Category: Family Friendly

Fall Fest Downtown

Debbie Roney Smith on

Historic Downtown Panama City is hosting a Fall Fest on October 29th. The festival will run from 8am to 9pm and include a day packed with family fun. There will be games, candy, and spooky surprises for all ages! The schedule is as follows:

• (8 am – 1 pm) Fall Farmer’s Market at McKenzie Park
• (1 pm – 4 pm) Fall Bash at McKenzie Park
• (4 pm – 7 pm) Trunk or Treat at McKenzie Park
• (6 pm – 9 pm) Fright Nights Haunted House at the Center For The Arts
Learn more by visiting the Fall Fest Facebook event page here. 

C.M. Kidd Harris Events

Debbie Roney Smith on

This Sunday will be a packed day for C.M. Kidd Harris Park in Panama City. The day starts with a Raised Bed Event at 10am. Put on by Living Healthy. Simplified and the Quality of Life Department of Panama City, this is a volunteer event to get raised beds built and filled for the benefit of the surrounding community. Learn more by visiting the Raised Bed Event Facebook page here.

During the event, there will be a number of other activities taking place so the whole family can come out. There will be plant starters for kids so they can help get seasonal plants going for your home, a tour of the food forest park, and a tour to learn about backyard beekeeping at 1pm. This will also be the location of the Fall Seed and Plant Swap; learn more here! Bring seeds and plants to swap with other community members. There will be snacks and refreshments available but they are of a limited quantity, so please prepare for a day in the Florida sun by bringing your own water, sun protection, and comfy clothes. 

Ghost Walk

Debbie Roney Smith on

Main Street Blountstown is hosting a Ghost Walk on October 22nd from 6:30-8:45 pm. The walk is $7 per person while children under 10 years old or younger get in free. SPOTS ARE LIMITED. The walk will take participants around the streets of downtown Blountstown, shining a light on the spooky history of the city and things that go bump in the night. Visit the Facebook event page here to learn more and stay up-to-date on ticket availability. 

Frink Fall Fest

Debbie Roney Smith on

Frink Baptist Church is hosting a Fall Festival on October 22nd from 4-7pm. There will be a chili cookout, music, a bounce house, candy apples, a hayride, and more! The event is completely free, so bring out family and friends for a fun fall event. For more information, email frinkbaptistchurch@gmail.com 

Chautauqua Winery’s Harvest Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

The Chautauqua Winery’s Harvest Festival is coming to DeFuniak Springs this Saturday, October 15th. Admission is free to this family-friendly event. The festival will run from 9am-5pm. There will be arts & crafts, live entertainment, and a complimentary wine tasting. The wine tasting features the entirety of the Winery’s collection as well as non-alcoholic muscadine juices for those who can’t or don’t drink. Wine will also be available for purchase by the case, bottle, or glass. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets to set out and enjoy the music. Learn more by visiting the event website HERE. 

Barrels, Boots, & Bucking Bulls

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is the first day of the Bonifay Rodeo. Barrels, Boots, & Bucking Bulls starts at 8am today with a 5K Bull Run. The gates will open at 5:30pm with PRCA rodeo action starting at 7:30pm. Friday’s events will begin with the Rodeo Parade at 1pm followed by the gates opening at 5:30pm. Saturday starts with a $10 all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast. There will be a repeat of the rodeo parade and rodeo action. Learn more by visiting the Bonifay Rodeo website here. 

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.