Back to Angola Festival

Oaktree Community Outreach Inc. & Reflections of Manatee Inc. present the Back to Angola Festival.  Why?  The Back to Angola Festival is commemorating the Angola Settlement of African slaves and Seminole Indians who resided on the Manatee River, at the Manatee Mineral Springs Park in the early 1800’s. Archaeologists have found evidence of the Angola Settlement and the site has been selected to be named as part of the Underground Railroad, Network of Freedom. This is a very important event for Florida, as histories demonstrate freedom seekers coming south first, and these found refuge here in Florida on the Manatee River in western central Florida.