Category: Week-long Observances

Free Entrance to Gulf Islands National Seashore

Debbie Roney Smith on

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

Art & Golf Classes for Kids

Debbie Roney Smith on

First Presbyterian Church in Marianna is hosting beginner golf lessons and art classes for local kids this summer. Enrollment is limited to the first dozen kids to be signed up for each of the courses.

The golf lessons are for children in grades 3-6. They will be hosted by MHS golfer Cole Payne and assisted by Bill Stevens. Golf lessons will be held on June 13, June 20, and July 11 from 10 a.m. to noon. To sign up or for more information about the golf classes, call 850-526-2430 or 850-765-3659. Children can also be enrolled for golf via email at fpcmarianna@gmail.com.

The art classes are for children in grades 2-5. They will be taught by Anna Barber and assisted by Aggie Shack. The classes will be on July 12, July 19, and July 26 from 10 a.m. to noon. The classes will be held in the fellowship hall of First Presbyterian Church at the corner of Jefferson and Clinton Streets. To sign up or for more information about the art classes, call 850-526-2430 or 850-765-3659, or email fpcmarianna2gmail.com.

Fiesta Pensacola

Debbie Roney Smith on

Pensacola’s heritage celebration of the city’s establishment is coming up. The Spanish Conquistador Don Tristan de Luna arrived in what is now Pensacola in 1559. The Fiesta event begins with the Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon Fiesta Days Celebration; local dignitaries surrender the city and its citizens to DeLune and his Queen (June 1). The Fiesta includes other events such as the Grand Fiesta Parade (June 3), Fiesta Boat Parade (June 4), and Fiesta All Krewe Ball (June 9). Both parades feature floats or boats, an appearance by the 2022 Fiesta King and Queen and their “royal” court, and the local Krewes. Pensacola Fiesta occurs from June 1-9th. Visit the official event website HERE for more information. 

Florida’s Role in Deaf Dog Awareness Week

Debbie Roney Smith on

Did you know some breeds of dogs have deafness rates of 40 percent or more? Yet most people are unaware that certain breeds are predisposed to hearing impairment, and even less know how to recognize the signs in their pets. Deaf Dog Awareness Week has just come to a close today; it was a wonderful chance to celebrate those special dogs, learn more about adoption and training, and to simply hug our furry friends close.

Florida has a special part to play in this week-long holiday. Gisele Veilleux founded a small foster-driven non-profit dog rescue located in Central Florida in 2009 called The Dog Liberator. A no-kill shelter, it rescues approximately 200 dogs per year. The Dog Liberator focuses on rescuing herding dogs in danger, thus preventing highly adoptable dogs from being destroyed. Veilleux published Deaf Dogs Hear With Their Hearts in 2013. It is the true story of China, a deaf and partially blind dog who inspired great things. China, an Australian Shepherd, was rescued from a kill shelter when she was still a pup and had been abused by her former owner. The effect China had on Veilleux and her daughter helped inspire Veilleux to focus more heavily on supporting hearing-impaired dogs. Thank goodness for animal-loving Floridians!