Special Events for Forest Capital Museum State Park

• FOREST CAPITAL TRADITIONAL AND FINE ART SHOW
  Date: May 3rd through May 17th, 2008.
  Description: Forest Capital Museum State Park will host a traditional and fine art show May 3rd through May 17th as part of the 1st Forest Capital Music and Art Festival taking place on May 10th.
  
  In the museum, showing proudly with our original works of art, will be the exhibit Inspirations from the Forest. This exhibit was produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the National Endowment for the Arts. The 16-panel exhibition illustrates how artists, writers and musicians draw inspiration from the world of nature. “The men and women who work in our forests and rangelands have very special connections to the land,” said curator Jim Deutsch of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. “Through this exhibition, we are exploring the ways in which our forests—timberlands, grasslands, mountains and waterways—have inspired artists to create enduring works of art that impress upon us the importance of preserving our natural resources.” The artists featured in the exhibition are:
  
  
  • Keith Bear, flute maker and storyteller, North Dakota
  • Angie Bulletts, cradleboard maker, Arizona
  • Jim Denney, landscape painter, Oregon
  • Terry Evans, photographer, Illinois
  • Jack Holcomb, guitar maker, Georgia
  • Dorica Jackson, Chilkat weaver, Alaska
  • Paula Morin, photographer, Illinois
  • Heather Murphy, wildlife painter, Washington state
  • Hank Nelson, logger poet, Alaska
  • Leona Pooyouma, wicker basket weaver, Arizona
  
  Among the many artist gathering for this event will be our featured artist, Darin Mauldin. His beautiful stained, leaded an etched glass artwork, will be center stage in the museum.
  
  Fees: Museum entrance fee is $1.00
  Contact: For more information, call 850-584-3227.
  
• HERITAGE DAY
  Date: Friday, October 24, 2008. 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
  Description: Volunteers dressed in period costumes will perform a living history at the 1863 Cracker Homestead. Demonstrators and artisans will exhibit period crafts and skills from the 1800's. Exhibitions include:
  
  Pine straw basket weaving
  Palmetto palm weaving
  Spinning and weaving
  Blacksmith
  Plowing with mule
  Civil war encampment
  Cracker history, Florida history
  Cracker cooking
  Cracker whip demo
  Cracker cowboy
  Quilting
  Crocheting, Knitting, Tatting and other needle arts
  Traditional herbs exhibit
  Petting zoo
  Storytelling
  
  
  No pets please, only working companion animals will be allowed.
  
  Fees: Admission is $1.00
  Contact: For more information, call 850-584-3227.
  
• 53RD FLORIDA FOREST FESTIVAL
  Date: Saturday, October 25, 2008. 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
  Description: Taylor County, the states leading producer of forest products and timberland acreage, invites everyone to attend the 53rd Florida Forest Festival in celebration of Florida’s forest and forest industries. The month long celebration culminates on Saturday October 25th with a downtown parade starting at 10:00am and then over to Forest Capital State Park for a day filled with fun and entertainment. The world’s largest free fish fry will begin at noon. Live music and entertainment will be ongoing throughout the day. There will be displays of antique cars, forestry equipment, arts and crafts, and vendors galore. Heavy equipment and chainsaw operators will demonstrate their skills as they compete for prizes. Admission to the museum and cracker homestead will be free for the day. At the homestead, demonstrators will take you back in time to the late 1800’s as we honor Florida’s early settlers and their way of life. In conjunction with the celebration there will be pageants, parades, storytelling, and just two blocks from the park there will be a carnival.
  It’s all TREE-RIFIC!!! Bring your lawn chairs and dress for seasonal temperatures. No pets please, only working companion animals will be allowed.
  
  Fees: This event is FREE!
  Contact: For more information, call 850-584-3227.
  

Forest Capital Museum State Park Ranger Programs

• RANGER INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM
  Interpretive programs focus on the Cracker homestead and the turn of the century lifestyle. The Cracker Homestead is available for self-guided tours. Ranger led tours occur during special events and upon request through coordination with park staff.
  Call (850) 584-3227 for more details.
• MUSEUM
  The museum offers a fundamental understanding of the evolution, ecology and productivity of our forest. The whole family will enjoy the exhibits of lifelike animals native to the local forest. Open Thursday through Monday. Closed Tuesday & Wednesday. Ranger led tours occur during special events and upon request through coordination with park staff.
  Call (850) 584-3227 for more details.