Welaka does not have an event every weekend, and the ones it does have are worth showing up for. Here is what is coming up, the cart-friendly weekends first.
Welaka Halloween Spooktacular, Friday October 23
Friday, October 23 · Parade begins 6:00 PM · Mason Newstead Park · Free
A golf cart parade and a trunk or treat on the same night, which is about as on brand as the Welaka calendar gets for us. Decorate the cart, put the kids in costume, and roll.
How the night runs:
- Parade begins at 6:00 PM from Mason Newstead Park, with the route led by Chief Bryant.
- Trunk or treat follows at 7:00 PM, back at Mason Newstead Park. Bring candy for the kids if you are handing it out.
- Costumes and decorated carts are encouraged, which in a cart parade is the whole assignment.
Renting a cart for it? This is the weekend to have one. A decorated cart in the parade, the same cart to the trunk or treat, then the rest of the weekend on the river. The two-day minimum lines up with a Friday-to-Sunday anyway. Book online, and book early, because a cart parade is the one night everybody in town wants a cart at once.
The golf cart parades
This is the part of the Welaka calendar we pay the most attention to, for obvious reasons.
There is typically a golf cart parade in October, and another around the Fourth of July. Carts decorated, everybody out, the whole thing moving at about eight miles an hour down streets you can walk faster than. If you have ever wanted a reason to rent a cart for a weekend, this is a good one.
The Christmas parade is one you can enter with a golf cart. It is not a cart parade as such, but carts are part of it, and a decorated cart in a Christmas parade in a river town is exactly as good as it sounds.
Dates are not fixed year to year. Watch the Town of Welaka at welaka-fl.gov for the details, and check the Putnam County Chamber calendar as well.
Booking around a parade: book early. A parade weekend is the one time of year when everybody in town wants a cart at once, and our fleet is small. Two-day minimum lines up with a parade weekend anyway.
The rest of the season
Welaka's calendar runs on the town, the river and a handful of organizations rather than a big events office. The reliable sources:
- The Putnam County Chamber of Commerce event calendar, which is the fullest listing for the county. Fishing and golf tournaments, festivals, the Palatka Farmers Market, the Crescent City Annual Fall Festival, parades, 5Ks and boat cruises, months out.
- welaka-fl.gov for town meetings, park events, parade dates and official notices
- visitwelaka.com for what is on across Welaka, Georgetown, Crescent City and Pomona Park
- Friends of Welaka, which runs the Children's Garden weekly family and kids program
- GFWC Woman's Club of Welaka
Welaka Pickleball has open play every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which is not an event so much as a standing invitation.
Fishing tournaments come through in season. If you are planning a trip around one, check ahead, because a tournament weekend changes what the ramp looks like at six in the morning.
September and October are also the shrimp run, which is not an event but is the reason a lot of people are on the water after dark this time of year. See Shrimping in Welaka.
When is the busiest time in Welaka?
Mid-February through April, during peak bass spawning season. Rooms fill early and the boat ramps are busy at first light. October and November are the other strong fishing stretch and much quieter.
If you are coming for an event rather than the fishing, the shoulder seasons are more pleasant and easier to book.
Which events are cart friendly?
| Event | Cart friendly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cartoberfest, Oct 3 | Yes, obviously | On Front St., designated for carts end to end |
| Halloween Spooktacular, Oct 23 | It is the whole point | Decorated cart parade from Mason Newstead Park at 6 PM, trunk or treat to follow |
| October golf cart parade | It is the whole point | Typically annual. Watch the Town of Welaka for dates |
| Fourth of July golf cart parade | It is the whole point | Typically annual. Watch the Town of Welaka for dates |
| Christmas parade | Yes, you can enter with a cart | Not a cart parade, but carts take part |
| Town park events | Yes | Everything in town limits is open to a street-legal cart |
| Welaka Pickleball, M/W/F | Yes | Welaka Town Hall Recreation Area |
| County events outside Welaka | No | Take the car, or call us about delivery to that town |
| Fishing tournaments | Yes for you, no for the boat | Cart handles gear and people, not trailers |
Every road inside Welaka town limits is posted 35 mph or under, County Road 309 and 308B included, so a street-legal cart can use all of them. Anything outside town limits means driving the car or arranging a delivery.
Booking around an event
Two-day minimum, $80 a day for a 4-seater and $95 for a 6-seater, 10% off at seven days. Delivered charged, free inside Welaka city limits. Every driver 21 or older with a valid license and proof of their own auto insurance. Paid in full at booking, cancel at least 48 hours out for a full refund.
For event weekends, book earlier than you think you need to.
Book online. Staying outside Welaka? Call (386) 603-0295 first to confirm we can deliver to you.
Past events
Cartoberfest, October 3
Cartoberfest 2026 is in the books. Three hours of golf carts on the river at Welaka Lodge & Resort, free to attend, with live entertainment by Colby Coldiron, free cart inspections by Mad Dog Premium Carts, local vendors through the afternoon, and a canned goods drive that Friends of Welaka took to the food pantry at Sugar Mill. Presented by Welaka Lodge & Resort, Mad Dog Premium Carts and Welaka Golf Carts. It runs every October on Front Street, which is designated for carts end to end, so watch this page for next year's date. See the photos and reels from Cartoberfest 2026.
Read next: Planning a Welaka Trip and Things to Do in Welaka by Golf Cart