Marianna, established in 1827, is a small Northwest Florida community with just 5,803 residents — and it’s Danny Lipford’s hometown.
Though small in population, the area is big with tourists, boasting attractions such as Blue Springs Recreation Area, the Marianna Battlefield, and the nearby Florida Caverns State Park.
Building a Pocket Park
Danny and Chelsea visited Marianna in December 2020 to build a pocket park on ruins left from Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that devastated the area on Oct. 10, 2018.
After seeing the storm’s impact, Danny pledged to contribute a $50,000 media gift to the city. That was in addition to working with volunteers to convert a dilapidated building into a public recreational area.
While in Florida, Danny reunited with long-time friends and made some new ones, as numerous volunteers and businesses contributed to the construction of Lafayette Landing.
‘Everyone’s Family’
In this video, Marianna residents Gracie Speers, Royce Reagan, Benjamin Odom, Taylor Arunakul, Jeff Vickery, Mickey Gilmore and Michele Kimbrough talk about their tight-knit community.
“I feel like everyone’s family,” Gracie says.
“The one word that would describe Marianna, Florida, is friendly,” Royce says.
“Everybody knows everybody, and everybody looks out for everybody,” Benjamin says.
“To me, Marianna is just like one big family,” Taylor says.
Watch the video above to learn more about Marianna, Florida.