Fall Family Fun Day - Scarecrows & Storytelling

SCARECROW WORKSHOPS   Scare up some fall fun and create family memories as you build your own unique life-size scarecrow* from 10 am – 12 pm, Saturday, September 8 at Manatee Village Historical Park. The fee is $10 per scarecrow which provides for a sturdy 6' wooden armature, stuffing materials, head covering and instructions.  Participants will receive a list of supplies to bring such as clothes or accessories to individualize their unique scarecrow. Preregistration and payment is required by August 25. Call (941) 741-4075 to register. Class size is limited. 

SCARECROW FUN  There will be other small scale scarecrow-themed activities offered for youth for free from 10 am – 2 pm. Preregistration is not needed.

STORYTELLING   Beginning at noon, descendants of Pioneers Roxie and Will Stephens will share family stories from the porch of the Settlers house about what life was like living in a Florida cracker house.  Built in 1912 by the Stephens on the family homestead, the home is an excellent example of rural frame dwelling in Florida between 1870 and World War I. It was moved to the Park and restored in 1982. It is featured in the book: Classic Cracker: Florida’s Wood-Framed Vernacular Architecture by Ronald W. Haase. There is no charge to enjoy the storytelling.

THE PARK   Bring a picnic lunch and stay on for storytelling and explorethe Park. Climb the steps of “Old Cabbage Head”, see the beauty of vintage bridal fashions and discover Manatee County’s cattle ranching history through exhibits. Browse through the museum shop’s excellent inventory of local and Florida state history books.  

The Park is located at 1404 Manatee Avenue East, State Road 64, in Bradenton, Florida. Hours are from 9 AM - 4 PM, Monday through Friday and the second and fourth Saturday of the month. Admission and parking are free! Call (941) 741-4075 for directions or for more information.

Produced by the Manatee County Historical Commission and R.B. “Chips" Shore, Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and the Department of Historical Resources