PHOTO VIA BETTLE OF OKEECHOBEE FACEBOOK PAGE
The Okeechobee Battlefield Friends (Facebook) and the Okeechobee Historical Society (Website) will hold a two-day commemoration and reenactment of the Battle of Okeechobee on Saturday, February 28, and Sunday, March 1, at Okeechobee Battlefield Historic State Park. Gates are scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, with the battle reenactment set for 2 p.m. each afternoon.
The Battle of Okeechobee was fought on December 25, 1837, during the Second Seminole War, and is commemorated annually at the state park. The Battle of Okeechobee was fought on December 25, 1837, during the Second Seminole War and is considered one of the largest and most significant battles of that conflict. United States forces under Major General Thomas Jesup engaged Seminole and Miccosukee fighters near the northeastern edge of Lake Okeechobee, in what is now Okeechobee County. While the U.S. Army claimed a tactical victory, the battle resulted in heavy casualties and failed to break Seminole resistance, which continued for several more years. For the Seminole people, the battle is remembered as a major act of defense against forced removal, and it remains a defining moment in Florida’s early history and the long struggle over land, sovereignty, and survival.
Event programming is expected to include a historic colors presentation, live narration paired with the reenactment, living history encampments, and demonstrations including cannon and alligator presentations, as well as artisans, exhibits, food vendors, music, and children’s activities as part of the weekend schedule. Members of the Seminole tribe will be in attendance, serving pumpkin fry bread and “Indian dogs” according to event organizers.
Admission is listed as $10 per car, and the event takes place at Okeechobee Battlefield Historic State Park, 3500 Southeast 38th Avenue, Okeechobee.
