Thankful Thursday - Florida Folk Festival - #2

These are the free CDs I've received at the Florida Folk Festival, and I've enjoyed listening to them.  Some of these songs are decades old but are quite interesting and entertaining. They are a collection of Florida performers ranging from church singers to honkey tonk crooners. . .Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, Jews, Greeks, Indians, and more.  They are an eclectic bundle of JOY for me because I love all kinds of music.  You can hear some of these songs on YouTube, too.  Just type in Florida Folk Festival and you'll discover years of performances all the way back to the 1950's.


Storytelling is another aspect of the festival that I love.  Storytelling, like the musical performances and dancing, goes on all day long.  Many of the tale tellers also incorporate music with their stories, so I loved that.  The acoustics in the room below are amazing.  Another thing I love about visiting the storytelling area, which is in the Carillon Tower, is that it is air-conditioned.  Believe me, it gets plenty hot here in Florida by the end of May.  The festival also has giant fans around the park and even included a misting tent this year.  That feels divine on a hot Florida day, believe me.

This lady is from Haiti and told some hilarious tales, accompanied by two of her grandsons.

Liliane also taught classes at the Folklife Stage, talking extensively about Haitian food and folk remedies. She's in her nineties, a cancer survivor, and attributes her good health to the use of native plants.  She taught how to make beignets, Haitian style, and then passed out free samples.  I didn't taste them, but they looked really good.

Some other demonstrations taught in the Folklife Stage were how to harvest and cook swamp cabbage (very interesting to know if we ever run out of food), how to make a Florida cracker cowboy whip and use it (really handy if you have children -- JUST kidding),  alligator grappling (you never know when you'll need that here in the Sunshine State), chair caning, bobbin lace making, quilting, and much, much more.

The Seminole Indians demonstrated basket making techniques, the colorful and beautiful patchwork they're famous for (see below), and fighting techniques.  My husband really enjoyed that part.  He said the girls fought just as well as the boys. I was attending a dulcimer workshop, so I missed it.

This demonstration of Chinese art and music was delightful.  The musician, a professor at the University of Florida,  played the song about a rooster, while her husband painted his picture.  Since I adore both music and painting, I was enthralled.

We went to a brand new area for us this year. This area is called Florida Remembered and has exhibits and demonstrations about Florida history.  It's a bit of a hike to get to, but it's an enjoyable one as you walk through the beautiful green woods listening to and watching birds.

The fellow below was talking about the trapping trade in old Florida.  He was so interesting and quite the character.  I asked him about his "necklace" and he said, "That's what happened to a guy who aggravated me." Yikes!  I didn't ask any more questions.

Now that was one, BIG alligator.

Just thought you'd like to see an alligator foot up close.  Pretty fascinating, huh?

Jem was particularly interested in the demonstration of how to make distilled whiskey aka "corn licker."  Here in Florida, we call it "moonshine."  The moonshine guy kept repeating, "It's only for demonstration."  Trust me, I would not have wanted a sample.  Jem. . . maybe.

Speaking of the hike to get to the area, the park also provides free golf cart rides all day long to all areas of the park for those who need or want them. We used them often, especially by the end of the day when we're getting tired.  The festival goes on till after midnight, but we usually left between 5:00 and 7:00 pm.


I'll share one more post about our vacation next week, and I haven't forgotten my promise to tell you about the angel wings.

Folk Festival Part 1
Folk Festival Part 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sometimes share my posts with these friends:

Spiritual Sundays     Kathy’s Return to Loveliness at A Delightsome Life     GRAND Social       The Beauty in His Grip Link-Up   

Modest Mom Monday Link-up         Growing Homemakers Link-Up       

BLOGGING GRANDMOTHERS LINK PARTY

The Art of Homemaking Mondays Monday of Many Blessings

Happy Homemaker Monday

The Art of Homemaking

Motivate Me Monday 

Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 

Living Proverbs 31

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 

A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 

Making Your Home Sing Monday

Amaze Me Monday
Soul Survival linkup

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life

Show & Tell

The Scoop @Stone Gable
Roses of Inspiration @ The Enchanting Rose

Titus 2 Tuesday     Share Your Stuff Tuesday    TITUS TUESDAYS @CORNERSTONE CONFESSIONS    
Wordless Wednesdays    Jennifer Dukes Lee Tell His Story  Teaching What Is Good Link-Up

Classical Homemaking Link-Up    Judith’s Wholehearted Wednesday     Raising Homemakers Wednesday     A Wise Woman Builds       Wake Up Wednesday     A Little R & R Wednesday     Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party Thought Provoking Thursdays at 3D Lessons 4Life     Thursday  Favorite Things 

 Home and Garden Thursday at Delightsome Life 
 Paula's Weekend No Rules Blog Party

Friendship Friday