Spring Fever in the Garden this weekend in W.G.

The Bloom & Grow Garden Society is holding its huge annual plant festival in downtown Winter Garden April 9 and 10.

By Amy Quesinberry
| 1:00 p.m. April 7, 2016

West Orange Times & Observer
Neighborhood

One of the biggest flower and plant sales in West Orange County is taking place this weekend in downtown Winter Garden. The Bloom & Grow Garden Society’s annual Spring Fever in the Garden runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 10, along Plant Street and the surrounding blocks to the north and south. Admission is free.

WHAT'S TAKING PLACE

SEMINARS, PROGRAMS

• A new feature this year is a series of seminars in Heller Hall at the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Research and Education Center, 21 E. Plant St.

Saturday topics include a plant-based nutrition cooking demonstration and tasting with at 10 a.m., a history of Florida’s citrus crate labels at 11 a.m., making a backyard that welcomes honey bees at 1 p.m. and purple martins at 2 p.m.

Sundays seminars will discuss beneficial bugs at 11 a.m., composting at 1 p.m. and floral design tips and tricks at 2 p.m.

• Gardening experts will be on hand both days to give demonstrations or answer questions. This year’s experts are Ed Thralls and Kelly Greer from the UF Orange County Extension Service, Robert Bowden and Keri Byrum from Orlando’s Harry P. Leu Gardens, Tristen Bowen from Marriott Vacation Club and entomologist Christy LeDuc.

FUN FOR ALL

• Live entertainment will be provided between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. Scheduled musicians are Andy and Sara Burr (Mountain Brew) on Saturday, guitarist Mike Petrovich on Sunday and Bud Tropico with beach music both days.
Entertainment will also take place in front of Winter Garden City Hall. On Saturday, the Olympia High Choir performs at 9:30 a.m., Centre for Dance & the Performing Arts goes on at 10:45 a.m., 17-year-old singer-songwriter Gatlin Thornton sings at 11:30 a.m., the Opera Orlando Youth Program performs at 1 p.m., and Layla Brisbois takes the mic at 3 p.m.

On Sunday, USA Dance performs at 11 a.m., and18-year-old singer-pianist-songwriter Blake Guyre takes the stage.

• From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days, the Avian Reconditioning Center will have live owls and other birds of prey to present information about Florida’s native and migratory raptors.

• A total of 40 sidewalk chalk artists are participating in the annual Chalkin’ it Up event Saturday in front of City Hall. Cash prizes are awarded to the best chalk art.

• The Kid Zone will include interactive activities with Drum Magic, a visit from the Solar Bears mascot, craft tables, seed planting, Lowes workshops, motorcycles through Bikers Against Child Abuse, train rides, a petting zoo and several bounce houses.

AUCTION, RAFFLE

• An art auction will be located in the Winter Garden Police Department from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, when bidding ends. Items include a painted rain barrel, UCF director’s chair, photography, metal work and paintings donated by area artists and crafters. A boutique table will have individual priced items for purchase.

• A raffle takes place at 3 p.m. Saturday in the raffle booth near the gazebo on Plant Street. All prizes have been donated to Bloom & Grow, and all proceeds will fund club projects. A suggested donation of $5 per ticket is requested.

There will be garden experts available to answer questions, a children’s area, silent auction and raffle, flower and plant growers, garden-related vendors, food trucks, programs to educate attendees about the environment.

Festival T-shirts and posters, designed by Winter Garden artist Andy Crabtree, will be available at the Bloom & Grow booth near the fountain. Collectors can also purchase previous years’ posters.

The Natural Market Place will again showcase vendors selling natural and organic products. This area will be located on South Main Street.

To accommodate patrons with their purchases, the "Green Machines" will run down the middle of the streets to pick up purchased items and take them to a retrieval point, where shoppers can pick them up before leaving.

The city of Winter Garden is co-sponsoring the festival. Since 1998, when Bloom & Grow was started, the club has made $297,179 in charitable donations to the West Orange community.

Contact Amy Quesinberry Rhode at [email protected].