Opinion, Out and About

Out and About

June 11, 2025 | Sandi Kemp

You may have read the following before or in the paper, but it needs to be repeated because there are still tickets available to the party of the century, the Navarre Centennial Ball. If you miss it, there won’t be another one for one hundred years. The Centennial Committee is selling the tickets on the sales platform, Eventbrite, and Eventbrite let us know this morning that 61% of ticket sales are usually done in the last two weeks before an event. That might work for a fishing rodeo, but not an event with a plated dinner. We have about 56 tickets left to sell, but truth be told, we could add a few more if needed. I’ve heard from a few people that they don’t want to dress up. I didn’t pick the dress code, but there are people that like to dress up and there are those that do not. Feel free to wear whatever you would feel comfortable in going to a wedding or church. You don’t have to own a ballgown, but if you want to wear a tux or ballgown, you will not be in the minority. I do know a few men who have told me they are going to wear a tux with flip flops.

Here are some excerpts from an article we ran last month, “Navarre in 2025 has some similarities to Navarre in 1925 in that there was a land boom and it was untamed – and it was going through a bit of a rebellion, hence the “Roaring 20s,” where we read about flappers who were a symbol of the time period and embodied the youth and rebellion commonly associated with the prohibition era. Real Estate mania was at its peak in 1925, and Florida was experiencing a massive land boom driven by aggressive marketing, cheap land and the appeal of coastal living and sunshine. Developers made bold promises in 1925, sometimes without the infrastructure to back them up. There are accounts of entire “paper towns” that were planned but never built. However, Navarre was not one of them. In the early part of the century, Navarre was rough and tumble and could be considered the “Wild Wild West” of Florida. In some ways, we could still be called that. In the 1920s, women gained the right to vote, prohibition went into effect, radio broadcasting began, Warren G. Harding became our president, and Navarre was formed. On June 21, the Centennial Committee invites you to be a part of history while commemorating 100 years of Navarre with an unforgettable evening. This formal (or not) affair at St. Sylvester Catholic Church, promises an enchanting experience featuring a delicious meal with Carved Prime Rib and Lemon Butter Garlic Grilled Chicken, along with a spectacular live performance by Six Piece Suits, and a special guest speaker, Navarre historian, Jonathan Crider, Ph.D. The granddaughter of Guy Wyman, Navarre’s founder, will be in attendance and is bringing some of his military regalia including medals and a sword. A preview of the stories that will be told during the evening includes how Wyman invited his father, who was living in Illinois at the time, to come visit him in what is now called Navarre. His dad, who fought in the Civil War, ended up bringing his wife to retire with him on the banks of the intracoastal waterway and both ended up being murdered while Guy Wyman was on military duties. Three brothers were accused of the murder and their footsteps could be found along the banks of the sound to their encampment near the mouth of Williams Creek. You will hear how Navarre was named after the providence in Spain where Wyman’s wife, Noel, was living when he adopted her during his travels in WWI with his then wife, Carrie Wyman…(and you thought all that started with Woody Allen…)

There is much more to this story which you will hear on the night of the Centennial Ball on June 21.

Tickets are currently available at Navarre100.com/events. We expect to sell out – even after adding tickets, so please make sure to buy your tickets as soon as possible. Also, if you want a table of six, just buy the tickets separately or together. There is a link on Eventbrite where you can tell us your seating preferences. In addition to what is sure to be a very memorable evening, each ticket holder will be given a Navarre Centennial commemorative coin and a commemorative pint glass for the commemorative beer by St. Michaels Brewery, “1925.” Other beverages will be available. You will also receive a commemorative book with pictures and more outlining the history of this beautiful unincorporated area in South Santa Rosa County that we call Navarre. And the word I can’t wait to stop typing is, “commemorative.”

Quote of the Week: History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. Winston Churchill (1874-1965) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom QR Code HERE: (Thomas is sending it)

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