from the Navarre Library and heads south on Presidio Street. It turns left on Esplanade Street and finishes in the back parking lot of Centennial Bank.
The Saturdays in between stay small
Saturday, Nov. 21, the one weekend between the tournament and Thanksgiving, belongs to recurring markets. The Chamber calendar lists the Pik-itz Open Air Market on Nov. 14, 21 and 28. The Hwy 87 Market at Sand Dollar Plaza is on Saturday, Nov. 21. That outdoor market runs on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Brunch at Beach House Social is listed on Sundays, Nov. 15 and Nov. 22.
These markets are useful if you want to shop early. If you sell handmade goods and missed the cutoff for a December booth, they're also a lower-key way to get in front of buyers before the larger Merry Market at Navarre Park.
Thanksgiving weekend moves everything to Navarre Parkway
After Thanksgiving, the season moves inland. The Chamber's Shop, Dine & Explore Holiday Kickoff runs Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28. Instead of one venue, it is spread across participating local businesses. It's free, and every purchase of $25 or more earns an entry in a prize drawing. There is no cap on how many qualifying receipts you can enter. The more stops you make over the two days, the more chances you have in the drawing.
On Friday evening, the season comes together at one address. The Annual Navarre Community Christmas Tree Lighting runs from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Navarre Park, 8513 Navarre Parkway, and the tree is set to light at about 5:25 p.m. The Chamber lists holiday music, hot chocolate, coffee and cookies. The event is free and open to everyone. Because the lighting is so close to the end, anyone who arrives at 5:15 still sees it.
Dec. 5 brings the whole season to one park
Eight days after the tree lighting, Navarre Park hosts the biggest event of the season. The 32nd Annual Christmas in the Park & Merry Market runs Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It features local artists, crafters and small retailers, a limited number of food and beverage vendors, and performances all day from school groups, church choirs and local talent.
That's where the Nov. 14 deadline pays off. The parade rolls at 1 p.m., right in the middle of the market. When it ends, Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Grinch go straight to Navarre Park for free photos. If you shop the market in the morning, walk over for the parade and come back for photos, you'll see the whole event in one afternoon.
Here's the season on one page:
| Date | Event | Where | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Cast for a Cause surf fishing tournament | Blue Heron Pavilion, Navarre Beach | Line drop 6:30 a.m., winners at 2 p.m. | $30 adult, $15 youth |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Christmas parade entry deadline | Online through the Chamber | Deadline day | $50 member, $100 nonmember |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Hwy 87 Market | Sand Dollar Plaza | 1st and 3rd Saturdays | See market listing |
| Fri. to Sat., Nov. 27 to 28 | Shop, Dine & Explore Holiday Kickoff | Participating local businesses | Business hours | Free, $25 receipts earn entries |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Community Christmas Tree Lighting | Navarre Park, 8513 Navarre Parkway | 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., lighting near 5:25 | Free |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Christmas in the Park & Merry Market | Navarre Park | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Free Santa photos |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Navarre Community Christmas Parade | Navarre Library to Centennial Bank | 1 p.m. | Entries closed Nov. 14 |
At Coastal Collective Group, we're Navarre neighbors, and we'll be following the pier and the Navarre Park calendar right along with you this season. If the storm has you wondering how a home near the beach or the Parkway is holding up, or what this fall means for your plans, schedule a free consultation and we'll go through it with you over coffee, or over hot chocolate at the tree lighting.
