by Kerri Parker | Jul 13, 2026 | Businesses, Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Walton & Beyond
The Saturday farmers market was always special. But what happens when you can’t make it? For years, missing the weekend market often meant missing out on local goods. Now, small town farm stores like Register Family Farm Market in Freeport and 9th Street Market in DeFuniak Springs are changing that. They are giving farmers a consistent place to sell, makers a place to grow, and shoppers a way to keep supporting local any day of the week.
by Kerri Parker | Jul 6, 2026 | Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Events, Freeport, Podcast, Walton & Beyond
Every community has stories that deserve to be remembered. In this episode of the HWY 331 Podcast, Kerri Parker sits down with award-winning playwright Nancy Hasty and producer and musical director Latilda Hughes-Neel to explore the heart behind Holding Our Own, this year’s original Grit & Grace Folklife production.
by Kerri Parker | Jun 29, 2026 | Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Events, Freeport, Walton & Beyond
Some traditions are meant to be shared. This Independence Day, we’re bringing the fireworks over Lake DeFuniak to anyone who can’t be there in person, because every member of our community deserves to be part of the celebration.
by Kerri Parker | Jun 29, 2026 | Businesses, Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Walton & Beyond
Two hundred and fifty years after the beginning of an idea still being lived out, freedom looks different across Walton County. From small-town porches in the north to the busy rhythm of the beaches in the south. This Independence Day reflection brings together local voices on what freedom means today, and how it is still shaped in the way people live, work, and care for one another.
by Kerri Parker | Jun 17, 2026 | Businesses, Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Walton & Beyond
Every community eventually reaches a crossroads. This week, Walton County chose a direction, approving a permanent ban on AI data centers. As technology races ahead, local leaders are betting the county’s greatest asset is not what it can build, but what it can preserve.
by Kerri Parker | May 31, 2026 | Businesses, Communities, DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Walton & Beyond
A closer look at how new development, expanding medical services, and local participation are reshaping what it means for businesses to succeed in North Walton.
