Scallop season closes Thursday, Panacea celebrates the blue crab, Carrabelle lights the lighthouse, and Sharon brings a Chicken Bacon Ranch Crescent Ring.
St. Joseph Bay and the Gulf County zone remain closed to recreational bay scallop harvest this season. Thursday, September 24, is the final day in the open Franklin–northwest Taylor zone used by scallopers around Carrabelle, Lanark and St. Marks. Read the FWC closure notice →
Panacea celebrates the 48th Blue Crab Festival Saturday, while Carrabelle opens Crooked River Lighthouse for Twilight at the Tower Friday evening.
September 24 is the final day in the open Franklin–northwest Taylor scallop zone; St. Joseph Bay remains closed to harvest.
Sharon Rigsby brings a Chicken Bacon Ranch Crescent Ring — an easy, crowd-friendly recipe for busy weeknights and football Saturdays.
Residential development and the county’s five-year capital improvement schedule remain part of Gulf County’s growth conversation, including St. Somewhere Subdivision and Intracoastal Estates.
Gulf County public notices →The 48th Annual Panacea Blue Crab Festival returns September 26. The parade begins at 10 a.m., with festival gates at Woolley Park open from 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Blue Crab Festival details →The open Franklin–northwest Taylor bay scallop zone closes after Thursday. Gulf County, including St. Joseph Bay, remains closed to scallop harvest for all of 2026.
Check FWC scallop rules →Saturday’s parade starts at 10 a.m., followed by seafood, music, vendors and family activities at Woolley Park from 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Festival details →
Crooked River Lighthouse stays open Friday, September 25, from 7–9 p.m. Eastern for an evening beside St. George Sound with museum access and twilight tower climbs.
Carrabelle events →Chicken, bacon, ranch, cream cheese and melted cheese wrapped in golden crescent rolls — an easy recipe for a busy weeknight or football Saturday.
Get Sharon’s recipe →
Thursday, September 24, is the final day of the 2026 recreational bay scallop season in the open Franklin–northwest Taylor zone used by scallopers around Carrabelle, Lanark and St. Marks. The Gulf County zone, including St. Joseph Bay, remains closed to scallop harvest for all of 2026.
FWC scallop regulationsScientists at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve continuously track temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, water level and turbidity in Apalachicola Bay. Monitoring stations record conditions every 15 minutes, building a long-running picture of the water that supports fish, shellfish, habitat and the people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy bay.
Scallop season closes Thursday, Panacea celebrates the blue crab, weekend picks, and Sharon’s Chicken Bacon Ranch Crescent Ring.
Gulf County growth hearings, Wakulla’s coastal cleanup, weekend markets, Sharon’s Spooky Spaghetti, and the final week of local scallop season.
A Gulf County tradition returns, two fishing seasons open, Franklin talks budget, weekend markets, and Sharon’s crispy lemon pepper wings.