Monarch Madness at Panhandle Butterfly House

What: Monarch Madness Festival; Where: Panhandle Butterfly House; When: 10/7 and 10/8 from 10am to 5pm; Cost: Admission is FREE but donations are appreciated

Have you seen those beautiful orange and black butterflies flying around?  Those are the Monarch butterflies flying south for the winter from Canada to Mexico.

This weekend, visit the Panhandle Butterfly House in Navarre to learn more about these butterflies and their migration.  The Monarch Madness Festival is not only fun for kids but also educational.  Children can participate in tagging monarchs, visit the butterfly house, and make butterfly related crafts.  There will also be a bounce house.

You can also help track the monarch butterfly migration by reporting your observations at Journey North.

Corn and Hay Mazes in Pensacola & Surrounding Areas (2011)

*This is our 2011 list.  See the updated 2012 list of Corn and Hay Mazes in Pensacola and Surrounding Areas.

October already?  Am I the only one saying this?  It seems like the kids just started school the other day and now it is time to start looking for Halloween costumes and holiday decorations.  One of our favorite things to do in October is visit the corn and hay mazes in the area.  We usually try to visit one a weekend.  The kids absolutely love it and my oldest has gotten quite good at getting out of the maze!

Be sure to follow the links or phone ahead of time to confirm dates and times.  Most of the corn mazes take cash or check only so be sure to check before you go.  They are listed in alphabetical order.

Beaver Creek Maze, Baker, Florida – Beaver Creek Maze offers a corn maze, a hay bale maze for the younger kids, and a pumpkin patch.  Beaver Creek Maze is open Saturdays 9 – 5 and Sundays 11 – 5 during the month of October. Admission is free for children 3 and under and $5.00 for everyone else.  They are located at 278 Dusty Trail in Baker, Florida and their phone number is 850-537-1981.

Dixon Primary’s Haystackular, Pace, Florida – Haystackular is the largest hay bale maze constructed in Northwest Florida!  There is a maze, food for sale, hay ride and more.  Haystackular is open during the month of October on Fridays from 4pm to 9pm, Saturdays from 12pm to 9pm, and Sundays from 12pm to 6pm.  Admission is $5 and some activities have an additional cost associated with them.  They are located at the field across from Dixon Primary in Pace.

Magnolia Corn Maze, Magnolia Springs, Alabama – Magnolia Corn Maze offers the maze, corn cannon, cow train, hayride, petting zoo, pony rides and more.  Magnolia Corn Maze is open during the month of October on Fridays from 5pm to 9pm, Saturdays 11am to 9pm, and Sundays 12pm to 5pm.  Admission is $10 and there are other activities with some additional cost associated with them.  They are located on CR49 in Magnolia Springs.  Directions are available on the website.  Their phone number is 251-605-7216.

Seward Farms, Lucedale, Mississippi – This corn maze is probably the furthest away but it came highly recommended last year so I thought that I would keep it on the list in case you were headed that direction!  Seward Farms offers a corn maze, pig races, hayride, farm animals, corn cannon, jumping “pillow”, and more.  Seward Farms is open Saturdays, Sept. 24-Nov. 5, from 10 am to 9 pm.  They are closed Sundays.  Admission prices begin at $12.  They are located at 10836 Tanner Williams Road in Lucedale, Mississippi.

Sweet Season Farms, Milton, Florida – Sweet Season Farms offers the corn maze, haybale maze, cow train, playground, corn cannon and more.  Sweet Season Farms is open October 1-November 6th on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm and Sundays from 1pm to 5pm.  Admission is $5 and there are additional activities available at an additional cost.  They are located at 2260 Horn Road in Milton and their phone number is 850-675-3573.  

Did we miss any fall mazes?  If we did, please leave us a comment or send us an email and we will add it to our list!  Also, last year we shared information for Maizing Family Fun Farm but their website has not been updated this year.  If you have any info as to whether they are open this year, please let us know!

34th Annual Seafood Festival

What: Seafood Festival; Where: Seville Square, Downtown Pensacola; When: September 23-25; Cost: FREE (some events have a cost associated with them, see website for details)

To me, the 34th Annual Seafood Festival is a sign that fall is officially here even if it doesn’t feel like it.  The Seafood Festival is held every fall in September.  There are rows and rows of vendors selling their handcrafted goods.  We often pick up a few things to give as Christmas gifts while we are there.  Try some new seafood or stick to your tried and true favorites.  There will be live music throughout the festival as well.

