Today is National Water a Flower Day! Flowers are wonderful natural occurrences that have many beneficial properties. Humans use flowers for medicinal, therapeutic, and aesthetic reasons. Flowers, and by extension herbs, are used by scientists to help develop medicines and beauty products such as lotion. Studies have also shown that caring for plants and flowers can have a positive therapeutic effect on people.
Rember, the best time to water flowers is in the morning between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.; as the weather is cooler during this period, plants receive more water because there is less soil evaporation. Use today as an opportunity to celebrate the beautiful little creations by watering the flowers you have, planting some new ones, learning more about various flowers, or even by gifting someone you care about with some potted flowers in order to spread happiness.
Elaborate floats and outlandish costumes will lead the Florida-style pageantry for the annual parade which usually features more than 6,000 participants from Krewes, local organizations and marching bands.
The Marianna Police Department wants to remind the community that Click or Ticket begins today and ends June 6th. There will be a crack-down on driving without a seatbelt; it is an event designed to get drivers to make buckling up an automatic habit. Everyone, regardless of age or seat in the car, should buckle their seat belt before the car begins moving. Seatbelts are designed to keep riders safe and secure inside the vehicle, reducing the harm caused by everything from fender benders to severe collisions. Did you know that 55% of individuals who died in nighttime vehicular accidents in 2019 were not wearing their seatbelts? 
The Marianna-based sustainable farm Martin’s Harvest is now doing deliveries, and will expand home deliveries to the Tallahassee area starting May 26th! Martin’s Harvest offers organic and sustainable goods such as hydroponic lettuce, micro-greens, produce, and more.
This special day is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990. This is a special day for the state of Florida as it ranks as the most diverse turtle state in the United States. Additionally, it was one of the turtle diversity hot spots around the world. Visit the official World Turtle Day website 
Coming this Saturday, the annual Magnolia Street Festival! From 5 – 7 p.m., visit Main Street Blountstown and walk amongst the 50+ vendors including food trucks, plant sellers, baked goods, arts & crafts, and more! Additionally, there will be a 6 p.m. drawing; tickets are $5 and there are multiple baskets availble to win. Proceeds from the raffle will go towards projects to improve downtown Blountstown. Best of all, there will be free musical performances and kid-friendly activities such as an animal encounter. Hope to see you there in support of the close-knit Blountstown community!
There is a new shop coming to Marianna this May! Mark and Ashley Poole are opening their life-long project, Jefferson Street Antiques and Collectibles, on May 21st. Mark and Ashley enjoy collecting antiques, traveling all over the country to antique shows and local swap meets. Born and raised in the Grand Ridge area, Mark brought his family to settle in Marianna in 2020. The grand opening, open house, and ribbon cutting are scheduled for 10 a.m., so be sure to visit Jefferson Street Antiques and Collectibles at 2913 Jefferson Street in Marianna! Standard hours will be Fridays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.