WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The South Florida Fair and the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach are forming a partnership to keep the fourth-grade Little Red Schoolhouse Living History Program to continue without interruption.
The Little Red Schoolhouse is undergoing a temporary closure due to the ongoing Phipps Ocean Park restoration project and related construction and this partnership allows the Foundation’s Living History Program to kick off in October, as originally planned, for the 2025–2026 school year. The Foundation will be conducting resiliency and restoration improvements to the schoolhouse as part of the park restoration.
Yesteryear Village at the South Florida Fairgrounds is a unique living history park that showcases Florida life prior to 1940. Its schoolhouse will serve as the temporary home for the immersive, curriculum-aligned program. Students from across Palm Beach County will still experience a full day of engaging, hands-on history education — complete with period dress and lessons that bring the past to life.
“This partnership is the perfect collaboration as we have a shared interest in serving and educating local students about our area’s history,” said Matt Wallsmith, president and CEO of South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc. “This will add to the programming that we already do with the schools, which includes annual tours.”
“This partnership is truly a win-win,” said Danielle Del Sol, president and CEO of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach. “Our program continues to serve the students and schools of Palm Beach County, and at the same time, we’re helping to activate one of the county’s most important historic resources.”
Learn more about Yesteryear Village at https://www.southfloridafair.com/p/yesteryear and the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach’s Living History program at palmbeachpreservation.org/education/little-red-schoolhouse.
The South Florida Fair is produced by the South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and has a longstanding tradition of raising funds for educational and charitable purposes. Located at 9067 Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach, the 2026 South Florida Fair will kick off with its Ride-A-Thon at 5 p.m. on January 15 and the full fair will be held January 16 through February 1. For more information, call 561-793-0333 or visit the website, http://www.southfloridafair.com.
The Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach advocates, educates, and invests in the community to protect the architectural, botanical, and cultural heritage of Palm Beach. For more information, visit www.palmbeachpreservation.org.