Enjoy some food, fun, and a historic film at the Society’s 4th Annual Florida Cracker Meal at 5:30 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 28, in the Fellowship Hall of Pine Level Church, 9596 NW Pine Level St. Seating is limited. Tickets for the Florida Cracker Meal are $15.00 for adults, $8.00 for children 6–12 years, and are available at the Museum 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sept. 12, 14, and 19;
Crews Bank and Trust, Member FDIC, 2747 S.W. State Road 70; Florida Farmhouse Coffee Shop, 103 W. Oak St.;
on the Website historicdesoto.org
using PayPal; or call 863-266-5774 or email desotocountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

Florida Cracker cuisine dates from when Florida was a frontier and is related to—but distinct from—Southern cooking. The buffet will include traditional Florida Cracker foods such as pork steaks, collards, black-eyed peas, tomato gravy and rice, sweet potatoes, cornmeal muffins with freshly churned butter, guava cobbler, and more.
One story that explains why native-born Floridians are called “Florida Crackers” comes from the cowman or cow hunter. To drive the herd, he cracked a cow whip over the bovines. (The whip was not used on animals or people.) The “crack” or “pop” of the whip could be heard for quite a distance, so people started saying, “Listen. Here come the Crackers.”

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In honor of that tradition, those attending the event are invited to enter the Arcadia Albritton Coker Cake Contest by baking their most traditional or most creative “from scratch” cake recipes. Winners will be announced, prizes awarded, and all cakes will be plated and served. To enter the cake contest, please register by calling 863-266-5774 or email at: desotocountyhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.