Northstar Church invites you and yours to a Snow Much Fun Day on Sunday, December 22 from 10am-1pm! Open to all Bay County residents, there will be fun for all ages. With real snow, inflatables, food, Christmas photo ops, and much more! The event is being thrown in collaboration with FOR Bay County, so if you would like to volunteer to help create holiday joy, visit the FOR website here. Want to learn more about upcoming Northstar Church events? Visit their website here.
Category: Family Friendly
Opossum Claus & Holiday Shopping
Have you met Opossum Claus?!
Tallahassee Native Nursery says “Opossum Claus loves relaxing by the cider station, lounging in the swing, greeting everyone as they enter the gift shop, and taking pictures with people. If he doesn’t talk or move, don’t worry — he’s probably just playing dead.”
Opossum Claus only sticks around until December 24th, when he heads off to help Santa deliver gifts. So come see him while you can! The Nursery also has a gorgeous gift shop called The Wren’s Nest. It offers gardening goods like tools, seeds, fertilizers, and more. Holiday gifts such as ornaments, books, shirts, gift certificates, and more are also available. Visit them to find the perfect gift for the plant lover in your life!
Pensacola Winterfest
The Pensacola Winterfest is here! This annual event features three live action Christmas-themed train tours are leaving the station even earlier this year. The options include: Polar Express, The Grinch’s Merry Match, and Christmas Tree Heist. Each adventure includes special guests along with musical performances, live readings, and other entertainment. For an additional fee, you can have your holiday photos taken with Santa or Grinch!
Tickets are $16-26 for adults and $10-17 for kids. Open select dates: Dec. 6-8, 13, 15, 20-24. Learn more or purchase your tickets by visiting the Winterfest website.
National Hiking Day
Today is National Hiking Day! This is an excellent time of year to go out and explore the wilderness around you. Here in the Florida Panhandle and surrounding areas, there’s a number of unique ecosystems to explore at local, state, and national parks. Here’s a list of just a few of the beautiful places to explore today:
Flutterby Arts Festival
Come out to Inlet Beach on 30A to help celebrate the monarch butterflies’ 2,000-mile fall migration from North America to Central America! The Flutterby Arts Festival is Walton County’s annual art, craft, and science fest all about butterflies. This is a family-friendly event that includes live entertainment, hands-on youth art activities, self-guided tours of the Watersound Monarch Art Trail, a butterfly parade, and more. The event runs on November 10th from 9am to 4pm. Learn more by visiting the Cultural Arts Alliance event page here.
Pirates of the High Seas and Renaissance Fest
Panama City Beach is throwing a mega party to celebrate the history of Florida Panhandle swashbuckling sea adventurers. Just in time for the holiday weekend, the Pirates of the High Seas and Renaissance Festival is three days of family fun! People of all ages will enjoy being wowed by the fire circus and live mermaid shows, the fireworks extravaganza, and the Medieval-themed Knights at the Beach Tournament. The Renaissance Fest activities may not have anything to do with pirates historically but it sure makes for a great time, good food, and fun entertainment. Ren Fest activities include chess tournaments, Dungeons and Dragons, knight training, and more!
So come out to Pier Park in Panama City Beach this weekend, October 11th-13th, to enjoy! Click here to learn more.
Pumpkins in the Park
The Marianna City Farmers Market invites you to celebrate the month with Pumpkins in the Park! This fall festival will feature vendors, games for kids, a photo booth, fall basket giveaway, and an amazing pumpkin patch. Pumpkins in the Park will take place 9am-2pm at 2844 Madison Street. This event is FREE for the community but be sure to bring money to get a head start on holiday shopping with the vendors!
MOCA Special Exhibit
The Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville is hosting a special exhibit to celebrate their centennial anniversary. Until January 12th, visitors can enjoy A Century of Contemporary exhibit. It traces the museum’s history, starting with its founding by a group of female visionaries, to its period as an art guild, to its new name, new location, and the place it occupies today in Jacksonville’s art scene. Visit the MOCA website to learn more.
Bee Friends Farm Host Honeybee Festival
The 4th Annual Bee Friends Farm host Honeybee Festival is coming up quick! Head out to the Jacksonville Fairgrounds on August 18th to enjoy a day of all things honeybee. The festival is thrown in honor of National Honey Bee Day. Honey bees are crucial to a lot of agriculture here in the USA; the country relies on hardworking honeybee hives being transported back and forth across country to continue working year-round.
The annual festival includes hourly beekeeping talks by local beekeeper association experts; the talks will cover the honey-making process, backyard beekeeping, and more. There will be a Buzzy Bee Marketplace featuring over 60 vendors and a hands-on education annex for the kids. The education annex will feature kid-friendly bee biology lessons and planting sessions. There will also be food trucks, honey tastings, and more. Learn more by visiting Bee Friends Farm website.
Staying Safe Under the Summer Sun
August is Summer Sun Safety Month! What can you do to stay safe under the intense summer sun?
- Hydration! Make sure you’re drinking enough water and getting enough electrolytes.
- Sunglasses! These help protect your eyes, prevent cataracts, and the delicate skin around your eyes. Make sure they’re UV for maximum protection.
- Skin protection! If you’re showing skin, use some reef-friendly sunblock. You can also choose to cover up using long sleeves, pants, hats, or umbrellas. Be sure to wear breathable fabric to avoid overheating.