By RACHEL PIENTA
4-H Director
The Wakulla Wonderful event is back! On Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wakulla 4-H invites the Board of County Commissioners, all elected county officials, our business community and all citizens to join Wakulla 4-H at the Wakulla County Courthouse square on High Road for a celebration of Wakulla’s founding and community history.
Weather permitting, the celebration will be in the closed road and parking lot areas.
Wakulla 4-H, along with community partners, invites everyone to come to this free birthday celebration that celebrates the history of Wakulla County. The 2024 event will feature a historical timeline, tours of the old county jail and old courthouse, vendors, live music, a birthday cake, food trucks, and an interactive “Passport to Wakulla Adventures” activity for the first 100 youth on the day of the event. Walkers who complete the 32 mile Walk Across Wakulla Challenge will be recognized at the event with a race-style medal! Register here: https://bit.ly/2024WAWRegistration.
History of the Event
In 2019, 4–H led the first ever and now annual celebration of Wakulla County’s birthday, the day the county was founded, March 11, 1843. The first celebration was held on the courthouse lawn, with live music, a food vendor, birthday cake, and a proclamation reading by 4–H members.
Our plans for 2020 expanded to a street festival behind the courthouse. Plans were canceled by Covid twodays before the event. In 2021, we celebrated Wakulla Wonderful with the Walk Across Wakulla program and a proclamation reading at the county commission meeting. In 2022, we brought back the street festival birthday party and incorporated Walk Across Wakulla into the festivities leading up to and during the event. Thank you to everyone who helped to make 2023 the best year yet!
4-H and Wakulla Wonderful: Ways to be Involved
How will 4–H be involved? 4–H are the hosts of the event. Youth are actively involved in planning and will have the opportunity to do one or more of the following roles:
1- be part of a 4–H booth/display about their club;
2 – read a section of the Proclamation on stage during the event;
3 – play another role on stage as emcees;
4 – dress in costume that represents a specific time period and play a role with the history walk timeline OR be an event host at an assigned station.
181 Years of Wonderful: Celebrating Wakulla’s History
Wakulla County has a rich and extensive history dating back 12,000+ years! Wakulla County was formed on March 11, 1843 by an act of the Florida Legislature as the 23rd county of Florida. In recognition of Wakulla’s history, Wakulla 4-H will ask the Board of County Commissioners to declare March 10-16, 2024 as Wakulla Wonderful Week in Wakulla County.
Wakulla Wonderful Week seeks to send a message of recognition and celebration of Wakulla’s 181st birthday. This week will allow time to reflect on the wonderful county we live in and the benefits we have living here. Wakulla 4-H serves the purpose of educating our citizens and youth, inspiring growth in everyone and pledging our heads to clearer thinking, our hearts to greater loyalty, our hands to larger service, and our health to better living so that our citizens can make Wakulla County even more wonderful.
The event on March 9th will feature live music, historical tours and an illustrated history walk, vendors, and more. “Walk Across Wakulla” participants will be recognized during the event.
Special thanks is due to all the Wakulla Wonderful partners, volunteers, and committee members. This event would not be possible without support from the Wakulla Sun, the Wakulla Library, Friends of the Library, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, Lamar Advertising, the Wakulla County Historical Society, the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce, UF/IFAS Wakulla County Extension, the Wakulla County Clerk of Court, Rockulla, Visit Wakulla, and the Wakulla Board of County Commissioners.
This year a Friday night celebration at Hudson Park has been added! 4-H youth members decided they wanted to walk the last mile of Walk Across Wakulla together and have invited the community to join them at Hudson Park on Friday March 8, 2024 from 4 to 8 pm. The free event features live music from the Hot Tamale band and food trucks will be on site with food to purchase. The last mile walk will start at 6 PM!
How to Get Involved
Community and civic organizations are invited to participate in the celebration. Please contact Dr. Rachel Pienta at 850-926-3931 or r.pienta@ufl.edu for registration information.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.
