The Yesteryear Village living history park, located at the South Florida Fairgrounds, will soon be open year-round from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. To celebrate this achievement, the public is invited to attend the special ribbon-cutting event Friday, April 15. Gates open at 10 a.m., and the ceremony begins at 11 a.m.
The ceremony will include interpreters from pre-1940 presenting their stories, old-fashioned refreshments, dignitaries speaking about the importance of the new attraction and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially mark the beginning of Yesteryear Village as a year-round feature.
Yesteryear Village, nestled on nine acres, has long been a part of the fairgrounds, hosting a number of special events, but it has now been transformed into a year-round living history park. The attraction will feature first person interpreters dressed in period costume. Third person interpreters also will be in period dress and provide historical facts. “This is a unique opportunity to interact with town residents as they portray a character of early Florida living from more than 75 years ago,” Yesteryear Village Manager Paige Poole said.
Old-fashioned children’s games will be offered and special events relating to Palm Beach County’s history also will be scheduled at Yesteryear Village throughout the year. The living history park showcases buildings and artifacts from 1895 to 1940. Three prominent historic buildings — the Red Level Baptist Church, the Bink Glisson Museum and the Riddle House — have been painted and restored. A boardwalk has been constructed on Lake Brantley that extends from the Bait and Tackle exhibit north to the Corbett Shack exhibit. Pavers covering some 14,000 square feet have been installed as walkways.
Admission during the ribbon-cutting ceremony weekend (April 14-16) will be free for the first hour (from 10 to 11 a.m.). Regular admission for adults 12 and older is $10; admission is $7 for seniors 60 and up and children ages 5 to 11; and kids 5 and younger are admitted free. Parking is also free.
Group and school guided tours are available by request. Call (561) 795-3110 to schedule a tour. Call (561) 790-4908 or visit www.southfloridafair.com for more info.
