Category: ShopLocal

Fall In Love With JaCo: Business Expo & Community Showcase

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The Jackson County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Business Expo & Community Showcase on Thursday, October 20th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Citizen’s Lodge.

The Showcase will be a free event highlighting local businesses and community organizations. Participating businesses/organizations will have a table to display their products and services. The Expo will feature exhibits, networking, giveaways, raffle prizes, music, and entertainment. There will also be a number of local food trucks available on site. 

If you would like to take part in the exhibition, call the Chamber of Commerce at (850)482-8060. The Expo’s theme is “Fall” in Love with JaCo. Participants are encouraged to decorate their booths in a fall theme. The Chamber will also be holding an Expo 101 class on Tuesday, September 20th from 8am to 9am. The class will be repeated on (1) Friday, September 30th from 11am to 12pm and (2) Tuesday, October 4th from 3pm to 4pm. The class will cover what makes a great exhibit, setup do’s and don’ts, and more. Participating businesses/organizations will also receive a special exhibitor-only networking lunch during setup prior to the 3:00 p.m. public event.  

For more information contact the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce at 850-482-8060 or info@jacksoncounty.com or visit the Facebook event page here. 

National Bookshop Day

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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:

National Coffee Day 2022

Debbie Roney Smith on

Today is National Coffee Day! The exact date of its origin is unknown, however, it is believed to have first been celebrated in Japan circa 1983. The celebration was then introduced to the United State in 2005. It is celebrated annually on September 29th. This annual celebration should not be confused with International Coffee Day which was first celebrated on October 1, 2015.

See below for a list of businesses that are offering National Coffee Day(NCD) deals or freebies:

  • Barnes & Noble: receive a free tall hot or iced coffee with the purchase of any baked item from B&N Cafés nationwide.
  • Dunkin’ Donuts: DD Perks members can get a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase at Dunkin’.
  • Panera Bread: new Unlimited Sip Club subscribers receive two months free if they sign up on NCD. Existing Sip Club members receive $2 off select barista beverages and smoothies.

Bookstore Coming to Marianna

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A new bookstore is coming soon to Marianna! It will be moving into what used to be the Sweet Beans Cafe on Caledonia Street in downtown Marianna. Currently, the bookstore is going by the name Books & Such. However, the name is subject to change as per the owner’s Facebook announcement. Books & Such will be stocking new books as well as a limited selection of used books. They also hope to carry journals, stationery, greeting cards, and other “such” items. Keep an eye out for an opening date announcement!

Benefits of Backyard Bats

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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.

Halisi Africa: Boutique & Cafe

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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

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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! 

Grape Harvest Festival

Debbie Roney Smith on

The 2022 Annual Grape Harvest Festival is coming to the FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research on August 20th! From 8 am to 4 pm, the festival will be bustling with family, food, fun, and agricultural discovery. FAMU is a national leader in viticulture research, and this festival is meant to celebrate both FAMU and the surrounding community.  

Click the photo to visit the Grape Harvest Festival website for more information.

There will be a vineyard trailer ride, grape and wine sampling, grape stomping contest, water slides, a grape throwing competition, a hula hoop competition, live entertainment, fun vineyard run and walk-a-thon, grape picking, a health fair, and more than 60 community exhibitors and vendors! Onsite general admission is $10/person; children under 12 years of age and FAMU students (with valid ID) are free. Non-FAMU students will receive a 50% discount while seniors (65+) will receive a 20% discount. Parking is located off-site at the “Antique Car Museum” located at 6800 Mahan Drive. Parking will open at 7:30 am on the day of the event. A complimentary bus shuttle to the festival grounds will be provided on a 10–15min schedule.

Caffe Del Mundo

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Caffé del Mundo is located in the Cove at 101 S. Bonita Ave., Panama City Beach. It was opened in November 2021 by Marta and Jimy Thorpe. The location includes a coffee and Sangria bar. It is a cozy space with plenty of table space, seating, and outlets for computer work. They welcome local groups to hang out in the space, even offering a bookcase of board games.

They are open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cafe offers espressos, teas, nitro-infused cold brews, gourmet smoothies, snacks, and baked goods. In the afternoon they offer sangrias, wine, and beer alongside their standard menu. The sangria flavors include Ethiopian Coffee, Processco Peach, and Classic Spanish. Their coffee beans are imported and freshly roasted every day at the Mill City Roaster. 

Marianna Market: Christmas in July

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This Saturday from 7:00 am-noon is the special Christmas in July at Marianna City Farmers’ Market. There will be a number of local crafters set up with goodies to purchase – get ahead on your holiday shopping on July 23rd. Vendors include: Crafts by Moni, Memere’s Crafts, Walk by Faith Artisan Soap, LLC, LonnieAnd Vicki’s Pens N Crafts, 5 Needle Ninja, Gloria Frazier, @stinkin’ cute hand-crafted decor, Panhandle Arts and Crafters, and Friends of the Market. Additionally, Santa Claus will be on-site for photos. Marianna City Farmers’ Market is held at 2898 Madison Street Corner of Madison Street and Clinton Street, Marianna.