The first concert at the new Parker Park Amphitheater went ahead in the rain on September 3. That same week, the Al Cathey Pier was still waiting on its final federal funding notice, which did not arrive until the morning of September 4. Those two projects explain the shape of this fall in Mexico Beach. The new gathering place on Highway 98 is finished. The landmarks along the water are just starting construction. Through the end of the year, the town's calendar sits at Parker Park while the shoreline at 37th Street and the canal at 44th Street turn into work zones.
The Part That's Done
The city's project tracker now lists the Parker Park amphitheater as complete and paid for by Mexico Beach. The 2025 request for proposals said no federal money would go into it. That funding matters for the schedule. The pier, the jetties and the police and fire building have all moved at FEMA's pace. The amphitheater only had to move at the city's.
By the city's September 25 weekly report, the contractor work on the amphitheater was formally closed out. The last item was a Mexico Beach logo sign for the back of the stage, set for October 3 if the weather cooperates.
The Mexico Beach Community Development Council opened the stage with a free Music in the Park series on September Thursdays from 5 to 7 p.m. The lineup was String Theory, Flabbergasted Band, Baby Gray and Bo Spring Band. The September 24 show was the last one on the list. The series page shows nothing scheduled after it, so October Thursdays at the amphitheater are open for now.
Where the Fall Calendar Actually Lands
Parker Park, at 2500 Highway 98, hosts most of what's on the posted fall calendar. Under the Palms Park on 7th Street gets the rest. Here are the published dates through December:
- October 10. Farmers & Craft Market, Parker Park.
- October 24. Farmers & Craft Market, Parker Park. The organizer is Special Events for Mexico Beach, Inc.
- October 24, 4 to 5:30 p.m. The third annual Halloween Mutt Strut at the Under the Palms Park pavilion, with a dog parade and costume contest. Donations go to the St. Joseph Bay Humane Society.
- November 14. Farmers & Craft Market, Parker Park.
- November 26, 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K at Under the Palms Park, put on by the volunteers of Special Events for Mexico Beach.
- November 28. Farmers & Craft Market, Parker Park.
- November 29. License-Free Saltwater Fishing Day, a statewide license waiver rather than a local tournament.
- December 6, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting, Parker Park.
On market Saturdays, check the start time before you go. The official listings show 8 a.m. to noon in the event header and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the description. The tree lighting is already in motion, too. The city opened bids for the Christmas tree itself on September 29.
Parker Park now has a stage built to carry this calendar. Most of what it hosts this fall is the town's routine. The waterfront projects come next.
The Pier Moves From Paper to 37th Street
Nearly eight years after Hurricane Michael took out the Al Cathey Municipal Pier, the city cleared its last two big hurdles in the same week. WJHG reported on September 2 that Mexico Beach had its U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit. City Administrator Mell Smigielski called the permit the hardest part because of state and federal rules that protect nesting sea turtles and shorebirds. At 3:53 a.m. on September 4, the city got the email saying FEMA had obligated the pier at $9,051,440. The weekly report called it "HUGE news" and added, "Now the real work begins."
| Pier detail | Original Al Cathey Pier | Rebuilt design |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 840 feet | 840 feet |
| Position | Original footprint | 230 feet farther into the Gulf |
| Water depth for fishing | About 6 feet | About 20 feet |
| Construction base | 37th Street | End of 37th Street |
The pier keeps its old length but sits farther out, so it reaches more than three times the old fishing depth. That's the main design change, and it's why the rebuild is more than a replacement.
Day to day, the bigger change starts before any piling goes in. WJHG reported that traffic will drop to one lane during construction so materials can be stored on site. At the September 8 council meeting, staff said the contractor could mobilize within five to eight weeks. A pre-construction conference will settle how much of 37th Street becomes laydown space and how traffic gets managed. Counting from that meeting, the earliest crews would arrive is mid-October to early November. The city has not announced a start date, and WMBB reported that materials, insurance and bonding still had to be arranged, with no completion date set. Staff described a standard 365-day construction clock. That makes the new pier a 2027 opening at the earliest.
