2020 Fort Foster Rendezvous
Join us for the 24th Annual Fort Foster Rendezvous on February 8-9, 2020 at Fort Foster State Historic Site in Thonotosassa, Florida. The Fort Foster Rendezvous is a living history reenactment featuring military, Seminole, and civilian reenactors, sutlers, traders, and craft demonstrations. The annual Fort Foster Rendezvous features military demonstrations and a small reenactment that is loosely based on the skirmish and varies from year to year. This Fort Foster Rendezvous weekend will offer ongoing daily live firing demonstrations and a skirmish between the Seminoles and US military after 1:00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.
Fort Foster Rendezvous
School Days at Fort Foster
This “Back in Time” living history program, “School Days at Fort Foster”, takes place on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before the Fort Foster Rendezvous. School Days at Fort Foster features the military, Seminoles and civilians along with a variety of craft demonstrations. This event offers a special time for students to enjoy a first person history lesson, students can take a ranger-led tour of a Florida frontiers fort, and interact with period-dress, Seminole natives. For more information, see School Days at Fort Foster details.
Living History Program Reenactment Fees:
$5 per person, donation; Ages 5 and under, FREE. Proceeds benefit the Hillsborough River State Park Preservation Society.
Camping & Trader Fees
Modern Boondock Campers: $25.00
Sutlers or Traders Fee: $35.00
Blanket Traders Fee: $15.00
Arrivals prior to Monday, add $5.00 per night
Event Time:
Repeats every day 2 times .
Saturday – 10:00am to 3:00pm EST
Sunday – 10:00am to 3:00pm EST
Location
Fort Foster State Historic Site
15402 US-301
Thonotosassa, FL 33592
(813) 987-6771
Fort Foster Rendezvous Mini-Gallery
Anyone who wishes to participation in the Fort Foster Rendezvous battle reenactments must meet the following requirements
In order to participate in this program, you must have the ability to:
- Follow visual and /or verbal instructions independently or with assistance of a companion.
- Withstand exposure to the outdoors for a period of up to 3 hours.
- Traverse sandy, dry, uneven terrain for several hundred feet independently or with the aid of a companion.
- Tolerate loud noises, such as cannon and rifle fire, for a period of up to 45 minutes.
Registration forms are available online. An opportunity to purchase period merchandise & refreshments is available to our park visitors.
About Fort Foster
Fort Foster State Historic Site is a reproduction of a fort originally built on the same grounds in December 1836, by Col. William S. Foster and his 430 men. During the Second Seminole War the purpose of Fort Foster was to defend the bridge crossing at the Hillsborough River and act as a resupply point for the soldiers in the field. The Fort Foster was garrisoned on and off from December, 1836 – April, 1838. Although the fort was attacked on several occasions, the worst attack occurred in February 1836, when a small group of Seminoles attempted to set fire to the bridge. The attempt was thwarted by aggressive musket and cannon fire from the fifty or so U.S. Navy sailors and the 20 artillery men within the fort. Today, park staff and reenactors provide living history demonstrations of life at Fort Foster. Each year, the site offers two living history events: Fort Foster Rendezvous in January, and the Candlelight Experience at Fort Foster in December.
Mark your calendar today so you don’t miss the next Fort Foster Rendezvous at Fort Foster State Historic Site in Thonotosassa, Florida (generally on the last weekend of January).
Tags: Fort Foster Rendezvous, Florida Mountain Man Rendezvous, Florida Rendezvous