Events – 2014

Pioneer Day – February 8, 2014

Print 2014 Pioneer Day Schedule of Events

Sams House at Pine Island and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will once again partner for Pioneer Day on February 8, 2014.

Pioneer Day is a FREE event at Sams House at Pine Island (suggested donation of $1 per car for parking). Events are ongoing from 10 am to 4 pm and include:

  • Crafts Fair/Farmer’s Market, featuring unique hand-crafted items, fresh produce, and other food products
  • Living History Demonstrations and Educational Exhibits
  • Florida Folk Music by Chris Kahl and the Celery City String Band
  • Historic House and Cabin Tours by costumed guides
  • Display of Sams Family Artifacts and Historic Clothing (never-before seen)
  • Children’s crafts and games
  • Guided hikes

The Center is located at 6195 N. Tropical Trail in Merritt Island, ½ mile west of SR 3 and 5 miles north SR 528. For more information, call 321-449-4720.

This year, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will focus on “Modern Pioneers”. Events are from 10 am to 7 pm and are free, unless otherwise noted. They include:

  • 10:30 am Demonstration by Highwayman artist R.L Lewis
  • Self-guided tours of historic chapel and cemetery
  • 12:00 Soup lunch ($5 a bowl)
  • 12:00 – 2:00 Storyteller Susan O’Hara
  • 1:00 pm Presentation by Rosemary McGill, “A man named Justice, a lady named Liberty, and a land called Freedom”.  Ms. McGill is the Multicultural and Legacy Specialist at Eastern Florida State College.
  • Afternoon chat with Molly Thomas on the Brevard County Historic Cemetery Recording Project. Ms. Thomas is an Anthropologist and Historian working with the Florida Public Archeology Network.
  • 2:30 Presentation of the History of John Sams
  • Old-fashioned Fish Fry ($9 advanced purchase tickets for 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00 seatings)
  • 7:00 pm Florida Folk Musicians Michael Koppy and Frank Lindamood ($10)
  • Self guided cemetery and chapel tours.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is located at 5555 N. Tropical Trail in Merritt Island, just 1.1 miles south of Sams House at Pine Island. Tickets for the Fish Fry and Florida Folk Musicians concert go on sale January 8th by calling 321-452-5260.

Pioneer Day is held near the birthday of John Sams, a citrus-grower and the first Superintendent of Brevard County Schools. Mr. Sams built the oldest standing home in Brevard County (circa 1875). The Sams Cabin is now a museum within the 1,000-acre Pine Island Conservation Area, which is owned and operated by the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program. Mr. Sams also helped to build St. Luke’s Chapel in 1888 and is buried in the church cemetery.

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