EVENT IN DOWNTOWN DRAWS FOODIES AND HISTORIANS.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, the Plant City History & Photo Archives held its first ever History, Whiskey & Wine event on Saturday afternoon. The City of Plant City allowed the 100 block of South Evers Street to be blocked off for the festivities. The event offered food trucks including barbeque and Mexican cuisine, vendor booths, and live music. Sampling tickets were available for $50, for those 21 and older, that included samples and light bites of food inside the History & Photo Archives office.
“My wife and I were there for several hours and had a good time,” Ed Verner said. “Inside the Plant City History & Photo Archives, the available whiskey, cigars for takeout, and wine were a nice break. And, as always, the displays of old Plant City photographs never fail to fascinate. Many thanks to the sponsors, and hopefully it was a good start that can enjoy a repeat. My wife loved the miniature donkey with the hat on….that was just something you don’t see every day inside the Plant City History & Photo Archives.”
Saturday’s festivities showcased the charm of Plant City, toasted its rich past, and brought out downtown’s lively vibes, drawing foodies and history buffs. Many people came out, and dozens bought sampling tickets. One of those was Gwen Thomas, who “….came to the event in support of the Photo Archives.”
“We own the Wells Building, and we’re always looking to support local businesses—especially the Historical Society,” John Sellers said. “It has a very rich history, and every event here is amazing.”
The History & Photo Archives is an award-winning historical photo archive located in Downtown Plant City. In 2000, the organization was born from the acquisition of a collection of photographs from the estate of Bill Friend, a renowned photographer in the area. The Archives’ initial mission was to protect and preserve the historical images of Plant City. Since then, the organization’s goal evolved from only saving digital reproductions of photographs, to exploring and understanding the historical significance behind each subject captured for posterity. The establishment of the Dr. Scotty & Hsiu Huang History Center in 2010 allowed the Archives to expand its scope beyond photos. The center is the institution’s onsite research library. It offers books on a broad range of historical topics.
“The Plant City History & Photo Archives was overwhelmed by the support of our community for our first annual History, Whiskey & Wine event,” Libby Hopkins, Community Outreach Manager, commented. “Without the help of our sponsors, vendors, musicians and the Plant City community, our event would not be been a success.”
The History & Photo Archives holds a collection of over 100,000 local historical photographs, negatives, and documents that are available for the public to view at no cost. Inside the gallery, visitors can see slideshows of digital photo reproductions on large display screens or browse through the archives. The exhibits include things like a salute to veterans and the Strawberry Festival. Staff is available to answer questions. The History & Photo Archives is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
“This is the first time we tried something of this nature, and of this scale,” Archives Director Gil Gott said. “We have made presentations in many places and for many groups. We have provided photos for individuals, businesses, schools, and organizations. We have published two books, (one sponsored by the Florida Strawberry Festival), and have written over one hundred articles based on Plant City history. We’ve had book signings, concerts, art shows, gallery shows, annual award dinners (soirees), worked with many interns, provided extensive research projects, and partnered with several colleges and universities. But, we never did a street event of this nature. It was demanding and involved many people and businesses. In the end we decided it would never be a fundraiser, although much needed. But it was to do something for the downtown community and the Plant City community to share a fun, entertaining, and enjoyable event through which people get to know each other and to get to know a little more about the Plant City History & Photo Archives. Reviewing the comments we have received so far, it was an outstanding success. Now we are being asked, when are we going to do it again.”
