April 6, 2024
New Port Richey, Florida
Sims Park at the West Pasco Historical Society ~ 6431 Circle Blvd
Great News! Ecology Florida and New Port Richey FarmNet, with support of the City of New Port Richey, will host the 10th anniversary celebration of the Florida Loquat Festival on Saturday, April 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Sims Park on the grounds of the West Pasco Historical Society, New Port Richey. The only loquat festival in the United States. The event is sponsored by the New Port Richey Rotary Club and NLG Divorce & Family Law.
The festival is a learning and sharing event to help expand the knowledge and appreciation of the loquat tree and its fruit. There will be presentations on the cultivation of loquat trees, various uses of the fruit and leaves, and presentations about community markets and agrarianism.
A major feature of the festival will be the trees, from seedlings and saplings to large trees. Green Dreams, a major force in the sustainable food and culture movement, will be offering a wide assortment of loquat trees, ready for planting.
Another important part of the festival is education; presentations will include instructions on the role of the loquat in sustainable farming and gardening, the use of leaves for tea and health care, and the cultural context of this wonderful tree. There will also be a special presentation featuring “The Loquat Singer,” Dr. Roy Kaplan.
The Florida Loquat Festival in New Port Richey, Florida is the only loquat festival in the United States of America. “There are loquat festivals in other parts of the world, from East Asia, through Central Asia, to Europe and North Africa and on to the Caribbean Islands, but New Port Richey is home to only one in the USA” said Dell deChant, one of the event’s organizers.
The festival opens at 10:00 a.m. and runs until 3:00 p.m. at Sims Park on the grounds of the West Pasco Historical Society.
The festival will have preserves, trees, brochures, scones, loquat inspired art, lectures, seeds, poetry books, and fresh fruit. There will also be related events in downtown New Port Richey in week before the festival – including the annual loquat beer tapping on in late March or early April. Festival shirts will also be available.
Get more details about this year’s Florida Loquat Festival on the organizer’s website.
