Alachua County will celebrate nature with pots of chili and a roster of activities Saturday.
The annual O’Leno Ole’ Chili Cook-Off is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at O’Leno State Park, located at 410 SE O’Leno Park Road in High Springs, Florida.
A Springs Celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the same location, and admission to both events is free with the donation of a canned food item.
“It is a celebration to get people out in nature,” said Stacie Greco, the water conservation coordinator for the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department.
About 30 people usually sign up to compete in the cook-off, and guests can sample the entries with a $5 tasting kit, said Harriet Walsh, the event coordinator.
“These people get kind of crazy sometimes,” she said. “They will dress up or decorate their canopy.”
Greco said the band Weeds of Eden will perform a variety of musical genres, and local artists will display their work.
She said visitors often enjoy the Springs Water Challenge, which shows participants how much water they use on a daily basis.
Unlike last year, Greco said, the Water Ventures interactive display won’t be present.
When the tractor-trailer visited last week, planners realized it didn’t fit in the park.
Proceeds from the event, which include money gathered from a raffle for canoe trips, will go toward The Friends of O’Leno, a nonprofit organization that supports the park, according to a press release.
Along with a tour that spans about 1.5 miles of the Santa Fe River, Saturday’s events include several other activities to put visitors in touch with nature, Greco said.
“You’re experiencing it while you’re learning about it,” she said.
