Bay Day

Join Us Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 for our popular Winter Bay Day!    9am – 3pm EST

Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves present a day of education, shrimp and music.  Learn about the preserves and life along the bay.  There will be lots to see and lots to do. Best of all, the Low Country Shrimp Boil will be delicious – as always! Meet you on the deck of the Visitor Center! … no admission fee!

3915 State Road 30A, Port St. Joe, Florida 32456

On the Deck: The Visitor Center Deck will have the low country boil and drinks, picnic tables, a silent auction, live music, and stunning views of St. Joseph Bay.
Low Country Shrimp Boil:   11am – 2pm EST    $15 Donation
Live Music Throughout the Day: Crossroad Bluegrass Band – music for saints and sinners.

Guided Tram Tours: The Buffer Preserve staff will have tram rides throughout the day that will showcase the backwoods trails of the Buffer Preserve. Explore the preserves on a guided tram tour through the backwoods trails of the Buffer Preserve and learn about the native animal and plant life. Tours depart from the Visitor Center. Reservations are recommended and will be available on the deck at the Bay Day event. Bay Day tram tour seating will be first come first served. Departure Times: 9:00am, 10:00 am, 11:00am, 12:00pm, & 1:00pm EST.

Exhibitors & Demonstrations: Exhibitors at Bay Day will have displays set up to share information about water quality, recreational opportunities, seagrass research and monitoring, urchins, scallops (touch tank), updates to the State Park, turtles, fossils, shorebirds, and so much more of the great environmental work that is done in and around St. Joseph Bay! All the environmental displays will be located down on the grass by the observation tower and along the back of the lodge.
Winter Bay Day Exhibitors Include:
Central Panhandle Aquatic Preserves, St. Andrews & St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Rish State Park, Gulf County UF/IFAS, Audubon Florida, Indian Pass Turtle Patrol,
Florida Coastal Conservancy/Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center,
Friends of Gulf County Library, International Dark Sky/Capture the Dark, FWC/Fish and Wildlife Research Institute – Bay Scallops
FWC/Fisheries-Independent Monitoring Program.

Silent Auction and Raffle: Our silent auction and fun raffle have lots of donations from our community partners that support our Mission to advocate for the St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve and State Buffer Preserve, and to support the education on those key issues that are important in keeping the bay and preserve one of the most pristine areas in the world. These silent auction items cover a wide range of things such as chef at home experiences, fishing charters, art, dining gift certificates and much more! We have options to bid on the specific item or buy it now pricing.  Either way, you take all items home that day and have a chance to be a raffle winner.

Birding Tour at Salinas Park Bayside:  Natasza Fontaine, Apalachicola Shorebird Biologist-Audubon Florida, will be leading the 2 hour bird tour around St. Joseph Bay during Bay Day. Participants meet at Salinas Park Bayside (280 Cape San Blas Rd, Port St. Joe, FL 32456) at 8:30am EST.
We will bird that area and potentially drive a short distance to a second location that I will scout before the birding walk just to see if there will be birds foraging the flats. The meeting time will be at 8:30 am and if the second location is active, we will probably end at 10:30 am. Regular walking shoes should be fine.  It would be great for participants to bring binoculars.”

The Bay Day events are located at the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve Visitor Center, 3915 State Road 30-A (C-30), Port St. Joe, Florida 32456.
Bay Day is presented by Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves, Inc., Central Panhandle Aquatic Preserves, and the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve. All proceeds to benefit the Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves.
For more information: Call 850-229-1787 or Send Us an Email

A Citizen Support Organization established to protect and preserve one of the most ecologically significant areas in the Southeastern United States