Events Calendar
In local communities across Florida, humanities-rich programming is making a lasting impact in the hearts and minds of Sunshine State residents and visitors alike. Florida Humanities is proud to partner with local community champions to bring you high-quality public programming through Community Project Grants, Florida Talks, Museum on Main Street, and more.
Alert: Some events may be canceled or postponed. We work to ensure that our events calendar remains accurate. We strongly urge you to call the event contact for any program you are interested in to confirm that the event is still planned.
Calendar of Events
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3 events,
EXHIBITION: Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando’s Underground
The Orange County Regional History Center has organized a new special exhibition titled Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando's Underground. Between 1985 and 2001, the Orlando concert promoter "Figurehead" invigorated the musical landscape in Central Florida. "Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando's Underground" tells the story of how the company helped grow the local scene with a focus on underground rock music and the club circuit. Utilizing the extensive Figurehead
EXHIBITION: Following Fernando’s Footsteps: A Tale of Tampa’s “Invisible Immigrants”
The Ybor City Museum Society is presenting a special exhibit on Spanish immigration that will be on display through November 2023. The exhibit is based on a semi-fictitious book by Tampa native, Tony Carreño, entitled Following Fernando's Footsteps: The Tale of Tampa's "Invisible Immigrants, which chronicles the life of a young immigrant from Asturias, Spain to Tampa via Havana, Cuba. Exhibit topics include the six phases of immigration beginning with
EXHIBITION: An Elegy to Rosewood
Organized and curated by Curator Amy Galpin and Yady Rivero, Assistant Curator, Frost Art Museum in Miami, with Florida International University (FIU) Professor M. Alexandra Cornelius, the Creale School of Art and the Hannibal Square Heritage Center Presents "An Elegy to Rosewood," an exhibition in commemoration of the 100-year anniversary of the Rosewood Massacre. Comprised of photographs and heirlooms from the Jenkins family, this groundbreaking exhibition explores the Jenkins family story
5 events,
Summer Reading 2023: Our Stories: Creative Writing Workshop
Summer Reading 2023: Our Stories: Creative Writing Workshop
Winter Park Public Library hosts a weekly workshop with instructor and author Jaime Lee Lewis. Lewis discusses a different element of good story writing in each class and gives students time to practice these elements in their writing along with opportunities to read and discuss their work. This course culminates in an opportunity for students to share their work aloud at the Celebration of Stories at the Edyth Bush Theatre
Artists and Thinkers: Stewing with Zora Howard
Artists and Thinkers: Stewing with Zora Howard
The Hermitage Artist Retreat presents the second in their Artists and Thinkers series, "Stewing with Zora Howard." In Pulitzer Prize finalist and Hermitage Fellow Zora Howard's STEW, it's too hot and too early for all the drama. As the generations of Tucker women convene in the kitchen to prepare a meal for a large gathering later that day, it begins to emerge that "the secrets we keep from our mothers
4 events,
Florida Food in the Golden Era of Women’s Page Journalism
Florida Food in the Golden Era of Women’s Page Journalism
The Ormond Beach Historical Society is hosting their 2022-2023 live Speaker Series program. Learn how Florida's women's pages were considered the best in the country in the 1950s and 1960s in the 15th lecture in the series with Dr. Kimberly Voss. This lecture features pioneering food journalists Jeanne Voltz, Jane Nickerson, and Ruth Gray. Kimberly Voss, PhD, is a full professor of journalism at the University of Central Florida and
5 events,
Summer Reading Program 2023: Pint-Sized Swamp Gravy
Summer Reading Program 2023: Pint-Sized Swamp Gravy
The Calhoun County Library presents "Pint-Sized Swamp Gravy" by Colquitt Arts. Pint-Sized Swamp Gravy is an interactive storytelling presentation based on true stories from nearby Colquitt, Georgia and its surrounding communities. Stories were gathered by the Swamp Gravy Story Gatherers with original music by the Swamp Gravy music team. Will Murdock is the Artistic Director of Swamp Gravy and Georgia's official Folk-Life Playwright. His plays have been produced in Georgia,
Motion Pictures at a Great Savings! A History of Florida’s Film and Television Industry
Motion Pictures at a Great Savings! A History of Florida’s Film and Television Industry
Often overlooked in its contribution to film history, Florida has played a key role in creating the modern entertainment industry. This presentation discusses how Florida became a "third coast" to the American film and television industries over the past one 100 years. Starting with the first film pioneers in Jacksonville during the 1900s and 1910s to South Florida's television boom during the 2000s and 2010s, Florida has inspired countless exciting
