Giving Thanks: 17th-Century Food Traditions at Mission San Luis

On the SUNDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, you are invited to demonstrations of Spanish and Apalachee Indian traditional cooking at Mission San Luis. Visitors can observe historical interpreters in period dress cooking in their outdoor kitchen with game and native and European plants. Demonstrations of meat and fish smoking on the barbacoa, as well as presentations in other areas of the historic site will take place. There will also be children’s participatory activities.

Giving Thanks is an event that helps us to understand the power of food to connect people to the past, place, and other people. Hunting, sowing, growing, harvesting, preserving, cooking are all part of an intricate balance of scarcity and abundance. When the cultures of the New and Old World came together in La Florida, new and old food sources did not immediately find their way into the pot. Surrounded by a wealth of corn, the Spanish settlers dreamed of wheat. The Apalachee people continued to cook beans, corn, and squash as they had done for hundreds of years.

Join us for a look at how each culture changed but also kept traditional and well-loved foods.

Event will include:
— Living History Demonstrations
— Archery for All Ages
— Food Truck
— Kids Crafts
— Food Drive for Second Harvest
— Blood Drive 10:30-2:30 (all donors will receive a free fleece blanket and Wellness Checkup!)