Hundreds filled the streets for White Springs’ Wild Azalea Festival

Published 2:30 pm Monday, March 21, 2011

Historic downtown White Springs was abuzz with folks, young, old and in-between enjoying all the festivities throughout the day at the 11th Annual Wild Azalea Festival, held Saturday, March 19. The event was sponsored by the Special Events Committee of White Springs, Stephen Foster Citizen’s Support Organization and the Hamilton County Tourist Development Council.

The day couldn’t have been more perfect for a festival. Blue skies, warm temperatures, numerous activities and entertainment, along with scrumptious aromas drew in the crowds all day long beginning at 9 a.m. Many folks also brought along their canine friends to join in the fun, dressing them up in their finest attire for all the camera-flashing enthusiasts who had arrived.

Representatives from the American Cancer Society were on hand to give out information on Relay for Life, as well as to accept donations. The Health South Bloodmobile was also available for those wishing to donate blood.

Arts and crafts vendors offered a variety of wares from hot sauce, plants and flip-flops to household goods and clothing, as the delicious aroma of barbecued chicken wafted through the air. Of course, Wild Azalea plants, the highlight of the event, were on display and for sale.

One particularly interesting vendor was Radhika Dasa of “Personal Touch” of Gainesville, who has a home-based gardening business with two greenhouses. Among the many plants she had for sale at the festival were Pitcher plants, a most unusual product of nature.

“They love to eat bugs,” Dasa said. “And Florida has lots of bugs.”

These unusual carnivorous plants have a prey-trapping mechanism that features a deep cavity filled with liquid that will capture mosquitoes, no-see-ums, carpenter bees and wasps or whatever other flying or crawling insects happen to get snared in its trap. Dasa said these plants originated in Indonesia, among other places, and they thrive in warm, humid environments like Florida.

For the young at heart and those willing to take a risk, Climb on Us Rock Walls allowed the children to scale the wall at their own risk for $6 per climber.

Florida’s Nature and Heritage Tourism Center in the middle of the action during the festival was filled with folks browsing through the many displays. The back porch with benches and rockers offered a birds-eye view of the entertainment on the main stage where live music was performed all day by local talented musicians and singers. Food vendors were set up on the perimeter of the stage area offering hot dogs, corn dogs, popcorn, fried oysters, ribbon fries, beverages and many other delicacies.

Of those many musical artists on stage, one was Tammy Murray, who is a member of a group called Patchwork, although, on this day she was playing solo. A versatile instrumentalist, Tammy plays the fiddle, the banjo, the mandolin and guitar, and even more instruments that she didn’t bring with her.

“A woman can never have enough banjos, fiddles or shoes,” Tammy told the crowd.

Another local favorite was the Bullard Brothers & Friends Band, playing a variety of their favorite tunes.

Meanwhile, at an outdoor pavilion at the Welcome Center, Mr. R. L. Lewis, one of 26 Florida Highwaymen Artists, held a captive audience as he demonstrated his awe-inspiring talent. Lewis was completely focused as he meticulously painted a breathtaking beach scene featuring a majestic palm tree in bright, vivid colors.

One of the special events of the festival was the Birds of Prey exhibit just beyond the entrance to Stephen Foster State Park. Kitty Tolson Carroll, a licensed master and eagle class falconer, provided two demonstrations at 12:30 and 2:30 on the ancient art of falconry, using live birds of prey. Carroll has been involved in the art of falconry since 1974 and she often gives lectures to the public at State Parks.   

One very noticeable part of White Springs’ heritage attracted many visitors Saturday, although it was a heart-wrenching experience. Spring Street Antiques was open for business, but it wasn’t business as usual. The structure was destroyed by fire on March 8 when a large tree fell onto the backside of the building and sparked an electrical fire that destroyed the structure and its contents. Most of the concrete statuary pieces on the lawn were spared from the flames that night. Owners Pattie and Howard Tower opened their gates during the festival in an effort to sell off the remaining statuary for 40 percent off, along with plants and other yard art that was spared from the fire.

One of the highlights of the day was when four-year-old Omari Brianna Foster was crowned Ms. Azalea 2011. She is the big sister of Willie Foster and the daughter of Timothy and LaStephanie Kannday-Foster of Lake City, Florida, as well as the granddaughter of Wanda Udell and Phillip and Myra Kannady and the great granddaughter of Lawrence and Jeanette Udell of White Springs.

The Duck Race, a popular fundraising event for the town of White Springs, ended the day’s festivities. The winners were: 1st place kayak, Brian Anderson from the Jacksonvillle area, 2nd place White Springs Bed & Breakfast voucher, Susan Ramsey, the Hamilton County Economic Development Authority Director, and 3rd place 2 tickets to the Folk Festival went to six-year old Foster Bristol, who attends the HOPE after school program.