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Coming soon to Seville Square in Historic Downtown Pensacola – the 37th annual Pensacola JazzFest! Held May 15-16, 2021, this festival will include a music lineup, food by local vendors, wine/beer, soft drinks, arts and crafts, and jazz merchandise are available. Additionally, all jazz merchandise sales help support the festival and keep it free. Visit the official JazzFest website HERE for more detailed information.
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Today in Panama City Beach, a ranger will be offering a Guided Nature Hike at Camp Helen. Camp Helen boasts nine distinct natural communities throughout the park with varied flora and fauna. Learn about our rare coastal dune lake, Lake Powell, as well as the park wildlife. The hike is suitable for all ages; be sure everyone in your party is dressed for the weather; water and bug spray are recommended. The hike will start at 10 a.m. and will last an hour. Contact scarlett.a.dunn@FloridaDEP.go for more information and/or with questions.
Can’t make it out today but want to catch the next hike? Be sure to mark your calendars for Thursday, June 03, 2021 from 10-11 a.m.!
on While not a federal holiday, today is a culturally significant national holiday – Cinco de Mayo!
Cinco de Mayo is celebrated annually on May 5th in honor of the anniversary of an early victory by Mexican forces over French forces in the Battle of Puebla, 1862. These days, it is an opportunity to celebrate the culture, achievements, and experiences of people with a Mexican background. Celebrations include food, drinks, and music. You can learn more about the history and current state of Cinco de Mayo here: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo
on Did you know that every single year, over 6.5 million companion animals end up in animal shelters in the U.S.? Sadly, over 1.5 million are euthanized and only 3.2 million are adopted. National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day was created in order to bring awareness to these tragic numbers. It is the result of the annual Adopt A Dog Month that the American Humane Society founded in 1981. Observed annually on April 30th, this national observance helps bring attention to the needless suffering of animals in shelters and encourages people to make to adopt not shop. 
Below are the links to some local Panhandle animal shelters and their online listings of adoptable pets!
on Yesterday was the first day of the Friends of the Library’s ongoing Mini Book Sales! The book sales are held at multiple libraries: the Main Library (445 North Oates Street), Westgate Library (535 Recreation Road), and the Ashford Library (305 6th Ave). Sale hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds from the sale help support the Friends and the Dothan Houston County Library System.
There will be many great finds being sold at a steal: new and gently used fiction and nonfiction books on a variety of subjects (hardback books are $2.00; paperback books are $1.00 each), children’s books (50 cents each), vintage books, vinyl records, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, book sets and surprise bags!
For more information, contact friends@dhcls.org or 334-796-1594.
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Support the local Gulf Coast State College students artists this week by visiting the Student Art Show. The show will be held in the Student Union Building at 5230 W Highway 98, Panama City. on Recently, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office outlined Florida law regarding the use of ATV’s and UTV’s on roadways due to an increase in citizen complaints. It is quoted that “Sheriff (Donnie) Edenfield encourages all of the citizens to enjoy the full use of the roadways in the county, within the guidelines set by Florida Law…and [they are] are committed to making our roadways a safe place for all individuals traveling throughout our county.”
View the specific regulations in the source article HERE.
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Today is Earth Day 2021! Beginning in 1970, it was created to bring awareness to serious environmental concerns and to address the need for environmental reform. It grew to an international level in 1990 and is now practiced in 142 nations. Don’t forget that today is the second Earth Day Live digital event, held on the official website here. The global show begins at 12 p.m. Eastern Time and will include workshops, panel discussions, and special performances that focus on this year’s theme of Restore Our Earth™.
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Today, Education International leads the “Teach for the Planet: Global Education Summit.” A multilingual virtual summit that includes multiple timezones, the focus is on the crucial role that educators play in combating climate change and why we need transformative climate education now. There will be prominent activists from every continent.
Visit the website HERE to stream!
on The official Earth Day organization is holding 3 days of action in honor of Earth Day 2021. This year’s theme is Restore Our Earth and the event begins today, April 20th. Today’s events began with a global youth climate summit led by organizations such as Earth Uprising and youth climate activists. The summit will have panels, speeches, discussions, and renowned youth climate activist guest speakers.
Additionally, there is a digital evening event that will examine climate and environmental justice, connecting the climate crisis to issues of pollution, poverty, police brutality, and the pandemic, all within a racial justice framework. Visit the official website here for more detailed information on today’s events, to learn more about Earth Day itself, or to find more information on upcoming events.