Visitors to the festival enjoy seeing the many murals in Lake Placid.
All Aboard the Sugar Express at the Caladium Festival!
LAKE PLACID – Get ready for an exciting experience as the Sugar Express steam engine train makes its way to Lake Placid for the annual Caladium Festival from July 26-28.
Exciting Train Rides
Enjoy a one-hour train ride on July 26 or 27, or embark on an all-excursion journey on July 28. Trains will depart at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m. on Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27. The excursion train will leave Lake Placid on Sunday, July 28, at 9 a.m., with a photo run at Liberty Point and a trip to Clewiston where the Hendry County Cattlemen’s Association will serve a delicious ribeye steak lunch. The Sugar Express steam locomotive No. 148 will operate the southbound leg of the journey from Lake Placid to Clewiston, while South Central Florida Express diesel locomotives will bring passengers back to Lake Placid around 4:30 p.m.
For tickets and more information, visit sugarexpress.com.
Caladium Festival Highlights
The 33rd Annual Caladium Festival will take place from July 26-28 at Stuart Park, located at 113 Interlake Blvd. in downtown Lake Placid. Festival attractions include a car and bike show, a floral arrangement competition sponsored by the Lake Placid Garden Club, arts and crafts booths, food vendors, live entertainment, informative displays about the area’s grape growing and wine industry, Florida Friendly Landscaping and Ornamental Plants, an art competition, and bus tours of the stunning caladium fields. Additionally, attendees can purchase caladium bulbs and live plants at the event.
Event Schedule
On Friday, the festival kicks off with an opening ceremony at 9:45 a.m., followed by a day filled with entertainment. The Little Miss Caladium pageant will take place at 3 p.m.
Saturday's festivities begin at 10 a.m., with the final performance of the day starting at 3:20 p.m.
Important Information
Admission to the festival is free, but bus tour tickets are available for $12 in advance or $15 on the day of the event. Please note that pets are not recommended at the festival due to street closures for booth set-ups. The pavement temperature may exceed 140 degrees, which can be harmful to pets' paws.
For more details or to reserve your spot on a bus tour, visit www.caladiumfestival.org.