CityTimes: Celebrate the art of being a Southerner

Celebrate the art of being a Southerner

Come explore Tampa's rich southern heritage at this weekend's first Southern Cultural Festival.

By EVE HOSLEY-MOORE

"We want (people) to see southern culture entails more than the Civil War era, more than indentured slavery and servitude," he says of the Saturday afternoon event. "We want (people) to see southern culture entails more than the Civil War era, more than indentured slavery and servitude," he says of the Saturday afternoon event.

Carved wooden artifacts from his museum will be on display.

A Jewish boy from New Jersey, Siegel says his fascination with southern history was borne of his marriage to Lunelle, a fifth generation Floridian and daughter of the Confederacy.

"The South is a multicultural melting pot of Jews, African-Americans, Native-Americans and Spaniards," he says. "A lot of people have been brainwashed to see the South in a negative light."

Proceeds from the Southern Cultural Festival will benefit the renovation of historic Glover School in Bealsville, just outside of Plant City. The school, first built in the late 1800s and deemed a historical landmark, is slated to become a community center when renovations are complete.

SOUTHERN CULTURAL FESTIVAL

A three-day family festival celebrating "all things southern," staged at Channelside in the 600 block of Channelside Drive, downtown Tampa.

TODAY

7 p.m.: Special showing of Gone With the Wind. Channelside Cinemas. Admission, $10, includes dessert buffet and trivia quiz.

SATURDAY

Throughout the day: African art exhibit, on-site painting by Florida landscape artist Robert Butler and sculpture by raku artist Andreas Goff, juried Corvette show, barbecue, cigar smoking.

10-10:20 a.m.: Varsity Singers of Wharton High School

10:30-10:45 a.m. Adams Middle School Jazz Band

11-11:40 a.m.: The Vision and the Reflections from Riverview High School

11:55 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Jazz Show Choir from Eisenhower Middle School

12:30-12:50 p.m.: Barbershop Harmonizers from Gaither High School

1-1:15 p.m.: Jazz Band of East Bay Sr. High School

1:20-1:50 p.m.: Ballast Point Baptist Church Choir

2-2:30 p.m.: Tampa Bay Winds, southern symphonic music

2:35-2:50 p.m.: Barbershop Quartet from Gaither

3-3:45 p.m.: The Southsiders, country music

3:50-4:30 p.m.: Mr. Goldhammer's Bluegrass Band

7 p.m.: Latam Restaurant, Centro Asturiano, 1913 Nebraska Ave., hosts a dinner honoring Tampa pioneer and confederate soldier Joseph Robles. Tickets, $20 adult, $10 children. Call (813) 831-3849 for information.

SUNDAY

1:30 p.m.: Bus tour of Tampa War Era historic sites. Ceremony at Joseph Robles' grave in Woodlawn Cemetery. Tickets, $15 advance purchase suggested. Call (813) 839-5153.

Come explore Tampa's rich southern heritage at this weekend's first Southern Cultural Festival.

"Southern culture is not all slavery. It's a historical fact that blacks are a part of the South in a positive way," says John Frierson, owner of the African American Museum of Art, 1711 W Kennedy Blvd..