Latest news with #SurfStyle
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's dead this year.' Black Spring Break sees lighter crowds, traffic in Biloxi
The stretch of sandy beach from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum to Edgewater Mall has historically been the focal point of Black Spring Break, a weekend-long event that has drawn large crowds to Biloxi. That could be changing, though. On Saturday, a small crowd of visitors still enjoyed the mid-70s weather and sunshine, dancing, chatting, taking photos and relaxing at the beach. But among Black Spring Break regulars there was a recurring comment: the crowd at that stretch of beach seemed lighter than previous years. 'It's dead this year,' said Antoine Taylor who travels down to Biloxi from Brandon for the event annually. Taylor says his family's construction company owns a lot in the area behind Surf Style, which is across from the beach where spring breakers normally gather. In past years, Taylor says they've allowed spring breakers to park on the lot for a donation. This year, though, he says, no one is parked on the land. Law enforcement, dozens of whom could be seen patrolling among the beachgoers on Saturday afternoon, have noticed the change. 'So far, this is one of the lightest crowds that we've seen for this weekend,' said Sgt. Candace Young, a public information officer with the Biloxi Police Department, as she stood outside Edgewater Mall on Saturday afternoon. According to Young, 177 total officers from different agencies are on duty for spring break. Law enforcement could be seen all along Highway 90 on Saturday, conducting traffic stops, patrolling and observing. Traffic was lighter than in previous years during the day, though it did begin to pick up by Saturday night. Police reported that there was a shooting in the early hours of Saturday at the Days Inn in Biloxi that left a man with life-threatening injuries. Two suspects were arrested, Keyronic Deshun Stewart, 40, and Saterius Virshon Cobb, 45. Both are from Jackson, Louisiana, and the suspects and victim are all believed to have come to the Mississippi Coast for Spring Break activities. In past years, concerts at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and food vendors along the north side of that stretch of Highway 90 have drawn large crowds to both sides of the road. After a shooting outside Surf Style in 2023, Biloxi city leaders passed new ordinances requiring a new permitting system for special events. In 2024, Black Spring Break was denied a permit. This year, organizers did not apply for a permit. Without a permit, organizers can't bring in vendors or organize additional parking. The Mississippi Coast Coliseum did not have any concerts scheduled during Black Spring Break this year. Visitors are free to visit the beach but there are no longer vendors or paid events, as there were in past years. Without a permit, parking is limited. According to Young, beachgoers can park in the parking service lots off Highway 90 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., but the service lot on that stretch of beach is closed off once the spots are all taken. With no permit, Black Spring Break organizers seem to be focusing their attention away from the stretch of beach between the coliseum and mall. On Saturday, organizers posted on Facebook that there was parking and games at a stretch of beach near Shaggy's and Sharkheads in Biloxi. Many of the events organizers have planned are in Gulfport, including an after party at 9 p.m. on Saturday at Elaine's Place to Be, a Sunday brunch at that same location, and a car show at Gulfport Dragway at 1 p.m. on Sunday. More events can be found on organizers' Facebook pages.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Couple Goes Viral After Caricaturist Helps Man Pull off Surprise Proposal at Florida State Fair (Exclusive)
A man popped the question via a caricature. Dave, 28, took his girlfriend, Lexi, 27, on a date to the Florida State Fair on Sunday, Feb. 16. Lexi thought they were just there to enjoy the various food, rides and games, but in reality Dave had been planning an artistic proposal. The couple — who met in 2014 when they were both working at Surf Style in Clearwater, Florida — sat down next to each other and smiled for artist Damion Dunn, who would create a caricature portrait of them. Based on a video recently posted by Dunn on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, this wasn't the first time Dave and Lexi had posed for him. The pair visited him in 2022 and 2023, but their 2025 visit would take their relationship to the next level. In a video with more than 450,000 views shared by Lexi via TikTok on Feb. 18, Dunn hands the couple their drawing. In the piece, Dave is down on one knee proposing to Lexi with a giant diamond ring. "When the artist showed the drawing, I thought it was so cute but I was also so confused as well like, 'We're not engaged yet,' " Lexi tells PEOPLE. "I saw my best friend and her husband recording too and I was thinking to myself, 'Is what I think that's going to happen, happening right now?' '' Shortly after Lexi saw the artwork, Dave recreated the scene by dropping down on one knee and pulling out a red rose ring box from his pocket. When he asked her to marry him, Lexi instantly began crying and nodding her head. "When he got down on one knee it finally clicked to me that, 'OMG this is happening!' " Lexi says. Related: To All the Boys I Loved Before IRL: Woman Gave Out 5 Love Letters, 1 Recipient Became Her Husband (Exclusive) After Dave slipped the diamond ring on Lexi's finger, the duo hugged and kissed each other. Dave had been planning the surprise for about a month. "He messaged me about a month before the fair started, asking if I would be down to help him propose to his girlfriend," Dunn explained on Instagram. "Not only was I honored. I also felt excited and a little nervous to be a part of his proposal. I wanted [to] give them something nice as well as something worth his trust in me." Dunn included nods to the couple's relationship and previous caricatures into their new artwork, such as the date of their first date — Sept. 15, 2017 — next to the date of their engagement written in heart frames hanging from the top of the piece. "I had a feeling it was coming soon because the day before my best friend, Aryn, insisted we got our nails done and helped guide me which color to pick, but I did not think it was going to happen at the fair the way it happened," Lexi says. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The bride-to-be posted a second video on TikTok of the proposal, this time with the audio and not just music. After Dave and Lexi's post-proposal embrace, Dunn joked, "Are you guys gonna pay cash or card?" "He was for sure being funny! We have been getting a drawing from him since 2022 and that's his sense of humor that makes us keep coming back to him," Lexi says. "I thought it added to the proposal as well because that fits our relationship so perfect." "I just hope you guys continue to come back to me so we can continue the tradition," Dunn said on Instagram. "I'm trying to draw those future babies 🤣." Read the original article on People
