Colors of Florida - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Florida remains one of the most interesting states in the country from a cultural point of view. Its holiday calendar features hundreds of fun activities, many of which may seem rather unusual to foreign visitors. The picturesque town of Plant City is a permanent venue for the annual Strawberry Festival that is a very interesting agricultural event. It takes place in late February-early March and usually lasts for two weeks; that’s the time to reap a harvest.

Large-scale strawberry fields are a major feature of Florida; hundreds of varieties are grown there. The festival features interesting exhibitions and agricultural workshops; guests that are far from the cultivation are offered to taste the best varieties of berries. The Strawberry Festival is attended by the best farm staff. During the festival, well-known chefs cook delicious desserts from berries.

City of Sarasota is home to one of the youngest, but no less interesting holidays - the Festival of chalk drawings. This is a unique event dedicated to one of the most unusual trends in contemporary culture. The festival takes place in November and lasts for 10 days, during which a huge number of beautiful three-dimensional drawings appear on the asphalt of city streets and squares. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Each year the festival is dedicated to a certain cultural trend or historical period; contemporary artists try to reflect features of the current topic with usual multi-colored chalks. Those three-dimensional pictures are astonishingly realistic. The festival also includes many interesting exhibitions and competitions.

Niceville is the venue for one of the most bustling and lively national holidays, Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival. It will appeal to those who like country music, contemporary art and seafood dishes. Three days of celebration feature amazing exhibitions and music concerts; attractive outdoor cafes welcome visitors. The main festive treats are seafood dishes, among which are quite exotic ones. Food lovers will be able to taste fried alligator’s tail considered the most popular local delicacy.