5890 Battlefield Trail Road
From the Organizer
STATE PARK TO COMMEMORATE 156th ANNIVERSARY OF CIVIL WAR BATTLE OLUSTEE – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park, Florida’s first state park, will commemorate the 156th anniversary of the Civil War and host the 44th Annual Reenactment of the Battle of Olustee Feb. 14-16, 2020. Hear the cannons fire, smell the black powder, taste hard tack, watch battlefield surgeons perform their skills, listen for the thundering hoofbeats of the Calvary, the muffled drums, and the pounding of boots, learn about the battle through the voices of reenactors portraying their ancestors. Throughout the weekend, more than 2,000 demonstrators will present living history impressions of military and civilian life at the time of Florida’s largest Civil War battle. The Battle of Olustee was fought on Feb. 20, 1864. Full-scale artillery, mounted cavalry and three African American regiments, took part in the battle that ended with 2,807 casualties and a Confederate victory. The 54th Massachusetts was among the African American troops that fought at Olustee. The living history weekend features a Civil War-era battle reenactment on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., as well as the reenactment of the Battle of Olustee on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. Period music concerts and crafts, lectures, battlefield surgical practices and the lives of both white and black civilians during the war will be portrayed by re-enactors. Military camps and drills by infantry and artillery are scheduled throughout the weekend. Color ceremonies, Cavalry, Authentic camps, exhibits, food and much more. Friday, February 14 is filled with educational programs and demonstrations for students of all ages, admission for Friday is $5 per person. School groups may call (386) 397-7005 to register for the event. The Olustee Battle Civil War Reenactment is sponsored by the Florida Park Service, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Olustee Battlefield Citizen Support Organization and The Blue Grey Army of Florida, Inc. For more information, visit www.floridastateparks.org/olustee or http://battleofolustee.org. Food concessions will be available. Parking along US 90, at or close to the Battlefield is no longer permissible. ADA parking will still be available at the park. FREE shuttle service will be provided to the park from the Dowling Center, 1.5 miles east of the Battlefield on US 90, directly across from the Baker County Correctional Institution. Pets are not allowed at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park during the reenactment.
Tickets: (Saturday & Sunday) $12 per day per adult and $6 for children. Under 6 Free Active military and disabled Veterans FREE with valid I.D. Friday school day is $5 per person. This event will take place: Friday, Feb. 14 – Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020 Gates open at 8 a.m. – Camps open at 9 a.m. Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park 5890 Battlefield Trail Road Sanderson, Florida 32087 (15 miles east of Lake City, 50 miles west of Jacksonville) (386) 397-7009
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