5 events,
The Civil Rights Movement in Florida
The Civil Rights Movement in Florida
The idea that Florida did not experience the tumult of other deep South states during the Civil Rights movement is a popular misconception. This presentation debunks the myth of "Florida exceptionalism" in relationship to the Black freedom struggle and demonstrates that the state experienced many of the features that characterized more well-known areas and demonstrates how this history remains relevant in modern America- for better and worse. Dr. J. Michael
Florida Humanities Director’s Book Club: “Good Day Sunshine State” by Bob Kealing
Florida Humanities Director’s Book Club: “Good Day Sunshine State” by Bob Kealing
Join Florida Humanities Executive Director Nadshid Madyun and author Bob Kealing for a discussion on Good Day Sunshine State. Alongside the music stylings of J.J. Pattishall, we will explore the musical and cultural impact of The Beatles in Florida, an important part of the revolution that helped make the "Fab Four" a worldwide phenomenon. Bob Kealing is a retired broadcast journalist based in Orlando. During his 30-year career, he received
5 events,
Summer Reading 2023: Kids Read Aloud Book Club
Summer Reading 2023: Kids Read Aloud Book Club
The Gulfport Public Library hosts a weekly book club for kids every Friday at 3 pm. Participants take turns reading aloud from the chosen titles and get to bring the book home with them at the end of the session (quantities limited). All participants should have a second grade reading level or higher. Titles — chosen from the Collaborative Summer Reading Program 2023 recommended reading list — for the meetings
Elizabeth Robins Diary Podcast Listening Party
Elizabeth Robins Diary Podcast Listening Party
Hear Episode 6 of The Elizabeth Robins Diary podcast one week early! Episode 6, entitled "Home of the Tangerine" features Brooksville's Jim Kimbrough. Kimbrough is a descendant of Francis Ederington, the man responsible for building the manor house at Chinsegut. The Elizabeth Robins Diary podcast explores the people and events of the 1870s through the 1950s through the lens of writer and actress Elizabeth Robins. James Henry Kimbrough is a
4 events,
Summer Reading 2023: Storyteller Windell Campbell
Summer Reading 2023: Storyteller Windell Campbell
Gulfport Public Library welcomes storyteller Windell Campbell for a session of storytelling and puppetry. Windell Campbell has performed at hundreds of summer reading programs and festivals throughout the south. He has also appeared at the National Storytelling Festival. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees are asked to call 727-893-1074 for more information. This Summer Reading 2023 program was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities with funds from the
4 events,
Respect: Soul Music in the Civil Rights Movement
Respect: Soul Music in the Civil Rights Movement
Join the Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center for five days of history, culture, food, and fun in the nation's oldest city from June 15 to 19. "Respect: Soul Music and the Civil Rights Movement" kicks off the festivities on June 15 at 4:00 pm. Gospel and folk music were important in the struggle for equality, but soul music also inspired and united Americans. Soul artists like Aretha Franklin and Florida's
4 events,
Summer Reading 2023: Storytelling with a Beat
Summer Reading 2023: Storytelling with a Beat
DeSoto County Library presents "Storytelling with a Beat" featuring local musician and former educator Krissy Constantino. Krissy Constantino presents a musical interpretation of the book Music is Everything by Ziggy Marley, focusing on how music brings everyone together followed by a hands-on activity to create musical instruments from everyday objects. This Summer Reading 2023 program was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities with funds from the State of Florida, Department
4 events,
Eighth Annual Juneteenth Celebration: Knowing, Remembering, and Shifting the Narrative
Eighth Annual Juneteenth Celebration: Knowing, Remembering, and Shifting the Narrative
The Crealde School of Art and Hannibal Square Heritage Center hosts the eighth annual "Juneteenth Celebration: Knowing, Remembering, and Shifting the Narrative" at the Winter Park Community Center. The event celebrates the ending of slavery on June 19, 1865, and connects to the concurrent bilingual exhibition "An Elegy to Rosewood" on view at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center. The Juneteenth Celebration addresses systemic racism, the impact of lost local black
4 events,
A. Philip Randolph Day Juneteenth Celebration
A. Philip Randolph Day Juneteenth Celebration
The Crescent City Juneteenth Committee and Jethro First Baptist Church is holding its 11th Annual Juneteenth and A. Philip Randolph Celebration from June 16th to June 18th. On June 18th, as part of the festival, Dr. David Jamison will discuss the "Highway 17 North Heritage Trail Project" and the importance of creating and maintaining African American heritage sites and markers. This lecture is one of several events leading up to
