Another Year, More Beer!

Debbie Roney Smith on

The Tallahassee Beer Festival is back for its 7th annual craft brew extravaganza! The event is getting bigger every year. This year, it’ll take place August 8th and 9th at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.

The event will feature over 360 fermentations of more than the ‘traditional’ beer — ciders, sparkling sodas, meads, wine, and seltzers! The fermentations are the best of some 100 national, regional, and local brewers. Along with plenty of drinks and food, there will be a beer run, live entertainment, ax throwing, and vendors. Please note this is a 21+ event. Learn more about the event HERE. 

Bear Paw Adventures

Debbie Roney Smith on

Looking for something fun to do this coming weekend? Consider visiting the Bear Paw Adventures service! They offer kayak, canoe, and tube rentals for individuals, pairs, and groups. Come out for a relaxing, gorgeous trip down Spring Creek and the Chipola River. Learn more or book your trip today on their website. 

Sales Tax Exemptions

Debbie Roney Smith on

Sales Tax Exemptions for the Disaster Preparedness Supplies started July 1st. Have you built your Disaster Kit? The tax exemption only lasts two weeks, so get your gear before July 15th.

View the complete Disaster Kit checklist provided by the State of Florida HERE. 

Panama City & Beach: 4th of July Celebrations

Debbie Roney Smith on

It’s once again that time of year, the Fourth of July will soon be here!

Panama City and Panama City Beach are the places to be this July Fourth weekend (July 3-5). The weekend begins with two kick-off events that promise food, fun, and fireworks: Light Up The Bay at Papa Joe’s Bayside and Freedom Rocks at the Grand Lagoon.

The fun continues with the city’s premier event, the Star Spangled Spectacular, where fireworks are shot into the sky from both the Russell-Fields City Pier and the M.B. Miller County Pier for the visual enjoyment of all. Local radio stations will be offering simultaneously music choreographed to match the Freedom Rocks and the Star Spangled Spectacular.

Then, the holiday weekend festivities will culminate with Boardwalk Beach Resort’s fireworks extravaganza, Light up the Gulf, on July 5. Learn more by visiting the Event Website Here.

Tallahassee’s Model Railroad Show & Sale is Back

Debbie Roney Smith on

The 34th Annual Tallahassee Model Railroad Show & Sale is happening this month! Come out to the North Florida Fairgrounds June 28-29th to enjoy a day packed with all things model railroads. Model train enthusiasts and hobbyist conductors will be in train heaven with over 150 tables of miniature trains, accessories, apparel, and collectibles to peruse. New and used items will be available from vendors like LGB, Aristocraft, Lionel, American Flyer, Atlas, Kato, and more should. This year’s show will feature T-Trak layouts in “N”, “HO”, and “O-27” scales. The event host, the Big Bend Model Railroad Association, will display their own layouts featuring animation and new technology. Guests will be able to talk with equipment, construction, landscaping, and technology experts. Learn more by visiting the event webpage here. 

Wild Blackberry Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

Hamilton County is the Wild Blackberry Capital of the Sunshine State. This is rather impressive as most of North America’s blackberry production occurs on the West coast due to weather needs. Blackberries, like many deciduous berries, require a set amount of chill hours to produce fruit. The phrase ‘chill hours’ refers to the accumulation of hours at temperatures under 45°F. Blackberry varieties have chilling requirements ranging from 300 to 900 hours; here in North Florida, the average chill hours range from 500-700. Suffice to say, Hamilton County farmers’ work hard to make sure their berries produce prolifically!

To celebrate, the City of Jasper is hosting a Wild Blackberry Festival on June 9th. Visit Heritage Village from 8am-1pm to enjoy a jam-packed day of family fun. The festival kicks off with a blackberry pancake breakfast. Other entertainment throughout the day includes a concert by Teddy MacElvis and the Legends, craft vendors, the Miss Blackberry pageant, kids games, and food vendors. And, of course, all things blackberry! There will be homemade cobblers, jams, jellies, and pints of fresh-picked blackberries. There will even be blackberry plants for sale if you want to try your hand at growing your own. 

Learn more by visiting the Festival Facebook page. 

Southern Shakespeare Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

The Southern Shakespeare Company will be performing Henry IV, Part 1 under the stars to close out the year. The production guest stars Wil Johnson from HBO’s House of the Dragon, and is directed by Conner Wilson from Broadway’s Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Emmy Award winner Kelsey Scott (12 Years a Slave and The Walking Dead) and comedian Kevin McDonald (The Kids in the Hall and Lilo and Stitch) will also perform during the 10th anniversary event.

The Bardlings, the company’s youth acting troupe, will be performing a streamlined version of The Tempest on Saturday, May 10th and Sunday, May 11th. The festival is free. Please note that the seats are first-come, first-serve. Performances will take place at the Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park, Tallahassee. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets.

There will also be art vendors and food trucks on site before and during the performances. Please bring cash. Learn more by visiting the Southern Shakespeare Festival website. 

Spring Harvest Tour – GA & FL

Debbie Roney Smith on

Find the complete tour guidebook by clicking HERE.

Brought to you by the Millstone Institute of Preservation, the Spring Harvest Tour 2025 will take you on a self-guided tour of over 30 different local businesses. Highlighting local producers, growers, and creators through South Georgia and North Florida, the tour will take place May 10th and 11th. 

Many of the featured businesses will be hosting classes, workshops, talks, or other activities throughout the weekend. More information on each participant’s offering can be found in the guidebook. Some highlights include: Allison Acres offering a class on blueberry care, Sandhills Native Nursery offering a Native Harvest talk, Forty Creeks Farms’ Sustainable Gardening Practices talk, and Sweet Magnolia Ridge’s cooking demonstrations – all just a fraction of the offered opportunities!

The Institute recommends that you come prepared: bring a cooler for all your goodies, wear close-toed shoes, bring sunscreen and bug spray, carry cash, and bring plenty of water.