By Gina Horan
Annual Reenactment Returns to Dade Battlefield Historic State Park
This weekend, Dade Battlefield Historic State Park in Bushnell will step briefly back in time as reenactors, historians and volunteers bring one of Florida’s most significant early conflicts to life during the park’s annual Dade’s Battle Reenactment.
The event centers on the Dec. 28, 1835, ambush of U.S. Army troops led by Major Francis L. Dade, an attack by Seminole warriors that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 soldiers and marked the beginning of the Second Seminole War. The conflict would become one of the longest and most costly wars between the United States and Native Americans.
Today, the 80-acre park preserves the battlefield where the attack occurred, along with a visitor center, museum exhibits and interpretive trails that explore the history of the Seminole Wars and the broader story of forced removal and resistance in early Florida. The site is designated as a National Historic Landmark and is maintained as an educational resource for visitors of all ages.
During the reenactment weekend, the park will host living-history demonstrations featuring period military and civilian encampments, historic weapons demonstrations and a staged reenactment of the 1835 battle. Many of the participants are local and regional volunteers who research and portray soldiers, Seminole warriors and early Florida settlers, offering visitors the chance to ask questions and learn about daily life during the era.
The event also includes artisan and craft vendors offering handmade goods inspired by 19th-century Florida, as well as food vendors on site throughout the weekend. The battle reenactment lasts approximately one hour, and visitors are encouraged to bring their own chairs, as seating is limited.
The visitor’s center is open year-round and there is a $3 donation envelope at the entrance. Parking this weekend will be organized outside the park with a fee.
Dade Battlefield Historic State Park: 7200 CR 603, Bushnell/352.793.4781.
Event schedules and park information are available at floridastateparks.org/parks-and trails/dade-battlefield-historic-state-park.
Gina moved to Central Florida in August 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a degree in linguistics and worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist lifestyle columnist and food writer for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Group. She also covered and photographed music festivals, fashion shows and sports throughout Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for four years. She later covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. A veteran bartender, Gina has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. She has been with Akers Media since 2022 and hosts the Healthy Living Central Florida podcast. Her passions include travel, road trips, baseball, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map or guidebook.
