In March the Seminole Okalee Indian Village in Hollywood, Florida celebrated its 50th anniversary. I had wanted to take my kids there for a while, but the entrance prices were too high for me to justify taking them. The anniversary celebration at the Seminole Okalee Indian Village was free, and since my dad was visiting from Europe, I figured it would be a great time to go.
The Seminole Okalee Indian Village in Hollywood, Florida is a nice place to visit, if you are looking to learn about the Seminole's history in Florida, about their current lives and there is something for everyone. Despite living close to the Seminole reservation, it is not often that we get to experience the Native American culture, so this was a great time to teach my sons about the history of Native Americans in Florida.
The Anniversary celebration at the Seminole Okalee Indian Village included showcases of Seminole Indian handicrafts and artwork, as these were all judged and awarded. I was especially fascinated by the colorful, unique and handcrafted Seminole patchwork clothing, Seminole Palmetto dolls and the talented woodwork. The artwork exhibited were colorful and magical, and I loved how you could tell a story just by looking at the paintings.
Unfortunately we missed the alligator wrestling show, but we enjoyed walking around in the small zoo featuring Florida panthers, alligators, turtles, birds and more.
I absolutely loved the Seminole Tribal Fair,with crafts of all sorts of hand crafts, including Sawgrass basketry, handcrafted woodwork, beadwork, clothing and and I loved the beautiful dream catchers and jewelry.
We were also able to catch the judging of the Seminole clothing, and while everything was beautiful and unique, I wish the seating would have been more comfortable. My dad, his girlfriend and my two oldest sons made it up an extremely steep seating area that made me fearful of something disastrous happening. I stayed at the bottom with my youngest son in the stroller, and while I had a great view, there were not much room.
Visiting the Seminole Okalee Indian Village was a great experience, but I am happy that we decided to go during the free anniversary celebration. It is not a large area, and I have the feeling that there is not as much going on during regular opening hours, so I definitely suggest that you wait to go until they have events going on.
This coming weekend the Seminole Tribe of Florida is celebrating the Indian Day Celebration at the Seminole Okalee Indian Village, and that would be a great time to go.
The prices for this particular celebration are:
You can find more information about the Seminole Okalee Indian Village Hollywood, Florida at the Seminole website.
Location:
Address: Seminole Okalee Village 5716 Seminole Way Hollywood, FL 33314
Location: At Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino inside the Seminole Paradise
Park Hours:
Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Gift Shop: Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Admission:
* Adults $12
* Seniors $10
* Children 5-12 $8
* Children 4 under FREE
* Call for Group Rates
Call (954) 797-5551 for more information, and to make sure there has been no change in opening hours.
Looks like an interesting & amazing place.
ReplyDeleteWow! I had never heard of this place but my family would enjoy a visit during our next southern trip. It is great to see OTHER things to do down there.
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