Over three weeks, from Saturday, November 14, to Saturday, December 5, three fundraisers set Rosemary Beach's holiday calendar. Each one uses more of the town than the one before. Uncorked fills a square for three hours. The 30A 10K Thanksgiving Day Races close Scenic Highway 30A for the whole morning. The Rosemary Beach Foundation's Holiday Tour of Homes opens the front doors of six private residences.
The beneficiaries overlap. Caring and Sharing of South Walton receives money from two of the three events, and so does Children's Volunteer Health Network.
November 14: One Square, Ten Kitchens
Rosemary Beach Uncorked returns for its 15th year on Saturday, November 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. The ticketing page lists the location as 48 S Barrett Square and names Rosemary Beach Merchants as the organizer. That makes it the one event of the three run by the businesses on the squares.
The restaurant lineup reads like a directory of the town center: Amavida Coffee, Blue By Night, Edward's, Cowgirl Kitchen, La Crema Tapas & Chocolate, Restaurant Paradis, CK's Feed & Supply, Havana Beach Bar & Grill, Pescado and Tahona Tacos & Tequileria. The event's FAQ names Tom Garrett of Dakota Shy Winery as the featured winemaker for the VIP experience.
General admission is $225 and VIP is $350. In early November, the official Uncorked site showed the event as sold out and was taking names for a waitlist. This year's proceeds go to Caring and Sharing of South Walton and Children's Volunteer Health Network.
Uncorked stays within one square and one afternoon. The next event takes over the main road.
November 26: The Highway Becomes the Course
The 30A 10K Thanksgiving Day Races also mark their 15th year in 2026, with a 10K, a 5K and a 1-Mile Fun Run on Thursday, November 26. All three races start and finish on Scenic Highway 30A in the heart of Rosemary Beach. 30A.com reports that the courses are USATF-certified and that awards go to the top finishers and to the runners in the most festive costumes.
If you live in Rosemary Beach, the race schedule matters more than the finish times, because it also sets the schedule for the road. Here is the organizer's published plan for race week:
| When | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 25, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Packet pickup, with no pickup on race day | The Big Chill, 7000 E County Hwy 30A, Watersound |
| Thu., Nov. 26, 7:00 a.m. | Highway 30A closes to all traffic | East Water Street to the Bridge Lane turnaround |
| 7:30 a.m. | 10K starts | Start/finish line in Rosemary Beach |
| 7:35 a.m. | 1-Mile Fun Run starts | Start/finish line in Rosemary Beach |
| 9:30 a.m. | 5K starts | Course extends north on Watersound Parkway |
| After the races | Awards ceremony and post-race party | North Barrett Square |
The organizer's notices say Highway 30A reopens between 10:30 and 11 a.m. The closed section runs from East Water Street, at the start/finish line, west to the 10K turnaround at Bridge Lane just east of The Big Chill. The 5K closure also runs north on Watersound Parkway to the Camp Creek Inn entrance. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, assume the corridor between Rosemary Beach and the Watersound side of 30A is closed to cars until late morning, and plan any early grocery runs or airport pickups around it.
The race's FAQ says parking is limited. It suggests parking north of Highway 98 at 30Avenue and walking into Rosemary Beach through the underground pedestrian path. That underpass also makes 30Avenue the natural meeting point for guests coming from outside town on race morning.
Last year's results show how many people came. On Thanksgiving Day 2025, the published results list 1,432 finishers in the 5K and 967 in the 10K, for 2,399 timed finishers before the Fun Run is counted. MyPanhandle described the 2025 turnout as "Thousands."
Registration for 2026 is open through 11:59 p.m. CST on Tuesday, November 24. The 10K and 5K each cost $115, and the 1-Mile Fun Run costs $45. Every participant gets a custom finisher medal, an official race shirt and post-race treats. In North Barrett Square, the party has a local DJ, vendor booths and a Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bar.
Of the three events, the race reaches the most charities. Its 2026 partners are Children's Volunteer Health Network, Children in Crisis, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County and Bailey Brigade. According to 30A.com, the organization has given more than $1 million to local nonprofits over 15 years. In the same article, Children in Crisis development manager Justin Schwab credited the partnership with "a direct and lasting impact on the lives of vulnerable children throughout Northwest Florida."
The race uses a public road for a morning. Nine days later, the third event opens private homes.
December 5: Six Front Doors
The Rosemary Beach Holiday Tour of Homes is on Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check-in is at North Barrett Square, the same square that hosts the race party, and the Rosemary Beach Foundation is the organizer. The tour is self-guided. The town describes it as a stroll on foot through the streets and boardwalks to residences "dressed in its finest holiday flair."
The Eventbrite listing describes a tour of six homes, with tickets starting at $28.52. That makes it the least expensive of the three events by a wide margin. The charitable partners are Alaqua Animal Refuge and Caring & Sharing of South Walton.
The tour asks the most of residents. Uncorked depends on restaurants, and the 10K depends on volunteers and a road permit. The Tour of Homes only happens if six owners agree to let the public walk through their decorated living rooms on a Saturday in December. The six-hour window lets visitors set their own pace through town. North Barrett Square is the starting point, so the square that hosted the race party nine days earlier becomes the gathering point again.
Where the Money Lands
Two charities appear on the lists of two different events, and each event adds organizations of its own:
- Caring and Sharing of South Walton: Uncorked on November 14 and the Holiday Tour of Homes on December 5
- Children's Volunteer Health Network: Uncorked on November 14 and the 30A 10K on November 26
- Children in Crisis, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County and Bailey Brigade: the 30A 10K on November 26
- Alaqua Animal Refuge: the Holiday Tour of Homes on December 5
The events have different organizers. Rosemary Beach Merchants run Uncorked, the 30A 10K organization runs the race and the Rosemary Beach Foundation runs the home tour. Even so, their charity lists overlap, so a household that buys an Uncorked ticket, enters the 5K and walks the home tour supports Caring and Sharing of South Walton twice and Children's Volunteer Health Network twice in a little over three weeks.
The prices cover a wide range. VIP at Uncorked is $350, a 10K entry is $115 and a home-tour ticket starts at $28.52. Both Uncorked and the 10K reach their 15th year in 2026. Uncorked was sold out by early November, so the 10K and the home tour are the two events still open to residents who want to take part this year. Race registration closes November 24, and North Barrett Square is the meeting point for both remaining events.
If you are thinking about opening your Rosemary Beach home for a future Holiday Tour of Homes, or about how the town's November and December event calendar fits your plans to list or buy, The Blankenship Watkins Advisory Group can help with both. Request a private consultation, and we will go over the timing with you.
