The Lake That Built A Town
A film that marks the first chapter in a series that uses DeFuniak Springs as a lens on small-town America—its landscapes, its rhythms, and the community organizations that shape them.
Walton Forever
On January 13, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners took a quiet but significant step to preserve the county’s rural character. With a unanimous vote, the board adopted the Walton Forever Land Acquisition Program — a locally controlled framework designed to protect agricultural, forested, and environmentally sensitive land through conservation easements and strategic acquisitions.
Hard Hats & High Heels
On Friday, February 13, 2026, the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa will host women from across the county who are ready to do more than raise money. They’re ready to build. The luncheon kicks off Habitat’s 2026 Women Build Workshops, a series of build days that prove when women lead, communities gain.
Seaside Prize 2026
The SEASIDE Institute™ has announced the recipients of the 2026 SEASIDE Prize™, a recognition reserved for those whose work has shaped the fields of architecture, urban planning, and community development. The prize is awarded annually to individuals whose contributions have a lasting impact on how places are built and experienced.
Henry Park Reopens in DeFuniak Springs
In the heart of DeFuniak Springs, where arrivals once stepped from the train and into a season of music and welcome, Henry Park is opening a new chapter. Long a gathering place for travelers, townspeople, and musicians alike, the historic park now stands renewed—its restoration honoring both the community that shaped it and the future it continues to invite.
Freeport Isn’t “Coming”
— It’s Already Here
If you live anywhere along Highway 331, you don’t need a market report to tell you something has shifted. You feel it in the traffic that no longer thins out mid-day. You notice it in the cranes rising beyond the tree line, the freshly staked parcels, the new signage appearing almost overnight. And you hear it—in grocery store aisles, at stoplights, over coffee—What’s going in there?
