TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Share In The Fun On Pioneer Heritage Day

ADVERTISEMENT

By GEORGE H. NEWMAN

gnewman@tampatrib.com

Published: October 22, 2008

PLANT CITY - The area's social and historic heritage will be recalled during the 31st annual Pioneer Heritage Day.

The East Hillsborough Historical Society, the Plant City Arts Council and Plant City Entertainment will present a day full of events and exhibits from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 8 at the 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St.

Organizers are inviting the public to share in the fun, food, face painting, music and more.

Historical society spokeswoman Shelby Bender said there will be exhibitions, such as on quilting, chair caning, trains and Morse code.

A children's fun festival will be part of the celebration, and Jackie's Dance Theatre is in charge of entertainment. Plant City Entertainment will hold a chocolates contest and the Daybreak Rotary Club and the Plant City Civitan Club will have hamburgers, hot dogs and Claxton Fruit Cake for sale.

Bender said the museums in the three-story former school building will be open. Members of the H.B. Plant Railroad Historical Society will have their model trains running.

"There will be a great deal to do for everyone in the family," Bender said.

Each Pioneer Heritage Day is a year in the making, she said.

"This year will be bigger and better than ever," she said. "Hundreds of volunteers and dozens of vendors and exhibiters will come together to make this a great event."

The Florida Strawberry Festival queen's exhibit has been expanded and will showcase photographs of all the queens, Bender said. Reigning festival queen Kristen Smith and possibly her court members are expected to attend.

Centennial families will be recognized for having lived in the East Hillsborough County area 100 or more years.

Bender said a 7 p.m. performance of the Florida Opry variety show at the community center auditorium will add to the celebration.

For information about being a crafter, entertainer, exhibitor or vendor, call the historical society's offices at (813) 757-9226 or e-mail qcenter@tampabay.rr.com or contact Bender at (813) 754-3577 or at sbenderpc@aol.com.

For an entry form for the chocolate festival call Betty Roney at (813) 752-6021. The contest, with categories including cake, candy/novelties and cookie/brownie, has cash prizes and the deadline for entry forms is Nov. 6.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT