January 2023 Happenings

January is a fantastic time to visit Florida’s Forgotten Coast. In addition to cool breezes, a calm vibe, and uncrowded beaches, we’ve got some exciting and fun events on our calendar!

Bits and Pieces Mixed Media Art Class
January 1, 2023, @ 11:00 am – January 31, 2023, @ 4:00 pm
128 E Pine Ave, St. George Island, Florida 32328
Let us help you find your inner artist at Art of glass St George Island with our 1-hour Bit & Pieces Art classes! Just call ahead, we have 3 convenient classes held daily 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. You pick your canvas glass and other media to create a work of art with your family and friends in a covid 19 safe setting. When it’s completed, we coat it in a clear epoxy resin and you can pick up your masterpiece the next day.

Special Exhibits: Nuremberg & War Crime Trials
January 3, 2023, @ 11:00 am – January 28, 2023, @ 5:00 pm
1873 HWY 98 W, Carrabelle, Florida 32322
Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum in Carrabelle is presenting a special exhibit for the month of January on the War Crime Trials of the German military and government members, of which the Nuremberg Trials are the most well-known. This exhibit will open Tuesday, January 3, 2023, and will be on display at the museum until Saturday, January 28. The museum is open every Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and there is no charge for admission.

Wednesday Farmers Market
Every Wednesday @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Bee Inspired Too – 56 Commerce Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
The market offers a charming outdoor shopping experience in downtown Apalachicola for all who appreciate delicious food. You’ll find fresh vegetables and micro greens, farm-fresh eggs, grass-fed beef, artisanal food, homemade kombucha, Bayside Coffee Co., gourmet foods, condiments, and more! Come support local artisans as well as indulge in delicious, homemade foods! 

Apalach Ghost Tour
January 1, 2023 – January 31, 2023
Take a historical haunted tour or a paranormal tour in downtown Apalachicola. Your creepy guide will tell you some ghostly history and local legends while using a spirit box at select locations on the tour to see if spirits want to communicate and if they have anything to say. And You will get to use EMF detectors and other ghost-hunting equipment. Reservations are required as space is limited. Book your tour today!

Sunset and Full Moon Climb at Cape St. George Lighthouse
January 6, 2023
2B East Gulf Beach Dr, St. George Island, Florida 32328
The January Sunset and Full Moon Climb at the Cape St. George Lighthouse on St. George Island will be held on Monday, January 6, 2023. Visitors can enjoy this opportunity to view St. George Island, the Gulf of Mexico, and Apalachicola Bay under the evening sky.
The Sunset and Full Moon Climb will begin at 5:30 p.m. and run until 7:30 p.m. Fifteen-minute time slots will be allotted for each group on a first-come, first-served basis. No advanced reservations will be taken. You will purchase your tickets in the gift shop and then sign up for your 15-minute time slot with the lighthouse keeper. Up to 12 persons are allowed in each 15-minute time slot. The gift shop will open at 5:00 pm to begin selling tickets. The cost is $10.00 per climber for the general public and $7.00 for members of the St. George Lighthouse Association. Cash or credit card payments are accepted. All climbers must be at least 40 inches tall to climb the tower and children must be age 13 and over to access the outside catwalk.

Full Moon Lighthouse Climb at Crooked River Lighthouse
January 6, 2023, @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
1975 HWY 98 W, Carrabelle, Florida 32322
The Crooked River Lighthouse will be hosting a Full Moon Lighthouse Climb on Friday, January 6, 2023, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm in Carrabelle, FL. Visitors can enjoy this opportunity to see the gorgeous natural surroundings of St. George Sound and Carrabelle Beach under the glow of the rising Wolf Moon. If the night skies are clear enough, guests might be able to spot Dog Island.
There will also be fun entertainment with karaoke night. Guests are invited to come to share their vocal skills and win fun awards. There will be prizes for the best single act, duo act, and group act. In addition, there will also be an extraordinary one-night performance by a very unique Kiss tribute karaoke group solely made up for this special evening and complete with outfits! This is a not-to-be-missed spectacle.

Country Farmer’s Market at Crooked River Lighthouse
1^st and 3^rd Saturday @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Crooked River Lighthouse – 1975 Hay 98, Carrabelle, Florida 32322
Start the new year right with fresh and locally made items at Carrabelle’s Country Farmer’s Market at the Crooked River Lighthouse on Saturday, January 7th and 21st from 9:00 am-1:00 pm at Lighthouse Park, 1975 Hwy 98 West, Carrabelle, FL. These markets are held every 1st and 3^rd Saturday. The open-air market, at the foot of the lighthouse, features local vendors with perfect gifts and goodies like farm fresh produce, grass-fed beef, delicious baked goods like cinnamon rolls and artisan bread, gorgeous art and photography, handcrafted balms and soaps, fresh herbs, vegetable seeds, handmade goods, and craft items, produce, and exotic starter plants.

