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Arts and Entertainment: 2013 Cedar Key Art Festival Full of Hearts and Winners
April 15th, 2013

Obituaries: Herbert Harlan Holman
April 13th, 2013

Conservation: Fish of the Week: Bonnethead Shark
April 13th, 2013

Announcements: Cedar Key Water System Improvements Underway
April 12th, 2013

News: Prepare to be boarded !!!
April 12th, 2013

School News: Shark News 4/10
April 11th, 2013

News: Arbor Day 2013 - Cedar Key, Florida
April 10th, 2013

Law Enforcement News: Levy County Arrest Report 4/08/2013
April 10th, 2013

Obituaries: James W. Bishop
April 9th, 2013

Announcements: STREET CLOSING FOR The Old Florida Celebration of the Arts - April 12-14, 2013
April 9th, 2013

Obituaries: THOMAS GRADY McLEOD, SR
April 8th, 2013

Library: Office Hours with a Representative of Senator Bill Nelson
April 8th, 2013

City News: COMMISSION MEETS: PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY, HISTORIC DISTRICT DISCUSSED
April 6th, 2013

School News: Shark News 4/5 (Part 1)
April 5th, 2013

School News: Shark News 4/5 (Part 2)
April 5th, 2013

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Hidden Coast Paddling Festival Comes to Cedar Key October 2013

Hidden Coast Paddling Festival Comes to Cedar Key October 2013

by Carol McQueen, Executive Director, Levy County Visitors’ Bureau

The Hidden Coast Paddling Festival has become a celebrated event along our Gulf communities and Cedar Key is in line to host the fourth annual festival October 4-6. After the community of Suwannee made a smashing success of the 2012 Hidden Coast Paddling Festival with a theme of `Celebrate Wildlife in the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge` everyone wants in. The proof was in the initial planning meeting.


Willing partners filled the meeting room at the FWC Senator George Kirkpatrick Marine Lab - from government agencies and local businesses, to people with a passion for paddling and outdoor enthusiasts -- your neighbors. Each and every one hopes to entice eager paddlers to the culturally and environmentally-rich paddling venue of historic Cedar Key and the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.


Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Liz Sparks, Recreation Planner, facilitated the meeting. Armed with her Wildlife-focused Festival Planning Toolkit, which lists all necessary steps in planning, among others: logistics, promotions, sponsors, tour guides, vendors, entertainment, and most important, volunteers, the festival began to take on form.

Focusing on wildlife as last year`s festival did can help increase sustainable tourism as gleaned from the 2012 SCORP (State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan) which reveals that wildlife viewing is the second most popular outdoor activity for visitors to Florida (visiting the beach is number one). Wildlife viewing is a major component of tourism revenue and brings an estimated 3 billion dollars annually to Florida`s economy. The vast public lands along the Big Bend coast sustain abundant species of wildlife and holding a wildlife-focused festival is a responsible way to entice visitors and benefit local communities.


To continue the success of the annual festival the group of volunteer partners are looking for more individuals like themselves who want to bring fame, friendly folks, and a flotilla of kayaks to the Old-Florida-flavored fishing village in October.


Do you have expertise, interest, or experience that might add to the success of the 2013 Hidden Coast Paddling Festival? A few hours of your time a month until the festival comes to town would help immensely.

The next planning meeting is February 27th from 9:00 until noon at the FWC Marine Lab 11350 SW 153 Court, Cedar Key. If you`re able to help the community effort in any way, call Pam at 352/493-0238, x223.

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Cedar Key News

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