Don’t Miss Gainesville On Your Next Visit to Natural North Florida–It’s Where Nature and Culture Meet!

While Gainesville is our region’s largest city, it’s still relatively small compared to Florida’s “mega-cities” like Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando and Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater.  Gainesville’s size is largely due to its central location, its access to US Interstate 75 and to the fact that it’s home to the University of Florida, our “flagship” university.  Gainesville is the …

Spend A Day At The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo—It’s Good For You!

There’s only one American Zoo Association accredited zoo on a  college campus,  and it’s on Gainesville‘s Santa Fe College campus.  Santa Fe College offers both Associate and Bachelor’s degrees and won the 2015 Aspen Prize for Educational Excellence.  It enrollment now tops 20,000 and it’s an excellent adjunct to the educational community in Gainesville, which …

Santa Fe College SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL, April 7 & 8, 2018, in Gainesville, FL

The Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival is one of Gainesville’s largest events, attracting over 100,000 attendees statewide.  The event transforms NE First Street, in downtown, to a bustling promenade of arts, crafts, entertainment–and just plain “people watchng”.  This year is the 49th annual event, and is scheduled for April 7 and 8. In addition …

Starke, Florida Is Worth A Stop On Your Way South On US301 in Natural North Florida

The old Bradford County Courthouse, which now houses Santa Fe College‘s Starke Campus, is still the most imposing sight as you head into Starke on US301.  While this north/south route in Florida isn’t as popular as it used to be, it does offer an excellent shortcut for southbound travelers heading from I-95 and from Jacksonville, …

O’Leno State Park and Its Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy

One of Florida’s first state parks, O’Leno State Park was first developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The park is located along the banks of the scenic Santa Fe River, a tributary of the Suwannee River, and features sinkholes, hardwood hammocks, river swamps and sandhills. As the river courses through the park, …

Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival, Gainesville, April 11/12, 2015

It’s difficult to write about any one event that’s “the best” during the year in Gainesville, but the Santa Fe College Spring Arts Festival certainly rates in the top two or three!  Community support has always been strong for the event, and over the past years, local, regional and nationally-known artists have learned that this …