If you are looking for something of historical interest to do this Valentine's weekend, the annual festival and reenactment commemorating Florida's largest Civil War battle will take place in Lake City and at the nearby Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park.
The Battle of Olustee was fought on February 20, 1864, and was the worst Union defeat in a major battle of the war (in terms of percentage of force lost). Two armies of almost equal size battled without benefit of fortifications or other defenses until the Federal troops finally were forced to withdraw. It was a remarkable event, more than 10,000 men blazing away at each other in the open pine woods of North Florida.
Activities begin tomorrow in Lake City with the annual festival and craft show. There will be a parade at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. The main battle reenactment will take place on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the battlefield, which is located 13 miles east of Lake City on U.S. 90. You can park and ride from either the Lake City Airport or the Lake County Prison Center (on U.S. 90 just east of the battlefield). For more information on events, please click here.
To learn more about the Battle of Olustee, visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/olustee.
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