Article submitted by Donna Digennaro, Clermont Historical Society
Why are these people so happy? What is all the dancing about? They want to share the excitement and invite one and all to come down to the Historic Village located at 490 West Avenue in downtown Clermont. There are interesting things, like the gramophone shown above, to see in all the buildings. There is even a scavenger hunt for the young ones with prizes at the end. A lot of people have been purchasing bricks to honor loved ones and special events. People enjoy walking around the circle reading them and recognizing people they know.
The Village is open every Saturday and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. A donation of $5.00 per person over 12 is requested for tours. If you come one weekend and one of the 6 buildings is closed for a private event, we apologize but now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, a lot of people are taking advantage of our very low rates to rent our facilities for various events like meetings, graduation parties and weddings.
On Saturday, August 7th the Village will once again host its Dessert Challenge. This was a great success two years ago and this year promises to be even better with more dessert vendors and with the expansion to include a lot of family-friendly, summer drinks like smoothies, iced tea & coffee. Look for a lot more information in the near future. Later this year, on Saturday, November 6th, the Historical Society will once again be hosting our Heritage Day Festival with old-time crafts, chores, games, live entertainment, and lots of all around fun for children of all ages!
And, the biggest news of all, the city of Clermont has agreed that the Historical Society can build a replica of the Grace Chaple that once was a part of Clermont’s landscape. The non-denominational chapel will be rustic and small and will be available for weddings and other events.
If you are interested in the history of Clermont or in history in general, why not consider joining the Clermont Historical Society? Membership is just $25.00 per person or $35.00 for a couple annually. The Historical Society holds monthly meetings on the second Monday of each month. The board meeting (open to the public) begins at 6:00 PM and is followed by a presentation at 7:00 PM. Our next full meeting will be held on September 13th in the Depot. You can also see lots of pictures and information about the Village on our Facebook page and on our new website at www.clermonthistoricvillage.org. For questions or further information please call 352-242-7734. Hope to see all of you now that the Village is completely reopened. Stay hopeful and safe!
Photo by Larry Oskin
