Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Soaring out of Summer Celebration

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Join the Calhoun/Liberty Community Health Partners tomorrow at Foxtrot 95 Calhoun County Airport for the Soaring out of Summer Celebration. The event starts at 10 am and aims to bring awareness to the Florida Department of Health’s SNAP-ED program and other important local resources. The celebration will host hot air balloon rides, sports activities, bounce houses, yard games, food trucks, live music, a fruit & vegetable stand, and local resource vendors. Admission is FREE so bring out the whole family for a day of fun and education! 

Caribe Family Festival

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This Saturday from 12pm – 6pm, the FAMU Way Market Area will be hosting Caribé! Also called A Festival of Colors, this event celebrates the history, culture, music, and folklife of the Caribbean islands. Guests are encouraged to express their creativity by creating and wearing masks and costumes for the parade. The event is FREE and will feature a parade in which guests are allowed to partake in, music, dance, food, performances, vendors, displays, and more!

Featured performers include: DJ RRane, Gyasi Clarke, The Forgotten Coast Dancers, DJ Dean, Excellence Dance Studio, Breanna Jade, DJ Zoe, Miriam Watkins & the Tallahassee Salsa Dancers from Studio D, Elio Delgado, DJ Ju, Lion Steel Band from Leon High School, DJ Vizyon, and DJ Stan Man. It is being produced by the Tallahassee-St. Maarten Foundation with partial funding from Leon County/Visit Tallahassee.

Sip & Stroll in Jacksonville

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Every third Thursday of the month, enjoy a night at the downtown Jacksonville waterfront sipping wine, listening to music, and partaking in local eats. Sip and Stroll features specialty cocktails crafted by Manifest Distillery alongside beautiful Florida sunsets. The monthly event is presented by PNC in partnership with the Downtown Investment Authority. Guests can enjoy the picnic area, the southbank riverwalk, and more! Lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and leashed dogs are welcome. Tomorrow is the August Sip and Stroll event. The event starts at 5 pm and goes until 8 pm. Please note that only alcoholic beverages in a branded Sip & Stroll cup are permitted on the Riverwalk during the event; pick up a branded cup at either of the Riverwalk bars.

Mushroom Plant Pal Class

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Gypsybeach Treasured Kreations is hosting a Mushroom Plant Pal class this month. It is a two-part class with the first portion taking place on August 18th and the second on August 25th. The first class will focus on clay sculpting while planting will take place during the second class. Both courses will be from 4-5 pm. The class is only $25 for both sessions! Class includes a planter and succulent. Call Kathie at (904) 451-3071 to pre-register and secure your spot. Learn more by visiting the Facebook event page here. 

Drag Boat Racing in Sneads

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The Town of Sneads and the Outboard Drag Boat Association is hosting a Sneads Showdown this coming week, August 20-21. The race will be held at Sneads Park on Legion Road. Admission is $10/person while kids 10years-old and younger get in for free! There will be food and beverage vendors on-site for your enjoyment. Please note that while racing does not begin until 10:30 am, the gates and festivities will open at 8 am. Please come prepared for the heat with water, sun protection, and bug spray. 

Grape Harvest Festival

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The 2022 Annual Grape Harvest Festival is coming to the FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research on August 20th! From 8 am to 4 pm, the festival will be bustling with family, food, fun, and agricultural discovery. FAMU is a national leader in viticulture research, and this festival is meant to celebrate both FAMU and the surrounding community.  

Click the photo to visit the Grape Harvest Festival website for more information.

There will be a vineyard trailer ride, grape and wine sampling, grape stomping contest, water slides, a grape throwing competition, a hula hoop competition, live entertainment, fun vineyard run and walk-a-thon, grape picking, a health fair, and more than 60 community exhibitors and vendors! Onsite general admission is $10/person; children under 12 years of age and FAMU students (with valid ID) are free. Non-FAMU students will receive a 50% discount while seniors (65+) will receive a 20% discount. Parking is located off-site at the “Antique Car Museum” located at 6800 Mahan Drive. Parking will open at 7:30 am on the day of the event. A complimentary bus shuttle to the festival grounds will be provided on a 10–15min schedule.

Blountstown Rocks

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In 1963, a group of talented young musicians from small towns across the Florida panhandle would visit Blountstown on Friday nights to play songs of the ’60s at the American Legion Hall. More than 50 years later, Saving Downtown Blountstown and Main Street Blountstown are teaming up to host the “Return of the Villagers.” Come down to the 20 West Saloon (formerly J Milley’s) tomorrow, August 13th, at 6:30 pm for Blountstown Rocks! The dance will provide a nostalgic shimmy down memory lane with the band starting promptly at 7 pm. Food will not be provided but the dance is conveniently located by a number of local restaurants. There will be an open bar available at Return of the Villagers. Please note that the dress code is casual. 

Jackson County Turns 200

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Jackson County is turning 200, and the city is hosting a Bicentennial Celebration Festival on August 13th. The Festival will include food trucks, games, live music, a farmers’ market, history, inflatables, vendors, and more! Entry to the festival is free, as are the games. However, be sure to bring money for the food trucks, farmers’ market, and merchandise vendors. Parents, please note that some kid-friendly activities involve water – plan accordingly. For more info: email darbyshired@jacksoncountyfl.gov or contact the County Administration at (850) 482-9633. 

Wausau Funday & Possum Festival

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Click the image for a detailed itinerary.

The Wausau Funday and Possum Festival is coming to Wausau this Friday and Saturday, August 5-6th! The event will be held at 3116 Possum Palace Dr Wausau, Florida 32463. The Festival will feature a pageant, four different concerts, a parade, a 5k run/walk, pancake breakfast, and more. There will also be kid-friendly activities such as inflatables and pony rides. Call (850) 638 – 1781 with questions or visit the Wausau Possum Festival website here.

Farm, Garden & Craft Swap

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Click on the image to visit the Facebook event page for more information and up-to-date announcements.

Mid-South Lumber Co is hosting its first Farm, Garden & Craft Swap on Saturday, August 6th. The event is FREE and will go from 8 am – 2 pm. Tex Kitchen will have a food truck on site. There will be additional food vendors and a variety of local vendors including but not limited to Jonesing 4 Cookies, Coastal Crafts, Tina Parrish’s canned goods, Southern Glitter Girls, Beachside Bakery, Wolf Feather Works, Sandhills Native Nursery, and more! Come support local individuals and businesses while fulfilling your needs for fresh produce, baked items, canned good, hand-made arts & crafts, plants, and small animals. If you have any questions, please contact Nikki Sullivan @ 850-722-5335