The Wakulla Wonderful event is back! On Saturday, March 14, from 10 am to 2 PM, Wakulla 4-H invites the Board of County Commissioners, all elected county officials, our business community and all citizens to join Wakulla 4-H at the Wakulla County Extension Office at 84 Cedar Avenue for a celebration of Wakulla’s founding and community history.
Wakulla 4-H, along with community partners, invites everyone to come to this free birthday celebration that celebrates the history of Wakulla County. The 2026 event will feature a historical timeline, history tours and displays, vendors, live music, birthday cupcakes, food trucks, and an interactive “Passport to Wakulla Adventures” activity for the first 100 youth on the day of the event.
History of the Event
In 2019, 4–H led the first ever and now annual celebration of Wakulla County’s birthday, the day the county was founded, March 11, 1843. The first celebration was held on the courthouse lawn, with live music, a food vendor, birthday cake, and a proclamation reading by 4–H members. Our plans for 2020 expanded to a street festival behind the courthouse. Plans were canceled by COVID 2 days before the event. In 2021, we celebrated Wakulla Wonderful with the Walk Across Wakulla program and a proclamation reading at the county commission meeting. In 2022, we brought back the street festival birthday party and incorporated Walk Across Wakulla into the festivities leading up to and during the event. In 2025, the event was moved to the Extension office due to inclement weather. The 2026 event will once again be held at the Wakulla Extension facility located at 84 Cedar Avenue in Crawfordville. Rain or shine, the celebration will go on!
4-H and Wakulla Wonderful: Role of 4-H Youth in the Annual Event
How will 4–H be involved? 4–H are the hosts of the event. Youth are actively involved in planning and have the opportunity to do one or more of the following roles:
1- Be part of a 4–H booth/display about their club and/or county history;
2 – Read a section of the Proclamation during a County Commission meeting;
3 – Play another role as emcees or event hosts;
4 – Help serve birthday cupcakes to the first 100 people!
The community is invited to attend this free event, to shop with the vendors, to enjoy the history timeline and free historical tours/talks. There will be food trucks and live music! Vendors are invited to register. Pre-registration is required at the following link: https://wakullacountyfl.rja.revize.com/forms/13098.
183 Years of Wonderful: Celebrating Wakulla’s History
Wakulla County has a rich and extensive history dating back 12,000+ years! Wakulla County was formed on March 11, 1843 by an act of the Florida Legislature as the 23rd county of Florida. In recognition of Wakulla’s history, Wakulla 4-H will ask the Board of County Commissioners to declare March 8-14, 2026 as Wakulla Wonderful Week in Wakulla County.
Wakulla Wonderful Week seeks to send a message of recognition and celebration of Wakulla’s 183rd birthday. This week will allow time to reflect on the wonderful county we live in and the benefits we have living here. Wakulla 4-H serves the purpose of educating our citizens and youth, inspiring growth in everyone and pledging our heads to clearer thinking, our hearts to greater loyalty, our hands to larger service, and our health to better living so that our citizens can make Wakulla County even more wonderful.
The event on March 14th will feature live music, historical tours and an illustrated history walk, vendors, and more.
Special thanks is due to all the Wakulla Wonderful partners, volunteers, and committee members. This event would not be possible without support from Wakulla Sun, the Wakulla Library, Friends of the Library, Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, Lamar Advertising, the Wakulla County Historical Society, the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce, UF/IFAS Wakulla County Extension, the Wakulla County Clerk of Court, Visit Wakulla, Rockulla, Visit Wakulla, and the Wakulla Board of County Commissioners.
How to Get Involved
Community and civic organizations are invited to participate in the celebration. Please contact Dr. Rachel Pienta at 850-926-3931 or r.pienta@ufl.edu. Vendors can register at this link: https://wakullacountyfl.rja.revize.com/forms/13098
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.
Select Media Coverage Over the Years
https://www.wtxl.com/crawfordville/on-the-road-wakulla-wonderful-celebrates-countys-182nd-birthday
https://www.wctv.tv/video/2025/03/06/wakulla-wonderful-an-event-celebrating-history-wakulla/
https://youtu.be/sO3XjZ-QLDc?si=HpoDnV5wzkXdneJy
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