Cherish Orchids in Florida next weekend

Florida has some interesting events lined up for visitors and locals alike coming into new year. Included among them is a Orchid Show and the Annual Florida fair at Tampa.

International Fort Lauderdale Orchid Show: The Fort Lauderdale Orchid Society proudly presents annual Fort Lauderdale Orchid Show, “Exotic Orchids” for 2014. Enjoy beautiful exhibits, and displays, competitions, raffles, artwork, plant and supply vendors. American Orchid Society accredited judges will award prizes for best displays and best plants on the next weekend, Friday, January 17, 2014: 10 AM – 6 PM, Saturday, January 18, 2014: 10 AM – 6 PM, Sunday, January 19, 2014: 10 AM – 6 PM. Celebrating the growth of orchids has been a popular event since 1957 and today still serves to educate everyone about orchids, to display exotic exhibits of orchids, and to offer a range of orchid-themed fun, from raffles, artwork, competitions, plant and supply vendors, exhibits, and displays. In a preview party on Thursday, enjoy a full buffet with champagne, hors d’oeuvres, beverages and dessert with live entertainment.  The displays are the freshest, vendors will be present, and attendees will get first chance to buy orchids that may be in limited quantities.

Annual Florida State Fair: Held every year in February, a tradition since 1904 in Tampa, this is a celebration of the state’s best in agriculture, industry, entertainment and achievement. From 6th to 17th February this year.

Florida Renaissance Festival: (February/March) in Deerfield Beach – Ft. Lauderdale:  Take a step back in time to the 16^th century – complete with hundreds of merchants and artisans in the crafts village, hundreds of performers on more than 12 stages, Celtic music performances, battling knights charging on horseback and sword fighting, middle-ages food, and even the world’s largest rocking horse.

76th Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade: (February 15, 2014) Parade starts at 7 p.m. at Edison Stadium and continues to the Fort Myers Downtown River District. During February, Fort Myers celebrates the birthday of its most illustrious historical resident, Thomas A. Edison, in befitting fashion. Edison, who built a home on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River and spent 46 winters there, invented the light bulb. So it’s appropriate that the month of activities culminates with a lighted night parade. Invention competitions, parties, craft shows and a 5K run are all part of the festival.  Celebrating 76 years, the month of February is filled with special events.

132nd Silver Spurs Rodeo: (February 21-23, 2014) Catch pulse-elevating events such as bull riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, and barrel racing, along with crowd-pleasing cowboy clowns, all part of this truly all-American sport. This popular Kissimmee tradition is the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi, and has been run and operated by generations of Kissimmee residents since its start in the 1940s as a way to sell war bonds. Now presented in an air-conditioned venue, the rodeo offers heart-pounding action and is annually ranked among the top 50 events sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA).