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Contact: Emily Palmer, 904-545-7729
JACKSONVILLE, FL –– On February 18 and 25, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, a unit of the National Park Service, will host Kingsley Heritage Celebration at Kingsley Plantation. This special event is held every year to celebrate African heritage and remember the enslaved that lived here. This year, Kingsley Heritage Celebration is themed Homecoming, marking not only the return of descendants to the site but also the events return to it’s in-person format after two years as a virtual celebration.
On February 18, Kingsley Plantation will be joined by speaker Peri Frances Bestch, a Kingsley descendant, and the Nan Nakama Pan-African Drum and Dance Ensemble. Peri Frances Bestch will be sharing about her journey to Senegal, connections with family, and an experience she will never forget. Nan Nakama will bring dance and music to the site in a celebration of sound and movement. The event begins at 10:00 a.m. in the morning with a kid’s craft corner, archaeology programing, open house touring of the Planter’s home, and ranger-guided tours of the tabby cabins entitled Stories of the Silenced. A special collection on loan from the Ritz Theater and Museum of sweetgrass baskets will be available for viewing during the open house tours. Performances begin at 1:00 p.m.
On February 25, volunteers in living history dress will share the crafts and skills of the plantation era in educational displays “These interactive demonstrations are a great way for families to learn together,” said Superintendent Chris Hughes. Musket firing demonstrations will also occur throughout the day. Look for cooking, weaving, tabby making, spinning, indigo dyeing, and more, at sites throughout the grounds from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
In addition to the scheduled events, visitors may also tour the site that include the original planter’s house, kitchen house, barn, and the remains of 25 tabby slave cabins. The grounds offer graphic evidence of slave living quarters and daily life experiences. Come and honor those enslaved at Kingsley Plantation by learning about their artistic expression, skills, and knowledge and the tasks they endured on the Florida frontier.
This two-day event takes place the last two Saturdays in February annually and is always free and open to the public.
For updates about Timucuan Preserve visit www.nps.gov/timu; or find us on social media @TimucuanNPS.
-NPS-
About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: April 5, 2024