Christmas Around the World in Monticello

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Come out to the “Most Haunted Small Town in the U.S.” on December 2nd for their annual Monticello’s Downtown Christmas. The town leaves its spooky past in October and creates a fantastical winter wonderland event every December. The only city in Jefferson County, Monticello hosts this annual festival to welcome visitors and thrill local residents. The theme of this year’s event is “Christmas Around the World.” There will be festivities happening all day including the Christmas Light parade, tree lighting, visits with Santa, live entertainment, vendor marketplace, and a kids’ village! Local shops and restaurants will also be open for business. Come out and enjoy the ambiance of a small-town winter holiday! Learn more by visiting the Monticello Downtown Christmas website here. 

National Day of Giving

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Tomorrow is National Day of Giving! It was officially created in 2012 by New York’s 92nd Street Y partners in collaboration with the United Nations Foundation. Also known as Giving Tuesday, this globally celebrated day is designed to encourage the habit of giving among people and communities to make the world a brighter place. This can be as simple as giving a helping hand to an elderly neighbor carrying in groceries. However, it is also an opportunity to donate to those in need (mutual aid) as well as organizations, charities, and volunteer groups doing good. Giving Tuesday is also a fantastic opportunity to engage in community service. Find events or ideas on how to participate by visiting the official Giving Tuesday website here. 

Small Business Saturday

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Today is the weekly Panama City Farmers’ Market at 218 Harrison Ave. However, there is something special about today’s market – it’s Small Business Saturday! From 8am to 1pm, come down to the Farmers’ Market to support local small businesses AND get a jump start on your holiday purchases. There will be over 80 local vendors selling a variety of arts, crafts, home goods, baked goods, pet care items, and more! More includes local produce, honey, meats, eggs, artisan breads, jellies, jams, canned goods, coffee, sweets, food trucks, and more! Stay up to date with the Panama City Farmers’ Market by following them on Facebook HERE. 

DrinksGiving

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Tonight is Drinksgiving! This is an unofficial holiday that is celebrated the night before Thanksgiving. It is the ultimate homecoming celebration; head out to a local bar or pub to catch up with friends and family who are home for the holidays. Remember to drink responsibly, and to have a designated driver (even if that driver is an Uber, Lyft, or cab). To honor this event, today’s blog highlights a local brewery you can visit today – Salty Oak Brewing Co.! 

Salty Oak is a brewery and tasting room located in Panama City. They regularly host fun events such as paint & pours, birthdays, and more! In fact, tomorrow they are hosting their 7th annual Stoutsgiving. From 7-9pm, visit to enjoy a memorable holiday brew. Rules are 1 stout bomber per person or two 16oz cans of the same stout (quantities are limited). Learn more by visiting the Facebook event page HERE or following Salty Oak Brewing Co. on Facebook HERE. 

Old Tyme Farm Days and Swap Meet

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Come down to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park and Campground in Live Oak on November 25-26th for the Old Tyme Farm Days and Swap Meet! This is a celebration of 19th-century American rural life centered around Thanksgiving. There will be exhibitions on syrup making, cane grinding, and blacksmithing. Kids will have an opportunity to get hands-on lessons at the Kid’s Music Camp Expo; there will be guitars, fiddles, banjos, harmonicas, ukuleles, drums, and vocal instructors available. The event will also feature sled pulls, a tractor and historic engine show, a swap meet, and craft vendors. Admission is $10/per vehicle. Visit the official website HERE to learn more or see a schedule. 

Chipley Scottish Festival & Highland Games

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The Chipley Scottish Festival & Highland Games are coming to the Chipley First Presbyterian Church! Come by the 19th annual event starting at 9am to enjoy a family-fun celebration of Scottish heritage. Descendants are encouraged to come dressed in their clan’s kilt. Festival admission is $5 a person. There will be various physical challenges such as log throwing and sheaf tossing. Includes live music by Panama City Pipes and Drums as well as hit-duo Jig to a Milestone. There will also be a performance by Tallahassee’s Timberland Arts & Dance Academy, plus clans from Florida and Alabama.

Visit the official website HERE to learn more about the event. 

Yankeetown Arts, Crafts, & Seafood Festival

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The annual Yankeetown Arts, Crafts, & Seafood Festival is happening on November 19-20th. The festival is designed to celebrate the fishing heritage of the coastal Yankeetown community. The festival has been organized and run by the Inglis Yankeetown Lions Club for 41 years! There will be music provided by Blackwater Restaurant and the Lions Club featuring local talent at the Main Stage and Acoustic Stage. 

Known as a festival “where art meets nature,” it will feature seafood eats, music, and arts & crafts vendors. The festival would like to congratulate Emily Soper for her winning submission in the first Yankeetown Seafood Festival Poster competition! Learn more about the musical lineup, vendors, and event at the official website here. 

National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

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Today is the last day of National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week. This is a special week that recognizes the hard work animal shelters provide to their communities. Animal shelters provide care to millions of displaced animals across the United States. Yet only 10-20% of owned dogs and cats are adopted from shelters (ASPCA). Additionally, most animal shelters are non-profits which means they depend on donations and grants to stay open while their employees work long hours for minimal pay and benefits.

This is an endemic problem as the services shelters provide are critical to civil orderliness. Shelters not only house stray animals but also find new homes for homeless pets, rescue strays, rehabilitate injured and abused animals, reunite lost pets with their original families, and more! Animal shelters provide necessary animal control and deserve more than to be underfunded and understaffed. Consider adopting from or supporting a local animal shelter today! 

Right Whale Festival

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Today is the last day of the Right Whale Festival in Fernandina Beach. Come down to Main Beach Park (32 N. Fletcher Ave) from 10am to 3pm to participate in this annual festival. Right Whale is part of a regional effort to educate the public on the endangered North Atlantic right whales. They give birth and nurse their young in the warmer waters offered by the coast of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. Sadly, there are fewer than 350 right whales remaining. The festival advocates for and educates on the protection of the species from extinction. There will be whale-themed activities, marine exhibits, live music, arts and craft vendors, kids’ activities, a beach clean-up, food, and more! The event is FREE for all ages. Learn more by visiting the official festival website here.