500 years after Ponce de Leon landed in Charlotte Harbor during the spring of 1513, the Royal Order of the Ponce de Leon Conquistadors will host a weekend of festivities to commemorate this historic event on March 23 and 24 in downtown Punta Gorda, Florida. Festivities kick off both days at 10 a.m. with entertainment, vendors, and activities for all ages untill 10p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

This historic commemoration did not go unnoticed by Thomas Ellingwood Fortin who is both a historian and an entertainment motion picture professional with over 25 years of experience. He is currently filming a new documentary, “1513,” which is all about the Spanish exploration and settlement of early America. He began filming in St. Augustine and has now relocated to Southwest Florida where he is gathering content, interviewing historians, and filming footage during events like The Ponce de Leon Festival to include in his film. “Our current projects are two documentaries, ‘1513,’ and ‘GALVEZ!,’ which will look at how Spain opened the door to North America for settlement, laying the foundation for this nation’s future birth, and then how both Spain and Latin America were essential to the success of the American Revolution. Both films will be hosted by Cuban-American historian, actor Chaz Mena of Miami,” Fortin said.