The 125th Birthday Committee, along with the Eustis Historical Society and Stephen D. Hutsenpiller Productions provided dancing in Ferran Park on Saturday, March 29, 2008.
The dance floor, lights and soundsystem, provided by Hutsenpiller Productions, harkened back to the days when the Tourist Club in Ferran Park hosted dances in the early days of the city.
Events started with a 30-minute dance lesson and continued with live music from several entertainers.
A bit of history about “Dancing in the Park”:
The historical eastside of Lake Eustis was the entertainment site for many early tourists and settlers. The Pier, also known as the Boater’s Club, frequently held dances out over the lake. As sand was pumped in to form Ferran Park, the Boater’s Club was moved inland to the south end of the newly formed park. It became known as the Tourist Club, which brought in thousands of tourists each season to the Eustis area. During the summer months in the 50’s, Eustis teenagers enjoyed Saturday dances and the cool lake breezes that flowed through the many tall old windows that bordered on each side of the building.
The event was a wonderful success, so look for future Dancing in the Park dates as the summer unwinds!
