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. Thanks to our major sponsor, The New Port Richey Rotary Club; our community supporter, NLG Divorce and Family Law; and other businesses, groups, and individuals in the community.
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 cool (“El Nino”) winter has caused a very late ripening of fruit this year. Because of this late ripening we may have less fruit than usual, so we will have preserves and other products, and fresh fruit as well — there just may not be as much as previous years.
As with other fruit festivals, loquat fruit production is subject to weather conditions, and this year hot and dry summer and cool and wet winter has impacted the timing of fruit development.
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 with us at the festival, offering a wide assortment of loquat trees, ready for planting.
Green Dreams has been the festival’s primary nursery for several years, and this year it will offer its widest selection yet of high-quality named varieties. Other nurseries will have smaller trees at lower prices, including seedlings for $5. For best selection of the trees, please come early.
Another important part of the festival is education: our 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. We also will have 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.
HERE IS WHAT YOU’LL FIND AT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL:
- Fresh Loquats
- Loquat Preserves (jellies, jams, compotes)
- Loquat Pastries and scones
- Loquat Trees (seedlings to saplings to small mature trees)
- Loquat Festival T-Shirts
- Brochures
- Loquat Poetry Books
- Educational Program at the Festival
- Friendship Farms – Trees
- New Port Richey FarmNet – Fruit
- The Blarney Scone – Scones
- Organic Presence (Barbara Klepper) – Preserves
- White Heron Tea and Gifts – Tea & Skincare lotion
- Gone Juicing – Loquat Juice
- Pioneer Roots – Loquat Hot Sauce
- Green Dreams – Trees
- In Downtown New Port Richey
- Cotee River Brewery – Beer
- Wright’s Natural Market – Smoothies and Fruit (at Wright’s Market)
- White Heron Tea and Gifts – Tea & Skincare lotion (at White Heron Tea & Gifts)
- Rose’s Bistro – Loquat Pies (at Rose’s Bistro)
- Gone Juicing – Juices
If you would like to be a vendor at the Florida Loquat Festival, please get in touch!
Sponsored and Supported
Ecology Florida
New Port Richey FarmNet
The Rotary Club of New Port Richey
NLG Divorce and Family Law
City of New Port Richey
City of New Port Richey Environmental Committee
The West Pasco Historical Society
Gimponics
Grand Gardens
Friendship Farms
The Loquat Trees of the New Port Richey community
Leave a Reply