Treading along the centuries old trail that tells the tales of those who walked Florida’s land years ago, families walked the Fort King National Historic Landmark trail during the “Phantoms in the Fort” featuring Fort King Legends Trails event on Oct. 19.
Bringing fun, food, crafts, and storytellers to the Fort grounds from 5 to 9 p.m., the free family event was co-hosted between the park, the City of Ocala’s Recreation and Parks Department and the Marion County Public Library.
Program coordinators said the program is a continuation of the tradition of telling stories at the Fort.
“Hundreds of years ago, people gathered at Fort King to tell stories, and today, we do the same. Storytelling builds community, passes on tradition, and brings neighbors closer together,” Karen Jensen, the library community liaison for the Marion County Public Library, said. “The Marion County Public Library System fosters a rich environment where books and stories for all ages come to life.”
Along with historic storytelling from the Ocali Story Telling Guild, who told stories of historical moments related to the Seminole War, there was music, crafts, games and food at the start of the event from 5 to 7 p.m. The next portion of the program began at 7 p.m. with “Stories Under the Stars,” a collection of folktales from around the world.
“The darker it gets,” Jensen said, “the spookier the stories.”
At the end of the program, from 9 to 10 p.m., as guests walked the Legends Trails back to their cars in the Klein Lot, they heard more based on the route they chose.
“If you choose to walk the darker path, you’ll meet a soldier who succumbed to the Florida elements in 1836, and Krampus one of our Legends of Yule favorite character. For the kiddos and light-hearted folks, you’ll hear a trickster Seminole tale before walking past the Seep Spring,” said Samantha Jarvis, Outdoor/Historical Resource Archaeologist for Fort King National Historic Landmark.
This is this first year the Legends Trails was a part of this annual storytelling tradition.
“Phantoms in the Fort began in fall 2017, as a partnership between the Fort King Heritage Foundation and the Marion County Public Library System to celebrate the time-honored tradition of storytelling,” Jensen said.
“In the beginning, years before the fort was rebuilt, storytellers and story-lovers of all ages gathered around a campfire to hear spooky and eerie tales. Each year, a new variation to this much-loved storytelling event occurs.”
And feedback from guests who attend the program has always been positive.
“Children, teens and adults each find something special to enjoy. We typically hear people start talking about this event way in advance of the actual date, asking our library staff, ‘When will it be held?’ And the cooler time of year really lends itself to all ages enjoying the outdoor environment at the Fort,” Jensen said.
“Our library staff also receive comments about how much the public is drawn to and enjoys the storytelling efforts.”
For more information about the spooky event, visit ftking.org.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
