Tag Archives: Festival

Send in your songs, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2025

Hahira, Georgia, March 28, 2025 — Submissions open April 1, really, no fooling, for the 2025 Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.

WWALS Board Member Scotti Jay said, “It will be even more fun this year!”

The Eighth Annual Finals will be held at the WWALS River Revue, an indoor fundraising dinner, to benefit WWALS Watershed Coalition, with an evening of food, drink, speakers from Georgia and Florida, a silent auction, and the music of a headliner and of the Songwriting Contest Finalists. That’s 5-9 PM, Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia.

Tickets are $65 each.
https://app.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2025

WWALS Membership Director Janet Martin said, “Your ticket or sponsorship helps support everything WWALS does, from water quality tests, paddle outings and swimming & boating lessons, to chainsaw cleanups, and beyond to advocacy to stop trash at its sources, strip mines, and pipelines. We work for water trails, solar power, and Right to Clean Water, with growing engagement for youth and marginalized communities.”

For how to sponsor or provide an item for the silent auction, follow the above link or the QR code, or go to wwals.net and scroll down to WWALS River Revue.

[Song Submissions Open April 1, 2025, no fooling!, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest]
Song Submissions Open April 1, 2025, no fooling!, Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

WWALS President Sara Squires Jones said, “Musicians, don’t wait until the deadline to send in your songs. I can’t wait to hear them.”

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said, “You’ll hear more later about the M.C., the speakers, and the judges.”

Continue reading

WWALS Booth at Florida Folk Festival 2025-05-23-25

WWALS will be back again with a booth 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.

Come talk to us 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, coming up Saturday, September 6, 2025, including the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest.
https://wwals.net/pictures/songwriting2025/

When: 10 AM, Friday, May 23, 2025, through 6 PM, Sunday, May 25, 2025

Put In: Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, White Springs, Florida, on the banks of the Suwannee River.

GPS: 30.332884, -82.769513

[WWALS Booth at Florida Folk Festival 2025-03-23-25, Stephen Foster Cultural Center & SP, White Springs, FL]
WWALS Booth at Florida Folk Festival 2025-03-23-25, Stephen Foster Cultural Center & SP, White Springs, FL

Continue reading

A Day in the Woods, Alapaha River, Gaskins Forest Education Center, 2025-04-12

Come see the WWALS Booth at this festival near Alapaha, Georgia. WWALS Members can volunteer to help with this education opportunity.

When: Gather 12 PM, festival 1 PM, end 5 PM, Saturday, April 12, 2025

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

GPS: 31.345454, -83.178356

[A Day in the Woods, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha River, Alapaha, GA 2025-04-12]
A Day in the Woods, Gaskins Forest Education Center, Alapaha River, Alapaha, GA 2025-04-12

According to the Gaskins Forest Education Center (GFEC), A Day in the Woods “is a non-commercial community event for people of all ages and backgrounds. Over 40 presenters with hands-on activities and interactive demonstrations related to natural resources. Varied fire demonstrations.” Continue reading

Pictures: Azalea Festival 2025-03-08

Thanks to Gretchen Quarterman, Elizabeth Brunner, Lisa Adkins-Montisano, Cindy Vedas, Sara Squires Jones, and Scotti Jay Jones for making the WWALS Booth at Azalea Festival a success.

[Azalea Festival, Thanks, Volunteers, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08]
Azalea Festival, Thanks, Volunteers, One Mile Branch, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08

Volunteers gave out many flyers, especially about the Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, coming up this Saturday, March 15.
https://wwals.net/?p=66833

All these pictures are from delivery Friday or at the Festival Saturday. Sunday got rained out. Thanks to Scotti and Sara for delivering the booth back to its abode. Continue reading

Lower Suwannee Art & Nature Festival, Suwannee, FL 2025-03-08

We just heard about this one today. Since WWALS already has a booth at a big festival this weekend, it’s difficult to do another one.

But if you can get to Suwannee, Florida, this Saturday, please do head for Glen Dyals Park, 21354 SE Hwy 349, Suwannee, FL 32692.

If you’re a WWALS member, we can probably supply you with some WWALS materials.

