After a great spring capped off by May events, Osceola History is now setting up for its big annual historical party this fall.
The 31st annual Pioneer Day will be held Nov. 4 at the Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek in Kissimmee.
The annual family event is a glimpse into how the Florida Seminoles and the early pioneer families of Osceola County lived off the land and used the unique ways of transportation long before the days of electricity, air conditioning and even most paved roads.
Look for more information to come out after July 1.
“We’ve got some new ideas to pursue this year about the event,” said Osceola History Executive Director Kimberly Murray. “We’ll spend the summer getting ready for it.”
In May, Osceola History held an event to celebrate the life and artwork of Kissimmee’s Buster Kenton, the creator of “Kowboy Jake” who served as the main promotional figure for the city of Kissimmee starting in the 1940s and is still the mascot for Osceola High School. Locally recognized, he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.
“It was a small and attentive crowd, made up of the people who knew and understood his artwork,” Murray said. “His daughter was there, it turned out to be a lovely event.” Last weekend, Osceola History hosted a Father’s Day-themed event that included a matinee screening of the Pixar movie “Finding Nemo,” which a number of families attended.
In the lead up to Pioneer Day, Murray said a new permanent exhibit at Osceola History’s Welcome Center (4155 Vine St.), the first one since 2012, will be a tribute to local Hispanic and Latino history.
“It will expand the history of that community to its amazing growth in Osceola County,” Murray said. “It’s a way to recognize and honor it.”
