Every ticketed event at Alys Beach Crafted 2026 is now marked sold out on its official page. That includes the songwriter evening, all three Thursday dinners, the clay workshop, Firkin Fête and the Spirited Soirée. The free events remain open. They run on the lawn at the Alys Beach Amphitheatre, mostly costs nothing, and lasts from the Holiday Makers Market in mid-November through a morning party on New Year's Eve.
For anyone who lives within a short drive of Somerset Street, the free events are now the whole holiday calendar. That calendar is longer and more spread out than the five days of Crafted.
The Ticketed Week, Already Spoken For
Crafted runs November 11 through 15 this year. 30A.com's preview describes five days of food, drinks, music, art and craftsmanship. Here is where each paid event stands on the official Crafted schedule:
| Date | Event | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Nov. 11 | 30A Songwriters Session | Red Loggia at Caliza | Sold out, 21+ |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Experiential Dinner with chef Rob McDaniel and Foursquare Rum | Red Loggia at Caliza | Sold out, 21+ |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Experiential Dinner with chef Camille Withall and Brown-Forman | George's at Alys Beach | Sold out, 21+ |
| Thu., Nov. 12 | Experiential Dinner with Menagerie wines and Alys Beach Culinary | The Summerhouse at The Silva | Sold out, 21+ |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Cocktails & Clay | The Summerhouse at The Silva | Sold out, 21+ |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Firkin Fête | Central Park | Sold out, 21+ |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Spirited Soirée | North Sea Garden Walk | Sold out, 21+ |
The tickets went to a good cause. The Crafted FAQ names the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County as the event's beneficiary, and the Alliance also co-presents the Songwriters Session and leads Cocktails & Clay. Firkin Fête, now in its sixth year, will tap 11-gallon firkins from local and regional breweries that even the brewers haven't tasted yet, with live music from Scott T. Smith. If you have tickets, you already know this. Everyone else still has a reason to show up that same week.
The Amphitheatre Holds the Free Half of Crafted
The Holiday Makers Market is part of Crafted, but it isn't ticketed. It sets up at the Alys Beach Amphitheatre for three days:
- Friday, November 13, from 2 to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sunday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
30A.com reports that the market brings regional artisans and handcrafted goods, live music, and photos with Santa from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The market is free and open to the public.
The timing matters. Friday's market closes at 4:30, two hours before Firkin Fête starts in Central Park at 6:30. On Saturday, the market wraps up at 2 p.m. while the Spirited Soirée runs from 1 to 4 p.m. on the North Sea Garden Walk. On both days, the free market and the sold-out events are close together but on separate schedules. Sunday morning is the only day of Crafted week when the market is the only event on the schedule.
November 27 Belongs to the Merchants of Alys Beach
The biggest free night of the season comes two weeks later. Alys in Winter Wonderland takes over the Amphitheatre on Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The Merchants of Alys Beach present it, and the official listing calls it free and open to the public.
The event page lays out the evening:
- A holiday concert at 4 p.m.
- Cookie decorating at $3 per set
- Letters to Santa and face painting
- Holiday photos by EPIC on the splash pad
- Photos with Santa for $3
- The tree lighting with Santa at 6:30 p.m.
One detail affects how families should plan. Activity lines close promptly at 5:45 p.m. so vendors can serve everyone already waiting. Families who want cookies and a Santa photo before the lighting should arrive closer to 4 than to 6. The page also notes that details may still change.
The merchants who host the tree lighting ask for one more thing. The listing invites people back the next day, Saturday, November 28, for Small Business Saturday in Town Center. The free night is how these merchants open their holiday season, and Saturday is when they ask the community to shop.
What Town Center Added Since Last Holiday Season
Town Center has changed since last December, so Small Business Saturday covers more ground this year.
Indaco. The Italian restaurant from Indigo Road Hospitality Group began serving Alys Beach guests in July 2026. SoWal reported that its menu includes fresh seafood, wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas. WJHG gives its address as 40 Mark Twain Lane, Suite 101. Indigo Road also runs O-Ku in Alys Beach, which opened in 2024, so this is the group's second restaurant in town. This is Indaco's first holiday season here.
Rowan. In the same October 7 report, SoWal said the California menswear brand was opening its first store outside California in Alys Beach, expected in October 2026. Rowan's own store locator still lists the Alys Beach shop as coming in October 2026, so check before making a trip.
KREWE. The eyewear brand already has its Tiny House at the Amphitheatre on Somerset Street, across from Charlie's Delights. The Merchants of Alys Beach directory lists it among the town's shops. KREWE has also announced a larger Alys Beach store for this fall. It will be the brand's first brick-and-mortar shop in Florida and will offer optical frames and lens cutting. No exact opening date has been announced.
The KREWE Tiny House sits on the same lawn as the Makers Market and the tree, which shows how much of the free season happens in one small area.
December Moves Between Three Lawns
After Thanksgiving, the official December calendar spreads out across town.
The Alys Foundation Gala is listed for Sunday, December 27, in Central Park. The official page says more information is coming and doesn't yet give a time or ticket details.
Alys Classics follows on Tuesday, December 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. It's a movie and picnic at The Silva. The listing categorizes it as a public event but doesn't say whether it's free, and it notes that timing may change. The town's amenities page lists The Silva's Summerhouse Pavilion and Lawn, Restaurant and Bar, and Pool among the amenities for owners and guests. The Summerhouse is also the room hosting one of the sold-out Crafted dinners, set among David Yarrow's photography.
The year ends back at the free events. The Noon Year's Eve Party runs Thursday, December 31, from 10 a.m. to noon. It's free and open to the public, with live music, bubble machines, an inflatable snow globe, crafts and face painting. Fonville Press Market + Café runs the bar, and beverages and cotton candy are for purchase. The countdown hits midday, so it fits a family with young children or anyone with dinner plans that night.
Getting There Without a Golf Cart
None of the free events list road closures, but parking near the Amphitheatre will be in demand on November 27 and during the Makers Market weekend. Here is where to look:
- The Crafted FAQ names the Amphitheatre lot at Highway 30A and Somerset Street as the best place to park, with signs directing drivers to additional lots.
- Visit South Walton lists first-come, first-served public parking for shoppers and diners behind George's and near the Town Center Amphitheatre, plus limited street parking.
- Ticketing pages for Crafted include bicycle directions to the event location, so arriving by bike is an option.
For a household that missed the Crafted ticket window, the plan is simple. Go to the Makers Market on Sunday morning, November 15. Get to the Amphitheatre on November 27 before lines close at 5:45. Shop Town Center the next day, and bring the kids back on December 31 at 10 a.m.
If you're hosting family in Alys Beach this season and want to compare notes on which mornings and evenings to plan around, Crystal Watkins is happy to help. Let's Connect.