4 events,
Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition
Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition
This presentation covers centuries of Florida's cattle ranching history, starting with the introduction of cattle and horses in the 16th century by the Spanish. Bob Stone illuminates themes of cultural identity, customs, and beliefs in this presentation that shows audiences that cattle ranching is not just a business, but a way of life and complete culture. Admission is free. Registration is suggested but not required to attend. Bob Stone is
4 events,
To Dream of Florida with Gary R. Mormino and Christina Diaz Gonzalez
To Dream of Florida with Gary R. Mormino and Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Join Florida Humanities for a conversation with two award-winning authors who examine the treasure that is the "Florida Dream." Renowned historian Gary R Mormino's Dreams of a New Century: Cities, Shatteres Hopes, and Florida's Turning Point (University Press of Florida, 2022) recounts the dream revealed in the 2000s. Best-selling children's author Christina Diaz Gonzalez provides a youthful account of a child's quest to become a man in his journey from
4 events,
Summer Reading 2023: Storytime with Kara Illguth
Summer Reading 2023: Storytime with Kara Illguth
DeSoto County Library presents "Storytime with Kara Illguth," a local storyteller who uses puppets and props to share words of kindness and spread the joy of working together. All ages can participate, followed by a hands-on activity on how participants can make their own stories. This Summer Reading 2023 program was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities with funds from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts
4 events,
Lunch and Learn — Outpost to Statehood: The Florida Territory with Rodney Kite-Powell
Lunch and Learn — Outpost to Statehood: The Florida Territory with Rodney Kite-Powell
On the eve of the 200th-anniversary of the Territorial Legislative Act seeking a new capital for Florida, the Florida Historic Capitol Museum hosts historian and director of the Touchton Map Library at the Tampa Bay History Center for "Outpost to Statehood: The Florida Territory." Many of the events and themes that appeared on a large scale throughout the United States in the years leading up to the Civil War were
7 events,
Naval Civil War in Florida
Naval Civil War in Florida
The Ormond Beach Historical Society is hosting their 2022-2023 live Speaker Series program. Learn about the little-known adventures of the Navy during the American Civil War in Florida in the final lecture of the series. This program is based on Robert Mattson's book The Civil War Navy in Florida and provides a broad overview of naval actions in Florida during the American Civil War. Robert Mattson researches and portrays Union
Summer Reading 2023: Fairy Tale Fun with the Museum of Discovery and Science: Session One
Summer Reading 2023: Fairy Tale Fun with the Museum of Discovery and Science: Session One
The Museum of Discovery and Science presents "The Story of Three Little Pigs Meets The Science of Home Design" at the Lighthouse Point Library, a hands-on series of activities for ages three and up combining fairytales and STEM. Registration required. Registration opens on June 12 for residents outside of Lighthouse Point. Carpooling is recommended as parking is limited. This Summer Reading 2023 program was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities
Summer Reading 2023: Delray Jazz Collective
Summer Reading 2023: Delray Jazz Collective
The Delray Jazz Collective presents a musical experience for all ages at the Palm Springs Public Library. The musicians explains the instruments they use, the sounds they make, and how they work together to create true magic with different rhythms and sounds. This Summer Reading 2023 program was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities with funds from the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the
Summer Reading 2023: Fairy Tale Fun with Museum of Discovery and Science: Session Two
Summer Reading 2023: Fairy Tale Fun with Museum of Discovery and Science: Session Two
The Museum of Discovery and Science presents "The Story of Three Little Pigs Meets The Science of Home Design" at the Lighthouse Point Library, a hands-on series of activities for ages three and up combining fairytales and STEM. Registration required. Registration opens on June 12 for residents outside of Lighthouse Point. Carpooling is recommended as parking is limited. This Summer Reading 2023 program was sponsored in part by Florida Humanities
4 events,
Summer Reading 2023: Author Ruth Henry
Summer Reading 2023: Author Ruth Henry
Gulfport Public Library welcomes local author Ruth Henry for an interactive reading of her debut picture book Nana and Baba Fight Pirates. Henry is a debut author who ran an educational youth theater program located in Albany, New York for twelve years. She also has written and produced 8 musicals. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Attendees are asked to call 727-893-1074 for more information. This Summer Reading 2023
