30A Songwriters Festival Brings Talent to the Florida Panhandle in January

Time to get your tickets to the 30A Songwriters Festival which happens in beautiful South Walton County in the Florida Panhandle January 18-20.

festgrrl has seen some truly amazing shows at this unusual fest, which happens in bars and restaurants along coastal Scenic Highway 30A. It is sort of like Nashville-by-the-sea scene. Not to say it's a country music festival -- no, more folky, bluesy. Many of the performers are the folks who write the country hits, and there is something really special about hearing these songs in their stripped-down, pure forms.

This year's roster of singer-songwriters includes more than 125 performers and 200 shows.

Confirmed artists include Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jeffrey Steele, Nanci Griffith, Suzanne Vega, Fastball, Tift Merritt, Allison Moorer, Charlie Mars, Eliza Gilkyson, Freedy Johnston, Randall Bramblett, The Shadowboxers, Joe Leathers, Gretchen Peters, Brigitte DeMeyer, Tommy Womack, Vicki Peterson, Susan Cowsill, Chas Sandford, Shannon Whitworth,
Tommy Talton, Daphne Willis, Geoff McBride, Grayson Capps, Jeff Black, Reed Waddle, Don Dixon & Marti Jones, Cory Chisel, David Olney, DeAnna Cox, Webb Wilder, Cooper Carter & the Royal Senders, Wesley Cook, Andrew Combs, Blue Ribbon Healers, Brian White, Dannica Lowery,David Berkeley, Davin McCoy, Diane Durrett, Eliot Bronson, Gabriel Kelley, Hannah Thomas,
Humming House, Jill Andrews, Karyn Williams, Kellin Watson, Kelsey Anna, Kyle Jacobs, Max McCann, Ray Bonneville, Ruston Kelly, Steve Bogard, The Owsley Brothers, Seth and May, Jeep Rosenberg, Sterling Fletcher and Jessica Cayne.

This is not a camping festival. Your weekend ticket -- which costs $150 at this point but will go up as the fest gets closer -- gives you entree into the many different bars and restaurants which host performances. 

There are vacation rental places all over that area, and there's also pretty nice camping (and swanky, big cottages) at nearby Grayton Beach State Park.

Bring plenty of cash, there are some amazing places to eat everywhere, I reccommend The Red Bar in Grayton Beach (especially the Bloody Mary's);  Bud & Alley's main restaurant in Seaside, Bud& Alley's Pizza Bar, also in Seaside,  (wow, super thin pies in a wood oven), and Bud & Alley's Taco Bar in Seaside.