Florida is home to many festivals, ranging from the absurd to the logical. By definition, festivals celebrate something unique about a community or its culture. For the central Florida town of Lake Placid, that uniqueness is its designation as “Caladium Capital of the World” and 2018 marked its celebration of the 28th Caladium Festival.
History of the Caladium Festival
The idea for the Caladium Festival came from the Highlands County Tourist Development Commission as a way to promote the industry and, at the same time, create an event to bring visitors into town. With the help of Carolyn Phypers of Happiness Farms and Dot Bates of Bates Sons and Daughters Caladiums, the first festival was held in 1990 at the warehouse at Happiness Farms. Small in scale and mostly informational, it involved a steak dinner cooked by the Highlands County Cattlemen and served by the Cattlewomen, industry talk by caladium growers, and bus tours to the fields.
After that first festival, Carolyn, Dot and their families expanded on the event by moving it downtown to Stuart Park and added in arts and crafts, entertainment and food vendors. From its first year with about 100 visitors, the event has grown to tens of thousands.
The Caladium Festival Today
Happiness Farms and Bates Sons and Daughters both continue to play a major role in the Caladium Festival. Bates sells potted plants, while Happiness offers up bags or boxes of bulbs. What once sold out on the second day of the festival is now selling out on day one. Folks have found out if they come early, they are sure they get their preferred plants. Both growers donate their net proceeds to the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce to continue funding the festival.
Bus Tours of Caladium Fields
To get an up-close view of the caladium fields, bus tours are offered at regular intervals throughout the festival. (We might also add the buses are air-conditioned!) The tours, led by local growers, offer up a lively discussion of the industry as well as question and answer sessions on a wide range of topics. Out the bus windows, rows upon rows, acres upon acres, showcase a kaleidoscope of colors.
After a drive by the fields, the bus makes a stop in one of Lake Placid’s neighborhoods to see a home landscaped with caladiums. At one time, entire neighborhoods would get involved with planting caladiums. They were given the bulbs free of charge if they would plant them in time for the festival. These plants, with their heart-shaped leaves and vibrant colors, are easy to grow and brighten any yard.
These bus tours are very popular and certain times often sell out, so visitors are advised to buy tickets in advance of the show to secure a seat.
While the caladiums are the stars of the show, there is so much more to the Caladium Festival. A walk along Interlake Boulevard or any of the side streets surrounding Stuart Park provides a glimpse at booths featuring arts and crafts, plants, and other specialty items. In addition, there is also a variety of food vendors and entertainment acts.
Clowns
In a community known for its clown college, it’s also a given that Toby’s Clowns will be on hand to offer up their skills of face painting and balloon artistry, and at the same time, a lot of smiles to kids of all ages.
Car Show
For those who are interested in cars and motorcycles, the Caladium Car and Bike Show is a must see. Billed as the largest auto show in Lake Placid, De Vane Park turns into an outdoor showroom for new and old cars and bikes. A walk up and down the rows can reveal some pretty cool cars and a link to the past.
Town of Murals
Caladiums are also the topic of one of the many murals around Lake Placid since they play such an important part of the town’s history. Nearly 50 murals in all are painted on the sides of buildings around town, each one depicting something different about Lake Placid, its culture or some of its prominent citizens.
(To read more about the murals of Lake Placid, check out our post “Town of Murals: Lake Placid, Florida.”)
Other Places to See
Visitors wanting to get out of the sun have a number of places they can visit, like the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce on Oak Avenue. The Chamber has a lot of information about Lake Placid, along with the original prints of the murals. The Lake Placid Mural Society is also housed in the chamber building. Along Interlake Boulevard, one of the most popular locations is the Caladium Arts and Crafts Cooperative, which features unique items made by local artists and crafters. Spread out over 10,000 square feet, everything from original paintings to quilts to year-round Christmas collectibles can be found here. Yes, there are caladium themed items as well. Main Street also has a lot of interesting shops and restaurants as well.
29th Annual Caladium Festival
If you missed this year’s festival, make sure to mark your calendars for the 2019 festival on July 26, 27, and 28, but don’t wait until then to visit this gem of a town. Take a day, spend time taking in the murals, then head over to Henscratch Farms and Sugar Sand Distillery. It’s a Florida trip definitely worth taking.
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