Get Outside For The 10th Annual Back To Nature Festival

Get inspired! Get outdoors! Celebrate SoWal's best features during the 10th Annual Back To Nature Festival October 14-16, 2011, conducted each fall by the South Walton Community Council.

This year's festival adds some new events including a juried art show featuring South Walton's coastal dune lakes. There promises to be something for everyone, so get outside and enjoy the fun.
• Opening Night Party on Oct. 14 in the Backyard of Love located at Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse in Grayton Beach. Enjoy a low country boil, live music under the stars and preview the silent auction items.

• Enjoy Outdoor Adventures with experienced guides Oct. 15 – 16. Sunrise meditation, Deer Lake shorebird and beach walk, Peach Creek kayak tour, Stand up paddling at Grayton Beach State Park, wildflower and butterfly hike in Pt. Washington State Forest, longleaf Greenway trail bike cruise, astronomy walk at Grayton Beach State Park, tracking the wild critters at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Western Lake kayak tour, forest ecology hike and Hogtown Bayou sunset paddle.

Most outdoor adventure events are about two hours long and cost $10 unless otherwise noted.

• Explore Nature at Grayton Beach State Park on Saturday, Oct. 15th. Walton Outdoors will be hosting a hands-on day geared towards introducing children to the wonders of exploring the outdoors. Activities include learning to fish in the Gulf with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, rod/reel giveaways, kayaking and YOLO boarding on Western Lake, a guided hike along the sand dune trail, sea life touch tank, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge wildlife exhibit and interactive activities.

This event is free and geared for children ages 6 and up.

• Celebrate Nature at the Seaside Amphitheater on Saturday, Oct. 15th. Live music from Chris Alvarado, E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center wildlife exhibits, Choctawhatchee Audubon, Florida State Parks exhibits, Shoal Sanctuary, local community groups, arts and crafts for the kids, green business exhibits, demonstrations, farmers market and silent auction.

• Silent Auction Saturday, Oct. 15th at the Seaside Amphitheater.  Bid on great items with proceeds going to the South Walton Community Council.

• Art Show at the Hidden Lantern Gallery Sept. 26 - Oct. 29. Located at Rosemary Beach, “The Jewels of 30A,” a juried art show, will feature artwork inspired by our globally rare and imperiled coastal dune lakes. Artwork will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds supporting the South Walton Community Council.

For more information and registration, go to www.SouthWaltonCC.org.