{"id":158251,"date":"2026-02-17T11:13:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T11:13:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/158251\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T11:13:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T11:13:07","slug":"southwest-florida-historical-society-cracker-dinner-march-21-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/158251\/","title":{"rendered":"Southwest Florida Historical Society Cracker Dinner March 21"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Southwest Florida Historical Society has announced its 2026 Annual Cracker Dinner Fundraiser, titled \u201cCalusa, Creeks, and Crackers: 500 Years of Cattle History in South Florida,\u201d will be held Saturday evening, March 21,\u00a0at Marion Hall, St. Cecilia Catholic Community, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/St+Cecilia+Catholic+Community\/@26.5876629,-81.8851926,17z\/data=!4m15!1m8!3m7!1s0x88db40159e31a135:0x7094e7b6a9019262!2s5632+Sunrise+Dr,+Fort+Myers,+FL+33919!3b1!8m2!3d26.5876629!4d-81.8851926!16s%2Fg%2F11bw4qcvnt!3m5!1s0x88db403e259a8aa3:0x27c249000814a931!8m2!3d26.586946!4d-81.8848907!16s%2Fg%2F1tg2lgm3?entry=ttu&amp;g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDIxMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">5632 Sunrise Drive, Fort Myers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The event begins with a catered barbecue dinner from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the featured program.\u00a0Seating is limited.<\/p>\n<p>Florida\u2019s cattle industry traces its roots back more than five centuries, beginning with Ponce de Leon\u2019s 1521 expedition. From open range and unclaimed herds to cow-hunters, cow towns and cattle barons, this often-overlooked chapter of Florida history shaped the region and its people. <\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s Cracker Dinner program explores that legacy and the cowboy traditions that remain alive in South Florida today.<\/p>\n<p>The featured speakers include Clint Raulerson, a fifth-generation cattleman, former PRCA bullfighter, poet and author of \u201cCowboy Legacy \u2013 A Lifetime in the Saddle.\u201d Raulerson currently serves as general manager of cattle operations for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. <\/p>\n<p>Joining him will be archaeologist Theresa Schober, former museum manager of the Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch and co-founder of the Immokalee Cattle Drive and Jamboree through the Collier County Museum system.<\/p>\n<p>Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/swflhistoricalsociety.org\/\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">swflhistoricalsociety.org<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zeffy.com\/en-US\/ticketing\/cracker-dinner\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">zeffy.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Proceeds from the fundraiser support the mission of the Society.\u00a0 For additional information or assistance, please call 239-939-4044.<\/p>\n<p>About the Southwest Florida Historical Society<\/p>\n<p>The Southwest Florida Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting public interest in-and appreciation of-the history of Southwest Florida. The society supports education and preservation initiatives that help share the region\u2019s stories with residents and visitors. Learn more at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/swflhistoricalsociety.org\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">swflhistoricalsociety.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Southwest Florida Historical Society has announced its 2026 Annual Cracker Dinner Fundraiser, titled \u201cCalusa, Creeks, and Crackers:&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":157436,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210],"class_list":["post-158251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=158251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/158251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/157436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=158251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=158251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=158251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}