Category Archives: Festival

Six Songs of the Suwannee Basin 2026-08-27

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Hahira, Georgia, August 27, 2026 — We got six fine songs about the crystal clear Ichetucknee River spring water with its wild turkey and deer flowing into the Santa Fe, and about the dark blackwater of the Suwannee River, with its gators, herons, ghosts, and memories.

“So fine, the organizing committee decided you can hear all six next month at the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, in WWALS River Revue” said Sara Squires Jones, Chair of the organizing Committee.

That’s 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Lowndes County 4-H Club, in Lake Park, Georgia.

[Six Songs: Bear and Robert, Saylor Dollar, Tom Brown, Sweet William Ennis, KC Nayfield, Robert Thatcher]
Six Songs: Bear and Robert, Saylor Dollar, Tom Brown, Sweet William Ennis, KC Nayfield, Robert Thatcher

“Before you hear the songwriters, you get a sit-down dinner with cash bar, two speakers, and a headliner, plus a silent auction,” said WWALS Board president Gee Edwards.

Read all about it here:

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026

“Your ticket or sponsorship or silent auction item helps with the advocacy and activities of WWALS,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

What happens when you cross a folkie with a bluesman? You get Continue reading →

Another week to send in your song 2026-08-13

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Hahira, Georgia, August 13, 2026 — We have some songs, but we’d like more songwriters to play next month at the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. So everyone has another week to polish their song and send it in, by August 19, 2026.

Here’s the entry form:

https://forms.gle/fihLNVC2xbD1SXBB6

Songs must be about any river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, or pond in the Suwannee River Basin or Estuary, such as the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, or Suwannee Rivers, or Sugar Creek, Okapilco Creek, Falling Creek, etc., or the Floridan Aquifer or other underground waters.

[Another week to send in your song, Until Wednesday, August 19, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Finals Saturday, September 12, 2026]
Another week to send in your song, Until Wednesday, August 19, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, Finals Saturday, September 12, 2026

WWALS Board member Scotti Jay said, “For the first time, songs can even be about the Santa Fe River or other waterbodies in that basin.”

After August 19, the organizing committee will pick Finalists, who will play September 12, 2026, as part of WWALS River Revue, at the Lowndes County 4-H Club, in Lake Park, Georgia.

“It will be a fun evening, with a sit-down dinner and drinks, two speakers, a headliner, plus a silent auction, and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest,” said Sara Squires Jones, Chair of the organizing Committee.

Continue reading →

Send your songs today: Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest @ Bill Osborne Radio 2026-08-12

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Send in your songs today by midnight, for the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

Entry form:

https://forms.gle/VesaZck96Lf5chuP6

That’s what Bill Osborne and I talked about on his radio show this morning at 7:30 AM.

Video:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1575247700675963/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Db8nD4wIUEw/

https://youtu.be/IoPBR7UF6IM

[Send your songs today: Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest @ Bill Osborne Radio 2026-08-12]
Send your songs today: Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest @ Bill Osborne Radio 2026-08-12

Finalists will play and winners will be picked by 3 judges on September 12, in the WWALS River Revue, at the Lowndes County 4-H Club, Lake Park, Georgia.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026

That’s after a sit-down dinner and drinks, talks by experts from Georgia and Florida, headliner Joe First (last year’s winner), and a silent auction! Continue reading →

WWALS @ A Day in the Woods, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha River, 2023-04-22

Come to the Gaskins Forest Education Center near Alapaha, Georgia, for an education opportunity about the piney woods and WWALS and the Alapaha River Water Trail.

When: Setup 12 PM, Festival starts 1 PM, ends 5 PM, Saturday, April 22, 2023

Put In: Gaskins Forest Education Center, 3359 Moore Sawmill Rd., Alapaha, Georgia 31622, FMI

GPS: 31.345454, -83.178356

[WWALS Booth, Gaskins Forest Education Center 2022-04-23]
WWALS Booth, Gaskins Forest Education Center 2022-04-23

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Pictures: Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20

More than 20 boatloads of new paddlers went on Reed Bingham State Park Lake, in Juneteenth, June 20, 2026, by Macedonia Community Foundation and WWALS.

Thanks to Fannie Marie Gibbs for the idea. She was indisposed and could not come. Her grandchildren Andre and Aisha Gibbs and friends and relatives brought the food and the games for children.

WWALS supplied the boats and the stunt adults to paddle with children whose parents don’t want to get in a boat: Andrew Reinlieb, Gretchen Quarterman, Scotti Jay, and John S. Quarterman, plus Kimberly Godden Tanner signing people in.

[Juneteenth with new boaters, Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20, And food!]
Juneteenth with new boaters, Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20, And food!

Here are some video snippets:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/902855629498139/

https://youtu.be/_APnkogCgcg

People seemed to like it. I took the first boatload out soon after the 11 AM start time, and more boatloads of new paddlers were still going well after the nominal 3 PM end time, even after 4 PM.

Georgia State Parks raised the parking rate from to $10. Sorry about that. Other than that, there was no charge.

June 19, 2027, is on a Saturday, so that’s the most likely next time for this Juneteenth celebration.

