After the Crowds...
Panama City Beach, FL -After the summer season ends on Panama City Beach, the crowds thin out and the real fun begins! Locals and savvy visitors know to hit the beach for great events, the best deals, and the best weather of the year! September's fun isn't limited to Labor Day weekend... LobsterFest is an annual weekend-long party no one who loves lobster ever misses, Capt. Anderson's Marina hosts their yearly Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, and Thunder Beach returns with an Autumn Rally.
Of course the Beach's super clubs, Club La Vela and Spinnaker, are having Labor Day blowouts that will bring in thousands of visitors for the last blast of summer. Club La Vela is offering up bikini and wet-t-shirt contests along with great bands, while Spinnaker counters with drink specials, outrageous themed parties and their own outstanding concert lineup.
It's what goes on after Labor Day that makes September such a great month to visit Panama City Beach.
It's what goes on after Labor Day that makes September such a great month to visit Panama City Beach though. There are still plenty of people on the beach and as Panama City Beach continues to grow as a year-round destination, more and more businesses are staying open past traditional closing dates.
So late-summer and early fall visitors can still enjoy the many entertainment and dining opportunities that bring the crowds during summer.
If anything the Gulf waters get even clearer during September... divers and snorkelers flock to St. Andrews Pass and other favorite locations to see grouper, stingrays, and other exotic sealife scurrying about beneath the waves. And local dive shops have great deals on equipment and trips.
Naturally, anglers are another group that finds late-summer and early fall the perfect time to visit Panama City Beach. Area charter boats often offer out-of-season rates during this time of year, and the waters aren't so full of fishermen all chasing the same spots.
The fishing in our waters is truly amazing, whether you're after the big, elusive deep-sea trophies like Blue Marlin, or are looking for something delicious to add to tonight's dinner!
If you've never been out on St. Andrews Bay or the Gulf on a boat, you're missing one of the best ways to explore the area. You can rent everything from jet skis to pontoon boats to sailboats at one of the Beach's many boat rental companies. Live a little! Rent a boat, and take the whole family on an outing they'll never forget...
One of the best things about Panama City Beach in the late-summer is the golfing. We have great courses that range from the truly difficult to links that will challenge new players without destroying their desire to improve their game.
The World's Most Beautiful Beaches hosts several outstanding special events during this time that appeal to both visitors and locals.
If you've been lucky in your fishing, you might want to try Capt. Anderson's Marina's Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo September 19th through 22nd. There are over a dozen categories of fish open for the contest, from Wahoo to tuna to trout.
Entry fees are generally $5 per person per day. The Marina is located behind Capt. Anderson's restaurant on Grand Lagoon, just off Thomas Drive.
The same weekend will see the return of one of the Beach's most popular events... LobsterFest at Schooners. The Last Local Beach Club hosts three days of lobster-mania, complete with dancing and drinking and good times!
Divers are invited to bring their catch in straight from the shore and after entering them in the contest, watch as Schooners' talented chef turns them into mouth-watering delights! Everyone gets into the eating portion of LobsterFest... and the proceeds benefit charity!
Naturally, anglers are another group that finds late-summer and early fall the perfect time to visit Panama City Beach. Area charter boats often offer out-of-season rates during this time of year, and the waters aren't so full of fishermen all chasing the same spots.
For everyone who "lives to ride and rides to live," there's a weekend of bike shows, poker runs, and slow rides along the Gulf Coast with the Thunder Beach Autumn Rally.
Planned for the weekend of September 27th through 29th, Thunder Beach Autumn Rally benefits from the best of late-summer on the Beach. The weather is just right for riding, and with the crowds thinned out, the roads are much safer as well!
It should be clear that Panama City Beach has just
as much to offer in late-summer as it does in the height of tourist
season... except the traffic! 
