by PAUL CATALA
Since 1990, the annual Caladium Festival has blossomed into one of Florida’s most colorful annual events.
The 34th Annual Caladium Festival & Annual Car & Bike Show is July 25 to 27 in Lake Placid. Each year, the festival shows why the small Central Florida town is known as the “Caladium Capital of the World.”
More than 95 percent of the world’s caladium bulbs are grown in Highlands County, mostly in Lake Placid. The festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 25 and 26 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 27 in Stuart Park, 131 E. Interlake Blvd.
Sponsored primarily by the Caladium Arts and Crafts Co-Op, the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce (LPCC) and the Lake Placid Garden Club, the Caladium Festival was organized to honor the area’s agricultural roots, highlight the beauty of the vibrant plants, and bring the community together for a fun celebration.
The festival first began when two caladium grower families — the Phypers and the Bates — teamed up to make the festival possible. The first location of the festival was held at Happiness Farms and Dot Bates and Carolyn Phypers drove a pickup truck, stopped and walked door to door giving out free caladium bulbs (tubers) to anyone who wanted to plant them.
Since those humble origins, the festival has grown into an annual three-day event that attracts between 15,000 and 25,000 visitors, depending on the economy and weather, says Jennifer Bush, LPCC executive director since 2019. The LPCC took over running the Caladium Festival — a “rain-or-shine event” unless the weather is severe — in 2007.
A resident of Lake Placid for 36 years, Bush says three local growers — Bates Sons & Daughters, Classic Caladiums, and Florida Boys Caladiums — are providing bulbs and plants this year.
In addition, this year’s festival will feature a variety of activities, such as:
- *Caladium bus tours: Guests can see firsthand how these caladiums are grown and ride to the fields with a veteran grower to narrate the trip and answer questions.
- *An arts & crafts show with more than 150 vendors, some coming from as far as Colorado and others that have participated in the festival for 10 to 15 years.
- *A variety of local food, including local favorites and regional recipes, such as strawberry shortcake, fried catfish, bratwurst, fruit cups, and local winery tastings.
- *Live entertainment throughout the weekend.
- *The car and bike show, with classic and custom vehicles from across Florida.
If you are looking for variety, you’re in luck.
“There could literally be hundreds of varieties at the festival because [growers are] always working on new things,” Bush says.
Proceeds from vendor rentals at the Caladium Festival go to community nonprofit organizations.
What Bush calls a “unique” event helps to remind residents and visitors alike that when it comes to caladiums, Lake Placid shines. She says the annual event highlights the “hidden gem” that the town is.
“It’s great to be able to show off our community to people who have yet to experience it. And for the people who live here, they’re very proud of it,” Bush says.
“Take a piece of Lake Placid when you go; take some caladiums, plant them at your house and remember how beautiful Lake Placid is.”
For information, visit www.caladiumfestival.org