Category: Parks (Community/State/National)

North Florida Wildflower Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on
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The North Florida Wildflower Festival is coming up soon! Come out to Blountstown on Saturday, April 29th from 9am-2pm. The Florida Panhandle, from Jacksonville to Pensacola, is dotted with small towns that boast southern charm and gorgeous natural scenery. The Blountstown Wildflower Festival is one of the most popular events of each spring in Calhoun and surrounding counties. The Festival will feature food vendors, artists, crafters, nurseries, and more! The festival is family and well-behaved pet friendly. There will be kid-friendly activities such as train rides at the M&B Depot. Come out to Magnolia Square to soak in the small-town festival vibes and enjoy a lovely afternoon. The city, which is in the heart of Calhoun County, celebrates the region’s beauty during its annual festival. Learn more by visiting the event website HERE.

 

Free Entrance to Gulf Islands National Seashore

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There are only FIVE days in 2023 that the National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee offer free admission to one and all! This means that the local hotspot, the Gulf Islands National Seashore, will be free to everyone coming soon. While the first free day passed in January, the second free pass day is coming this April. As a way to celebrate National Park Week, get free entrance to the National Seashore on April 22nd. Celebrate Earth Day, also occurring on April 22nd, by picking up trash on your walk or capturing a photo of the natural beauty to share online with the tag #celebrateearthday.

The Gulf Islands National Seashore offers recreation, natural preservation, and historic sites along the Gulf of Mexico barrier islands of Florida and Mississippi. Visit the Florida portion of the seashore in Pensacola. The Florida District offers nature trails, beaches, historic fortifications, and the Naval Live Oaks Reservation. The two principal islands in the Florida District of the National Seashore are Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key.

Can’t make it to the dazzling white beaches this Earth Day? Visit on one of the other three free days:

  • August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • September 23: National Public Lands Day
  • November 11: Veterans Day

Calhoun County Advocating for a State Park

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The Calhoun County Community Foundation is working alongside the Calhoun County BOCC and State Representatives in hopes of bringing a State Park to Calhoun County. Advocating under the #KeepCalCoRural hashtag, the proposed state park is part of an ongoing initiative encouraging citizens to support the outdoors through conservation, recreation, and investments.

Calhoun County is the ONLY county in Florida without a State Park and/or a Recreation Area. The implementation of a park/recreation area would bring in MILLIONS of dollars annually to the local economy. It will also provide jobs for locals. The economic and emotional benefits of a maintained outdoor area are huge. Visit the online petition HERE to sign and show support. Help circulate the petition by sharing it on social media and using the initiative hashtag. 

Seabreeze Jazz Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

Coming soon to Panama City Beach: the Seabreeze Jazz Festival! This annual event is one of the Top 10 Jazz Festivals in the USA as ranked by JazzIZ Magazine. It brings together over 20 live music acts for a four-day festival on the sandy beaches of Florida’s Emerald Coast. The festival lineup for 2023 includes The Jacksons, George Benson, Boney James, and KEM. There will be special dinner cruises featuring Michael Lington and Peter White. Each night there will be a ticketed late-night after-party at Pompano Joe’s Seafood House; the parties will include an appetizer buffet and live music. The Jazz Festival will take place at Aaron Bessant Park from April 19th to 23rd. Learn more by visiting the festival website HERE.

Pensacola VegFest 2023

Debbie Roney Smith on

The Pensacola VegFest is coming to the Community Maritime Park next Saturday, March 25th! The festival will run from 12 pm to 7 pm EDT. Pensacola Vegfest is a celebration of compassionate living, eating, and creating. All food at the event will be vegan; come out to try various delicious plant-based, cruelty-free foods. Turtle Roll Homemade Ice Cream will be at the festival with an entire line of vegan ice cream flavors AND several scrumptious sorbets. The festival will also feature eco-friendly vendors, vegan artists, family fun, live music, free yoga, cooking demos, and more! While entry to Vegfest is free, food and art vendors will take cash and cards. Learn more about the event and stay up-to-date with announcements by visiting the Facebook event page HERE. 

Astronomy at Florida Caverns State Park

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Florida Caverns State Park is excited to announce a special Astronomy Night! Thanks to the participation of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society, there will be an evening opportunity for interested individuals to come out to the State Park to learn more about stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies. 

The Astronomy Night will be held on Saturday, March 18th from 5-8pm CST. While the event is free, park entrance is $5.00 per vehicle and is required to access the event site. In the event of poor viewing conditions, cancellation
information will be available at the Ranger Station by 4pm on Saturday. For more information contact Florida Caverns State Park at 850-482-1228.

North Forida Vegfest

Debbie Roney Smith on

The 7th Annual North Florida VegFest is coming to Tallahassee on March 4th! Visit Tom Brown Park from 10am to 4pm to enjoy the festival. Tom Brown Park is dog-friendly, so feel free to bring your well-behaved, four-legged friends; they must be on leash. VegFest is put on by the Tallahassee Vegan/Vegetarian Community to celebrate and educate on the veg-lifestyle. The festival focuses on healthy, sustainable, and compassionate living and is appropriate for all ages and all lifestyles. Entry to the festival is FREE but vendors will be taking cash and card, so come prepared. The festival will feature speakers, cooking demos, food vendors, artisans, healthy living vendors, eco-friendly vendors, non-profits, kids’ activities, and free vegan food samples! Be sure to check the North Florida VegFest website for updates HERE. 

 

 

The After Dark Market

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The After Dark Market is happening tonight at Floriopolis! Located in Historic St. Andrews, the market will open at 7pm and run until 11pm EST. This is the sixth After Dark Market; there will be art, oddities, and great performers. 

Learn more by visiting the Facebook event page HERE. 

Panama City Beach Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival

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The Panama City Beach Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival is this weekend. Come by Aaron Bessant Park this Saturday and Sunday from to enjoy food, drinks, friends, and more! The 6th Annual Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival will be open to the public from 12pm-5pm with VIPs getting access at 11am. Event ticket prices vary according to the package you purchase, but General Admission is $5 online and $10 at the gate; kids 10-years-old and younger get in for free.

The festival will include over thirty of Florida’s most popular food trucks, over 50 national, regional, and local craft beers, lawn games, music, and family fun. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the sunny Florida weekend. Please be sure to bring cash and card to purchase food, drinks, and other goodies provided by artisan vendors. For a complete list of participating food trucks, beers, and artists, please visit the Facebook event page HERE or visit the official website HERE. 

 

Pensacola Chocolate & Cheese Fest

Debbie Roney Smith on
The First Annual Pensacola Chocolate and Cheese Fest is February 19th. It will be held at Community Maritime Park in downtown Pensacola from 10am to 6pm. The festival will feature food trucks and vendors specializing in chocolate and cheese items. There will be a featured festival ice cream, the Turtle Roll Ice Cream. Additional highlights include beer, wine, assorted vendors, chocolate martinis, contests, a bounce house, and more! Tickets are only $5 per person; kids 12 and under get in for free. Visit the Facebook event page here for more information.