Category: Family Friendly

National Bookshop Day

Debbie Roney Smith on

Tomorrow is National Bookshop Day, an annual celebration of all things books, reading, and local! It was conceived by the Bookseller Association. It is celebrated by individuals and businesses associated with the book trade, including publishers, authors, local bookshops, book lovers, and booksellers. See the list below for a selection of local bookstores to support tomorrow in the Panhandle and surrounding areas:

Pensacola Seafood Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on
Mullet Swimming Under a Rainbow by Frank Abbott

The Pensacola Seafood Festival is coming soon to Pensacola! It will be held in Downtown Pensacola at the Historic Seville Square, as well as adjacent Fountain Park and Bartram Park. The festival will start on run Friday, September 23rd (11am – 11pm) and will continue through Saturday (10am – 11pm) and Sunday (11am – 5pm).

There will be a plethora of food vendors preparing seafood; come enjoy Crawfish Mac’n’Cheese, Alligator, Conch Fritters, Coconut Shrimp, and more! Additionally, the festival will feature a live music lineup including The Molly Ringwalds, Tenille Townes, Goldmine, and more. There will even be a Children’s Area located in Bartram Park with face painting, crafts, and more.

While the event itself is FREE to the public, please note that arts&crafts vendors as well as most food vendors will be charging. Visit the Pensacola Seafood Festival website here for detailed itineraries and more. 

Benefits of Backyard Bats

Debbie Roney Smith on

Sandhills Native Nursery is opening for Fall hours on September 22nd. To celebrate, they are hosting a Benefits of Backyard Bats class with Cre8ive by N8ure. The class will run from 9:30am – 10:30am on September 23rd and 24th. Led by Nate, creator of Cre8ive by N8ure and bat educator, the class will focus on how the bats provide insect management, their reproductive cycle, their habitat and diet, and flora and fauna that is beneficial for bats. Due to parking limitations, the class has only 10 spots and you must register to secure your parking spot; the cost is $10 per car. However, these spots are counted by the vehicle not individual, so the nursery encourages carpooling with friends or family. 

Additionally, there will be a second class opportunity on both days. If you are interested in building your own bat house to take home, hang out at the nursery for roughly 30 minutes after the Benefits of Backyard Bats. The delay is designed to give participants time to grab a drink, walk around the nursery, or have a quick lunch. Please note that the Build Your Own Bathouse class costs $45 per person. All required materials and instruction from bat house building expert Nate will be included in the cost. 

Proceeds from both classes will be donated to a local organization that assists bats (organization TBA). Visit SNN’s event website HERE to sign up for the class and/or Bat House creation event.

Bulls on the Beach

Debbie Roney Smith on

Flora-Bama Lounge, Package, & Oyster Bar is hosting Bulls on the Beach from September 8th – 10th. Bulls on the Beach is a three-night event featuring live rodeo action. Starting Thursday night with Junior Riders on Miniature Bulls, a Coloring Contest Bike Giveaway for both a lucky little boy and girl, and Professional Bull Riding. Friday and Saturday night will feature the Professional Bull Riders in the adult Bull Riding Competition. The event itself will host Professional Bull Riders from all around the country! 

Buy tickets to Bulls on the Beach HERE; tickets are $30 per person for those 18 and older, $15 per person for those 7-17 years old, and FREE for those under 6 years old. 

 

 

Tallahassee Caribbean Carnival

Debbie Roney Smith on

The 4th Annual Tallahassee Caribbean Carnival is coming this weekend, September 9th – 11th! The theme of this year’s carnival is The Rebirth. It includes three days of live music, sumptuous fashion, vibrant colors, live entertainment, food vendors, a parade, and a kids’ zone. The carnival starts on Friday with a village kick-off featuring live music and DJs starting at noon. The carnival parade lineup will begin at 3:30 PM on Saturday and will be the highlight of the weekend event. Please note the parade will start at 5 PM sharp! Sunday will close out the carnival with live music starting at noon. 

Tickets are available for purchase online HERE; kids get in for $3 while adult tickets are $5. There are weekend passes available at $5 for kids and $10 for adults. 

Florida Scallop, Music, & Arts Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

This weekend, September 3rd-4th, is the Florida Scallop, Music & Arts Festival. Celebrate Labor Day weekend by enjoying freshly harvested St. Joseph’s Bay scallops while enjoying live music. The event will be held at George Core Park in Port St. Joe starting at noon. This two-day festival includes American Blonde, Tiger County Regulators, Sauce Boss, and The Josh Garrett Band. One-day passes cost $15/per person while a two-day pass is $25/per person. Please note that kids under 12 get in for free. Visit their Facebook page here to stay up-to-date on the line-up and festival announcements. Visit their event website here to purchase tickets or learn more. 

Halisi Africa: Boutique & Cafe

Debbie Roney Smith on

Halisi Africa opened in September of 2019 as a boutique and added a Zanzibar Bar in 2020. Located at 1002 Commercial Drive in the Tallahassee Art District, the shop offers a relaxed “shop-and-sip” style for customers that includes clothes, food, and music. Co-owners Vanessa Byrd and Bryant Shaw wanted to encourage customers to experience authentic African customs.

The café and boutique is divided into two sections. The entrance opens to the boutique which features clothing, jewelry, books, and more related to African diaspora. The boutique area also has a few chairs and tables for those guests who want to lounge while they shop. The café offers limited seating for those customers who want to dine in. 

Soaring out of Summer Celebration

Debbie Roney Smith on

Join the Calhoun/Liberty Community Health Partners tomorrow at Foxtrot 95 Calhoun County Airport for the Soaring out of Summer Celebration. The event starts at 10 am and aims to bring awareness to the Florida Department of Health’s SNAP-ED program and other important local resources. The celebration will host hot air balloon rides, sports activities, bounce houses, yard games, food trucks, live music, a fruit & vegetable stand, and local resource vendors. Admission is FREE so bring out the whole family for a day of fun and education! 

Caribe Family Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

This Saturday from 12pm – 6pm, the FAMU Way Market Area will be hosting Caribé! Also called A Festival of Colors, this event celebrates the history, culture, music, and folklife of the Caribbean islands. Guests are encouraged to express their creativity by creating and wearing masks and costumes for the parade. The event is FREE and will feature a parade in which guests are allowed to partake in, music, dance, food, performances, vendors, displays, and more!

Featured performers include: DJ RRane, Gyasi Clarke, The Forgotten Coast Dancers, DJ Dean, Excellence Dance Studio, Breanna Jade, DJ Zoe, Miriam Watkins & the Tallahassee Salsa Dancers from Studio D, Elio Delgado, DJ Ju, Lion Steel Band from Leon High School, DJ Vizyon, and DJ Stan Man. It is being produced by the Tallahassee-St. Maarten Foundation with partial funding from Leon County/Visit Tallahassee.