by Kerri Parker | Mar 11, 2026 | Businesses, Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Walton & Beyond
A group of local high school juniors recently stepped into the halls of government in Tallahassee through the Youth Tour program hosted by Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative. From mock legislative sessions to an inside look at how decisions are made, the experience left a lasting impression—and four students have now been selected to represent the cooperative this summer in Washington, D.C. through the national program of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
by Kerri Parker | Mar 10, 2026 | Businesses, Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Walton & Beyond
In early 2026, the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida completed the purchase of about 25 acres of land in Walton County, located on the west side of Highway 331 between DeFuniak Springs and Freeport. The transaction, valued at approximately $2.25 million, has attracted local attention and sparked speculation about potential future uses of the property.
by Kerri Parker | Feb 23, 2026 | Businesses, Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Events, Walton & Beyond
This spring, DeFuniak Springs is striking a new chord with the launch of Faith Factor, a faith-based singing competition that promises more than applause. The grand prize? A $10,000 purse and a spotlight bright enough to change someone’s story.
by Kerri Parker | Feb 22, 2026 | Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Walton & Beyond
Over a hundred years ago, on a February Saturday in 1915, a group of women gathered at the request of the mayor of DeFuniak Springs. The town needed beautification. It needed sanitation. It needed leadership.
by Kerri Parker | Feb 10, 2026 | Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Events, Walton & Beyond
There are places where history doesn’t sit behind glass. It walks the sidewalk at dusk. It waits on shaded porches. It gathers—still—when given the right invitation.
Lake DeFuniak has always been one of those places.
Nearly perfectly round and improbably calm, the lake has long served as both compass and common ground for DeFuniak Springs. In the late nineteenth century, it drew educators, thinkers, musicians and families from across the country for the Florida Chautauqua—an ambitious experiment in lifelong learning that once placed this small Panhandle town at the center of a national cultural movement.
by Kerri Parker | Jan 24, 2026 | Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Walton & Beyond
Summit on the Circle returns to Lake DeFuniak April 23–26, 2026, for a spring weekend shaped by music, conversation, and the stories that connect us to place and one another. Set within the Lake DeFuniak Historic District, the second annual gathering offers thoughtfully curated experiences rooted in Southern hospitality, culture, and community—inviting guests to slow down, linger, and listen.
