Bringing history to life

Andrew Wallin and Alyssa Osceola participated in the re-enactment about the start of the Second Seminole War during the 2024 Festival at Fort King in Ocala. [Photo by Michael Warren]

The annual Festival at Fort King took place at the Fort King National Historic Landmark on Dec. 7 and 8. It included historic themed crafts, games, workshops, activities, living historians, vendors, food, drinks and more.

“Visitors of all ages enjoyed a wide variety of activities including a puppet show, woodworking, face painting, fabric spinning, cast iron cooking, basket weaving and the main event, the reenactment of the start of the Second Seminole War,” noted the fort’s Facebook page.

Fort King is a 40-acre National Historic Landmark owned jointly by the city of Ocala and Marion County. The adjacent memorial site is owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution–Ocala Chapter and leased to the City of Ocala and Marion County for 99 years. The site is managed by the city of Ocala. Funding assistance and logistics support is provided by the nonprofit Fort King Heritage Foundation.

Before the festival opened to the public over the weekend, the fort hosted 144 students for Festival at Fort King Student Day. According to the social media page, “Children of various ages were educated about the fort’s history and the events that triggered the beginning of the Second Seminole War. They were able to participate in hands-on activities such as woodworking, candle making and fabric spinning. Additionally, they had the opportunity to listen to historical stories from our reenactors and immerse themselves in the experiences of life at the fort during the 1800s.”

To learn more, go to fortkingocala.com

2024 Festival at Fort King

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