Now that Fall has officially arrived, the weather has cooperated and we are dually blessed by having a great weekend for the Soul Food Festival on Saturday in the Lake Yard. It has been remarkable how many more people are out and about now that it’s not so hot during the day. This weekend’s other activity is the Victorian Tea and Fashion Show (check out our Upcoming Events page for details on both), which will feature some fantastic authentic Victorian couture made by our own local period clothing specialist Ricki Wood-Bovee. Somehow she finds time to write novels between all these other wonderful creative efforts of hers.

Of course the local merchants will all be open on Saturday as well, and if you haven’t had a chance to visit the Walton County Heritage Museum this would be a great weekend to drop in. They are open from 1–4pm on Saturday.

Last but certainly not least, if you haven’t been by the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center in Freeport at the Nokuse Plantation, this is a great time of year to stop by their amazing facility and see just how unique our corner of the planet actually is! They are open from 10am-3pm on Saturdays and they charge a $5 admission fee ($2 for children under 12).

Anyone who knows me knows I need to get out more! And last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to host our booth at the Harvest Festival at the Chautauqua Winery. What a fun day, and made more so by seeing so many people I know! It never really occurred to me until this past week that I really have met a LOT of people here! One of the special things about DeFuniak Springs is that it certainly doesn’t seem to shy away from strangers! And there were also a lot of folks who had never been in the Hotel. So please spread the word and let folks know that we always welcome people to come by and see the place. One of my jobs is to maintain the Hotel DeFuniak as one of the great things in DeFuniak Springs. We truly are a Community Resource.

There is nothing quite as beautiful as a late afternoon walk around Lake DeFuniak, and the falling leaves of Autumn really add an extra bit of magic to the already enchanting scenery. I hope that before or after your stroll, you stop in for a coffee at the café or a drink at Bogey’s. We look forward to seeing you here!