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Lake Placid, and
surrounding Highlands County is blessed with
natural beauty, rich soil and energetic and
creatively talented people. We expanded our
popular Caladium Festival to include other
interesting and significant aspects of our
economy, heritage and culture. Please make
plans to join us!
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We regret to inform you that the bus tours for the 2010 Caladium Festival
have been cancelled. This decision has not been made lightly. This past year
we have experienced both extreme cold and hot weather, which have adversely
affected our caladium fields. We take great pride in this festival, and we
certainly do not want any of our visitors to take a bus tour and be
disappointed. On the positive side, there will be an abundance of potted
caladiums and bulbs for sale in Stuart Park. Additionally, we have secured over
100 arts and craft vendors, wonderful food vendors, and a delightful display of
planting at the Caladium Cooperative, which is located directly across from the
festival. There will be a map available at the festival, directing you to the
fields should you wish to take a drive to the fields. For the car enthusiast,
our 14th Annual Car Show will take place on Saturday, August 28th. |
Caladium
History
Caladiums were first grown in the
Lake Placid area in the early 1940's. The
industry began to expand in the 1950's and
today consists of over 1200 acres. This
acreage is owned and managed by 14 families,
some of which have been producing caladiums
for over 40 years. Several of the families
have the third generation in the business.
Caladiums are increasingly popular as
landscape plants as their use is becoming
more widely known. Much of the popularity is
due to the bright color of the leaves, the
versatility of the plant, and its simple
growing requirements. They are a shade
loving plant from the rain forests of the
Amazon basin. The plant has no pests
and does not require any insecticide
treatment or fertilization. The
leaves are its feature and they are odor
free. Potted plants as well as cut leaves
make beautiful arrangements and are long
lasting with proper care.
The caladiums are grown
in large fields which have been compared to
the tulip fields in Holland for their beauty
during the summer months. Many
visitors have stated that the drive by the
fields is worth the trip to Lake Placid. The
patchwork of color of over 40 varieties of
red, white, and pink, and all combinations
of the colors is truly a handiwork of art.
Learn how the Caladium Festival began....
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Lake Placid is located in
south central Florida. 27 pristine
freshwater lakes provide a popular
destination for fishing, boating, swimming &
water sports. Visitors to our community
enjoy our friendly small town atmosphere and
are warmly welcomed at all our local
businesses. Lake Placid has dozens of
antique & gift stores, quality restaurants
and accommodations. Lake Placid is home to
many award winning murals, gracing buildings
in our area. Our Mural Society has also
commissioned many whimsical trash
containers, and a Birds Around Town program.
Set aside time during your trip to take the
walking tour of this unique feature of our
community. |
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14th Annual Lake Placid Caladium Festival
Car and Bike Show
Sponsored By:
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MidFlorida Credit Union |
Alan Jay Automotive
Network |
Lake Placid Latin
American Motorcycle Associations |
Sebring Latin American
Motorcycle Associations |
Vintage and special
cars, trucks, motorcycles and antique
tractors gather to participate in this
increasingly popular car show.
Prizes are awarded in every class!
Click here for the entry form
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