SPIRIT OF THE SUWANNEE
Music Revival
By Hayli Zuccola
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
Renowned for its annual festivals and events , the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak is an outdoor oasis spanning over 800 acres ; flecked with lush cypress , blooming dogwood and moss-wrapped oak ; carved by hiking and biking trails ; and enhanced with lakes , hidden waterfalls and a view of the acclaimed Suwannee River .
For the most part , the park is relatively quiet with sounds emanating from the wind-ruffled trees , rushing water and nearby wildlife as deer , hawks , owls and the occasional peacock call the area home . Of course , becoming immersed in these natural surroundings is effortless with an on-site bird sanctuary and one of the largest bat houses in America .
Those uninterested in sunset bat-watching also have the option of swimming , kayaking or canoeing along the historic river ; hiking or horseback riding through multiple trails ; playing a game of disc golf or exploring the other one-ofa-kind features in the park like the awe-inspiring “ Mother Tree ” treehouse .
Though peace and tranquility are attainable during the majority of the year , the park is most notable for hosting a variety of music festivals and Getaway events . The music-based functions kick off in February with Brainquility , which welcomes over 30 artists , water painting classes , scavenger hunts and more . March is noted for the Suwannee Spring Reunion , which features Americana , folk and bluegrass music and plenty of arts and crafts vendors . April marks the arrival of Suwannee Rising , which formed in 2019 to replace the Allman Brothers ’ Wanee fest while May welcomes the fairly new Resonate Suwannee and the annual
Suwannee River Jam , which is a country music event that ’ s been held at the park for the past 30 years . The summer months are relatively static as far as large music events are concerned with festivals resuming in the fall with Suwannee Roots Revival and Hulaween , an annual four-day event held close to Halloween weekend that attracts around 20-to-30,000 music lovers and over 50 bands and musicians across multiple genres .
While music festivals are the main draw , the park also manages holiday-themed Getaways throughout the year .
“ We do what we call Getaways and that ’ s for Memorial Day , Labor Day , 4th of July , New Year ’ s Eve , I mean , we do Getaways for all of your major holidays ,” said Ryan Gambel , who is the Director of Marketing for the park . “ We ’ ll do fireworks for Labor Day , we ’ ll do fireworks New Year ’ s Eve , Memorial Day , Veterans Day , things like that we ’ ll bring out waterslides , you know , water attractions for the kids things like that .”
The park is also acclaimed for organizing Suwannee Lights in the winter , which is a 25-to-30-minute drive-thru and walk-thru experience decorated with over six and a half million lights . Aside
108 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2022-2023