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Events

Please Like us on Facebook or join our email list to stay up to date with the latest information about BGHS events.

2024-2025 Season Events

2024-2025 Season Events Archive

  • Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz Book Cover

    Let’s Talk About Florida – Anna in the Tropics

    Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | 4:00 pm

    Join in a lively conversation about Florida history as depicted in literature about Florida. Free and open to all. More details and registration coming soon.

    More Info
  • Book cover: Tracing Florida Journeys: Explorers, Travelers, and Landscapes Then and Now by Leslie Kemp Poole

    Let’s Talk About Florida – Tracing Florida Journeys

    Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | 4:00 pm

    Join in a lively conversation about Florida history as depicted in literature about Florida. Free and open to all. More details and registration coming soon.

    More Info
  • photo of three Seminole girls canoeing through the Everglades

    History Bytes – A Seminole History Discussion

    Wednesday, February 5, 2025 | 11:00 am

    **Registration for this event is now closed.** The Johann Fust Library Foundation and the Boca Grande Historical Society are honored to present a History Byte event focused on our neighbors, the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Registration required.

    More Info
  • History Bytes 2025 Schedule: February 5 - A Seminole History Discussion, February 12 – David Futch – Pirates I Have Known: And A History of Smuggling on Boca Grande And The Gulf Coast, February 19 – Dusty Hopkins, February 26 – Captain Van Hubbard – Boca Grande Through Fishermen’s Eyes

    History Bytes – David Futch: “Pirates I Have Known”

    Wednesday, February 12, 2025 | 11:00 am

    In the Loggia of the Johann Fust Library. Open to the public at no charge. Registration required.

    More Info
  • History Bytes 2025 Schedule: February 5 - A Seminole History Discussion, February 12 – David Futch – Pirates I Have Known: And A History of Smuggling on Boca Grande And The Gulf Coast, February 19 – Dusty Hopkins, February 26 – Captain Van Hubbard – Boca Grande Through Fishermen’s Eyes

    History Bytes – Dusty Hopkins: Publisher and General Manager of the Boca Beacon

    Wednesday, February 19, 2025 | 11:00am

    In the Loggia of the Johann Fust Library. Open to the public at no charge. Registration required.

    More Info
  • History Bytes 2025 Schedule: February 5 - A Seminole History Discussion, February 12 – David Futch – Pirates I Have Known: And A History of Smuggling on Boca Grande And The Gulf Coast, February 19 – Dusty Hopkins, February 26 – Captain Van Hubbard – Boca Grande Through Fishermen’s Eyes

    History Bytes – Captain Van Hubbard – “Boca Grande Through A Fisherman’s Eye”

    Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | 11:00 am

    In the Loggia of the Johann Fust Library. Open to the public at no charge. Registration required.

    More Info
  • Book Cover: Randy Wayne White's Ultimate Tarpon Book

    Let’s Talk About Florida – The Ultimate Tarpon Book

    Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 4:00 pm

    Join moderator David Futch to discuss The Ultimate Tarpon Book by Randy Wayne White on Tuesday, March 18th from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom. The book offers everything you could ever want to know about the origins of big game fishing, told in the words of those who were there. No charge to register!

    More Info
  • The Allure of Immortality Book Cover

    Let’s Talk About Florida – The Allure of Immortality

    Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | 4:00 pm

    Join author Lyn Millner to discuss her book, The Allure of Immortality, on Tuesday, April 15th from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom. The book tells the story of Cyrus Teed and how he influenced 200 follower to embrace celibacy and to leave Chicago and follow him to Southwest Florida and ultimately establish a Koreshan community in south Fort Myers and on Fort Myers Beach. No charge to register!

    More Info

2023-2024 Season Events Archive

  • One Island, Three Hometowns - The Three Communities of Gasparilla Island from 1890-1960

    New Exhibit – One Island, Three Hometowns

    Opening Tuesday, October 10, 2023

    At the History Center

    More Info
  • Windstill Night: A Journey on the Bellamy Road book cover

    Let’s Talk About Florida – Windstill Night: A Journey on the Bellamy Road

    Tuesday, October 24, 2023 | 4:00 pm

    In the shadow of The Great Depression in north Florida, a young girl sets off on a journey with her baby sister strapped to her back. Along the way, Lily Rose learns to trust and to love. Dark family secrets threaten to catch up to her and shatter the happiness she yearns for. In this uplifting coming of age story, things are not always what they seem. Must she choose between a life of security or a life of passion?

