Dogs & Drinks

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Dogs & Drinks is a relatively new membership-based dog park and bar. Located in downtown Panama City, it’s a community opportunity for dogs and their human companions. In order to visit, you must purchase a day, month, or annual membership. The membership includes all the dog amenities and access to the human bar – pet friends for the dog, refreshing beer, wine, or cocktails for the human! Dogs & Drinks frequently hosts food trucks and scheduled events such as Paint Your Pet, Puppy Day, and Foam parties. Call (850) 215-4522 to learn more or email dogsndrinks@gmail.com. You can also visit their website HERE. 

 

Artsquest Fine Arts Festival

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The Artsquest Fine Arts Festival is coming soon! Held at the Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach, the festival features one-of-a-kind treasures from more than 100 artists and crafters in fields like jewelry, metal, mixed media, oils and acrylics, digital art, glass, photography, sculpture, wood, watercolor, and printmaking. The festival features a juried contest with $10,000 in cash prizes which means it attracts a lineup of national artists. There will also be live music, student exhibits, and food vendors. The Artsquest Fest runs from May 4-5th. Learn more by visiting the event website here. 

Dog Parks in Panama City

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Looking for a way to get your dog more social time? Need a new trail to take your high-energy pups on? Try one of the dog-friendly parks below:

  1. Frank Brown Park and Dog Park (16200 Panama City Beach Pkwy) – Leashed dogs are welcome throughout Frank Brown Park including on the hiking trails and the onsite dog park for off-leash playtime. The dog park has separate fenced areas for large and small dogs, benches, water, and cleanup stations.
  2. Aaron Bessant Park (500 W Park Dr) – This park is a dog-friendly recreation complex that welcomes leashed, well-behaved pets. The park features 70 acres of fun for the whole family to enjoy.
  3. A.L. Kinsaul Park (1146 W 5th St) – A relatively new pet-friendly park next to an idyllic location. There are two separate areas for large and small dogs. There is a water fountain on site. 
  4. Al Helms Dog Park (1022 Balboa Ave) – This park features three separate fenced areas: one for small (under 30 lbs) dogs, one for large (over 30 lbs) dogs, and one for shy dogs. The park also features double gates, running water, a water station, benches, and cleanup stations. 
  5. Zollie Young Dog Park (4430 Mill Bayou Rd) – The park features a large, fenced in area for the dogs to roam safely off leash. 

Day of the Mushroom

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Today is the Day of the Mushroom! It’s a day to celebrate all things fungi. Mushrooms prefer dark or shady areas; that’s why they are often found on forest floors. The best time to hunt for mushrooms is a few days after a good rain. To celebrate these fun guys, here’s a list of local edible mushrooms to keep an eye out for while out in the woods today!

PLEASE REMEMBER: when foraging any food, do not eat it if you’re not 100% sure what it is – better safe than sorry. Additionally, here is a quick guideline for identifying mushrooms:

  • Season: the time of year you can find them.
  • Cap: top part of the stalk. Look for width, shape, and color.
  • Underside of Cap: look for pores, spines/teeth, gill-like ridges, and tubes.
  • Stem (stipe): on which the cap sits. Look for strips, striations, rings, and protrusions.

MUSHROOMS:

Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius)
King Bolete (Boletus Edulis)
Common Puffball (Lycoperdon Perlatum)

2024 North Florida Wildflower Festival

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The North Florida Wildflower Festival is held annually on the last Saturday of April in Blountstown, Florida. This year, that means it falls on April 27th. Blountstown is located in the heart of the Panhandle, just an hour from Tallahassee, Panama City, and Dothan, Alabama. Held in the picturesque Magnolia Square and surrounding streets, the event will run from 9am-2pm. 

The festival features over 100 vendors specializing in flowers, plants, garden and outdoor items, handcrafted goods, jewelry, home décor, artwork, apparel, food, and more!

VENDOR REGISTRATION is now open! Apply HERE. The event is coordinated by the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce. 

The Enchanted Fairy Realm in Altha

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Located in Altha, Womble Farms is a local up-and-coming flower, animal, and event farm. They are hosting their first event next Saturday, April 20th. When the flowers bloom on Womble Farms, fairies arrive! Come see them before they’re gone and experience a family-fun event!  Admission is only $1! Do bring cash or card for applicable vendors. 

There will be a drum/dance circle (bring your own drum!), a DIY potted fairy garden, food, plants for sale, enchanted selfie stations, vendors, and a costume contest. The costume contest will be held at 7pm. There will be multiple categories organized by age: under 5, 6-12, 12-17, and 18+. Each age category will have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize. Dress up as a gnome, elf, fairy, or mix of all three! The costume contest is for all ages and all genders. 

Womble Farms is currently accepting new vendors for this event and others. Email cre8byn8@gmail.com for more information! Or visit their Facebook page here.

First Ever ASC

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Sandhills Native Nursery, based in Fountain, is hosting its first Annual Sandhills Celebration (ASC)! Starting tomorrow, the three-day event will offer community education, kids’ activities, and opportunities to do some DIY activities. There will also be a collection of wares by local artists and snacks/drinks available for purchase from Wild Root. The event will run Thursday (12pm-5pm), Friday (9am-5pm), and Saturday (9am-5pm).

National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day

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The National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day was established by Rick and Margie Segel in honor of their parents and the successful hat shop they opened in 1939. Mom-and-pop shops are incredibly important to the economy and the communities they exist in. Almost 70% of all new jobs in the country are the result of mom-and-pop shops. There are more than 7,936,977 small businesses in the USA. Small mom-and-pop shops provide more than just their services and jobs; they also function as community centers. The phrase mom-and-pop refers to small businesses run by families in the community they serve. Shop local, promote local small businesses, and help improve your community today!

Property Deed Fraud Is Growing in Florida

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Across Florida, scammers are selling peoples’ land and even homes behind their backs. It’s called property deed fraud, and there’s been a big spike in cases here in Florida because the real estate market in the Sunshine State is hot right now. So hot in fact, that numbers suggest approximately 1,218 people move into Florida daily. Officials are urging property owners to protect themselves by signing up for property fraud alerts.

More than 54% of real estate professionals experienced it firsthand in just the second half of 2023. It happens when a scammer steals someone’s identity and title and then sells their property without them knowing. Mary Justino with the Clerk of Clay County Court says: “There are instances where a person filed a fraudulent deed, and simply changed the name by one letter, or to change some of the information in the address or the text of the document by just one letter or two.”

To protect yourself and your property, sign up for your local county’s property fraud alert program. It sends emails and texts if there’s activity on land you own. To be clear, this DOES NOT prevent fraud but it’s like an early warning system. 

Florida has 67 counties with property fraud alert programs; only Jackson and Okaloosa are still working to create a functioning program. For more info or the signup for your county’s alerts, visit the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers website.