Florida’s Female Pioneers: Women Who Have Shaped Florida
Peggy Macdonald, Historian and Author, will examine several of the women who have shaped Florida, including Rachel Jackson, May Mann Jennings, Dr. Esther Hill Hawks, and Marjorie Harris Carr. This program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Historic Hernando Preservation Society. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, and
Stories of Florida- Con Sabor!
Our stories have never been the same since Ponce De Leon first arrived on our shores in 1513. Flowing seamlessly between Spanish and English, these personal, historical and traditional Florida tales takes the audience on a journey into the imagination that connects the people and cultures of Florida, con un poco de sabor Latino-with a bit of Latino flavor! This program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Brooksville
Vintage Florida: Weeki Wachee, City of Mermaids
Lu Vickers will present the fascinating history of Weeki Wachee Springs told through vintage photographs of the mermaids from their earliest days performing silent ballets to the heyday when ABC built them a million-dollar theater. Lu Vickers the recipient of two Florida Book awards and three Florida Individual Artist Fellowships for fiction. In addition to writing Remembering Paradise Park (with C. Graham), she has written the novel Breathing Underwater and
Vintage Florida: Hidden History of Florida
Six out of ten Floridians come from outside Florida and know little of the state’s rich history. Jim Clark presents a fun 50-minute journey through 400 years of history with lots of images all based on the book Hidden History of Florida. The trip will leave listeners with a new appreciation of their state’s past. This program takes place on Zoom. Please contact [email protected] for the Zoom link. Zoom is
Vintage Florida: Florida Soul
John Capouya will discuss the people and the music that defines Florida Soul, from Ray Charles to Sam and Dave, Betty Wright to James and Bobby Purify, and many more. This rich but under-appreciated musical heritage comes to life in music, words, and vintage photos. This program takes place on Zoom. Please contact [email protected] for the Zoom link. Zoom is provided by the Association for Rural and Small Libraries This
History of Cypress Gardens: America’s Tropical Wonderland
Vintage photographs illustrate the story of Cypress Gardens, the world-famous tourist attraction that Dick Pope created out of swampland in Winter Haven. Cypress Gardens cemented Florida’s reputation as the land of sun and fun from the 1930s to 2009, when it was sold to Legoland. The flamboyant Pope, known as “the man who invented Florida,” combined a water ski show, tropical gardens, and iconic Southern Belles to create an enduring
Coffee and Conversations: Weeki Wachee the City of Mermaids with Lu Vickers
The fascinating history of Weeki Wachee Springs told through vintage photographs of the mermaids from their earliest days performing silent ballets to the heyday when ABC built them a million-dollar theater. When Newt Perry sank a theater into the edge of the spring in 1947, he had no idea his mermaids would become world-famous Florida icons. This program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Coffee and Conversations: Sacred Waters with Dr. Victoria Machado
This presentation explores efforts to restore Florida’s waterways. We will investigate the motivations of environmentalists who love and advocate for these water bodies. By focusing on issues related to springs and the Everglades, we will dive into the conversations that arise when Floridians view water as essential to their quality of life. This program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. A virtual livestream is
Coffee and Conversations: Florida Water Stories with Dr. Steve Noll
In this program, the energetic Dr. Noll will explore Florida’s long and difficult relationship with water, its attempts to turn land into water and water into land, and the contentious issues involving the Everglades, the Ocklawaha River, political battles with Alabama and Georgia, and the potential impact of sea-level rise. This program is free and open to the public. Dr. Noll will deliver his presentation by Zoom and guests may
Water/Ways Grand Opening and Family Day
Come one, come all to Family Day at the Old Courthouse Heritage Museum! This special event coincides with the grand opening of the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street exhibit Water/Ways, brought to our community by the Florida Humanities. We are partnering with the City of Inverness to make this a day you won’t soon forget. Enjoy highly acclaimed professional storyteller Katie Adams perform a collection of the best pirate tales,