Recreational Activities
Year-round park activities include hiking, picnicing, and viewing interpretive displays. Amenities include a one mile (1.6 km) hiking trail with interpretive displays, picnic tables and a small interpretive center about the battle. In addition, the Florida Trail goes through the Historic Site, with the Olustee Trailhead close to the main entrance on U.S. 90.
A one-day Expo is held every September, on a Saturday late in the month (see Notes), with reenactors portraying infantry, cavalry, artillery and 1860s civilians. Historical displays include weapons, books, contributions by free and slave Afro Americans, sutlers (period merchants), blacksmiths, and others.
On one weekend every February (see Notes), thousands of reenactors from across the U.S. and even from overseas, come to the Park to reenact the Battle of Olustee. Reenactors begin arriving as early as Thursday to set up. Friday is designated "School Day" as thousands of students arrive to spend the day watching demonstrations and listening to living historians discuss various aspects of the war and as well as life in the United States during the 1860s. The public is invited to attend on Friday (no battle reenactment), and on Saturday and Sunday. On all three days visitors can tour the camps, view demonstrations, interact with living historians, shop at numerous sutler tents for authentic Civil War merchandise, and attend the battles, reenacted on Saturday and Sunday only. A large selection of modern day food is continuously available from Friday through Sunday at the park.
Read more about this topic: Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park
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