Events
An Old Florida Christmas
Saturday, December 10, 2022
10 AM–3 PM
FREE ADMISSION EVENT
Experience an old-fashioned Florida holiday celebration at Manatee Village Historical Park. “An Old Florida Christmas” features food, crafts, music, and vendors selling handmade goods. Manatee Village staff and volunteers will also be offering free "make and take" seasonal crafts. Stroll the grounds to see the buildings decked out in Victorian and Florida pioneer inspired décor. Explore landmarks like the Old Cabbage Head locomotive, Junior Junction playground, museum exhibits, and the Whistle Stop Gift Shop.
Vendor space for this event is full. If you'd like to be placed on a waiting list, email or call 941-749-7165.
Please note that this is an outdoor event and may be canceled due to inclement weather.
Lecture Series
Lectures will be held in the Wiggins Store Conference Room starting at 2 PM on the 4th Saturday,
February to October, unless otherwise noted. Seating is limited, filled on a first come basis.
Admission is free!
Kisses and Misses: Love and Heartbreak in Manatee
Saturday, February 25, 2 PM
Love and heartbreak are universal. Just like today, people of the past were fighting against the odds to be together. Sometimes it was a fairy tale ending and sometimes it ended in heartbreak.
Come explore some of the stories from Manatee’s past loves as they fought to be together despite familial expectations, disease, and war.
Transformative Mourning
Saturday, March 25, 2 PM
Mourning during the Victorian era was a ritualized and necessary process to effectively grieve loved ones but, like many other aspects, the bloodshed caused by the American Civil War changed how mourning was carried out. From dog tags to embalming, many of the changes forced by the Civil War are still felt today and show how people adapt even in the most devastating circumstances to find a meaning in loss.
Living Off the Land
Saturday, April 22, 2 PM
Sugar production was the principal industry in this area during the early pioneering period. As Florida's population continued to grow, other industries began to flourish, including commercial fishing, turpentine, cow hunting, and agriculture.
Explore how settlers in the mid-1800s through the early 1900s took advantage of readily available natural resources of the land and sea.
Cemetery Tours
2nd Saturdays, February–May, 10 AM
Take a trip through the 1850 Manatee Burying Ground and explore different facets of Manatee County's history on a free hour-long guided tour of our area's oldest public cemetery.
All tours begin at 10 AM and will be held on the 2nd Saturday, February–May. Check in at the Wiggins General Store at Manatee Village Historical Park. Space is limited and spots are filled on a first come basis. Admission is free.
Please note that this is an outdoor event and may be canceled due to inclement weather.