2017 Estuary Festival slated for Saturday

There is no park entrance fee for the 2017 Estuary Festival at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville. The 10^th annual festival offers fun activities, hand-on displays, and environmental awareness.

The 2017 Choctawhatchee Estuary Family Festival, a free family and community event for all ages, is Saturday, April 8, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville.

The 2017 Estuary Festival offers fun activities, hand-on displays and environmental awareness. The event is hosted by the Mattie M. Kelly Cultural & Environmental Institute at Northwest Florida State College, with support from the Friends of the Emerald Coast State Parks.

There is no park entrance fee for the festival.

The Choctawhatchee Estuary Family Festival features activities for the whole family including fish printing on t-shirts, explore the deep ocean and learn about critters that glow-in-the-dark, learn how to kayak in the bayou, view wildlife displays, learn about our local environment and more.

The event will also include displays by the Okaloosa County Health Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, Audubon Society, Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance and others.

All activities and entertainment are free of charge! No need to RSVP- just be prepared to have a great time!

Families are encouraged to pack a picnic lunch and come learn about the local waters of our estuary and the people living and working there.

Rocky Bayou Fred Gannon State Park is at 4281 Highway 20 East in Niceville.

For more information on the festival, contact the Mattie M. Kelly Cultural & Environmental Institute at 850-729-6469.

Here is a link to the Facebook event page for the 2017 Estuary Festival at Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park.