If you want to know about Juneteenth the event, try this:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/juneteenth Continue reading →

Datacenters and wastewater pipeline speakers at WWALS River Revue 2026-09-12

Hahira, Georgia, May 18, 2026 — Two experts from Georgia and Florida on current water topics will speak at WWALS River Revue, the sit-down fundraising dinner for WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc., plus the music of a headliner and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, and a silent auction.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026

[Speakers, WWALS River Revue, September 12, 2026, Amy Sharma on Datacenters, Rick Davis on WFNF]
Speakers, WWALS River Revue, September 12, 2026, Amy Sharma on Datacenters, Rick Davis on WFNF

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WWALS at Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park 2026-05-22

Join us on the banks of the Suwannee River on Memorial Day Weekend for Florida Folk Festival.

The festival is a three-day celebration of the music, dance, stories, crafts and food that make Florida unique.

Come talk to us about water quality testing, water reservations, Water First North Florida (WFNF), sewage, trash, detention centers, datacenters, and other advocacy as well as outings and water trails.

And of course our own WWALS River Revue, coming up Saturday, September 12, 2026, including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, at the 4-H Camp in Lake Park, Georgia.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026/

When: 10 AM, Friday, May 22, through Sunday, May 24, 2026

Put In: Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, 11016 Lillian Saunders Drive, White Springs, FL 32096.

GPS: 30.332884, -82.769513

[Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center SP, White Springs, Florida, May 22-24, 2026]
Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center SP, White Springs, Florida, May 22-24, 2026

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Pictures: WWALS Booth at Florida Folk Festival 2025-05-24

Last year at the Florida Folk Festival on Memorial Day Weekend in White Springs at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park.

The festival is a three-day celebration of the music, dance, stories, crafts and food that make Florida unique.

We’ll be back this year, Friday through Sunday, May 22-23, 2026, on the banks of the Suwannee River.

https://wwals.net/?p=70272

[Pictures: WWALS Booth at Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center SP, White Springs, FL 2026-05-23-24]
Pictures: WWALS Booth at Florida Folk Festival, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center SP, White Springs, FL 2026-05-23-24

Thanks to Michael Bachrach, Gee Edwards, Mark Coppage, and Gretchen Quarterman for talking to people about Right to Clean Water, BMAPs, opposing a strip mine permit too near the Okefenokee Swamp, sewage, trash, and other advocacy as well as outings and water trails.

And of course our own WWALS River Revue, which last year was September 6, 2025, including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

This year it’s 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the 4-H Club in Lake Park, Georgia.

https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2026/

For more Continue reading →

WWALS River Revue with Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2026-09-12

Join us at the 4-H Club in Lake Park, Georgia, for the WWALS River Revue sit-down dinner with speakers from Georgia and Florida, music from Finalists in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, and Headliner Joe First, last year’s winner. Plus a silent auction, online and in person.

If you like what we’re doing, with water quality testing and water trails and river and lake outings and hikes and cleanups and chainsaw cleanups, come on down and support WWALS and have some fun! We support rights to clean water and solar power in appropriate places, and we oppose unnecessary mines and datacenters, detention centers, and Jacksonville treated wastewater into the Suwannee Basin (Water First North Florida or WFNF).

[WWALS River Revue, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, 4-H Club, Lake Park, GA, 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026]
WWALS River Revue, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest, 4-H Club, Lake Park, GA, 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 12, 2026

Tickets: $65 each:

https://app.betterunite.com/wwals-wwalsriverrevue2026

MC Tim Carroll, a former trumpet player and Valdosta City Council District 5, will introduce the speakers, the Headliner, and the Judges, Anna Stange (Madison, FL), Tony Buzzella (Lake City, FL), and Norm McDonald (Live Oak, FL).

Songwriters, don’t wait until August 12 to send in your song! It can be about any river, creek, spring, sink, swamp, or pond in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin or Estuary, or underground water such as the Floridan Aquifer. Continue reading →

Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20

Update 2026-06-23: Pictures: Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park Beach, Little River 2026-06-20.

Update June 19, 2026: We are aware of the weather predictions.
If it’s raining Saturday, we will all party under the pavilion.
When there are breaks in the rain, paddling will happen.

Hahira, GA, April 21, 2026 — “Back again at the beach pavilion on the Little River at Reed Bingham State Park, it’s Juneteenth with boats! WWALS will provide stunt adults to paddle with children whose parents don’t want to get in a boat,” said Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.

WWALS will provide boats for new paddlers at a gathering of people from Brooks, Cook, Lowndes, and Tift Counties and beyond in celebration of Juneteenth.

Food and activities for children will be provided by Fannie Gibbs and Macedonia Community Foundation.

When: 11 AM – 3 PM, Saturday, June 20, 2026

Put In: Reed Bingham State Park Beach, 542 Reed Bingham Rd, Adel, GA 31620. Take I-75 Exit 39, turn west on GA 37, right on Evergreen Church Road (CR 99), left on Reed Bingham SP Road (CR 221), in through the gate and across the dam, and the beach is on your right, in Colquitt County.

GPS: 31.162563, -83.548506

[Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Beach Pavilion, Little River 2026-06-20]
Juneteenth at Reed Bingham State Park, Beach Pavilion, Little River 2026-06-20

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