TAMPA, Fla. — FossilFest this weekend is a family-friendly event taking people into Florida’s prehistoric past.
What You Need To Know
FossilFest takes families back to Florida’s prehistoric past
Fossils from a 500-pound armadillo will be on display
A touch table, mining station and workshops educate visitors about discovering and identifying fossils
Dr. Robert Sinibaldi, affectionately called “Dr. Bob,” is looking forward to displaying a relevant find discovered during a dive last summer.
“This past year in June, I found the giant armadillo in the Steinhatchee River,” said Sinibaldi, who has been diving for fossils for decades.
“As soon as I found it — I’ve been doing it for a long time, over 30 years — I knew it was going to be scientifically relevant,” he said. “It was just in such incredible condition and so complete.”
Complete and again, giant!
“This one was about 500 pounds and about 6 feet long,” Sinibaldi said. “So, they will see the bones of it. They will have some of the shell laid around it, so you can see what the shell looks like.”
It took numerous dives for Sinibaldi to collect those fossils.
“I’ve done 65 hours of downtime diving on the site to pull up what you will see displayed,” he said.
Tampa Bay Fossil Club hosts FossilFest. Sinibaldi, who is on the board of directors, said participants will get to see and touch some of what collectors have preserved from Florida’s past.
“There’s vendors, we set up educational booths, there’s presentations, you can join the club, all kinds of things,” Sinibaldi said.
Workshops are also available, and children can enjoy a kids mine, where they search through sand and learn how to identify what they’ve discovered.
After FossilFest is over, the giant armadillo will be sent to the University of Florida to be studied.
FossilFest will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Florida State Fairgrounds. It costs $10 to get in, and children 12 years old and younger can attend for free.