With the goal of making books and stories come alive, the second annual Battlefield Book Fest was hosted Saturday by the Dade Battlefield Society at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, 7200 Battlefield Parkway, Bushnell.
The five-hour event featured authors sharing their stories, skits performed by local historians, interactive activities, books for sale and food trucks.
The event created an opportunity to get people to unplug from digital devices for an afternoon and connect with history, said Rich Anderson, vice president of the citizen support organization for the historic state park.
“People are always looking at their phones or connected to something digital,” he said. “We need some real books out there. People, especially kids, need to have a real book in their hands and connect to history instead of watching something on the phone.”
Dade Battlefield Historic State Park is where Major Francis Dade and his command were defeated by Chief Micanopy and a group of Native Americans in 1835, sparking the start of the Second Seminole War.
Several books from the society about the battle, typically available at the visitor center, were for sale during the event.
Inside the center, books of various sizes and genres were sprawled across eight large tables. Those who attended were able to pick one free book and collect as many more as they could fit in a brown paper bag for $5.
From the books about Dade Battlefield to stories that connect to other parts of Florida, it’s important to capture history in a book and share it with the public, Anderson said.
“To be able to read a book and then actually visit that area, like we do with the battlefield, can spark a connection,” he said. “To read the book ‘Dade’s Last Command’ and realize this happened right here. This is where Chief Micanopy was, this is where Major Dade fell and this is where all the soldiers were found when General Gaines came. It ignites the imagination and we leave with more people interested in the park and history in general.”
Volunteers at the state park dressed up as characters from the book “Alice In Wonderland.”
Katherine West Thompson was Alice, Kathie Anderson dressed up as the Queen of Hearts, Chris Smith was the Deck of Cards and Jane Rabon was the Mad Hatter.
The volunteers dress up as a way to engage with families attending the event, West Thompson said.
“The elders love dressing up and stitching together costumes by hand,” she said. “We do something like this every year as a bridge to introducing the theme for upcoming events.”
Participating vendors included the Sumter County Public Library System, Dolly Parton Inspiration Library and Fort King National Historic Landmark.
It’s important to present public events that bring history to the forefront, said Joe Deklinski, Fort King National Historic Landmark volunteer.
“History is so important,” he said. “It helps you understand how we got here today, not only in Florida, but also the United States.”
Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, acquired by the State of Florida in 1921, is the second oldest site in the state whose protection and preservation is designated as being in the best interests of its citizens.
Events like these help strengthen the bond between the park and the community, Anderson said.
“There is a lot of history here in Florida and events like the book fest create a deeper connection to the past,” he said. “The people of Bushnell have taken very good care of our park over the years and shown support to our events like this.”
The battlefield will become a haunted trail in celebration of Halloween with Dade’s Haunted Event from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 23-24. It will include a haunted trail, a haunted house, a kiddie trail and food trucks.
For more information about future events hosted by the society at the historic state park, visit dadebattlefield.com.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