Ilse Newell Fund for the Performing Arts Presents Chris Godber and Band
January 8, 2023, @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church – 79 6th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
Ilse Newell Fund for the Performing Arts Presents Chris Godber and Band Smooth Jazz January 8, 4 P.M. Trinity Episcopal Church, 79 6th Street, Apalachicola Admission $20 per person Open Seating Billboard charting saxophonist Chris Godber plays his signature sound on jazz saxophone in a concert of smooth jazz. Backed up with a band of guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard. A reception will be held in Benedict Hall, next door to the church, after the concert.

Pen to Paper Writers’ Series at Carrabelle Branch Library
January 9, 2023, @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Carrabelle Library – 311 St. James Ave, Carrabelle, Florida 32322
The Carrabelle Branch of the Franklin County Public Libraries will be hosting an exciting writers’ series entitled, “Pen to Paper” from January through May 2023. Kicking off this exciting series, on Monday, January 9 at 2 pm, will be a five-author panel featuring Dawn Radford, Tiffany Howell, D.J. Mays, Sid McOmie, and Anthony Lee Watkins. The Carrabelle Branch Library is located at 311 St. James Avenue, Carrabelle, FL. The authors and poets will discuss what they have written and what they are working on now, followed by a question and answer session. This friendly and informal event will be a wonderful chance to meet and greet these local authors personally and is open to anyone interested in learning more about these writers or writing in general or those who just love reading. Refreshments will be served.

Apalachicola Oyster Cook-Off
January 14, 2023
Apalachicola Riverfront Park – Apalachicola, Florida 32320  
Apalachicola’s annual Oyster Cook-Off returns on January 14 in downtown Historic Apalachicola at Riverfront Park. The event features oysters galore, shrimp, smoked mullet, hot dogs, hamburgers, local beer, live music, kids’ activities, dancing performances, and a 5K run! Enter your best recipe and be a contestant in the oyster cook-off or just come out and enjoy a day of wonderful food, refreshments, and music. Well-mannered pets are welcomed on a leash. All proceeds benefit the Apalachicola Volunteer Fire Department. 

Apalachicola Farmers Market
2^nd and 4^th Saturday @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Mill Pond – 479 Market St, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
Located at the beautiful Millpond Pavilion at the end of Market Street, the Apalachicola Farmers Market offers local seafood, produce, honey, homemade bread, pies, and other regional specialties.

Ilse Newell Fund for the Performing Arts Presents The Lopez Tabor Duo
January 15, 2023, @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church – 79 6th Street, Apalachicola, Florida 32320 
Ilse Newell Fund for the Performing Arts Presents The Lopez Tabor Duo Music for Violin & Piano January 15, 4 P.M. Trinity Episcopal Church, 79 6th Street, Apalachicola Admission $20 per person Open Seating Two-time Grammy Latin music nominee Alphonso Lopez and pianist Michelle Tabor perform a diverse concert including the music of Beethoven, Corelli, Scott Joplin, Manuel de Falla, and Angel Villoido, a pioneer of tango music. Tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite at www.inconcertapalachicola.org. Or, pay a cash donation at the door.

Butts & Clucks Cook-Off on the Bay
January 20, 2023 – January 21, 2023
Battery Park – 1 Bay Ave, Apalachicola, Florida 32320
The Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce proudly presents Butts & Clucks Cook-Off on the Bay, a Florida BBQ Association-sanctioned event. On January 20th & 21^st, at Battery Park in Apalachicola, teams from all over the Southeast will be competing for the top BBQ grill master title and prizes. We are excited to welcome the Food Network to the beautiful Forgotten Coast to film this event. Join us for a delicious and fun weekend!

Souper Celebration: Soup, Bread & Book Sale
January 21, 2023, @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Eastpoint Public Library – 160 Hickory Dip Rd, Eastpoint, Florida 32328
The Friends of Franklin County Public Libraries will be hosting a Souper Celebration: Soup, Bread & Book Sale at the Eastpoint Branch Library, 160 Hickory Dip Rd in Eastpoint FL on Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 10 am-2 pm with delicious homemade soups, freshly baked artisan bread, and baked goods, vintage books, live music, art and more. The proceeds from this event support the local library programs in Eastpoint and Carrabelle. Local residents and businesses bring their delicious made-from-scratch soups like seafood gumbos, seafood bisques, chuck wagon chili, Brunswick stew, and more, and freshly baked artisan bread for the Friends volunteers to sell.

The Battle of Natural Bridge: History Program
January 21, 2023, @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
C- Quarter Marina – Carrabelle, Florida 32322
The Carrabelle History Museum is presenting an interesting history program entitled, “The Battle of Natural Bridge”. This program features historian and author, Dale Cox and will be held Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 10 am – 12 pm in the upstairs room at C-Quarters Marina, 501 St. James Ave (Hwy 98), Carrabelle, FL. There is no charge for this event. This program will explore the little-known facts about the 1865 Union raid that culminated at the Battle of Natural Bridge, the largest Civil War engagement in Florida’s Big Bend region and one of the last significant Confederate victories of the Civil War.

It’s time to experience the Forgotten Coast. Plan your trip and see for yourself what winter is like in paradise!