What just a few years ago felt like a healthcare desert is now becoming a landscape of hope and healing. With the groundbreaking of a $19 million emergency facility by HCA Florida Healthcare, and the recent opening of North Walton Doctors Hospital, DeFuniak Springs is emerging as a model of progress for small towns across the region.
Planning a legendary Fourth? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re rolling slow through a small-town parade or claiming your spot in the sand for fireworks at sunset, HWY 331 connects it all—from Lake of DeFuniak to the Gulf.
Frost Lane Farms recently joined Wonderful Walton on a field trip to Tallahassee to visit the Red Hills Farm Alliance, a 20-year-old cooperative that has revolutionized the way local farmers connect with their communities. What they saw wasn’t just a model for marketing produce—it was a blueprint for how to build stronger, healthier, more resilient communities from the ground up.
Every year, a sacred ritual unfolds in Walton County. It’s not marked by fireworks or televised drama. No champagne, no confetti, no televised ping-pong balls. No, it’s quieter than that. More exclusive. It’s the Beach Driving Permit Lottery.
Artist Sarah Page isn’t just painting walls—she’s helping define the visual soul of Walton County. Since setting down roots here, she’s been steadily transforming public spaces into places of beauty, memory, and meaning.
