- Wakulla Wonderful is taking place Saturday, March 8, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the Wakulla County Extension Office.
- The street festival will feature vendors celebrating the county's history.
- Watch the video to find out what you can expect this weekend and how this festival is honoring Wakulla County's 182nd birthday.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The community is getting together this weekend to celebrate Wakulla County with the annual Wakulla Wonderful festival.
ABC 27 has been finding out more about the significance of this event and what you can expect from the event this year.
This weekend’s street festival is all about celebrating Wakulla County and its rich history.
"This is a chance to learn about the community where you live," said Dr. Rachel Pienta, 4-H Extension Agent for Wakulla County Extension. "You’re going to meet other community organizations. You’re going to meet your neighbors, you’re going to learn some Wakulla history, all while having fun."
Wakulla Wonderful is an annual tradition, in its 6th year, honoring Wakulla County’s birthday.
"If you are interested in Wakulla County history, this is a great opportunity to start learning about it," said Pienta. "It's also a great time to come out and meet your neighbors in this great community."
Pienta said 50 vendors are participating, and they’re expecting more than a few hundred people to attend.
The festival is spearheaded by 4H.
"Workforce development, leadership development, STEM sciences, public speaking," said Pienta, describing some of the programs 4H provides to youth year-round in the County.
"I do think the youth of our County may be our best local resource," said Pienta. "They're absolutely worth stewarding and development."
These young members will have their own booth at the festival, debuting their new history project.
"In a meeting someone brought up, there wasn't enough diversity in the timeline so we thought it would be a good idea to go out in the community and get to know people's stories and have pictures of their heirlooms," said Caden Gray, one of the youth members of 4H.
What has this experience taught you?
"It was a very cool experience, we got to learn a lot of stuff," said Gray. "A lot of new stuff, it was just more of a factor of I didn’t think this was in Wakulla."
Wakulla Wonderful is also supported by a variety of County groups and organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce.
"This is a shot in the arm for the economy of the county because it brings people, they partake in the businesses down here," said President of the Chamber, Frank Messersmith.
Messersmith said these festivals help local businesses in the area
"Providing an opportunity to market themselves as these festivals do, that’s right in line with what we’re trying to do to help the members who ought to help the community," said Messersmith.
It's a day to learn about the past and contribute to the future of Wakulla County.
"They’re in the right place if they want to spend time, if they want to make this a home, if they want to make a business for it, this is the place to be," said Messersmith.
Wakulla Wonderful will take place this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Vendors will be set up outside of the Wakulla County Courthouse. This year’s festival is to honor the county’s 182nd birthday.
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