Upcoming Events
2024 Fee Free Days
- January 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- June 19 (Juneteenth)
- August 4 ( Great American Outdoors Act Great American Outdoors Act
This landmark conservation law, enacted in 2020, authorizes the use of up to $1.9 billion a year in energy development revenues for five years for needed maintenance to facilities and infrastructure in our wildlife refuges, national parks, forests, recreation areas and American Indian schools.
Learn more about Great American Outdoors Act Day) - September 28 (National Public Lands Day)
- October 13 (first Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week)
- November 11 (Veterans Day)
October 2024
Community Meeting to Discuss Proposed New Visitor Center Exhibits - Tuesday, October 8 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join refuge staff to learn about the proposed exhibits for a new visitor center at the Suwanee Canal Recreation Area at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The proposed exhibit design includes the ecology of the Okefenokee Swamp, native cultures, swamper families, history, management, the geologic processes over time of how the swamp was formed, and much more. Guest speakers will include staff members from Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the members of the Design Minds team who are currently designing the new exhibits. An opportunity for participants to submit their own ideas and ask questions about the design will follow the presentation. Meeting Location: Charlton County Annex Auditorium, 68 Kingsland Drive, in Folkston, Georgia.
Swamp Hollerin' Contest at Okefenokee Festival - Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 10:30 am
Join us at the Okefenokee Festival in Folkston, GA for the first annual Swamp Hollerin' Contest, a celebration of the unique culture and sounds of the swamp! Hollerin’ was the way folks communicated across the vast swamps and wet prairies of the Okefenokee before we had phones. The swamps of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge echo with the sounds of tradition, creativity, and community spirit. We can’t wait to hear your holler! Contestants will be judged based on their projection/loudness, authenticity, clarity, and overall performance. Friends of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place cash prizes in two categories: adults (age 18 and older) and youth (age 17 and younger).
Sign-up is required and limited to the first 15 adults and 15 youth. To sign up, contact Veronica Kelly-Summers, Visitor Services Manager at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by email at Veronica_Kelly@fws.gov. Please type “Swamp Hollerin’ Contest” in the subject line.
Walk for the Wild - Friday, October 18 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Did you know that humans spend 95% of their time indoors?! Help us bring humans back to the wild! In celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week, join staff for a fun 5K walk to learn about the plants and wildlife that call the refuge home. Participants are encouraged but not required to dress up like their favorite refuge animal. Please bring plenty of water and wear appropriate footwear for the 3.1-mile walk. Registration begins at 5:30 pm. The walk begins at 6:00 pm and will end at approximately 8:00 pm. Meet at the Chesser Island Boardwalk Parking Lot.
November 2024
Pioneer Day - Saturday, November 23 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Discover how people once lived in Southeast Georgia during the early 1900s. Learn how settlers cooked on a wood-burning stove and made soap, brooms, butter, quilts, and other everyday items. See how settlers washed clothes, smoked meat, and survived in and around the swamp. Listen to the sounds of live bluegrass music and four-note singing. Enjoy horse cart rides and see chickens, hogs, and other livestock. Join in the games your grandparents played like hoop and stick, musical chairs, and more! Finally, watch while volunteers grind sugar cane using a traditional horse-operated grinder and boil down a vat of sugar cane juice to produce authentic pure cane syrup.