Not sure about everyone else, but I am very happy January is behind us. It was almost like a “hangover” month from the holidays of November and December. Those were so different for us this year (dynamics, surroundings, family) I guess it just took a toll on me. January’s edition was probably the hardest issue I think I have done in 10 years of doing this magazine (we didn’t distribute it until the 22nd of the month). Craziness for us, but it is behind us now. Our February edition has already been printed and distributed and we are moving full steam ahead.
February always kicks off what we call the “Festival Season” on The Hidden Coast. Starting this month and moving into April you have the Steinhatchee Fiddler Crab Festival, Cedar Key Chocolate Tour, 9th Annual Lower Suwannee Art & Nature Festival and The Old Florida Celebration of Arts. So much to do and see so please make plans to attend one, if not all, of these fun events. Hopefully the cold weather is behind us and these all benefit the local communities still reeling from the hurricanes of 2023 and 2024.
We welcome new customers Tails of Cedar Key and realtor Monja Slater in for our February edition and several old friends coming back in with us as well including; Kathi’s Krabs, Big Z RV Resort and Ms. Lynn’s Old Pavilion RV Park. We are also excited to announce that we have Our Local Flavors Pages back to two pages this month. These are speciality pages that highlight locally owned and operated restaurants in the region and it has been a staple of our for many years. A big thanks to the Old Mexico Restaurant and The Tea Room At Fiddler’s Resort for getting us over the top!
We are Spotlighting two of our long time customers this month: Burgandy Arrington, Hatcher Realty Services and Megan and Mark Ennis, Citrus Lending. Excellent reads on two great companies who give so much to their local communities. We also have an informative article on the Lower Suwannee Art and Nature Festival (our cover feature for this month).
A couple of items to note, Our 3rd annual 2026 Business Card Directory is out. Our biggest one yet! Thank you to all the businesses who participated this year. You can view the entire edition online or look for copies wherever you pick up copies of our magazines each month. We will also be promoting every business who took part this year with weekly spotlights on Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget our Classified Pages in The Fishing Lowdown too. A great way to buy, sell, promote or just browse.
Finally, we are planning another special publication this year, The Hidden Coast Restaurant Guide. This will follow the same size and setup as the Business Card Directory and hopefully be an annual piece starting this year. Look for details on our website and social media pages. Drop date is scheduled for the first week of April.
Until then, thanks for reading and enjoy this beautiful weather!