Crowds gathered on this date in 1951 at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Florida, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publishing of the tune “Old Folks at Home.” Commonly known by its first line, “Way Down upon the Suwannee River,” “Old Folks at Home” was originally written for a minstrel show company out of New York, and although its composer, Stephen C. Foster, never saw the Suwannee River, nor did he ever visit Florida, the song became our state song in 1935. The park was established in 1950 and covers over 800 acres. It also features an impressive tubular-bell carillon that plays Foster’s songs throughout the day. Every Memorial Day weekend the park hosts thousands of visitors for the Florida Folk Festival, which celebrates the music, dance, stories, crafts, and food that make Florida unique.
~Florida Historical Society
