Floral City Library and Heritage Council Continue to Grow a Years-Long Partnership
The Floral City Heritage Council was established in 1992 as a local branch of the Citrus County Historical Society. The Heritage Council serves as an advocate for historical preservation and supports Florida folk-life programs. Floral City Heritage Days is one of the biggest events that the Heritage Council sponsors each year. The year 2022 marked the 30th anniversary for this fantastic event and the Floral City Public Library and the Friends of the Floral City Public Library have participated for many years.
This year, the library continued to partner with the Heritage Council to present Candles & Carols to the residents of Citrus County, in an effort to not only celebrate the past heritage of our beautiful county, but also to enjoy the fellowship and friendship of our community. The beauty of the candle-lit street immediately transported you from the grind of today to a “peace of yesteryear” that was almost surreal. Walking down the ‘Avenue of the Oaks’ to see the historic homes decorated for the holidays, hearing carolers from the front porches, and going on a horse-drawn carriage ride all made for a wonderful way to kick-off the holiday season.
Of course, the evening wouldn’t have been complete without a tour of the Floral City Heritage Museum & Country Store and the Historic Duval-Metz House. These wonderful icons of our town are keystones in learning about the history of our beloved home. The Historic Duval-Metz House, being the oldest home in Citrus County, is an enduring symbol of the rich past that surrounds us. Stopping in at the Floral City Public Library to participate in a Story Walk®, craft making and other activities was a pleasure for both children and adults alike. The library staff, Friends and volunteers worked very hard to make the library a valued part of this event.
If you missed out on the excitement of Heritage Days, you can still learn more about the heritage of Floral City, and Citrus County, through an all new series that will be debuting in January 2023 at the Floral City Library. In partnership with the Floral City Heritage Council, we will be launching Heritage Hour, a new program “spin-off” from our ever-popular History Hour! While History Hour programs focus on wars that have had a major impact on the US, Heritage Hour will be focusing on events and information that have built Citrus County. The first installment will be hosted by the Floral City Library on Wednesday, January 25 at 2:00 PM, and will focus on “The Great Train Wreck of 1956”. This exciting presentation will tell you the amazing story of the collision that happened approximately 5 miles from the Floral City Library.
Citrus Libraries is proud to continue supporting the importance of learning about our county’s rich history. For more information on Floral City Heritage Days or the Floral City Heritage Council, please visit their website at www.floralcityhc.org.
Citrus Libraries is always looking for more volunteers to help in our branches! If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer at the library, call your local branch and speak with the Customer Service Specialist. To learn more about the Citrus County Library System, please visit our website at www.citruslibraries.org and follow @CitrusLibraries on Facebook and Instagram.
