Jump to Month:
Arbor Day Celebration
Date: The Saturday following the Third Friday of January
Location: Hudson Park in Crawfordville
Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Sponsor: The Iris Garden Club of Wakulla
Wakulla County’s Arbor Day Celebration, organized by the Wakulla County Garden Club since 2005, provides over a thousand Free Trees for Wakulla County residents to choose from. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions. This annual event is held on the Saturday following the third Friday of January, from 10:00 am- 12:30 pm, and includes food vendors, artisan & craft vendors, as well as live music.
St. Marks NWR Wildlife Heritage & Outdoor Festival
Sponsored by St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Date: Saturday, February 4, 2023
Location: Visitor’s Center at St. Marks NWR
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Seeking to “Connect People with Nature,” the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge’s Heritage and Outdoors Festival has grown into one of Wakulla County’s largest displays of outdoor culture every year. From wildlife exhibits and dog-hunting demonstrations to turkey call contests and fly fishing or archery tutorials, this festival has a little bit of everything. Local food vendors and nature-based businesses are always on hand, and each festival features live music and wildlife artwork from area artists.
Explore your outdoors at the Wildlife, Heritage, and Outdoors Festival! Join us for exhibits, demonstrations, games, crafts, food, and music for a $5/car entrance fee. Call (850) 925-6121 for more information. Download Flyer
African American Heritage Parade
Date: February 18th, 2023
This celebration is Wakulla County’s tribute to African American culture and coincides with America’s annual recognition of Black History Month. The event features an African American-themed parade, complete with the sounds of local high school marching bands.
For more information, contact Robert Manning by phone at (850) 545-3928 or by email at robert.manning1956@gmail.com.
Date: March 11, 2023
Location: 3056 Crawfordville Highway, Crawfordville, FL 32327
Time: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wakulla 4-H invites you to celebrate Wakulla County’s birthday! This founding day celebration includes a street festival with historical tours, food trucks, live music, a historical timeline walk, youth activities, birthday cake, and more. Walk Across Wakulla challenge completers will be recognized during this event. New this year: first 100 youth have the opportunity to receive an event passport and participate in special themed activities!
Panacea Beer & Oyster Festival
Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023
Location: 48 Mound St, Panacea, FL, United States, Florida
Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
An event showcasing local and national craft beers and our local farm-raised oysters!
Stay connected at: https://www.facebook.com/PanaceaBeerOysterFest
Low Country Boil
Sponsored by Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce
Date: First Saturday of April
Location: 3Y Ranch, Crawfordville Time: 6-10 p.m.
No one does a Low Country Boil quite like Wakulla County! This annual festival is easily one of the area’s most popular events because of its wealth of live music and great food, featuring an enormous pot of a traditional low country boil — with favorites like shrimp, sausage, crawfish, potatoes and corn on the cob — for all to sample. Tickets are usually made available around the middle of January and sell out fast!
Sopchoppy Worm Gruntin’ Festival
Date: April 8, 2023
Location: Sopchoppy, Florida; 33 Rose Street, Sopchoppy, FL, United States, Florida
Website: http://www.wormgruntinfestival.com/
SPIA was formed to preserve and enhance the easy living atmosphere and quality of life of the people of Sopchoppy and the surrounding area by fostering economic vitality and opportunity while preserving social, cultural, historical, and natural values. SPIA’s primary source of funding has been the annual Worm Gruntin’ Festival.
Rivers Beneath Us – A look at the underground Wakulla Springs Cave System
Date: April 25, 2023
Time 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Location: Wakulla Environmental Institute; 10 Preservation Way, Crawfordville, FL, or attend virtually!
Website: https://wakullasprings.org/event-5219421
The keynote speaker is Dr. Chris Wener. Werner tells exciting true stories that capture the essence of exploration and the human spirit.
Stay connected with the Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park by liking their Facebook page here.
Stephen C. Smith Memorial Regatta
Sponsored by Shell Point Yacht Club and the Shell Point Sailboard Club
Date: April 28 – April 30, 2023
Location: Shell Point Beach; 117 Beaty Taff Dr, Crawfordville, FL 32327
Time: April 28: 5pm-6pm April 29: 8:30am-7:30pm April 30: 8:30am-1:30pm
The Regatta event includes races for yachts rated under the PHRF handicapping system, catamarans such as Hobie Cats, smaller day sailors including Sunfish, and windsurfers, the most numerous and arguably the most colorful participants in the Regatta. The public is invited to view the races on Saturday and Sunday and get lunch at the Regatta Grille, and participate in the auction of thousands of dollars worth of donated items on Sunday afternoon beginning after the trophy presentations (about 2:00 pm). Everyone can have a great time and pick up some great deals while making a contribution to help us all fight cancer.
Rock the Dock Fishing Tournament
Date: April 29-30, 2023
Location: Panacea, FL
Annual Fishing Tournament taking place in Panacea, Florida. This beautiful location is nestled between the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and Apalachicola National Forest. Considered a nature lover’s paradise, this tournament is planned to be one for the ages. Come out and Rock the Dock with us at our annual fishing tournament.
Children’s Fishing Tournament
Sponsored by Panacea Waterfronts, Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners, and Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office.
Date: May 6, 2023
Location: Woolley Park in Panacea
Time: Weigh-in from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Children’s Fishing Tournament puts new rods and reels into the hands of hundreds of kids and gives them a chance to compete in either the freshwater or saltwater categories for prizes.
