Category: Parks (Community/State/National)

Taco & Tequila Fest

Debbie Roney Smith on

The annual Jax Taco and Tequila Fest is coming soon! From September 2-3, visit the Metropolitan Park from 3-11pm. The annual event is most famous for its Grand Sampling Experience which includes over 40 craft tequila distillers pouring samples twice each day. Is Tequila not to your taste? The Fest includes two days of live music headlined by Big Boi, Gym Class Heroes, Iration, and Lupe Fiasco. There will also be immersive art performances, complimentary dance lessons, cultural music, and a silent disco party featuring dueling DJS and an immersive light experience. And, of course, tacos! Get your tickets HERE or learn more at the event website. 

Greenwood is the Place to Be

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Nestled in a small yet private 0.87 acres, this 1930s home is located in the historic, Antebellum town of Greenwood. The home is within walking distance of the grocery store, a bank, a town park, and the oldest running hardware store in the county. The yard has established flowering trees and is partially fenced; the empty space has endless potential. It would fit everything from a wildflower patch to a water slide to a few fruit trees. The homeowner has updated many of the house’s features including replacing the front porch and installing a new septic system. They have also installed a new HVAC, blown insulation, and replaced the main water line from the street to the house.

Greenwood is a lovely town and a peaceful place to live. It has seven homes and one store that are eligible for the National Registry. The store, Pender Store, is open for business to this day. Many of the homes can be viewed from State Highway 71. Additionally, Greenwood is close to a number of parks such as Torreya State Park, Florida Caverns State Park, and Falling Waters State Park. Visit Greenwood or move here today!

Sip & Shop Market

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Southern Fields Brewery is hosting its first Sip & Shop Market this Sunday. The event kicks off with a  Pints and Paint at 2pm. The Market will run from 3-6pm. There will be beer, food, a waterslide for all ages, vendors, AND live music performed by Dylan Kelley starting at 4pm. Learn more by visiting the event’s Facebook page HERE. 

 

Pensacola Splash Fest

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The Pensacola Splash Fest is this Saturday! Come to the Community Maritime Park in Pensacola to enjoy the family-fun festival. There will be water slide bounce houses, a dunk tank, water-themed obstacle courses, and class slip-n-slides. But the fun doesn’t end when you get out of the water: the festival will also have food trucks, craft vendors, games, and a watermelon-eating competition. If you’d like unlimited water rides, you must purchase a wristband. Wristbands are $15 for adults or $5 for event entry only. Wristbands for children 17 and younger are $10; kids 5 and under get in for free. Learn more by visiting the Splash Fest website. 

 

Pensacola Stargazing

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The Escambia Amateur Astronomer Association is hosting a Night Under the Stars this coming Saturday (July 8th). Members invite guests to join them in viewing constellations, the moon, and planets from binoculars and/or telescopes set up by the association. Participants must enter the Big Lagoon State Park before the gates close at sunset. The event is free with paid park entry. Learn more by visiting the event website HERE. 

Fireworks Extravaganza

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El Bethel Church is hosting its Annual Celebrate America Fireworks Extravaganza this coming weekend. Come out to Sneads Park on July 2nd from 6pm to dark for an evening of fun celebration. There will be free food, a free concert at 7pm, and fireworks at dark!

Jacksonville Jazz Festival

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The Jacksonville Jazz Festival has a rich, forty-year history of showcasing smooth beats and imaginative solos. It’s the largest free music festival and features three days of live music on TWO different stages. Some of the 2023 performers will include Wynton Marsalis, Samara Joy, Shemekia Copeland, the U.S. Army Ambassadors Jazztet, Marcus Miller, Larry Carlton, and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

Come out from May 25-28th to enjoy the festival. There will also be a piano competition, a jazz marketplace, food, and more! Come down to Downtown Jacksonville to enjoy a sunny weekend of groovy music and family fun. Learn more by visiting the official Festival website.

Magnolia Market

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Magnolia Market is happening this Saturday, May 13th from 5:30-8:30pm CST. Magnolia Market is hosted by Main Street Blountstown in Magnolia Square Park. There will be live music, face painting, crafts, boutique clothing, ax throwing, metal works, and more! The Market will also have cotton candy, kettle corn, and food trucks to feed you throughout the night of family fun. 

Florida’s First Commercial Oil Well

Debbie Roney Smith on

Did you know that Washington County is home to one of the first commercial oil wells ever drilled in Florida? In 1919, a string of wells was dug in eastern Washington County by independent oil seekers following a rumor of oil beneath the hills. One such well was dug at what is now Falling Waters State Park. It was a remarkable achievement, reaching a depth of 3,900 feet – an astonishing feat given the technology of the time and the location of the hole. While there was a brief moment of hope when the drillers found a pocket of natural gas, the well ultimately failed to produce anything of use and was capped. 

A few decades after drilling had ended, a cow fell into one of the sludge pits. The event was covered by multiple newspapers, leading to an outcry of public concerns about the “dangers” of the site. International Paper, then-owners of the land the well was on, ended up passing the deed to the land to Washington County. This land is at the center of the now-established Falling Waters State Park. While the well was unproductive for commercial oil quantities, it did eventually lead to a wonderful treasure for the people of Washington County and the wildlife of the area. 

Visit Falling Waters today to see the old oil well along the park’s nature trail, just around the bend after Florida’s tallest waterfall! 

Arbor Day 2023

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Arbor Day 2023 is coming this Friday, April 28th! Arbor Day, literally translating to ‘Tree Day,’ is a holiday that celebrates the planting, upkeep, and preservation of trees, forests, and old-growth forests. The first Arbor Day as it is recognized in the USA was held in Nebraska on April 10, 1872, and has since grown into a national holiday (circa 1970) and has even gained international recognition (circa 1883). 

Prior to the introduction of Arbor Day to the United States, the first historical celebration that aligns with the ideals of ‘Arbor Day’ was celebrated in 1594. In the Spanish village of Mondoñedo, the first documented arbor plantation festival was successfully organized by the mayor of the town. Clearly, the celebration of trees has been a cultural cornerstone for hundreds of years. It is estimated that the celebration on April 10, 1872 culminated in hundreds of thousands of trees being planted. 

Want to celebrate Arbor Day? Consider:

  • Planting a tree
  • Create art celebrating trees
  • Build/purchase something made from recycled wood
  • Sponsor/adopt a tree in need
  • Participate in ‘tree care’ (mulching, pruning, and watering)
  • Visit a local park/state park
  • Read Arbor Day’s Celebration Ideas list for more suggestions