PHOTO VAI SILVER SPRINGS STATE PARK FACEBOOK PAGE
Florida SpringsFest (Website) returns to Silver Springs State Park (Website) on Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. The two-day, family-friendly festival has been held annually since 2000 to help promote the preservation of Florida’s springs through education and stewardship.
This year’s event features exhibitors and organizations working to protect Florida’s springs, hosting hands-on activities and interactive presentations throughout the weekend. The festival also includes food and craft vendors, live music, games, and mermaids. Glass-bottom boat rides on the Silver River will be available both days for a separate fee.
Standard state park entrance fees apply. For more information, visit the Florida State Parks event page. The park is located at 5656 E. Silver Springs Boulevard [GMap] in Ocala.
Visitors to SpringsFest should also know that Silver Springs is home to a wild population of rhesus macaques, non-native monkeys that were allegedly released into the park in the 1930s by a glass-bottom boat operator who didn’t realize they could swim. The colony has grown to roughly 300 animals and is a popular sight along the Silver River, but park visitors are urged to keep their distance. Some of the macaques have tested positive for the herpes B virus, which can be transmitted through bites, scratches, or contact with bodily fluids, and the CDC warns it can lead to severe brain damage or death. Feeding the monkeys is illegal under a rule passed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, as it can make them aggressive toward people. Look, don’t touch, and don’t offer them your lunch.
Check out our Silver Springs Monkey shirts on our online shop HERE.