    More Info
  • History First - November-April, First Saturday of the Month, 10am-2pm Visit the Boca Grande History Center for extended hours on the First Saturday of the month during the winter season.

    History First at The History Center

    Saturday, November 4, 2023 | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

    The first Saturday of the month 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Free and open to all

    More Info
  • Veteran's Day Flyer

    Veterans Day Memorial Rededication on Boca Grande

    Wednesday, November 8, 2023 | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

    Unveiling: 5th Street & Gilchrist Ave., 10:00 am. Reception at the History Center: 2:00pm - 4:00pm.

    More Info
  • front cover of Wood, Fiberglass, and Steel: The History of Boat Building on the Gulf Coast of Florida

    Lecture – The History of Boat Building on the Gulf Coast of Florida

    Tuesday, November 14, 2023 | 2:00 pm

    Lecture in the Community Center Auditorium 2:00pm - 3:00 pm. Followed by Reception in Woman’s Club Room.

    More Info
  • Margaret (Peg) Kapustiak

    Workshop – What Do I Do With Collected Photographs, Memorabilia & Genealogy?

    Thursday, November 16, 2023 | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

    In The Crowninshield Community House, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm. $50 (Includes Materials).

    More Info
  • One Island, Three Hometowns - The Three Communities of Gasparilla Island from 1890-1960

    One Island, Three Hometowns Exhibit Reception & Blaha Library Dedication

    Saturday, December 2, 2023 | 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

    At the Boca Grande Historical Society History Center.

    More Info
  • History First - November-April, First Saturday of the Month, 10am-2pm Visit the Boca Grande History Center for extended hours on the First Saturday of the month during the winter season.

    History First at The History Center

    Saturday, December 2, 2023

    The first Saturday of the month 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Free and open to all

    More Info
  • One Island, Three Hometowns by Charles Blanchard, Kimberly Kyle and Robert Edic - book cover

    Let’s Talk About Florida – One Island, Three Hometowns

    Tuesday, December 5, 2023 | 4:00 pm

    The following words were the guide and the inspiration in the creation of this compelling journey into time: The proposed book shall “… represent a new educational initiative on the part of the Boca Grande Historical Society and Museum.  For the first time, the Society will make a significant part of its extensive photo-image archive available to the public in the context of the recorded recollections of people who grew up or lived a long time on Gasparilla Island, and who now have provided us with accounts of their personal memories as awakened by exposure to these images.” 

    More Info
  • History First - November-April, First Saturday of the Month, 10am-2pm Visit the Boca Grande History Center for extended hours on the First Saturday of the month during the winter season.

    History First at The History Center

    Saturday, January 6, 2024 | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

    The first Saturday of the month 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Free and open to all

    More Info
  • Pop-up Exhibit flyer - discover historic island treasures!

    CANCELLED Pop Up Meet & Greet & Share Your Stories

    Monday, January 15, 2024 | 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

    This event has been cancelled.

    More Info
  • The Ian Project Documentary Film: Free Public Showcase - Please Come - Presented By the Boca Grande Historical Society and Island TV

    The Ian Project Documentary Film: Public Showcase

    Wednesday, January 31, 2024 | 10:30 am – 11:30 am

    Boca Grande Community Center Auditorium. Free and open to the public (registration required).

    More Info
  • Sip & Shop Fundraiser

    Thursday, February 1, 2024 | 12:00pm - 5:00pm

    J. McLaughlin Store, 360 Park Avenue

    More Info
  • Hurricane Ian Documentary: THE IAN PROJECT - Watch daily on Island TV Starting February 1, 2024, 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, 6:00 pm, & 8:00 pm.

    Watch THE IAN PROJECT on Island TV

    Daily, Starting February 1, 2024

    Showtimes: 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, 6:00 pm, & 8:00 pm

    More Info
  • History First - November-April, First Saturday of the Month, 10am-2pm Visit the Boca Grande History Center for extended hours on the First Saturday of the month during the winter season.

    History First at The History Center

    Saturday, February 3, 2024 | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

    The first Saturday of the month 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Free and open to all

    More Info
  • History Bytes February 2024 Flyer

    History Bytes – Picturing The Three Communities of Gasparilla Island 1890-1960 – Kim Kyle

    Wednesday, February 7, 2024 | 11:00 am

    11:00 am in the Loggia of the Johann Fust Library. Free and open to all. Donations appreciated.

