Light Up the Bay Fireworks

Papa Joe’s Bayside anchors Light Up the Bay, a fireworks show that rises directly over St. Andrew Bay rather than the Gulf itself, giving Panama City’s version of the holiday display a calmer, more sheltered feel than its beachfront counterparts a few miles south. The restaurant’s waterfront deck and the surrounding shoreline fill with both diners and walk-up spectators as evening approaches.

The bay setting suits boaters especially well. The protected water makes for an easier anchorage than open Gulf viewing, and the reflections across the surface add depth to the display once it begins. For those without a boat, the shoreline around Papa Joe’s offers straightforward viewing without the scale of crowds found at bigger beachfront shows.

Because Panama City sits just across the bay from Panama City Beach’s own holiday celebrations, visitors can reasonably pair both into a single multi-night Gulf Coast stay: a beachfront show one evening, this bayside version another. Reserve a table at Papa Joe’s or simply claim a spot along the water, and treat the pairing as a low-key alternative to the bigger productions nearby.