Month by Month - Florida - page 43

Edison Festival of Light
( www.edisonfestival.org ) For two weeks, Fort Myers celebrates the great inventor Thomas
Edison with a block party, concerts and a huge science fair. February 11, Edison's birthday,
culminates in an incredible Parade of Light .
Florida State Fair
More than a century old, Tampa's Florida State Fair is classic Americana: two mid-Febru-
ary weeks of livestock shows, greasy food, loud music and old-fashioned carnival rides.
Street Painting Festival
You'll never see the streets of Lake Worth quite the same after this festival , which kicks off
in late February. The art that is produced isn't just chalk on asphalt; veritable curbside
Sistine Chapels blanket Lake Worth's urban landscape.
South Beach Wine & Food Festival
( www.sobefest.com ) No paper-plate grub-fest, this late-February event is a Food Net-
work-sponsored culinary celebration of food, drink and celebrity chefs.
Mardi Gras
Whether it falls in late February or early March, Fat Tuesday inspires parties statewide, yet
Pensacola Beach, closest to New Orleans, is Florida's best.
March
Beach resort high season all over, due to spring break. Modest temps and
dry weather make for an ideal time to hike and camp. Last hurrah for
manatees.
Spring Break
Throughout March to mid-April, American colleges release students for one-week 'spring
breaks.' Coeds pack Florida beaches for debaucherous drunken binges - but hey, it's all
good fun. The biggies? Panama City Beach, Pensacola, Daytona and Fort Lauderdale.