Happy Tuesday, Palm Coast. In today’s edition: Women’s Food Alliance milestone, a B&B holiday tour, a free Polar Express night, and more.

Let’s get to it — Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Community tradition draws crowds: Palm Coast’s Feet to Feast 5K drew a record 1,178 runners on Thanksgiving morning, with festive costumes and pies for top finishers on a route starting at Daytona State College — read the full story.

Sisterhood shaping hospitality’s future: After a landmark 12th anniversary year, the Women’s Food Alliance will celebrate 13 years in 2026, growing to 175-plus members and expanding leadership, mentorship, and networking across the Southeast — see what members are saying.

Hometown holiday spirit soars: Thousands turned out as Santa arrived by fire truck for Palm Coast’s tree lighting and Fantasy Lights’ 20th anniversary. The free Rotary display continues nightly through December — read the full story.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Scams are rampant: My step-dad recently got a call from someone pretending to be his grandson, all beat up and asking for bail money. They knew his grandson’s name, how old he is, and what city he lives in. How? Data brokers. They sell your info to anyone willing to pay for it (yup… anyone). Incogni removes your info from all of those sites so scammers can’t use it against you. Cyber Monday discounts are available all week — check ’em out here.

Highlights this week

• Dance in jammies for holiday toy drive
• Sample award-winning chili at European Village
• Starlight Parade lights up Central Park
• Enjoy free family Christmas with Cops Claus
• Shop over 60 local holiday vendors
• Need new windows? Check out RBA’s latest deals

🫶 We got your back

Boats decked in lights: After an impasse with the Palm Coast Yacht Club over rising costs and city rules, the city is now running the Holiday Boat Parade. The 42nd edition sails Dec. 13 along the usual Intracoastal route, with prime viewing at Waterfront Park and free shuttles via Palm Coast Ford. Forty-three boats were registered as of Nov. 25. See route, time and shuttles.

Holiday spirit takes over: St. Augustine’s 68th Christmas Parade is set for Saturday at 9 a.m., with floats, festive décor, and a Santa sack of fun. Admission is free. The route runs from the Shrine of Our Lady de La Leche to the Visitor Information Center. Plan ahead for parking and shuttles. See route and parking info.

Craving a burrito win: Burrito Works turns out fresh Baja-style builds and its cult-favorite UFO, a cheesy, crunchy, sealed burrito you can customize by protein and heat. Perfect for the midweek slump when cooking ambition vanishes, leaving you hungry for something easy and satisfying.

An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.

Wellness on easy mode: Most probiotics don’t work because they dissolve too early. Seed’s double capsule design means all the right stuff gets delivered to all the right places… at the right time. After decades of gut issues, it’s one of the few things that’s actually helped. Their Daily Essentials Duo covers nutrient gaps and supports everyday health + it’s 40% off right now so it’s a great time to give it a try.

📆 Around town this week

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

This week

🚢 Cruise For A Cause ~ Nights of Lights Fundraiser| Tuesday (12/2) at 5:00pm – Hop aboard for a one-night Nights of Lights cruise that actually does some good. Pick your vibe, sunset, family-friendly, or adults-only, then sip cocoa, rock the 3D glasses, catch a little history, and skip bayfront parking while funding Florida Water Warriors’ marine education.

💚 Grinch 3D Wreath Class @ Serendipity Marketplace | Wednesday (12/3) at 6:00pm – Trade the big-box tinsel for a 3D Grinch wreath you make yourself, all supplies included, zero glitter emergency. Tosha brings the cheer, you bring $35 and a steady hand.

🎄 $35 16″ Christmas Tree Resin Art Workshop @ Sherry’s Art Studio | Thursday (12/4) at 11:00am – Holiday crafting that looks good? Sherry’s Thursday Special has you making a crushed glass Christmas tree on a 16 inch canvas for $35, ocean vibes included. Materials provided, you create, they resin, it cures, or skip resin and take it home, no sand required.

💃 Yael Zaza Flamenca @ The Bart on Aviles | Friday (12/5) at 12:00pm – Whether you are fluent in French or just in wine, Yael Zaza Flamenca blends gypsy jazz, flamenco, French chanson, and Latin vibes into a globe-trotting set sung in ten languages. Smoky vocals, two classical guitars, and percussion. Date-night classy, parking-lot easy.

🎄 Christmas Gnome Workshop @ Down to Earth Pottery | Friday (12/5) at 6:00pm – Trade your holiday shopping stress for some hands-on clay therapy and build the cutest Christmas gnome in Flagler Beach. Pick your own patterns and colors, and even punch out little holes so your new buddy can glow with lights.

This weekend

🎅 Christmas On The Coast @ St. Augustine Beach Pier & Pavilion | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – St. Augustine Beach is going full tinsel mode with a free holiday fest at the pier, featuring a market, sand snowmen, and a pet parade. Bring the kids, the dog, and beach chairs, then stay for the tree lighting, live music, and fireworks, because Florida.

🌶️ Palm Coast Chili Cookoff @ European Village | Saturday (12/6) at 12:00pm – Think your chili can hang with the big pots? European Village hosts a qualifier for the ICS World Finals, with chili sampling, live music, vendors, and Village specials. Bring friends and an appetite, or toss your ladle in the ring, pace yourself, hero.

🎊 FOSAA 3rd Annual Holiday Celebration – Free Event! @ Saint Augustine Amphitheatre | Saturday (12/6) at 5:00pm – Bring the kids and a food pantry donation to the Amp for a free Polar Express screening, Santa, and yes, Florida snow. Donate five or more items for a shot at a signed guitar, and the first 300 kids snag lanyards, popcorn, and hot chocolate.

🕯️ Colonial Night Watch @ Castillo de San Marcos | Saturday (12/6) at 7:00pm – Old City nights call for firelight and a little pageantry. Join Colonial Night Watch for a torch-lit parade through St. Augustine, where history does the talking, and the rest of us just enjoy the glow, the stroll, and the excuse for a nightcap.

🏠 2025 St. Augustine B&B Holiday Tour @ Lightner Museum | Sunday (12/7) at 1:00pm – Nothing beats poking around St. Augustine’s coziest B&Bs under the holiday lights, all while finding an Elf on the Shelf and pretending it’s for the kids. Bring your favorite people, sample the ticketed food tastings, and let the Cultural Partners elevate the stroll.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/3 Dark Star Orchestra @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre – 6 pm
• 12/3 Toubab Krewe @ Colonial Oak Music Park – 6 pm
• 12/4 Kathleen Finnegan @ Southeast Branch Public Library – 6:30 pm
• 12/4 The Dip @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall – 7:30 pm
• 12/4 Toronzo Cannon @ Cafe Eleven – 8 pm
• 12/5 Deron Baker Music @ Mellow Mushroom – 6 pm
• 12/5 Improvisitas! @ P.A.C.C. of Palm Coast – 8 pm
• 12/5 Kristy Lee and more @ Cafe Eleven – 8 pm
• 12/11 Billy Buchanan @ Hammock Dunes Club – 6 pm