A free weekly Sunday tradition featuring live music, nature trails, and rescued animals just off Highway 331 in Walton County Florida

A new Sunday tradition of music, nature, and second chances in Freeport.

Just off HWY 331 in Freeport, Alaqua Animal Refuge feels like one of those places you do not fully understand until you are standing in it.

It is inspiring in a way that is hard to describe. Trails stretch across open land. The air feels slower. And everywhere you look, there are animals who have been given something many of them never had before. Safety. Care. A second chance.

Alaqua was founded on a simple but powerful belief that every abused, neglected, and homeless animal deserves that chance. Not just to survive, but to heal. The Refuge exists to provide shelter, rehabilitation, and lifelong advocacy for animals in need, while also recognizing something people feel the moment they arrive here. This place is just as healing for humans as it is for animals.

That is what makes Sundays here feel different.

Every Sunday from 1 to 3 PM, Sunday Sessions take place inside the new Alaqua Arena.

People sit in the stands, lean on rails, walk the grounds, and let the afternoon unfold without hurry.
Sunday Sessions feature the band Rescue Me; with professional musicians Tim Jackson, Holly Winter, and John Link. 

Outside the arena, the Refuge stays open. Visitors walk the trails, stop at enclosures, and spend time with the animals. The Cat Café has become a quiet favorite stop for many, often turning a quick visit into something slower and more intentional.

Admission is free. The invitation is simple. Come spend a couple of hours in a place built around care, connection, and second chances.

The only request is an important one. Please leave pets at home so the animals who live here can remain safe and at ease.

What is beginning to take shape here is not just an event series. It is something closer to a rhythm.

A Sunday tradition people can return to again and again, each time a little more familiar, a little more grounded.

Learn more about Alaqua Animal Refuge Events on their website.