Author: Debbie Roney Smith

Amelia Island: Closing Restaurant Week

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Amelia Island Restaurant Week closes with a Celebration of the Sea at the Coast Restaurant. Located at the Ritz-Carlton, the closing celebration will be held on Sunday, January 30th. The reception starts promptly at 6pm EST, and a lavish dinner will be served after. The meal will feature a buffet that includes chilled seafood, sushi, shrimp and grits, scallops with pork belly, chicken and waffles, and mini-crab cakes. Dinner closes with a delectable array of dessert specialties. The cost is $125 per person and includes a service charge and wine service. 

Register online at the Amelia Island Restaurant Week website. 

Family History

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Are you interested in learning more about your ancestry? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ History/Genealogy Library is now open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00am – 2:00pm. Call 482-8159 during these hours to arrange an appointment to use their services. All services are completley free including Family Search and Ancestry.

Free COVID Tests

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Americans can start ordering free COVID-19 tests as of January 19th. Supplies are limited to four tests per valid residential address. The test(s) ship within 7-12 days of ordering. No doctor’s order or prescription is required to get the tests, nor is any payment card information. Place an order on the federal website covidtests.gov or through the United States Postal Service website.

 

Butts & Clucks Cook-Off

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The 2022 Butts & Clucks Cook-off on the Bay, sanctioned by the Florida BBQ Association, will be held today and tomorrow. The event will be held in Battery Park in Apalachicola. With over $12,000 in prizes to be awarded and delicious food to be enjoyed, this two-day event is sure to make a fun weekend. There will be a Shut up and Shuck party, judges, and a Deviled Egg contest on Saturday the 22nd. Visit the official event webpage to learn more. 

Amelia Island: Sip & Shop

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Amelia Island Restaurant Week is underway! This Friday, January 21st, Amelia Island is hosting Sip & Shop at more than 20 downtown retail shop locations. Presented by Fernandina Beach Main Street, Sip & Shop attendees will receive an insulated wine cup, wristband, and a map to the shop locations participating in the event. The event will be held in Downtown Fernandina Beach from 4-7pm. There are two occasions for registration: online registration that ends at 8pm on January 20th, and in person registration at the Pocket Park starting at 4pm the day of the event.

Support our local businesses by shopping local, sipping local, and eating local during the 3rd Annual Sip & Shop! 

Amelia Island Restaurant Week

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Amelia Island’s Restaurant Week kicks off this week. Celebrate the new year and this year’s Restaurant Week with a reception and 5-course dinner at the Omni Amelia Island Resort. The dinner will be held on January 20th at 6pm at the Sunrise Café. Tickets are $99 a person (includes tax and gratuity). The 5-course meal is designed to give participants a glimpse into a day in the life of an Amelia Island fisherman with themed courses. Visit the Amelia Island website to reserve your spot today!

Native Wildflowers of Florida

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Narrowleaf sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius) by @noahstmt (Instagram)

The Florida Wildflower Foundation defines “Florida native wildflowers” as any flowering herbaceous species that grew wild within the state’s natural ecosystems in the 1560s; this is when Florida’s first botanical records were created. The defenition also recognizes natives as flowering plants and grasses introduced before that time by Native Americans through travel and trade, as well as wildflowers introduced without aid of human intervention. Native wildflowers are crucial for the health of the variety of ecosystems found in Florida; if you want to see a plethora of wildlife and beautiful blooms, plant native! Spring and fall are the time for showy fields of wildflowers but Florida also boosts beautiful summer blooms such as meadowbeauty and hibiscus.

Please don’t pick wildflowers! Preserve your memories with a picture, art, or the written word – it will last much longer. Picking flowers reduces a plants’ ability to sustain itself and grow back stronger the next season. Additionally, picking the flowers of endangered or threatened species is illegal (see Florida Statute 581.185 Preservation of native flora of Florida). Want to spread the natural beauty of the Sunshine State? Send your photos to photos@flawildflowers.org.

Oyster Cook-Off

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The annual Apalachiocola Oyster Cook-off is back! The cook-off and related activities benefit the Apalachicola Volunteer Fire Department and will be held in downtown Historic Apalachicola at Riverfront Park. The cook-off event features a silent auction, oysters galore, shrimp, smoked mullet, hot dogs, hamburgers, local beer, live music, kids’ activities, dancing performances, and a 5K run! Additionally, well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome. Learn more at the Oyster Cook-off website or the Facebook event page. Tomorrow, Saturday the 15th, events begin at 8am with the 5K run while the cook-off runs from 12-5pm.

Beach Ecology Walk

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Healthy Gulf is hosting a beach ecology walk on Tuesday, January 11th at 9 AM. The walk will be along the beach of Santa Rosa Island at Pensacola Beach. The hike will follow along both the Gulf and Sound side of the Island, exploring the changing plant communities and life along the shoreline. The host of the walk will teach attendees about terrestrial and aquatic life by examining what has washed ashore. The hike will cover a total of four miles and will take two hours to complete. The exact meeting location will be provided only upon registration for the event, although it is free. However, space is limited so to ensure a spot, email christian@healthygulf.org or call (850) 687-9968 to reserve your spot today!