Welcome, 2026! We hope this new year brings you to our shoreline, where you can enjoy all that Mexico Beach has to offer. With this new year, we have so many new—and old—events taking place. This includes annual favorites like the Gumbo Cook-Off, the MBARA Kingfish Tournament, Best Blast on the Beach, the GollyWhopper Classic, and Music in the Park. Be sure to visit our calendar of events page and make your plans to come and enjoy a good time in a great destination.

Mexico Beach is a Leave No Trace community, and we appreciate your assistance in helping us keep our beaches clean. Any items left on the beach unattended from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. will be removed and disposed of by the City of Mexico Beach. Items include, but are not limited to, tents and tent frames, beach chairs, coolers, umbrellas, toys, etc. Also, please fill in any holes before you leave and please remain off the sand dunes and out of the sea oats to ensure their continued nourishment. There are boardwalks and walking paths that can be accessed to reach the beach. Your assistance with these requests will keep our beaches beautiful and pristine. For full details on this ordinance or questions, click here or contact City Hall at (850) 648-5700.

We publish it with the compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association cookbook (MBARA.org).

24 oysters on the half shell, drained

4 pans rock salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

¾ cup finely chopped cooked spinach

6 Tbsp finely chopped watercress

2 Tbsp finely chopped celery

¼ cup finely chopped scallion tops

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. dried marjoram

½ tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. ground anise seed

¼ cup Pernod (or Herbsaint) anise liqueur

Combine all ingredients except the oysters in a stainless-steel or porcelain bowl, then cream with a wooden spoon. Complete mixing with a whisk or blender at medium speed. Shape mixture into oval patties, about 2.5 x 2 inches and 0.5 inches thick by scooping about 2 Tbsp of sauce from the bowl and pressing it into your palm. Set on a platter and refrigerate while you prepare the oysters for baking. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Wash the oyster shells thoroughly and dry. Place a drained oyster on each shell and set them 6 to a pan on the rock salt. Cover each oyster with a patty of sauce and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and is lightly browned on top. Allow to cool 3 to 6 minutes before serving. Top with breadcrumbs if desired. Enjoy!

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions. —Joey Adams

Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to. —Bill Vaughan

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. —Oprah Winfrey

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; he who makes one is a fool. —Farquhar McGillivray Knowles

Here’s to a year of actually doing those plans we keep canceling. —Unknown

Many years ago, I resolved never to bother with New Year’s resolutions, and I’ve stuck with it ever since. —Dave Beard

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. —C.S. Lewis

My New Year’s resolution was to stop saying ‘You go, girl’ to myself. —Zach Galifianakis

This New Year’s, I was going to make a resolution to never be late again, but I didn’t wake up until January 2. —Melanie White

You are never too old to reinvent yourself. —Steve Harvey

We’ve often heard this saying when someone offers words of encouragement to someone about to endure something painful or unpleasant. This saying dates back to the Civil War, when soldiers were being operated on for injuries. Because today’s anesthesia had not been invented yet and pain medication was scarce, those being operated on were told to bite down on the malleable lead of a bullet to keep themselves from screaming during procedures. It would also prevent the wounded soldier from grinding his teeth or biting his tongue. Thankfully, we now have medicine to help with pain, and this saying can be used to offer a more painless way of encouragement.