The canal jetties are a separate FEMA project on the same shoreline. The city lists the Jetty Rebuild apart from the pier, and its environmental assessment prefers replacing and extending the east jetty and repairing and enhancing the west jetty at the Mexico Beach Canal entrance. The jetty pre-construction meeting was set for September 28 to cover laydown areas and pin down an exact start date. As of this writing, the outcome has not been published.
The Ramp at 44th Street Closes One Side at a Time
Boaters face their own schedule at the city boat ramp at 109 44th Street, the municipal launch that serves the canal. The repair and extension project is mostly in preparation so far. The metal sheet piles are on order and expected in late October or early November. The contractor, Harders, will give the city three to five days' notice before major work begins. The contractor's target for finishing is May 2027.
The project drawings show the closures in two phases. The north ramp closes during Phase 1 and the south ramp during Phase 2. One side should stay open while the other is under construction, but the city has not named an off-site backup launch or announced a closure date yet. With the three-to-five-day notice window, the city's weekly report is the most reliable place to see it coming.
Put the two projects together and both of the town's main working spots on the water are scheduled for construction at about the same time, on opposite ends of the same few blocks.
Two Arrivals on Highway 98
The other fall news comes from two long-awaited businesses getting ready to open.
City permit records list Toucans on the Beach at 719 Highway 98. The city issued a hood-system permit on September 3 and a gas permit on September 4, which are usually among the last steps before a kitchen opens. Owner-operator Rob Hammer, who grew up in Panama City Beach, told WJHG in August that the new building is much larger than the original. It has dining and a deck on the first floor and a second floor with more dining and a sports-bar feel. He described the menu this way:
"It's a little diversified, but we have a lot of the original stuff that Toucans had, the chicken Pappadeaux there, shrimp and sausage pasta, she crab soup, most of the appetizers."
In August, the opening was expected right after Labor Day. As of the end of September, no confirmed opening date has been published, so check before heading over.
The grocery is further out. Mexico Beach broke ground on Seaside Marketplace on January 15, 2026. It's the first full-service grocery in town since Michael, and the Duren family, who own the Piggly Wiggly in Port St. Joe, will run it. The site was described as the Duren parcel next to Mango Marley's. In January, WMBB reported a build of about 10 months with a hoped-for finish by the end of 2026. WJHG said the end of 2026 or early 2027. The size has been reported two ways: 13,000 square feet including a mezzanine at the groundbreaking, and 10,000 square feet in the city's June 9 council minutes. No newer timeline has been published since then.
How the Season Lines Up
| Place | Status as of late September 2026 | What to expect this fall |
|---|---|---|
| Parker Park Amphitheater, 2500 Hwy 98 | Contractor closed out | Logo sign Oct 3; markets Oct 10, Oct 24, Nov 14, Nov 28; tree lighting Dec 6 |
| Al Cathey Pier, end of 37th Street | FEMA obligated $9,051,440 on Sept 4 | Mobilization possible about mid-Oct to early Nov; one-lane traffic during construction |
| Boat ramp, 109 44th Street | Sheet piles on order | Delivery late Oct or early Nov; north ramp closes first, then south; May 2027 target |
| Toucans on the Beach, 719 Hwy 98 | Hood and gas permits issued Sept 3 and 4 | Opening date not yet confirmed |
| Seaside Marketplace, next to Mango Marley's | Under construction since January | Opening projected for late 2026 or early 2027 |
Before any construction notice reaches 37th or 44th Street, the next confirmed date is the October 10 market at Parker Park.
New landmarks change how people picture this town, and that picture shows up in what homes here are worth. If you're wondering how the new pier, Toucans' return and a grocery in town might factor into your property's value, The Joe Real Estate can walk you through it with local data. Get Your Free Home Valuation and see where your Mexico Beach home stands this fall.