There is a children’s area with arts and crafts, jump houses and a rock climbing wall.  There is a small cost associated with some of the activities so be prepared with cash on hand.  The children’s area will be open from Saturday at 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Seafood Festival hours are as follows:

Friday, September 23 11am to 11pm

Saturday, September 24 10am to 11pm

Sunday, September 25 11am to 5pm

NEP Baseball and PFC Soccer Registration

The weather has cooled down just a touch, school supplies are almost sold out in local stores, and that means it is time to start registering for fall sports! 

According to a sign I saw in front of the NEP field, NEP Baseball registration for Fall Ball is going on every Saturday morning in August at Academy Sports. 

The Pensacola Futbol Club (Dallas Texans Division) is currently registering for fall soccer.  Registration is open until August 26th. 

Do you know of any other athletics that are registering for the fall season right now?  Please leave us a comment with the link!

Play Pensacola Presents Touch-A-Truck

What: Touch-a-Truck; When: July 23rd from 10am to 1pm; Where: Roger Scott Athletic Complex: Cost: FREE with a donation to the Manna Food Pantries

If your kids love cars, trucks, and fire engines, they will love to visit this annual event, Touch-A-Truck.  Children are encouraged to touch, climb and discover construction vehicles, police cars, fire trucks, semi-trucks, buses, and more.  Home Depot will be conducting their Kid’s Workshop, too!  The event is free with a donation to the Manna Food Pantries.

Things to Know Before You Go:

  • We didn’t go last year, but we got several messages that the event was a lot of fun but that it was HOT!  Bring a cooler full of water and drinks for after the event.
  • Roger Scott Athletic Complex is home to the Roger Scott Pool.  If you time it right, you can attend one of the swim sessions and make this a full day outing!

Roger Scott Pool Opens May 7th

The Roger Scott Pool is opening on May 7th.  The hours will be as follows:

 May 7 – May 22nd: Open Saturday and Sunday Only

 Session 1 – 12:30 to 3:30pm

Session 2 – 4pm to 7pm

 

 

 Beginning May 28th: Pool is Open 7 Days a Week

 Session 1 – 9am to 12pm

Session 2 – 12:30pm to 3:30pm

Session 3 – 4pm to 7pm

Session Admission Fees:

 

Adults 18 and older $4

 

Children 3-17 years old $3

 

Under 2 years Free

 

 

Season passes are also available for purchase and prices vary by age and residence.  Read last year’s review of the Roger Scott Pool.

 

 

Weekend Roundup – April 1, 2, 3

Here is your weekend roundup.  There are some great festivals going on around town this weekend!  We love Festival on the Green for its great children’s area!  What are you doing this weekend?  If you know of a family friendly event we should add to the list, leave us a note in the comment section!

April 1

First Friday in Downtown Milton

Bands on the Bayou

Festival on the Green (Children’s Activities on Saturday-check time before going!)

April 2

Home Depot Kid’s Workshop

Festival on the Green (Children’s Activities today-check time before going)

Hockey Game

After Game Skate

Barnes and Noble Storytime

JazzFest

April 3

JazzFest

Kid’s Fishing Clinic – April 16th

Mark your calendars!  The Kid’s Fishing Clinic will be held April 16th down at Plaza de Luna.  We didn’t go last year, but we heard from friends who went and loved it.  They all said it was a fun event for their children!

The Kid’s Fishing Clinic will begin at 8am.  Children ages 4 to 14 will make their way through hands on stations where they will learn about casting, knot tying, fishing tackle, being an ethical angler and they will also get a chance to see a touch tank.  Children will receive a free rod and reel (as supplies last) and then they might even get a chance to give fishing a try!

Maritime DeLuna Du

Registration for the Maritime DeLuna Du, the inaugural kids duathalon held by Multisport Performance Institute, is now open.  The race is Sunday, March 27 at 8am.  The event has four age group categories from ages 7 to 15.  See the schedule, race map, entry fee information on the Multisport Performance Institute website.

Nature Rocks Day – September 25

Nature Rocks is a website that supports families heading outdoors and exploring nature.  Nature Rocks Day is September 25 and they have an activity guide with activity suggestions to help you get started!

Have fun and explore Pensacola!