39th Annual Civilian Conservation Corps Festival
5931 Hammock Road
Sebring FL 33872
Picnic Area and CCC Museum
Park entry fees of $6 per vehicle (up to 8 people) and $4 per single occupant vehicle apply. Wagon rides are $10 per adult; Pony rides are $5 per child. Tram rides are $15 per adult and $10 per child.(ages 6-12). Festival activities are free.
The annual Civilian Conservation Corps Festival, more commonly known as the CCC Festival, is the park's signature event. The Golden Era Jazz Band will open the festival with numbers from the Great American Songbook of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Principal speaker Clyde Butcher, who has photographed the Ancient Hammock and Cypress Swamp trails for many years as well as the Big Cypress Swamp, the Everglades and other national parks will recount his adventures in the Hammock.
Two longtime veterans of the Florida Folk Festival will set a lively tempo in the afternoon. Folk virtuoso John McClure will have audiences tapping their toes to bouncy banjo, guitar and mandolin. Vgo's set will feature songs from the Depression and the 1940s with a mix of blues. This musician is also a storyteller who will pepper his music with anecdotes about the songs and the instruments…. guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dulcimer and the bones!
CCC Museum curator David Schmidt will examine the origins of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was one of the most successful New Deal Era programs created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and its resounding impacts on resource management and stewardship of public lands. Archaeologist John Goss will explore historical and archaeological accounts of indigenous peoples in South Florida and their use of natural resources.
Other highlights include wildlife rehabilitation, arts and crafts vendors, blacksmith and hewing demonstrations, cow camp reenactments, and an antique car show. Children may explore nature at the Kids' Corner, participate in scavenger hunts and take a guided nature walk. Pony rides, wagon rides and the tram tours are ongoing. Food and refreshments are provided by vendors and the Hammock Inn.