FORT PIERCE - Hang out at a cow camp, crack a cow whip, chew the fat with Florida Cracker Trail riders, story tellers and historians, and enjoy a fun-filled frolic at Frontier Florida Fest on Saturday, Feb. 24.

Admission is free for the noon - 5 p.m. event to be held at Harbour Pointe Park in Fort Pierce. The sponsors, St. Lucie County Historical Museum, the St. Lucie Historical Society and the St. Lucie County Cultural Affairs Council, welcome local residents and visitors to celebrate Florida's pioneers, the early cattle industry and the 20 th annual historic cross-state Florida Cracker Trail ride.

Frontier Florida Fest will immediately follow the 11 a.m. Florida Cracker Trail Riders' parade in downtown Fort Pierce.

"Children will especially like the cowboy theme of the day. Pony rides and "Jill," the mule, a petting zoo, reptile show, authors of children's books, games and crafts will highlight the day. We are even expecting a family of Florida Seminole Indians to be there too," said St. Lucie County Historical Museum Educator Anne Sinnott.

A cow camp set up by descendents of local cattle pioneers, including Sally Carlton Breaux, will provide a living history of the lifestyles of early cowhunters. "Cowhunters" is the name given to Florida's pioneer cattle folks, who hunted up their cattle in the backwoods rather than raising their cattle in pens and pastures.

Also scheduled are brief cattle history lectures from authors/ historians Joe Akerman, Ada Coats Williams, Lucille Rights Murtough, and Cynthia Putnam Crankshaw. The Indian River Community College story van will be on site with Oral History Project Specialist Janie Gould collecting stories of local history. Local artists, including Fort Pierce Highwaymen Artist Charles Walker, will display and sell their works.

Throughout the afternoon, musicians and story tellers will entertain; and artists, crafters, and food and drink vendors will sell their wares at Harbour Pointe Park, which is located north of Seaway Drive and the Port of Fort Pierce on North 2 nd Street. Nearby, an anticipated 150 Florida Cracker Trail riders will make camp for the night, but will visit the park to share their share their cattle history, crack their whips, and demonstrate the tools of their trade-horses, dogs and cow whips. Cowboy poet Doyle Rigdon of Okeechobee will entertain with his colorful rhymes of pioneer times. Buddy Mills, an Okeechobee County school teacher and descendent of a pioneer cattle family, will be master of ceremonies for the day.

For further information for both visitors and vendors, please contact the St. Lucie County Historical Museum Education Department at (772) 462-1891.

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