[Lower Suwannee Art & Nature Festival 2025-03-08, Glen Dyals Park, Suwannee, Florida]
Lower Suwannee Art & Nature Festival 2025-03-08, Glen Dyals Park, Suwannee, Florida

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1484291172239666 Continue reading

Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08

Update 2025-03-09: Pictures: Azalea Festival 2025-03-08.

Come help WWALS celebrate spring with 30,000 of our south Georgia and north Florida friends.

When: 9 AM-6 PM, Saturday, March 8, 2025
9 AM-5 PM, Sunday, March 9, 2025

Put In: Drexel Park, 1401 North Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA, 31601

GPS: 30.846771, -83.285066

[Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08-9]
Azalea Festival, One Mile Branch, Drexel Park, Valdosta, GA 2025-03-08-9

Continue reading

On The Spotlight Show, Talk92.1 FM: Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, and Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest 2025-03-06

Join us on The Spotlight Show on talk921.com at 6 PM, Thursday, March 6, 2025.
https://talk921.com

Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman and “Diamond” Jim Halter will talk about

[Mayor and Chairman's Paddle, WWALS River Revue, etc. on The Spotlight Show, Talk921.com, Thursday, March 6, 2025, 6-7 PM]
Mayor and Chairman’s Paddle, WWALS River Revue, etc. on The Spotlight Show, Talk921.com, Thursday, March 6, 2025, 6-7 PM

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1164828191815898

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

Food and drink, speakers and song: WWALS River Revue 2025

Hahira, Georgia, February 19, 2025 — Back again on the first Saturday in September, it’s the WWALS River Revue, at the Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta, Georgia. Featuring food and drink, speakers and new songs about waterways in the Suwannee River Basin. Plus a silent auction and plaques and prizes for the songwriting winners.

[WWALS River Revue 2025 logo]
WWALS River Revue 2025 logo

WWALS President Sara Jay Jones said, “it will be even more fun this year!”

There will be food and drink while you listen to speakers about the Suwannee River Basin.

You can bid on items in the silent auction.

Tickets are $65 each.
https://app.betterunite.com/WWALS-wwalsriverrevue2025

For how to sponsor or provide an item for the silent auction, follow the QRcode or go to wwals.net and scroll down to WWALS River Revue.

WWALS Board member Scotti Jay Jones said, “Don’t forget the music!”

A headliner will play, followed by finalists in the Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest. Song submissions will open April First (no fooling). Three judges will decide who wins in several categories of songs about waterways in the Basin or Estuary.

Organizing Committee member Janet Martin said, “Maybe you’d like to join the organizing committee!”

Continue reading

Pictures: WWALS at Hahira Pride 2024-06-01

Thanks to Rindy and Jo for organizing the WWALS booth at South Georgia Pride, art of Music and Art on Main, in Hahira, Georgia.

[WWALS Booth, Pride Festival, Hahira, Georgia, June 1, 2024]
WWALS Booth, Pride Festival, Hahira, Georgia, June 1, 2024

Thanks to Margaret Stewart for helping.

This is on the WWALS Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail. Hahira is about in the middle between Folsom Bridge on the Little River to the west and Hagan Bridge on the Withlacoochee River to the east, around 8 miles either way.

For more WWALS outings and events, see:
https://wwals.net/outings Continue reading

Thatcher Keeps the Music Coming –The Lookout Mountain Mirror 2024-09-07

Ferris Robinson, The Lookout Mountain Mirror, December 2024, Pages 18-19, Thatcher Keeps the Music Coming,

Lookout Mountain native and longtime Signal Mountain resident Robert Thatcher has always loved writing, poetry in particular. Coming from a very musical family, he probably learned to play the guitar before he learned to ride a bike. Those were always two separate activities, and Robert wrote poem after poem in various notebooks and on scrap sheets of paper and whatever was handy when the words came to him. And he has played guitar for a lifetime, strumming other folks’ songs.

[Robert Thatcher and Tom Brown profiled in hometown paper, After winning prize in Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest]
Robert Thatcher and Tom Brown profiled in hometown paper, After winning prize in Suwannee Riverkeeper Songwriting Contest

His uncle is the late legendary Fletcher Bright of The Dismembered Tennesseans fame, and his cousin is Frank Bright, a great musician and songwriter. Both encouraged Robert’s music, but Frank planted the seed that Robert might want to try writing some tunes on his own, something that simmered for a while on the back burner.

But then things changed when he went to college. Continue reading