Category: Events

Surviving Sarasota

September 28, 2021  7:00 pm

Author and Poet Clarissa Thomasson will be speaking at the Green Street Church in Englewood as the Lemon Bay Historical Society again opens this historic building to the public. Due to the COVID Delta variant masks will be required. 

Thomasson will showcase her book Surviving Sarasota which highlights the lives of Sarasota County’s first American settlers from 1851 – 1865 as they endure the Third Seminole War, the American Civil War, and its aftermath. She has also written a poem for Sarasota County’s Centennial which can be viewed HERE.

Her first two novels, Defending Hillsborough and Reconstructing Hillsborough were chosen by the North Carolina Association of Public School Librarians for use in the high school study of the Civil War. Lorinda’s Legacy was “pick of the month” at Greensboro, NC Barnes and Noble.

In 2000, Thomasson returned to Florida and now resides in Venice, FL. where she has written five children’s books in her Little Green Monkey series, four novels: Florida Shadows, Florida Secrets, Florida Sunset and Surviving Sarasota set in Southwest Florida, a World War II novel—Over the Bridge—and Venice Dreamers, which highlights Venice’s original settlers.

Thomasson’s stage plays, Over the Bridge and Florida Shadows, each won first place in the Clarence “Bud” Jones Playwriting Competition at the Firehouse Theatre in LaBelle, FL, in 2014 and 2015.

Thomasson is also a freelance writer–having written for GRAND magazine, Yesterday in Florida—where she won a 2005 Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Award for her contributions to Florida history—and Eastside Venice Neighbors—where she wrote monthly articles on Florida history. She is also a contributor for the Venice Gondolier.

The Lemon Bay Historical Society is pleased to be resuming its monthly community programs and has additional speakers lined up for October and November plus the traditional Holiday Sing-Along in December. Don’t forget your mask.

Historical Society Receives Grant

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the Lemon Bay Historical Society has had to cancel its traditional monthly community programs. Fundraising events were also canceled. The Society is responsible for maintaining the historic Green Street Church building and its property.

To help fund general operating expenses, the Historical Society has received a $5000 CARES grant from Florida Humanities. These expenses include lawn mowing, water, electricity, landscaping maintenance, insurance, taxes, building upkeep, etc.

MISSION
In 1985, the Lemon Bay Historical Society was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization whose mission was “for the specific purposes of perpetuating the legacy of the past and honoring the pioneer settlers of the Lemon Bay area.”
To carry out this mission the Society:

  • Presents programs on history, archaeology, music, wildlife, preservation of area historic buildings and opportunities to visit them, persons of historical interest and authors who write about historical events.
  • Publishes and sells books on local history, Englewood pioneers and local lore
  • Maintains the Historic Green Street Church building for community use.

THE CARES ACT
With the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020 the NEH received $75 million to distribute to cultural institutions affected by the coronavirus, COVID-19

WHAT IS THE NEH?
On September 29, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act into law. This law created the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The purpose of the NEH is to advance the humanities and its respective disciplines into the public square.
The NEH soon realized the immense challenge of its mission. To respond more effectively to local needs, the NEH decided to establish a humanities council in every state, plus six U.S. territories. Florida Humanities was established in 1973.

WHAT DOES FLORIDA HUMANITIES DO?
Florida Humanities works with local humanities organizations to accomplish its mission. This includes libraries, museums, and historical societies, among others. Like the Lemon Bay Historical Society, many of these organizations are committed to their communities and rely on volunteers and limited funding to sustain their operations.

MEMBERSHIP
The Lemon Bay Historical Society welcomes new members. You do not need to be a historian to join, just someone interested in preserving the history of Englewood. For information visit: https://lemonbayhistory.com/about-us/

Cracker Fair Sponsors

18th ANNUAL CRACKER FAIR SPONSORS
These great businesses and organizations helped make the Cracker Fair possible. Please visit them. Shop local!

Arts Alliance of Lemon Bay Inc.

Tony Babington Realtor Keller Williams

Bigfoot Cooling and Heating

Brian Faro Paradise Exclusive Real Estate

FPL

Ivy’s On Dearborn

Jeff Joyce A Sound Beginning

Key Agency, Inc.

Lasbury – Tracy Realty

Lemon Bay Garden Club

Michael J. Looney Electrical Contractor

Joe Maxx Coffee Company

Merrill’s Heating & Air Conditioning

Olde Village Publix

Pioneer Days Committee

Pope Insurance

Sarasota County Community Redevelopment Agency

Janet Shawen PA Paradise Exclusive Real Estate

Jonathan Varner Wampler Insurance & Financial Group

The Windsor of Venice

 

On February 8, 2020, the 18th Annual Cracker Fair, a celebration of Old Florida, was held at  Dearborn Street Plaza. Organized by the Lemon Bay Historical Society, it is our gift each year to the community. Admission is free. The Cracker Fair is the culmination of the Lemon Bay Fest, a week of celebrating Englewood’s history. The Fair is also a fund-raiser for our community programs and our mission to preserve the rich history of the Lemon Bay area. 
There are food vendors, live entertainment, crafts, demonstrations, authors, artists and activities for children. In past years attendees enjoyed lemon desserts, sampled swamp cabbage, watched the Bit of Hope Ranch give a whip-cracking demo, learned how to throw a cast net and interacted with animals brought by the Peace River Wildlife Center. Become a Sponsor of the Fair to help celebrate our historic Englewood community!
The Society is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation founded in 1985. Our purpose is to preserve Englewood area’s history and to educate the public about our past through our programs, books, and open houses. One of our latest and most successful area restoration projects was saving the Historic Green Street Church by moving it from leased land to property we own on Indiana Ave.
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (1-800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. OUR REGISTRATION NUMBER IS CH49480. www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com.