Biscayne National Park

Hands-on History at Biscayne National Park's Family Fun Fest

Children wearing Lancelot Jones-style fishing hats use simple poles to learn about being a fishing guide.
Participants at Family Fun Fest learn about an African-American family who owned much of the land in the southern part of today's Biscayne National Park.
Thomas M. Strom

Quick Facts

GETTING READY FOR 2016:

A Call to Action
Action Item:
History Lesson
Year Accomplished:
2012

Family Fun Fest is an award-winning free public program held on the second Sunday of every month from December through April since 2001. Each month, a different aspect of the park's diverse resources is highlighted at five hands-on activity stations located around the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point headquarters. At least one Family Fun Fest program each year ties primarily into Biscayne's history and includes themes such as shipwrecks and maritime history, the Jones family, wreckers, pirates, Native Americans, and pioneer settlers.

In years where we did not have an entire event about history, we incorporated into other themes, which predominantly concentrated on fostering understanding of and connections with the National Park Service and its mission. Examples of these themed activities include America's Best Idea (2010), This Land is Your Land (2007), and Experience Your America (2004).

Biscayne National Park also routinely ties historically-themed programs into offsite opportunities such as Dade Heritage Days, which successfully reach out to new audiences.