Saturday’s free festival highlights history of the region

From treasure hunts to cattle drives: Saturday’s free History Festival spans Florida’s past

There’s something for everyone this Saturday at the free Ninth Annual Treasure Coast History Festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of the St. Lucie History Center, 414 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce.

Topics and exhibits range from Florida’s prehistoric era and Spanish Colonial period, to the 1715 shipwrecks that gave the Treasure Coast its name, and to the early days of cattle ranching and the region’s rich fishing tradition.

No admission is charged to the festival and visitors will also enjoy free admission to the St. Lucie History Museum. The festival’s major sponsors are Indian River Media Group, which founded the festival in 2017, Richard K. Davis Construction, Hoskins Turco Lloyd & Lloyd, and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Essay. The event is produced by the St. Lucie Historical Society.

This year’s festival will include Native American exhibits, military re-enactors from the Seminole Wars, World War II displays, treasure exhibits and speakers, children’s activities, a pioneer village, cattle camp, vintage car show, and an Authors’ Alley featuring historical books and authors who will be available to sign books.

A genuine Summerlin Family Fish Fry, a staple at the festival, returns this year, along with food trucks serving everything from barbecue to Seminole pumpkin bread. The band Uproot Hootenanny and acoustic guitarist Kyle Kraft will provide music throughout the day.

The major speakers will be featured at a Speakers’ Tent hosted by Indian River Magazine/Space Coast Living Publisher Gregory Enns. Here’s the lineup:

• 9 a.m. Historian and author Jean Ellen Wilson presents “A History of the Site of Old Fort Pierce.”

• 10:15 a.m. Okeechobee Historical Society President Magi Cable shares the story of the founding of Okeechobee.

• 11:30 a.m. Cow Creek cowboy Buddy Mills presents “Cowboys and Cow Tales of Old Florida.” Mills, featured in Enns’s recently released book, Cow Creek Chronicles, will talk about growing up at historic Cow Creek Ranch and address topics from herding cattle and making cow whips to harvesting swamp cabbage — traditions he continues today.

12:30 a.m. Cattleman and Sean Sexton, Vero Beach’s poet laureate, will present a reading of cowboy poetry.

• 12:45 p.m.: Ben Brotemarkle, executive director of the Florida Historical Society, presents “The Complete History of Florida in Less than an Hour.’’

• 2 p.m.: Mel Fisher salvage diver John Brandon presents “Historical Shipwreck Recovery Off the Treasure Coast” and how treasure from the sunken 1715 fleet continues to be discovered.

Author Terry Howard will host the storytellers’ tent. Here’s that schedule:

• 9:15 a.m. Steve Hoskins shares the history of St. Lucie County’s World War I memorial.

• 10:15 a.m. Author James D. Snyder talks about the early paddlewheel steamers that plied the Indian River.

• 11:15 a.m. Sal Gattuso, operations director of 1715 Fleet Queens Jewels LLC, talks about the sinking of the 1715 treasure fleet.

• 12:15 p.m. Treasure hunters Terry Shannon and Fred Banks discuss treasure hunting on Florida beaches.

• 1:15 p.m. Raconteur and social media influencer Billy Johnson shares stories of the early inlet fisheries business in Fort Pierce.