Events and Family Activities
Our Events and Family Activities expert, Tommy Thompson, tells you about upcoming and ongoing events across our ten county area.
10th Annual Mayhaw Berry Festival, Monticello, FL–May 7 & 8, 2016
Golden Acres Ranch in Jefferson County, FL is hosting the 10th Annual Mayhaw Berry Festival on May 7 and 8, 2016. It’s a free, family oriented event, with a petting area, hayrides, local crafts, art, food–and of course, mayhaw jelly! Golden Acres, located at 704 Barnes Road, Monticello, is a 60-acre, working goat and sheep …
O’Leno State Park and Its Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy
One of Florida’s first state parks, O’Leno State Park was first developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The park is located along the banks of the scenic Santa Fe River, a tributary of the Suwannee River, and features sinkholes, hardwood hammocks, river swamps and sandhills. As the river courses through the park, …
A Beginner’s Guide to Bay Scallop Season: Catching, Cleaning & Cooking Fresh Gulf Scallops
Scalloping is the Natural North Florida’s alternative to South Florida’s lobster season. It’s a combination of complete madness at boat ramps and marinas, motels filled to capacity, family fun, and some of the best eating around. Here is our comprehensive guide to scalloping in Natural North Florida to prepare you for the upcoming season. Read …
A Taste of “Old Florida”: Bill’s Fish Camp at Suwannee
There are very few real “fish camps” left in Florida. Of those that disappeared, many were sold and their valuable (and strategically placed) real estate swallowed up by developers to build pricey condos and vacation homes. Some of that happened at Suwannee, Steinhatchee, Yankeetown and Cedar Key, but there are a few left. On our …
Day Trip Idea: “Plinking” For Free at Lake City’s Osceola Gun and Archery Range
Located near downtown Lake City, the Lewis D. Whitacre shooting range is a free and open to the public. It offers covered 25, 50 and 200 yard target ranges for rifles and pistols, as well as an archery range with a high stand. The range is open during daylight hours, but may be closed …
Day Trip Idea: Florida’s Citrus History at Gainesville’s Matheson History Museum, Through 8/26/16
Although our Natural North Florida region is no longer an important player in Florida’s citrus industry, there’s still lots of history and images to remind us how valuable “liquid gold” was to the area in past decades. As “cooler” weather crept northward, freezes killed many commercial groves, and only a few remain, mostly near lakes …
52nd Annual Cedar Key Arts Festival, April 9 & 10, 2016
2016 marks the 52nd year of the Cedar Key Arts Festival. The town of Cedar Key comes alive with fun for the entire family during the event. Expect great food, professional arts and crafts and a chance to see one of Florida’s best-kept secrets–the town of Cedar Key. Located just an hour west of …
When The Weather Is Cool, Our Spring Waters Are “Warmish”
The Visit Natural North Florida 12-county region has more natural first-magnitude springs than anywhere else on earth. And while they’re magnets for visitors during the warmer months, folks often overlook the fact that the water flowing from our underground aquifer is a year-round, constant 72-degrees F. Some of the bigger springs are found …
Gainesville’s Downtown Farmers’ Reopens at Bo Diddley Plaza, March 2016
It’s been a while since Gainesville’s Downtown Farmers’ Market was at Bo Diddley Community Plaza, 117 East University Avenue. While the Plaza was being renovated, the market moved to an alternate site, a bit further from the center of the city. But, now it’s reopened and Wednesday afternoons (4-7PM) it’s the hub of downtown food, …
Hogtown 5K Beer Run, Haile Plantation, Gainesville, 4/18/16
It’s the Hogtown 5K Beer Run benefitting Climb for Cancer at beautiful Haile Plantation! Enjoy this unique cross-country run on Saturday, April 18th, at 9:00 am, as hundreds of runners kick off the Hogtown Craft Beer Festival with this exciting race which winds park trails and loops through Haile Plantation. Day-of registration opens at …