Everglades City
by Denise Wauters
The Friends of the Museum of the Everglades are launching what they hope will become a new local tradition, a Celebration of St. Patrick’s Day filled with Irish food, music, laughter, and a few good-natured competitions.
The celebration will take place Tuesday, March 17, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on the grounds of the Museum of the Everglades.
Guests can expect a festive evening featuring traditional corned beef and cabbage served with Irish soda bread, along with beer, wine, and water, all included with admission. The evening will also feature live music, games, and friendly competitions, with prizes awarded for best Irish dress, best Irish jokes, and best clean limericks — including a few genuine Irish items organizers have lined up as prizes.
This event isn’t just about the food or the fun — though both are certainly part of the appeal. It’s also about bringing the community together in support of the Museum of the Everglades, one of Everglades City’s most important historic landmarks.
The evening promises Irish food, music, laughter, and a few memorable limericks as the Friends of the Museum bring a little St. Patrick’s Day cheer to Everglades City.
The Friends Behind the Fun
Behind the scenes, the evening is organized by the Friends of the Museum of the Everglades, a nonprofit group that supports the museum’s mission of preserving and sharing the history of the Everglades region.
The museum itself has a story worth knowing. The building was constructed in 1927 as a commercial laundry during the Barron Collier era. At the time it supplied linens and uniforms for local businesses, including the Rod & Gun Club and the Everglades Inn. After the laundry closed during World War II, the building later became home to the Everglades Women’s Club.
When the club disbanded in 1988, its members reorganized as the Friends of the Museum of the Everglades and began raising the funds needed to turn the historic structure into a museum.
Since then, the Friends have helped support a steady stream of interesting exhibits and programs in Everglades City. Visitors have encountered displays ranging from a 1929 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that helps tell the story of early travel in the Everglades to special exhibits like Growing Obsession, currently exploring the region’s remarkable orchids and the people fascinated by them. The museum also hosts guest lectures through the popular Third Thursday lecture series. These are just a few examples of the exhibits, programs, and community experiences the Friends help make possible at the museum.
