The Pioneer Christmas and Vintage Market with decorated buildings on Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 10:00am to 4:00pm at Florida Pioneer Museum and Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Rd, Dade City, FL 33523. Photos provided by Richard K Riley and Milton Karl Larsen.

There were wonderful unique and vintage vendors - lots of handcrafted items from farmhouse tables, unique ornaments, goat milk soaps, vegan scrubs, charcuterie boards, Decoupaged gourd bird houses, All-Natural Pet Treats, creative succulent gardens, one of a kind hand crafted native style and mountain man knives and stealths, native style jewelry, Christmas shirts, coffee cups, tumblers, paintings and flower vases, candles, wooden toys, many different gift items, gift baskets, fabric baskets, gift bags, garden flags, stocking stuffers, table runners, pillows, flower pots, raw honey, something for everyone, too many items/vendors to list.

There were many attractions, such as a Petting zoo and boiled peanuts from the ZHS FFA, Photos with Santa, and Mrs. Claus, Children's activities, games, arts and crafts, face, Pasco County Mosquito Control educational trailer, Live entertainment, Great Food: Museum Concessions - Burgers, Pulled Pork, Grilled Chicken, Hotdogs, fries, onion rings, desserts, fresh brewed tea, drinks and more; El Roy's Elotes - Fresh roasted Mexican Street Corn; New Tradition Kitchen - Pulled brisket, southern style egg rolls; Itchy Monkey Craft Coffee and Artisan Mini Pancakes; Lally Land Creations - Sweet small desserts, holiday themed, brownies, cake pops, merengues, Christmas cookies, traditional, cookies, cocoa bombs, macaroons, and tiramisu; Lanky Lassie's Shortbread, free samples, Bee Good Honey - raw honey, infused honey, honey sticks, honey comb, candies and more.

Gnome Hunt - Find the gnomes and turn your card in at the Mabel Jordan Barn (behind the yellow 2 story house) for a chance to win a 1 year family museum membership. Museum buildings were open, with docents, many in time period attire. Many of the museum buildings were decorated for Christmas by the Dade City Garden Club.

Seniors in Service Booth - had premade Christmas cards that guests could write one or more special Christmas Note(s) of Cheer to:
-Isolated Seniors
-Seniors in Assisted Living Communities
-Veterans
-Active Military
-Children in special or disadvantage circumstances
Seniors in Service will deliver/mail the cards.

Daughters of the American Revolution had Wreaths Across America, Veteran Recognition, and hand-made Pioneer Ornaments.

The museum also collected donations of unwrapped gifts, toys, canned goods, pantry items for families in need. Also visit downtown Dade City for additional Christmas sales and from 5 - 9 pm the Christmas Stroll!

About Pioneer Florida Museum and Village:

A beautiful non-profit historic museum and village on 6+ wooded acres. The restored 2 story Overstreet House, Enterprise church, Lacoochee school house, Trilby train depot, General store, et al. Dedicated to historic Florida preservation and education.

Additional information

In 1961, Rudolph and Anne Rhode, prominent citizens of San Antonio, Florida, offered a variety of old farm equipment to the Pasco County Fair Association. The Association accepted 37 vehicles and tools of yesteryear. This gift provided the incentive for forming the Pioneer Florida Museum Association with 87 Charter Members. The main Museum is housed in a 50' by 100' steel building, with a couple additions over the years, which features a rustic front porch vignette, a medical room, a comprehensive collection of woodworking tools, a unique collection of dolls, representing the first ladies of Florida. Also, on the grounds stand the restored 1860 Overstreet House, a one-room school house from Lacoochee, a church from Enterprise, the Trilby Train depot, and a 1913 Porter steam locomotive, a working Sugar Cane Mill, Blacksmith Shop, Wood Working Shop, Carriage Collection, Blanton Citrus Packing Building, the CC Smith General Store and more. The 16 beautiful wooded acres were a gift from a Museum Association Charter Member. The Association has established a Museum that recalls the basic, simple values of our forebears, asserts the dignity of labor, and emphasizes the value of craftsmanship.

On display are tools of the Florida Pioneers, showing how he built his house, made his furniture, plowed his fields, harvested his crops, and performed wood and metal craft.

On display in the Overstreet House and kitchen addition, are furnishings which reflect the Florida Pioneer Woman's everyday experiences - churning butter, cooking on a wood-burning stove, spinning, weaving, battling and boiling the family wash and other household tasks with simple primitive equipment.

The Pioneer Florida Museum hopes to show that the men and women who were here before us, struggled, sometimes won and sometimes lost their battles with nature. In essence, they were people much like us.