Colorful hoop-skirt dresses, wide-brimmed hats and cool-steel confederate uniforms will overtake the grounds of the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center for the 36th annual Pioneer Heritage Day.
The event, sponsored by the East Hillsborough Historical Society, will take place Nov. 9.
In addition to the period dress, there will be a plethora of crafters demonstrating their historical arts such as looming. Historical and homemade quilts will be on display. Art and food vendors will be peddling their wares.
The event wouldn’t be complete without some live entertainment. New this year are the Bay Area Bandits, who will perform some skits. NRG will be performing top-40 hits, while Dance Connection and Strawberry Express dance teams will be clogging.
In the morning, Dance Connection performers will be dressed like Southern belles in frilly garb of all prints. They will do a stroll on the street in front of the 1914 Building. The second Pioneer Sweetheart Pageant will begin at noon. A bounce house, hay rides and face painting provides even more excitement for the kids.
“It’s just a fun event,” said Shelby Bender, executive director and president of the East Hillsborough Historical Society.
Bender has been a part of the event for decades, first as an attendee herself. When she was a teenager, Bender remembers Pioneer Heritage Day taking place at Gilchrist Park. At that time, it was a luncheon for many of the old-timers. Everyone brought out an orange crate.
“There were so many orange crates,” Bender said. “We used to play with them. Stacking them up, making buildings out of them.”
But Pioneer Heritage Day’s roots stem even beyond that luncheon. It started around the early 1900s, as a political meeting. Many of the first Plant City settlers would meet around the Alderman Ford area to talk with other settlers around the Alafia River.
“A lot of Plant City settlers came from that area,” Bender said. “They just didn’t get off the train in Plant City.”
For a further glimpse back into Plant City’s history, the Pioneer Heritage Museum inside the 1914 Building will be open for tours as well ad the Henry B. Plant Historic Railroad Club Museum, which has many large scale model train displays.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
PIONEER HERITAGE DAY
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9
WHERE: 1914 High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St.
COST: Free
CONTACT: Hillsborough Historical Society, (813) 757-9226. There are still open spots left for vendors. Vendors that do live demonstrations will be able to enter for free. Contact the historical society for more information and for an application.
THE FLORIDA OPRY
After a day of fun and education, The Florida Opry will bring out some world class entertainment at 6 p.m. The show will feature Amanda and Scott Anderson and the Stringbreak Band, from Gainesville. The father/daughter duo began performing in 2008, after years of playing together at home. Randy Scott will serve as the master of ceremonies.
A chicken and rice dinner will be served before the concert, starting at 4:45 p.m. The cost will be $8 for adults and $4 for students.
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9
WHERE: 1914 Building; 605 N. Collins St.
COST: $12 for adults; $5 for students
CONTACT: East Hillsborough Historical Society, (813) 757-9226
WEBSITE: TheFloridaOpry.org