n2021-4_b018_f01_x07_02

Springtime Tallahassee

SPRINGTIME TALLAHASSEE

Every year for about two weeks in the springtime,
when the azaleas burst in the full glory
of their bloom, the quiet beauty of Tallahassee's
rolling hills reaches up into the spectacular.
Until 1968 there had never been a spring festival
to allow Tallahasseeans to share this beauty with others,
but in that year a growing sense of all there
is to Tallahassee, in tradition and in the present,
led to what was at first called the Apalachee
Jubilee, subsequently Springtime Tallahassee.
The Calendar of Events included plays, concerts,
tours of homes, flower shows, a golf tournament
and horse show. The purpose of the
organization was set forth: "to
emphasize the natural beauty and historical
significance of the area, to promote interest
in educational, cultural, and recreational activities
and the unification of the town and gown."
All organizations, both universities, and
the general public participated in the combined
effort, which culminated in a horse-drawn parade
of historical personages and a pageant depicting the
history of Tallahassee. These festivities met with
such enthusiasm that Springtime Tallahassee Inc.
was founded to sponsor the festival and provide the
means for the creative activities which
were to be largely the work of volunteers.
Each year since 1968 the festivities
have grown in scope and enthusiasm.
Tallahasseeans look forward to many more great festivals
in the hope that visitors from all over Florida and
the nation will come to share Tallahassee and its
heritage with them in the beauty of springtime.