Category: Programs & Events

Full Moon Climbs

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February Lighthouse Climb with Full Moon Views

Saturday, February 27, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Join us for a Full Moon Lighthouse Climb. Enjoy this opportunity to see the gorgeous natural surroundings of the St. George Sound, Carrabelle Beach, and Dog Island under the evening sky. You can climb to the top of the tallest lighthouse on the Forgotten Coast and see breathtaking views of the bay. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for kids. All climbers must be 44 inches tall. The museum and gift shop will be open for your enjoyment.

Due to the growing popularity of the Full Moon climbs, the February Full Moon Climb has been extended an hour (until 9 pm) to allow as many attendees as possible to participate. Anyone is welcome to attend the event and enjoy the fire pit, food truck, museum, and gift shop. Advance reservations for a climb timeslot are now REQUIRED. There will be a time limit for viewing from the top. COVID protocols limit one party at a time to climb the tower, and each party will exit before the next one climbs. Guests who would like a more leisurely climbing experience are welcome to enjoy one of the daytime climbs available every Wednesday through Sunday.

March Full Moon Lighthouse Event

Sunday, March 28, from 7:00-10:00 p.m.

This special outdoor event will feature live music, a glowing fire pit, and low country boil. Visitors can enjoy this opportunity to see the gorgeous natural surroundings of the St. George Sound and Carrabelle Beach under the evening sky. Live music will be provided by the Rio Jazz Trio playing Blues, Ballads, Bebop and Bossanova. Bring a chair and enjoy the evening.

The museum and gift shop will be open for browsing and shopping.  For this month’s special event, admission must be purchased in advance. Admission cost is $10 per person and includes the live music, fire pit, low country boil and museum access.  Admission will be limited to 100 people.
BUY TICKETS HERE! 

In addition, some guests may also choose to enjoy evening tower climbs. The climb to the top of the tallest Forgotten Coast lighthouse rewards climbers with breathtaking views of the bay. Climbers must be 44” tall. A climb timeslot reservation is required and can be made by calling 850-697-2732. Climbers will pay the climb fee (adult $5, child $3) in the gift shop during the event.

Social distancing guidelines will apply. Masks are encouraged for those attending. Guests are expected to use hand sanitizer and wash hands frequently. For further information: 850-697-2732, carrabellelighthouse@gmail.com

Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.

Country Market

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FIRST AND THIRD SATURDAYS 9AM - 1PM

Special for March 6th, there will be a flea market! With everything from thrift-store worthy scores to high-end antiques, you’ll win whether you are shopping or selling. 

Enjoy the market at the foot of the lighthouse at 1975 Hwy 98 W, Carrabelle, FL. Each Market will feature local vendors from the community with handmade goods, fresh roasted coffee, delicious baked goods, veggies, handcrafted soaps, exotic starter plants, gorgeous art and photography, craft items, plus unique maritime items inside. Some markets will feature yummy treats and snacks to buy from local food trucks and vendors.

Guests can browse inside the free Museum and visit the Lighthouse Gift Shop. In addition, shoppers and visitors have the unique opportunity to climb to the top of the lighthouse for a breathtaking view of the Bay. The Country Market is held every first and third Saturday from 9 am - 1 pm at the Crooked River Lighthouse.  

BE A MARKET VENDOR!

The Market is growing steadily and is encouraging vendors to join and may sign up at any time. The cost to be a vendor is $10 a market. If you are interested or have questions, please contact the lighthouse at 850-697-2732 or carrabellelighthouse@gmail.com.

Crab Cook-off Benefits ‘Carrabella’

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By Laurel Newman Special to the Times (apalachtimes.com article link)

The fourth annual Crab Cake Cook-off, sponsored by the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association (CLA) and the good folk at Harry’s Bar/Marine Street Grill, once again brought seafood lovers out for a warm evening of food, music, and silent auction fun.

The annual event is a fundraiser for the Crooked River Lighthouse Park’s replacement efforts for the “Carrabella,” a 60-foot “pirate ship” playground structure. The popular play platform, a visitor magnet that children of all ages enjoyed daily, was destroyed by arson on May 11, 2015.

Lighthouse society members and volunteers held brainstorming sessions, and volunteer Kathleen Oman came up with the Crab Cake Cook off. Over the years, the event has grown, and Oman, with the help of lighthouse people and community members, has continued to make it a popular event, drawing supporters from as far away as Pensacola, Tallahassee, Bainbridge and other areas.

This year’s event featured six local chefs vying for the coveted title: Jamie Messer, Renee Boudrey, Sean O’Shea, Selena Winchester, Jon Johnson and Brian Genard. Each chef prepared 150 bite-sized crab cakes, plus a few for the judges. Each of the ticket holders received a plate of six crab cakes, each with a numbered bamboo forklet, to be used to cast votes for their favorites.

While the visitors were enjoying their treats and determining their favorites, they had the opportunity to inspect and place bids on the items, donated by local merchants and artists, offered in the silent auction. Meanwhile, CLA’s curator and event specialist Joan Matey, appropriately garbed in one of her “Fishy Fashion” ensembles, updated everyone on the progress of the new “Carrabella” project, now in its first phase of site preparation.

Once the popular votes were tallied, the winners were announced. The Judges’ Choice Award went to Johnson, a local wildlife photographer, and the People’s Choice to O’Shea, of the Marine Street Grill.

The evening was further enhanced by the incredible vocals and guitar music from Cat Braaten, a gifted musician who kept the crowd entertained with her spirited tunes.

Once again, the cook-off was declared a success, and the CLA thanks all those who made it so, from the hard-working volunteers to the generous supporters.


Carrabelle Lighthouse Association’s Joan Matey, sporting a crab trap hat, with Jon Johnson, winner of the Judges’ Choice award for his excellent crab cakes at the cookoff. [ photo by Jim Smith | Harry’s Bar ]

Crab Cake Cook Off – THANKS!

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We wanted to take this opportunity to say a very special THANK YOU to all the people who made this year's Crab Cake Cook-Off a sell-out success!! Because of you, an estimated $2000+ was raised for the Crooked River Lighthouse!

•Kathleen Oman, Marian Morris and Joan Matey for organizing and planning this wonderful event
•Six wonderful cooks: Jamie Messer, Renee Boudrey, Sean O’Shea, Selena Winchester, Jon Johnson and Brian Genard.
•Hardworking event volunteers & staff - Tamara Allen, Robin Gibson, Eva Gombas, Teresa Jackson, Lisa Keith-Lucas, Serge Latour, Laurel Newman, Mike Pace, Pat Tabuchi and others.
•Sean O'Shea and the Marine Street Grill / Harry's Bar staff for doing a fabulous job of hosting again
•Chip Klaus for taking photos on behalf of the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association as well as actively seeking donations with the collection jars
•Greg Kristofferson for MC duty
•The volunteer judges – Greg Kristofferson, Mayor Brenda La Paz, and Serge LaTour
•Numerous local merchants and artists for their generous donations for the silent auction
•Carrabelle Lighthouse Association (CLA) board, members & staff
•Carrabelle Chamber of Commerce, Carrabelle History Museum, Carrabelle United Methodist Church, City of Carrabelle, and Bill Owen for use of tables, chairs and tents for the comfort of our guests
•All our generous supporters, donors & attendees

This would not have been possible without your support and help!