👩 Who: Organizer Diane Pickett, artists, musicians, historians, and the local community
🎉 What: Summit on the Circle, a cultural festival featuring music, art, and storytelling
📅 When: April 23–26, 2026
📍 Where: DeFuniak Springs (Circle Drive and surrounding historic sites)
🎯 Why: To revive the city’s Chautauqua era legacy and reconnect the community through shared cultural experiences
On an April evening along DeFuniak Springs’ iconic Circle Drive, bluegrass and art will come together in a cultural story of America. Art Workshops will spill into historic homes, and an eight-foot Statue of Liberty will stand inside the historic Chautauqua Building. All under the banner of an event organizers hope will redefine DeFuniak’s identity. The Summit on the Circle event is gearing up to be a magical weekend of storytelling, music, and artwork inspired by the Nation’s artistic traditions.
“This is a huge cultural event, and DeFuniak is on the cusp of regaining its cultural prominence,” said organizer Diane Pickett, who hopes the Summit on the Circle will become “the signature cultural event” For $55, with students getting 50% off, attendees can access multiple days of programming that range from home-based art workshops requiring advance registration to free evening concerts by acts like the Midnight Cricket Club and the Sinus Rhythm Band.
DeFuniak Springs
DeFuniak Springs has a unique history in the Florida Panhandle. Shaped by education, the arts, and Victorian Era life. With its preserved Victorian architecture and Chautauqua legacy, DeFuniak Springs has always carried the imprint of a resort town built for culture and leisure.
The biggest cultural force in DeFuniak Springs was the Florida Chautauqua Assembly, a national movement that blended education, religion, arts, and civic dialogue.
Summit on the Circle aims to carry this legacy forward for DeFuniak Springs and the entire Emerald Coast.
April 23–26 | DeFuniak Springs
All Day – Art Workshops by The Walton County Art League (Partner event, not included in Summit tickets)
9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Costume Photography by Grammy-nominated photographer Tim Jackson (Partner event, not included in Summit tickets)
6 – 7 p.m. – Ukulele Concert by The Sinus Rhythm Band
9:30 – 10 a.m. – Check-In & Welcome (Coffee & Refreshments)
10 – 11:30 a.m. – Impact of Indigenous People on American Culture with Ann Tucker, Chairwoman of the Muscogee Nation of Florida
1 – 3 p.m. – Breakout Session: My Grandmother Was So Fly! A Multigenerational Storyshop with Gena Williams
1 – 2:15 p.m. – Breakout Session: America’s First Settlement with Mike Thomin
2:30 – 4 p.m. – Impact of the Scottish and Irish on American Culture with Dewey Ray
7 – 8:30 p.m. – Aunt Pearlie Sue and the Gullah Kinfolk: Bringing Gullah Geechee Culture to the World with Anita Singleton Prather
8 – 9 a.m. – Check-In & Welcome (Coffee & Refreshments)
9 – 10 a.m. – America, From the Porch with Shelby Hofer
10:15 – 11:30 a.m. – The Impact of Films on American Culture with Val Auzenne
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. – America’s Technological Revolution with Dr. Guillermo Francia III
2:30 – 4 p.m. – Breakout Session: My Grandmother Was So Fly! with Gena Williams
2:30 – 4 p.m. – Breakout Session: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Social Media, an interactive panel with Walton High School
6 – 7:30 p.m. – Pre-Concert Beer & Wine Reception
7:45 – 9 p.m. – Concert by The Midnight Cricket Club
9:30 – 11:45 a.m. – Practicing Meaningful Conversations in a Divided Time with Braver Angels
2 – 4 p.m. – Ice Cream Social, Art Show & Sale, and Hat Party
6 – 7 p.m. – Summit Finale with Shelby Hofer
A full weekend pass costs $55, with students receiving 50% off admission.
As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Summit on the Circle aims to bring people together through music, art, storytelling, and conversation, much like the gatherings that filled the old Chautauqua grounds more than a century ago.
If Pickett and her fellow organizers are right, the sounds of ukuleles, bluegrass, and community dialogue echoing around the Circle this April may be the beginning of a new chapter in DeFuniak Springs’ cultural story.
“Nine or ninety, there’s something for everybody,” she said. “It’s not just to sit there and be lectured to.”
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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