Experience Fort Mose this Saturday

Historic City News was notified that this Saturday, November 23rd, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Fort Mose Historic State Park, the Fort Mose Historical Society, and Florida Living History, Inc., will present the latest edition of their “Experience Fort Mose” Series.

Fall is harvest time and the families living at Fort Mose grew vegetables such as pumpkins, squashes, gourdes, beans, lentils and corn. They also planted fruit trees such as sweet and sour oranges, lemons, figs and persimmons.

Local Fare Farm Bag and its community of local farmers offer a farmers’ market of vegetables, herbs and fruits from colonial times that are still grown locally today.

Florida Living History’s Los Companeros de la Cocina demonstrates in the chosa how some of these local products were prepared and cooked in 18th century Spanish Florida. At 2:00 p.m., Annie Francis, an independent scholar, presents some of her research findings from original sources in the Archives of the Indies on foods commonly consumed in Colonial Spanish Florida along with original recipes.

She will also take visitors on a walking tour through the farmers market and the chosa giving visitors the opportunity to learn more about these traditional products and their preparations. Visitors will have a chance to sample some of these traditional foods, receive recipes and purchase vegetables and fruits for the celebration of their own Thanksgiving the following week.

In addition to the demonstration, the park’s museum and visitor center will be open. Visitors can watch a 15-minute film on the history of Fort Mose and its residents, as well as learn about the site through the interactive museum exhibit.

Activities will be going on from 10:00 am through 3:00 pm Saturday. The living history outdoor events are available without charge. These events are possible through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council. Regular admission to the indoor museum will be charged.

Participants should dress appropriately for the weather and bring insect repellent, as the program will be held outdoors; weather permitting. Visit Fort Mose Historic State Park at 15 Fort Mose Trail in St Augustine or on the web at http://floridastateparks.org/fortmose/