Special Events for Dudley Farm Historic State Park

• DUDLEY DOCENT PROGRAM
  Date: October through July. 3rd Wednesday of the month.
  Description: These educational training programs are open to the public and provide Dudley Farm with skilled interpretive guides for the farm and Visitor Center. Diverse and interesting topics include: Cracker Florida; Genealogy; Florida’s Landscape Plants; Florida History and Pioneer Days; Authentic Handcrafts and Skills; Washdays and Soap-making; Dudley Farm: A Visual History & Tour. Meet at the Visitor Center.
  
  This program takes place the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
  
  Fees: Regular park admission. Free to docent volunteers.
  Contact: For more information, call 352-472-1142.
  
• HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN PROGRESS
  Date: August and September, 2008.
  Description: Park Service staff and volunteers carry out the preservation projects necessary to maintain this National Register property. THE FARM BUILDINGS WILL BE CLOSED DURING AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 2008.
  Fees: N/A
  Contact: For more information, call 352-472-1142.
  
• FALL HARVEST DAYS
  Date: October, and November, 2008.
  Description: In October, and November, visitors can help harvest heirloom crops of field corn, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and sugar cane. Corn shucking, corn shelling and corn grinding will be in progress.
  
  Call the park for specific dates and times.
  Fees: Regular park admission of $4.00 per vehicle, up to 8 passengers.
  Contact: For more information, call 352-472-1142.
  
• A WALK THROUGH TIME QUILT EXHIBIT
  Date: Saturday, October 4th, 2008. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  Description: Walk through time as you view quilts from yesterday through today. Stop and listen to mini lectures and watch teaching moments as old-time mountain and hammered dulcimer music is played. Hand quilting demonstrations will be given with an opportunity to try your hand at quilting.
  
  Sponsored by the Dudley Farm’s Domestic Skills Group.
  Fees: Park admission of $4.00 per car. Voluntary donation for the quilt exhibit.
  Contact: For more information, call 352-472-1142.
  
• ANNUAL CANE GRINDING
  Date: Saturday, December 6th, 2008.
  Description: This annual event commemorates donor Miss Myrtle Dudley’s birthday and continues the farm family tradition of grinding sugar cane and boiling cane syrup, making this a unique old-time community gathering. Visitors can tour the farm and see other traditional activities and craft demonstrations or enjoy a wagon ride. Children can have fun playing old-fashioned games. Syrup and farm products will be for sale.
  
  Note of interest: Volunteers are needed to strip cane the first week of November and cut cane the 2nd week. Call the park for details.
  Fees: Regular park admission.
  Contact: For more information, call 352-472-1142.
  
• FARM PLOW DAYS
  Date: Friday & Saturday, February 6th & 7th, 2009.
  Description: Mule teams and draft horses demonstrate old-time farming before the days of tractors as they prepare the fields for spring planting.
  
  School groups will be given guided tours on Friday, February 6th. Reservations are required two months in advance. Please call 352-472-1142.
  Fees: Regular park admission of $4.00 per vehicle, up to 8 passengers.
  Contact: For more information, call 352-472-1142.
  
• SPRING PLANTING DAYS
  Date: Last week of March and early April 2009. Call the park for specific dates and times.
  Description: Come and participate in the traditional planting of the Dudley family heirloom corn and gardens. For more information about this event, call the park at 352-472-1142.
  Fees: Regular park admission of $4.00 per vehicle, up to 8 passengers.
  Contact: For more information, call 352-472-1142.
  

Dudley Farm Historic State Park Ranger Programs

• DOMESTIC SKILLS AND CRAFTS PROGRAMS
  Wednesdays, 9 AM - 11 AM This participatory program provides a resource person teaching a variety of traditional domestic skills including quilting, rug braiding, basketry, woodworking, and corn shuck crafts.
  Regular park admission.
  Meets each Wednesday of the month EXCEPT the 3rd Wednesday.
  Call (352) 472-1142 for more details.
• SELF GUIDED TOUR
  Ongoing. A self-guided tour is available to all park visitors beginning at the visitor center. The self-guided tour goes through the farmstead where you can view the original Dudley Farm structures and see park personnel interpreting the farm through period living history demonstrations.
  
  
  Call 352-472-1142 for more details.
• THE OLD HOMESTEAD TRAIL
  January thru June; 2nd Saturday of the month.
  
  This trail is featured January through June; the 2nd Saturday of the month.
  
  A ranger or docent will meet you at the Visitor Center at 10:00 a.m. for this behind-the-scenes view of the Dudley Farm that was before the existing 1880s farmstead. The original log homesite location and possible slave houses location will be pointed out. Participants will learn about Captain PBH Dudley, who established the original farm. This walk back through time traverses the original lane past 100-year-old split rail fences. One will experience the flavor of the true South while walking under ancient canopy live oaks and red cedars dripping with Spanish moss.
  
  Allow a leisurely hour or two for this new guided walk.
  Call 352-472-1142 for more details.
• DUDLEY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
  3rd Wednesday of the month. DUDLEY VOLUNTEER PROGRAM meets at the Visitor Center the 3rd Wednesday of each month January through November for 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. These diverse and interesting educational training programs are open to the public. Topics include: Cracker Florida, Genealogy, Florida’s Landscape Plants and Florida Pioneer Days.
  Call 352-472-1142 for more details.