Floridian folk hero Gamble Rogers is subject of film screenings at Winter Park Library

Ramble over to the Winter Park Library’s Events Center for a double-film screening honoring the life and legacy of Gamble Rogers, a famous folk artist, musician and storyteller from Winter Park — lauded by the likes of Jimmy Buffet as an influence.

The films featured are documentary Gamble Rogers: Down at the Terminal Tavern, narrated by Grammy-winner David Holt, and concert film Gamble Rogers: Homegrown Philosophy (Part Two). Rogers has become a cult hero for his literate, folky spin on country music.

The dense stories in his songs recount the travails of hard-luck characters in Oklawaha County, a fictional region in Florida and, earlier, Winter Park, where he was born and attended Rollins College for a year. Rogers was posthumously awarded the Kiwanis Award for bravery and the Carnegie Award for heroism, as he died too young in 1991 attempting to save a man drowning in the rough surf of Flagler Beach.

As part of the event, Sunday features an afternoon of music and stories from Rogers’ confederates Sam Pacetti and Del Suggs (he of the incredible 1983 Salt Water Music album recorded in Tallahassee). Delve deep into the life and legacy of a Floridian hero once referred to as “Mark Twain with a guitar.”

Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 19-20, Winter Park Library and Events Center, free.

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This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2024.