- February 23, 2025
The Hayfire Band headlines Saturday’s music lineup at the Creekside Music and Arts Festival. From left to right: Brooks Vaughan, Takara Speagle and Jordan King. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
The Dallas Tyler Band, from left: Clyde Harris, Dallas Tyler, Bryan Molnar, Blake Thomas and Shawn Farbman. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Rymfire Elementary students Malaysia Green, 8, and Jordan Perkins, 7, take turns feeding a goat at Saturday’s Creekside Festival. “I think the animals liked it,” Perkins said. “[The cow] had such a big nose!” Green said. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
The Dallas Tyler Band — (left to right) Clyde Harris, Dallas Tyler and Blake Thomas — entertains the crowd Saturday at the Creekside Music and Arts Festival. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
The crowd settles in for another set of great music at the Creekside Music and Arts Festival. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Lucian Dillon, a seventh grader at Indian Trails Middle School, hand feeds a goat at the Creekside Festival at Princess Place Preserve. “I have three dogs at home,” she said, “but nothing like this.” Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Lindy Churney attended the Creekside Festival with her 140-pound great dane, Mr. Bean. “Everybody asks to pet him,” she said. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Princess Place Preserve offers ample space to relax and enjoy the waterway during the 2023 Creekside Festival. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Ashleigh Castillo, right, “came home” to enjoy the Creekside Festival with her family, Hermilo Castillo and 4-month-old Natasha. The Castillos live in Orlando now, but Ashleigh was born in Flagler County. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Marcelle and Bruce English, of Green Cove Springs, relax in the shade with their dog, Izzy, at the 2023 Creekside Festival. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Maya Moore, 5, sports superhero face paint and a “mermaid power” tee shirt as she exits the bounce house, again, at the Creekside Festival. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Brooke Lundt, a Rymfire Elementary School fifth grader, enjoys the bounce house and said of the festival, “It’s been really good!” Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Bunnell resident Mackenzie DuPont, 3, gently strokes a pig at the Creekside Festival petting zoo. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
An alpaca in the petting zoo seems to revel in the attention. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Rayne Meade, 3, dances in front of the stage to Saturday’s headliner, the Hayfire Band. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Chris Mason earns a commemorative coin at the Cowboy Fast Draw Association’s booth with a fast draw time of 0.769, faster than Sheriff Rick Staly’s best fast draw of the day. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Blacksmith J.D. Wolfe demonstrates the craft at the Creekside Festival on Saturday, Oct. 7. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
The 2023 Creekside Music and Arts Festival features an array of entertainment, including bluegrass and country bands. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
One of the items featured at the blacksmith booth is an iron snake. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
The Flagler County Republican Executive Committee attended the festival to provide information about upcoming elections. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Andy “Mendy” Mendolia prepares cartridges with wax (instead of lead) projectiles for the Cowboy Fast Draw Association’s booth. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
The Palm Coast Democratic Club booth provides information to festival attendees. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Penny Bouchard, a sixth grader at Indian Trails Middle School, sketches in the shade during the Creekside Festival. She’s thinking of a possible career in cartography. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Marlee Harris, 5, and Jursee Washington, 2, model amazing face paint designs at Saturday’s Creekside Festival. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Jill Dempsey welcomes competitors to the fast-draw booth, sponsored by the Cowboy Fast Draw Association, at the Creekside Festival. Shooters who draw faster than Sheriff Rick Staly receive a special commemorative coin. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Although Jill Dempsey is sight challenged, she earned a buckle for Ladies Champion in the Florida State Championship in 2017 for fast draw shooting. Dempsey’s cowboy name is Blue Hawk. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
“Banjo” Dewey, a member of Charlie Cracker’s Moonshine Band, entertains children with a song about smelly vultures. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Festivalgoers relax on the 1888 historic lodge porch during the Creekside Music and Arts Festival at Princess Place Preserve. Photo by Christine Rodenbaugh
Bluegrass and country tunes mingled with the scent of chili and fried festival food at Princess Place the weekend of Oct. 7-8 during the 18th annual Creekside Festival.
The event raised tens of thousands of dollars for local charities. The Family Life Center domestic violence shelter received the largest share, at $26,250.
Other beneficiaries include the Flagler Education Foundation, Grace Community Food Pantry and Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Posse, according to a news release from Flagler Broadcasting, which organized the event.
“Everything went smooth, everybody was happy,” Flagler Broadcasting President and CEO David Ayres said.
Bands playing at the weekend event included Slickwood, Dallas Tyler, Hayfire, Charlie Cracker’s Moonshine Band, Randal Crawford and American Honey.
This year’s festival drew more than 40 arts and crafts vendors and 30 food vendors. Young attendees, some sporting freshly painted faces, tumbled through bounce houses and patted alpacas, pigs and goats at the petting zoo.
Magic shows were scheduled for both days, and the Sheriff’s Office won the annual chili cookout challenge against Flagler County Fire Rescue on Saturday.
“This year’s food and exhibitor spaces were sold out,” said Kirk Keller, Flagler Broadcasting’s director of sales and events. “We’re already taking vendor reservations for next year’s Creekside scheduled for Oct. 5 and 6, 2024. Hope to see you there!”