Date: June 11, 2022
Location: Shields Marina, St Marks, FL
Cast a line for your community at the Salvation Army Redfish, Trout, & Flounder Saltwater Fishing Tournament. All legal catches quality for a grand prize! $1,000 will go to the 1st place prize in all categories, and the grand slam prize will win $2,000. A special thanks to Shields Marina and Walk On’s for supporting this event.
The Rockin’ Reds Fishing Tournament is an annual tournament in honor of Gage Pitman, an avid angler who lost his life too soon. Funds raised from this tournament go to support the Gage Pitman Memorial Scholarship which is bestowed upon a resident of Panacea annually.
Sopchoppy 4th of July Celebration
Date: Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Time: Parade – 10 a.m. Festival – 11 a.m. Fireworks: Start at Dark
Location: Myron B. Hodge City Park in Sopchoppy.
Another of Wakulla County’s oldest traditions is the Sopchoppy 4th of July Celebration in the heart of downtown Sopchoppy. The festivities begin the morning of Independence Day with a parade, followed by a festival complete with arts and food vendors and live music at Sopchoppy’s famed Myron B. Hodge City Park, which rests on the banks of the Sopchoppy River. The evening is then capped with a spectacular fireworks display that will illuminate the sky over the picturesque waterfront. For more information on how to become a vendor, parade participant, or sponsor, please call Sopchoppy City Hall at (850) 962-4611 or visit Sopchoppy.org/events.
Stay connected with Sopchoppy 4th of July by liking their page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sopchoppy4thOfJuly
Wakulla County Coastal Cleanup
Date: 3rd Saturday in September
Location: St. Marks Wildlife Refuge/Shell Point Beach/Mashes Sands/Panacea
Time: 8 a.m.
Visit Website
This program is run by volunteers who make it their goal to both beautify the area’s beaches and coastlines and educate about how to keep Wakulla County clean and litter-free. Cleanup crews begin at 8 a.m. at various beaches in Wakulla County, and the cleanup culminates with a celebration at noon at Woolley Park in Panacea.
Stay connected with Keep Wakulla County Beautiful by liking their page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepwakullacountybeautiful
Link: https://www.visitwakulla.com/event/wakulla-county-coastal-cleanup/2023-09-16/
Fall Wildflower Walk at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Date: Last Saturday in September
Location: St. Marks Wildlife Refuge
Time: 9 a.m. to Noon
Contact: David Roddenberry
Email: sarracenia.nps@gmail.com
Phone: 850-556-9530
This is a one-of-a-kind Wildflower walk offered during spring and fall blooming seasons. Featured is a nature walk “Behind the Gates” to areas not usually open to the public. Wildflower experts identify species and give an oral history of Wakulla County’s area wildflowers.
Panacea Blue Crab Festival
Date: Last Saturday in September 2023.
Location: Woolley Park in Panacea
Time: 10:00 a.m.
One of the oldest and longest-running festivals to dot the Wakulla County landscape, the Panacea Blue Crab Festival gives Wakulla County an opportunity to celebrate and thank the city of Panacea for one of its most precious commodities. Started in 1975, the festival begins each year with a parade down U.S. Highway 98, then the party really begins at Woolley Park on the waterfront with live music and clog dancers, local arts and crafts vendors, and all the fresh Wakulla County blue crab — and all types of other seafood — you could ever desire. And don’t forget to enter the famed “Blue Crab Pickin’ Contest” to become the next Panacea Blue Crab Festival champ!
Stay connected with the Panacea Blue Crab Festival by liking their Facebook page found here: https://www.facebook.com/PanaceaBlueCrabFestival
Monarch Butterfly Festival
Date: 4th Saturday in October
Location: St. Marks Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: (850) 925-6121 or saintmarks@fws.gov.
Wildlife seekers can come to watch the migrating monarch butterfly pass through the Wakulla County coast around this time, specifically at the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The festival has numerous wildlife exhibits in addition to nature-based educational demonstrations.
Link: https://www.visitwakulla.com/event/monarch-butterfly-festival/
Christmas in the Park
Sponsored by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office
Date: TBA
Location: Hudson Park in Crawfordville
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Enjoy Christmas activities & grab your picture with Santa!
KWCB River Cleanup
Date: TBA
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Calling all kayakers, canoers, and divers! Join us for the 2022 KWCB River cleanup. This cleanup is part of American Rivers’ National River Cleanup. Thousands of volunteers across the country are removing trash from their community’s most natural resource. Visit www.AmericanRivers.org for more info.
Christmas in Panacea
Date: TBA
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Visit Website
Christmas in Sopchoppy
Date: TBA
Location: Downtown Sopchoppy
Time: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Vendors of Hand Made & Home Grown Treasures & Gifts, Christmas Market, Childrens’ Games & Activities, Food Trucks, Santa Coming on a Fire Truck, Christmas Carol Sing, Movie and more.
Apalachee Bay – Coastal Christmas
Xmas Market:
Over 20 Vendors & Music by Bruce Graybeal
Date: TBA
Location: 1448 Shell Point Rd.
Time: 9am – 3pm
Golf Cart Parade:
Date: TBA
Location: Pebble Court
Time: Line up at 4:45pm, Parade at 5pm
St. Marks Golf Cart Christmas Parade
Golf Cart Parade:
When: Saturday, December 10, 2023
Where: Bo Lynn’s Grocery
Time: Lineup at 6:30pm, parade at 7pm
Sponsored by St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Tots on Trails – A 45-minute program designed to acquaint preschool children with the plants and animals of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, and with the natural world in general. Bring your kids (ages 1-4 years old) to the Refuge for fun activities and a short ranger-led hike. Meets on the second Thursday of each month at 11:00 am.
