“Largest Small-Town Fireworks Display in America.”

http://www.cityofalachua.com/index.php/july-4th-celebration

The City of Alachua invites its citizens and neighboring communities to join in celebrating Independence Day at the “Largest Small-Town Fireworks Display in America.”  The main events are at the Hal Brady Recreation Complex in Alachua (14300 NW 146th Terrace).  There will be free activities for kids, adults, live musical entertainment, unique vendors and a “dazzling” half-hour fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.  There is plenty of parking available for attendees.

Don’t Like Crowds?

If you would rather avoid the crowds there are plenty of country roads near the park that have good views of the fireworks display.

Here is some info on good & bad places to watch the fireworks.

Directions

Directions to Hal Brady Recreation Complex (look for signs):

From U.S. 441 Gainesville: Travel West to Alachua.  Turn Left at CR 241/235 (Capital City Bank on corner).  Travel South on CR 241/235 until CR 2054/Peggy Rd.  Turn right at on to CR 2054/Peggy Rd.  If you go over the railroad tracks you’ve gone too far.  It is right before the tracks.  Travel West on CR 2054/Peggy Rd. (approx. 5 blocks) and turn right on to NW 146th Ter.  Recreation Complex is on the left.

From I-75 Gainesville: Travel North to Alachua Exit 399.  Turn left onto U.S. 441 East.  Travel approximately 1.5 miles and turn right at CR 241/235 (Capital City Bank on corner).  Travel South on CR 241/235 until CR 2054/Peggy Rd.  Turn right at on to CR 2054/Peggy Rd.  If you go over the railroad tracks you’ve gone too far.  It is right before the tracks.  Travel West on CR 2054/Peggy Rd. (approx. 5 blocks) and turn right on to NW 146th Ter.  Recreation Complex is on the left.

Event Schedule:

Ichetucknee River

This is a video of a recent kayak trip on the Ichetucknee River. Everything from the head spring (Jughole Blue Spring) to the CR-27 bridge is a Florida State Park.

The park is big and there are two entrances – one at the head spring and one at the exit.  The north entrance allows swimming and has a place where you can jump in at the beginning of the river and float down.  Watch out in the summer – they only let so many people go down each day to keep it pristine.

The south entrance is more popular with “tubers” (the floating kind, not the eating kind).  During the summer months people come here to cool down, and the park service runs a shuttle to take you back to the parking lot.

click here to see the Ichetucknee State Park Website

From the website:

For information on tubing from the north entrance (3.5 hour float) please call the North Ranger Station between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (386-497-1216) seven (7) days a week.

For information on tubing from the south entrance (1.5 hour or 45 minute float) please call the South Ranger Station between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (386-497-2302) seven (7) days a week.

For more information please call the park office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (386-497-4690) Monday through Friday.

Country Living is quiet, most of the time… but having all this nature and space around you gets old after a while and everyone knows that Summer is Time to Party!

From Zucchini festivals to Great Music there are many festivals all summer long in North Florida. Many events throughout the year are held in small towns and cities across North Florida.

High Springs Florida: Big Pioneer Days Festival April 24-25

The next big festival is PIONEER DAYS scheduled for April 24-25 right here in High Springs. They expect over 1000 people will attend. It’s a time to step into the past and look at the way our ancestors lived. They simulate a cowboy shoot out, and have many different situations to show how it was back when. There are also the food booths -  with lots of good food.

Go! Have fun and get to know your neighbors.

Here is a link someone posted on YouTube:

High Springs Sink Hole

New Location

Instead of it Main Street High Springs, Pioneer Days will be by the City Hall sinkhole & police department.  It is just past Main Street, behind the Women’s Club

How many cities would be bold enough to advertise a party by a sinkhole?

It is a landmark and if you have never seen one, or wonder what it is, stop by the party – look for the crowd.

The festival is being sponsored by the High Springs Chamber of Commerce and their website is http://www.HighSprings.com.

Why is High Springs Here?

Women's Club in High Springs

The city of High Springs was first established in the 1840’s and became more settled in 1888 when the phosphate mines and the post office was established here.  As of the 2000 census there were approximately 3800 people that live in the vicinity. We will see how much it has grown in the 10 yrs when we get the new census reports.

High Springs is not such a small town anymore. It  has some great food, shopping, and if you like antiques, this is the place to shop.

Want to Live Here?

We have several listings in the area, take a look:

Cracker style charm, $225,000

Modern Home In High Springs, $179

Home w/ 10 acres on the Santa Fe River, $649,775

Parade Of Homes: FAQs

It’s that time of year!  Spring is in the air and the local Builder’s Association is at it again. 

2010 Spring Parade of Homes

What: This is a semi-annual showcase of new homes hosted by members of the Builder’s Association of North Central Florida. 

Questions & Answers

http://www.bancf.com/events/parade-of-homes/parade-faqs.html#bf_miniCal_94

Where can I get a Parade Book?
There will be a Parade Book inserted into the local paper, The Gainesville Sun, on opening day of the Parade. They are also available at any of the Parade neighborhoods and at the BANCF Office. Floor plans, renderings, and features of the homes can also be viewed online on opening day.   

Past Parades

If there was a home that you fell in love with take a look at the Parade of Homes archive HERE.  You can see the parade books going back to 2004!

77th Annual Alachua Harvest Fest

Busy, Sleepy Town

This was the 77th annual Harvest Festival. Main Street was sectioned off so that only walking traffic was allowed in. The street was lined with vendors, and filled with revelers.

From the website:

Historically, there are over 160 vendors providing everything from handmade quilts to wood carved roses to temporary tatoos and unique jewelry! The Festival encourages artisans to display their hand crafted items.

The afternoon is a warm, friendly venue for local entertainers who keep the crowd singing along all afternoon from two stages. Friends, neighbors, relatives and visitors find themselves smiling and exchanging greetings and ideas. Local service organizations provide child-friendly free activities as they dispense their educational and informational materials.

Scarecrow Row decorates the streetlights all along Main Street and provides a festive fall atmosphere complete with the brisk scent of autumn.

Bounce House Row

Bounce House Row

My favorite thing at the festival was the large selection of bounce houses. Rounding a corner at the end of Main Street, I saw three or four large & colorful inflated things: a standard blow-up castle, a caterpillar that kids entered through it’s mouth, a tall slide, and something that looked a little like Legos.

The sight made me wish that I came in under the weight limit so I could tear off my shoes and join in the fun.

Live Music

Two Stages on Main Street hosted the music all afternoon, bands included:
Alley Cats – Emmet Carlisle – County Road – Santa Fe jazz Band – Jana Horton

This year’s event was sponsored by:
Alachua Business League, Inc.
SunState Federal Credit Union
Gator Domino’s Pizza
City of Alachua

Give Me Some of That

If you are falling in love with Alachua and have decided to move in, here are some houses for sale and here is one of our own listings just a few minutes from downtown Alachua.