PALMETTO -- Folks strolled through the Palmetto Historical Park on Saturday, taking their good Ôol time to enjoy the Florida Cowboy Collection and the park’s celebration of Palmetto Heritage Day.
 |
| Mandy Polson, park coordinator, from left, Diane Ingram and Jimmy Peters all helped to make Palmetto Heritage Day something to remember. |
”There were still some people hanging around the building on Saturday afternoon, even after the people doing the demos were packing up,“ said Diane Ingram.
She helped to coordinate the Palmetto Heritage Day’s festivities, but you typically find her directing the Manatee County Agricultural Museum.
Jimmy Peter’s photography exhibit about a cowboy’s life on a Florida ranch opened on Friday night and helped to celebrate the Florida Cracker Cowboy events.
His black and white artistic photography was exhibited throughout the park’s village buildings, and people celebrating Manatee County’s heritage, also celebrated the Florida cowboys.
But these aren’t your cowboys from days past. They are the men and women -- yes, and cowgirls -- that herd Florida cows around the local ranches and help to keep the cattle industry alive and ”moo-ving.“
The Bradenton Times got to speak with Peters on Saturday about the inspiration behind his Florida Cowboy Collection of fine art photography. Check in with us on Wednesday for that feature story.
”People came and left with a better grasp of what a Florida cowboy does and is doing even today,“ Ingram said.
She said that Saturday’s Celebration of the Florida Cracker gave people a greater sense of their heritage.
 |
|
Devin Gilmore shows a young aspiring cowboy how to pack up for a day at the ranch at the Florida Cracker Celebration. |
Families and couples visited the park’s post office, the chapel, the old Carnegie Library, and the Ag Museum, all taking a tour through the park via the cowboy photos.
”Since March is Manatee County’s Heritage Month,“ she said, ”there will be various historical sights holding events for the community.“
A lot of people visited the park and its village for the first time on Saturday.
”It was a new discovery for some people in our community,“ she said. ”You can bet they didn’t know it was there before Saturday.“
Funding for the Florida Cracker Cowboy events was provided through a grant from the Florida Humanities Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Ingram added that people told her that the heritage celebration and the exhibit were ”terrific.“
”Pongo“ the Palmetto High School school cow greeted folks in front of the Ag Museum, while a blacksmith demonstrated how he made horseshoes.
Cowboy Devin Gilmore cracked his whip outside the old post office, and Windell Campbell told stories to a group from a rocking chair.
"This was a very successful event for us and for Jimmy Peters," Ingram said. "I feel like it’s getting the message into the little towns like Palmetto, where the cattle people can help spread the word about JImmy and us."
Erica Newport is a daily reporter for The Bradenton Times. She covers art, culture and community. If you have a story that might interest Erica, please e-mail her using erica.newport@thebradentontimes.com address. She also takes your questions related to our weekly theme days and provides advice and opinions for our readers.
Please use this e-mail address for Ask Erica: ask.erica@thebradentontimes.com.
Comments
No comments on this item
Only paid subscribers can comment
Please log in to comment by clicking here.