    More Info
  • History Bytes February 2024 Flyer

    History Bytes – HERSTORY: Mary Ellen Vickers Parkinson 1918-2004 – Carolyn Parkinson Nabers

    Wednesday, February 14, 2024 | 11:00 am

    11:00 am in the Loggia of the Johann Fust Library. Free and open to all. Donations appreciated.

    More Info
  • front cover of Swamp Peddlers by Jason Vuic

    Let’s Talk About Florida – Swamp Peddlers

    Tuesday, February 20, 2024 | 4:00 pm

    Jason Vuic tells the raucous tale of the sale of residential lots in postwar Florida. Initially selling cheap homes to retirees with disposable income, by the mid-1950s developers realized that they could make more money selling parcels of land on installment to their customers. These “swamp peddlers” completely transformed the landscape and demographics of Florida, devastating the state environmentally by felling forests, draining wetlands, digging canals, and chopping up at least one million acres into grid-like subdivisions crisscrossed by thousands of miles of roads. Generations of northerners moved to Florida cheaply, but at a huge price: high-pressure sales tactics begat fraud; poor urban planning begat sprawl; poorly regulated development begat environmental destruction. All this culminated in the perfect storm of the twenty-first century subprime mortgage crisis.

    More Info
  • History Bytes February 2024 Flyer

    History Bytes – HERSTORY: Effie Sapp Joiner 1900-1996 – Leslie Porter Joiner

    Wednesday, February 21, 2024 | 11:00 am

    11:00 am in the Loggia of the Johann Fust Library. Free and open to all. Donations appreciated.

    More Info
  • History Bytes February 2024 Flyer

    History Bytes – HERSTORY: Viola Dyer, Living and Working in Boca Grande 1980s-Present

    Wednesday, February 28, 2024 | 11:00 am

    11:00 am in the Loggia of the Johann Fust Library. Free and open to all. Donations appreciated.

    More Info
  • History First - November-April, First Saturday of the Month, 10am-2pm Visit the Boca Grande History Center for extended hours on the First Saturday of the month during the winter season.

    History First at The History Center

    Saturday, March 2, 2024 | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

    The first Saturday of the month 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Free and open to all

    More Info
  • Pop Up Exhibit - Monday, March 4 10am-3pm in the area next to Gasparilla Outfitters/Special Effects/Boca Beacon - Celebrity Guests on Gasparilla Island

    Pop Up Exhibit

    Monday, March 4, 2024 | 10:00 am -3:00 pm

    10:00 am - 3:00 pm in the area next to Gasparilla Outfitters/Special Effects/Boca Beacon

    More Info
  • History First - November-April, First Saturday of the Month, 10am-2pm Visit the Boca Grande History Center for extended hours on the First Saturday of the month during the winter season.

    History First at The History Center

    Saturday, April 6, 2024 | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

    The first Saturday of the month 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Free and open to all

    More Info
  • front cover of Dreams in the New Century by Gary Mormino

    Let’s Talk About Florida – Dreams in the New Century

    Tuesday, April 9, 2024 | 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

    To have lived in Florida between 2000 and 2010 was to be an eyewitness to history. From the presidential election of 2000 to terrorist cells embedded in Hollywood and Pompano Beach, from four hurricanes in 2004 to algae blooms and increasing alarm over the Everglades and water, from Ponzi schemes and the culture of flipping to foreclosure boat tours of Cape Coral and “For Sale” signs in Lehigh Acres, from the Deepwater Horizon and Silver Springs to the Zika virus and coral bleaching, from “Por Salvar a Elian!” to “Stand Your Ground,” from “Tim Tebow for President” bumper stickers to scandals and last-place finishes, Florida seemed to be the center of the universe. Perhaps the most head-slapping moment occurred in 2010, when demographers forecast that very soon Florida would surpass New York as the nation’s third-largest state. Almost one in ten Florida residents once called New York home. Florida is the Petri Dish State.

    More Info

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Boca Grande Historical Society
History Center & Book Shop

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For more information call or email us.

P.O. Box 553
Boca Grande, Florida 33921-0553

Moving Fall of 2025 to 240 Banyan St.

(941) 964-1600
info@bocagrandehistoricalsociety.com

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY CH#6860, MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-435-7352, OR VISITING www.fdacs.gov/Consumer-Resources/Charities. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. TAX ID #65-0585091. 100% OF ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE USED ENTIRELY BY THE BGHS.

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