Artists may Apply Now!
It is that time of year again! The 50th Apopka Art and Foliage Festival bringing in Spring with new and fun filled entertainment and activities. The GFWC Apopka Woman’s Club and the City of Apopka are proud to present its 50th Annual Apopka Art and Foliage Festival to be held the weekend of April 30 and May 1, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event will take place at Kit Land Nelson Park located between First Street and Orange Avenue as you go North on Park Avenue off of SR 441. View Larger Map The Honorable Mayor John H. Land will open the Festival at 9:30 am.
More than 30,000 are expected to browse the 150 + juried artists and crafters from throughout Florida and across the nation, who will sell their work and compete for cash awards and ribbons. The awards ceremony will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 1. If you are looking for it, we probably have it. Beautiful original art to decorate your walls, hand crafted pottery, woodworking, stained glass, sculptures, basketry, and weavings to enhance your home or workplace, jewelry to enhance you. Garden art to display the foliage and flowers you will find at our diverse festival. “Spring Ahead – Re-plant, Re-Grow, and Re-Vitalize” is the theme for the foliage sales area. Drought resistant plants and a myriad of favorite indoor and outdoor foliage will be in abundance from fifteen Apopka’s area nurseries. Of course, horticulturists, our famous plant doctors are available, along with growers, to answer plant care and gardening queries.
Conservation plays a large part in this year’s festival. To learn more about how you can conserve in today’s economy visit the following booths:
- City of Apopka Water Conservation Incentive Program
- IQ POWER, LLC, Smart Solar Energy
- Mosquito Creek Outdoors
- Our Vital Earth, Inc.
- UF/IFAS/Mid-Florida Research & Education Center
- WINTER PARK HONEY with their bee hive and natural honey.
James Fowler’s ‘Chicken Tractor’ is a fun and novel idea in conservation. Brightly painted and mobile, this chicken coup can be moved anywhere with little effort. It is decorative, good for the environment, and provides a great fertilizer for any garden. A wonderful new addition is Mosquito Creek Outdoors providing events and seminars including:
- fishing, casting contests for teens
- kids fishing
- kayak fishing
- angler, salt water, professional fishing guides authors and Prostaff
- trailing/hiking/camping
- birding
- nature photography
- conservation
- and more for kid’s to adults.
If you like nature, you will really love this. Kids will enjoy the Children’s Art Area with lots of fun activities. School art will also be on display. To add to the fun, our famous fancy decorated paper hats are back because so many of you have been asking about them. Florida Garden Select 2011 Plants of the Year are the Zebra Aloe provided by Blossom World Gardens, the Dragon Wing Begonia from Central Florida Ferns, and the Chestnut Cycad (scale free replacement for sago palms), Caranday Palm, and Giant Apostles Iris from Ray Green. Of course, horticulturists, our famous plant specialists are available, along with growers, to answer plant care and gardening queries.
Guided bus tours will visit Agri-Starts, a biological technology nursery, and reveal how Apopka earned its “Indoor Foliage Capital of the World” title. Tours are Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 2:00 p.m. This is a must for the avid gardener. Live continuous entertainment by soloists, choruses, dancers, the FMUC Choir, Magician Joe Caccioppo, DJ’s Unlimited-Ralos Flores, and more. The performers are from local schools and dance studios. After his performance at the Gazebo, Joe Caccioppo will walk around the park and entertain children and adults as a street performer would.
Concession stands manned by Apopka-area civic groups of both local and ethnic variety. There is even breakfast, from 7 am to 10 am for you early birds, provided by SERTOMA.
Free, free, free flu shots, H1N1 vaccinations, and blood pressures tests, from 9 am to 1 pm Saturday and Sunday, provided by the doctors at Park Avenue Medical, Rahn Shaw, MD; Roberto Perez, MD; and Kelly O’Sullivan-Stobbe, PA-C. Follow signs on US 441 to Park Avenue then proceed one-quarter mile North to the park. Paid parking is available and handled by our Boy Scout Troop 211, at the cost of $5.00. FESTIVAL GOERS ARE REMINDED TO LEAVE THEIR PETS AT HOME. There will also be comfort stations.
Admission to the Festival is FREE. For more information please contact General Festival Chairman, Mary Frances Mancuso (click for email link) or call (407) 884-6488. We appreciate our wonderful sponsors! We couldn’t do it without you!