History of the Orange Blossom Festival
Another year, another successful Orange Blossom in Davie! The Orange Blossom Festival has been held almost every year since 1941. There were often picnics and small events in the growing agricultural community of Davie, but 1941 marked the first year for the publicized Orange Festival, organized by the Davie Chamber of Commerce. The event sought to not only “advertise the resources and products of the Davie section, but in addition, with its surplus funds to create a Park and Community center for the residents of Davie.”[1]
Citrus, vegetable and flower exhibits showcased the local farms and groves. They charged 50 cents for a barbeque dinner—ribs cooked over open barbeque pits, fresh corn dodger rolls, coleslaw, and coffee. Activities included Tractor Races, Greased Pig contests, Wife and Husband Calling Contests, carnival rides and rodeo events. The town welcomed Navy pilots from the Opa-Locka Naval Air Base, who “finally gave in to the attractions and landed in a near-by pasture in order to join the fun.” [2] The pilots escorted the ladies of the Orange Festival court as Frances Munson, daughter of a prominent Davie grower, was named the first Queen. The event was a success and raised enough money to build the Davie Chamber of Commerce building, which is Town Hall today!
As war in Europe loomed, the first festival demonstrated the economic and social vitality of Davie. The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 shook the country awake as men enlisted and deployed overseas and wartime production converged to supply for the troops. In Davie, the second annual Orange Festival went ahead as planned, with special commemoration given to the men of the Armed Services. Secretary Harry Earle of the Chamber of Commerce wrote an address in the Festival pamphlet, titled, “The Spirit of Davie—and of America.”
The opening of the Second Annual Davie Orange Festival finds our Nation, the United States of America, involved in a total war, a war we must win for the sake of Liberty and Humanity throughout the entire world…This Festival stands as a symbol of what community spirit, team work, and the “will to do” can accomplish… Let Davie, then set the example for our neighboring cities, to the State of Florida, indeed to the entire Nation of what unity and the “will to do” can accomplish. [3]
The town came together to celebrate the successful groves and highlight the contributions to the war effort before a three year hiatus during wartime. The Hollywood Herald newspaper described Davie as “using all resources at her command to aid in defeat of the Axis. And tomorrow, when peace returns, her fame will spread still more as one of the world’s richest areas for summer oranges and winter vegetables—and an ideal community to live, work and play.” [4]
Indeed, as the Allies achieved victory by the summer of 1945, the people of Davie prepared to revive the Orange Festival in the spring of 1946. An estimated 10,000 people attended this first celebration after the war and with the prosperity that spread throughout the country, the event continued to grow each year. Despite the hurricane and flood that devastated the town in October 1947, the festival carried on by March and showed the resilience of Davie. By the 1960s, attendees recall bushels of oranges given away, gallons of freshly squeezed juice, and bouquets of the budding orange blossoms which marked a fruitful year—and likely contributed to the festival’s name change. [5]
Each Spring the Orange Blossom Festival molds to the changing times of the town while celebrating the roots of the community. The rodeo has grown and become the central locale for the event at the Bergeron Rodeo Grounds hosted by the Davie Pro Rodeo, featuring professional and youth riders performing in bull riding, cattle wrestling, barrel racing, and team roping events.
Each year the parade travels down Davie Road with floats decorated by local organizations and Orange Drive is lined with booths, live animals, and entertainers, all celebrating the rich cultural and agricultural heritage of Davie. Across the historic canal and on Griffin Road, one of the town’s first paved roads to Ft. Lauderdale, the Old Davie School Historical Museum brings to life the history of Davie. Attendees stepped back in time and explored how the community grew from the wilderness of the Everglades. Our “pioneers” cooked pineapple upside-down cake and bean soup over the fire.
From the Everglades to a town of citrus groves and cattle and now into a new era, the Orange Blossom Festival showcases the same values Harry Earle recognized in 1942—“community spirit, team work, and the ‘will to do.’”
[1] First Annual Davie Orange Festival. Davie: Davie Chamber of Commerce, 1941. Print.
[2] “Opening of Davie Festival.” The Hollywood Herald 28 Mar. 1941: unknown. Print.
[3] Second Annual Davie Orange Festival. Davie: Davie Chamber of Commerce, 1942. Print.
[4] “The Davie Grower.” The Hollywood Herald 15 May 1942: unknown. Print.
[5] Stolarz, Kathryn. “Davie Celebrates the 75th Annual Orange Blossom Festival.”Sun-Sentinel [Ft. Lauderdale] 17 Feb. 2012: n. pag. Sun-Sentinel. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.
