FIELD TRIP FRIDAY RESERVATIONS

We're excited to offer field trip packages this year! Please submit your information and staff will be in contact with you to finalize details! 

Field trips include a one (1) hour guided tour of Pioneer Village and admission Festival wide. Adults and students are able to enjoy all areas of the Festival, such as the newly added Kid's Zone, Animal Refuge, Spring Market, Live Music, Vintage Belle Market, and Tractor and Engine Exhibit. (Ages 4 and under receive free admission)

** Specific time slots for demonstrations in the village as well as the entire Festival Schedule will be available at www.VisitHardee.com > Events > Pioneer Festival  **

Without Your Helping Hands, We Couldn't Do it All!

DID YOU KNOW? 

It takes a minimum of 147 volunteers for the Pioneer Festival to breathe! It takes a minimum of 47 volunteers just to open the gates daily and an additional 32 to see us through our evening events! It takes a minimum of:

• 14 tractor drivers daily (56 shifts for all 4 days)
• 14 trolley riders daily (56 shifts for all 4 days)
• 24 ticket booth workers daily (96 shifts for all 4 days)
• 8 grounds keepers daily (32 shifts for all 4 days)
• All volunteer board members working their assigned areas throughout each day & evening
• And countless volunteer re-enactors, exhibitors, and additional volunteers who simply serve our volunteers to keep them hydrated, give breaks for their duties, and transport volunteers to their designated areas...upon many other little things.

Our Sponsors & Partners make all the Difference!

Visit Hardee is a non-profit operated by a board of volunteers with 2 part-time staff to carry out the day-to-day and event planning duties of Hardee County's Destination Marketing & Management Organization.

Pioneer Festival is the main source of funding that has provided for the event to grow, Visit Hardee to step into its DMO role fully, and spawned two other events, Red, White & Boom and Trail of Fear, that Hardee County residence and visitors enjoy throughout the year.

Partners & Sponsors provide monetary or in-kind donations and services to see specific areas of the festival continue to grow for future generations to come! All donations, monetarily and in-kind, are utilized for Pioneer Festival in areas such as:

• New demonstrations & educational entertainment in Pioneer Village
• New evening entertainment of concerts under the Big Barn (aka Nickerson-Ullrich Building)
• Expansion to include Orange Blossom Pageant focused on Citrus Industry History
• Additions to our Field Trip Package
• Increased ability to work towards more inclusivity (such as additional handicap bathrooms, sensory sensitivity bags, and wheelchair accessible dig stations)
• New temporary General Store replica in Pioneer Village (our dream is to make this permanent)
• Additional Tractors & Trolleys that are wheelchair accessible
• and many many more!

Click below to see the Sponsorship Form and see how we can partner together to keep this 55 year young event growing and thriving for Hardee County!!!

EVENT GALLERY FROM PAST YEARS...

PARKING, PEDESTRIANS, & TROLLEYS

Due to safety issues and growing concern for our pedestrian visitors we've been working with FDOT and the Hardee County Sheriff's Office to assess the growth of the Pioneer Festival. Reflected on the map, official event parking lots have been designated. Visit Hardee has arranged for Trolley pick up and drop off in the specific parking locations to accommodate the further distance and increase in visitors to the event. ***Please notate your parking lot as trolleys are designated and not permitted to make additional stops***

Law enforcement will be establishing a designated crossing at the ONLY entrance to aid in safe crossing of State Road 64 and another Trolley ONLY crossing to aid in safe crossing of the Trolley Service (no pedestrians will be permitted to cross at the Trolley Only crossing, no exceptions). 

We understand there may be some inconveniences as we must adjust with the growth but we are doing everything possible to reduce burden and safety concerns on our community, visitors, and volunteers. Hardee County has not overseen Pioneer Festival for a few years now, but they do work closely with us providing help with the vital weeks of labor in preparing the grounds. 

Visit Hardee is a completely separate entity from Hardee County, a nonprofit with a small board of six volunteers, with a vision to keep this event alive and thriving. We welcome anyone in the community who has suggestions or ideas for improvement to participate with our Pioneer Festival committee for their voices to be heard and to work alongside us August through March to see this event continue for future generations!