Category: Family Friendly

Conservation Park in PCB

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Conservation Park is one of Panama City Beach’s favorite destinations for locals and visitors. It was established in the early 2000s with two fundamental goals in mind: protect and balance natural resources while providing outdoor recreational opportunities. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Corp of Engineers, and the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife worked together to bring over 2,900 acres under protection. They use the city’s reclaimed water to rehydrate the wetlands that were decimated by commercial logging. Along with bringing new life to crucial ecosystems, it also provides over 24-plus miles of trails and over a mile of boardwalks for public recreation.

Open from dusk to dawn every day of the week, it welcomes bikers, hikers, photographers, kids, birders, adults, walkers, artists, and well-behaved dogs on leashes. The trails range anywhere from 0.6 miles to 11 miles, with 12 different trails to choose from. There’s always something new to see with some much space to explore; see beautiful wildflowers, hear a variety of bird calls, or simply enjoy a stroll through shady cypress swamps. 

Looking for a reason to go see Conservation Park for yourself? Join the City of Panama City Beach at the park for their 2025 Fall Walk! It will take place on October 14th from 3:30-4:30pm at Conservation Park (100 Conservation Drive). 

PCB Oktoberfest 2025

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Panama City Beach’s annual Oktoberfest is geared towards the 21+ crowd primarily due to it’s focus on beer and other alcohol, but it does offer some activites for the whole family. While adults will find themselves enjoying the food, drink and live music, kids will run themselves ragged enjoying bounce houses, face painting, and more. There will even be a photo booth available to commemorate your Okotoberfest! Come out to Aaron Bessant Park October 3rd-5th. Or visit the event page HERE to learn more. 

Hair Haven: Your New One-Stop Shop For Hair Care

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Join us in celebrating the opening of Hair Haven Salon! They had a soft-launch in April and are thrilled to open their doors for full services Monday through Saturday (closed on Sunday).

They’re a cute, cozy salon that offers more than just hair cuts, colors, and extensions. They also offer nail services like full set acrylics and gels. Or, get some skincare and waxing done while your friend gets their hair colored; they offer facias, brow tinting, spray tanning, waxing, and more. Tomorrow’s opening features a few specials, refreshments, and a chance to win some goodies with a name-in-the-jar.  

Learn more by visiting the Hair Haven Facebook page. 

Back-to-School Sales Tax

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Florida’s Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday is happening now!

The holiday runs August 1st to August 31st, and North Florida schools are back in business on August 11th. Tax exemptions apply to various items including school supplies, clothing, learning aids, and computers. The exemptions do have specific price limits especially for higher-priced items like electronics. For example, the cap for tax free computers is $1,500. 

For specifics on what items are exempt and limitations, view the 2025 Tax Information Publication. 

Bear Paw Adventures

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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. 

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

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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. 

Blueberries for Father’s Day

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Blue Sky Berry Farm is offering a Father’s Day weekend special!

Bring a dad out Father’s Day weekend to enjoy 20% off blueberries and flowers.

Visit them June 14th and 15th from 8am-12pm in Monticello.

Want to keep up-to-date with announcements and potential weather cancellations?

Follow the Facebook event page. 

Wild Blackberry Festival

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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. 

Spring Harvest Tour – GA & FL

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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.