Florida Agriculture Goes On Parade

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), through its Fresh From Florida marketing campaign, partnered with Florida Citrus Sports to host the Fresh From Florida Parade on December 31 in Orlando.

“The Fresh From Florida Parade is a great opportunity for Florida to celebrate our locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Commissioner Adam Putnam. “From oranges and strawberries to sweet corn and bell peppers, Florida offers something to satisfy everyone’s taste.”

The Fresh From Florida Parade, formerly known as the Orlando Citrus Parade, is one of the largest sports-affiliated parades in the nation. This event, sandwiched between the playing of the Champs Sports Bowl and Capital One Bowl, is distinguished by signature custom floats parading down a two-mile stretch of downtown Orlando. The floats, which used to be dominated by just citrus, are now made from more than 100,000 pieces of agriculture-related products, including Fresh From Florida watermelon, squash and peppers, attached by more than 500 volunteers, with assembly taking place over a four-day period.

An estimated 50,000 fans lined the parade route.

The parade is part of a year-long partnership focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles and nutrition while educating consumers about the abundance of Florida seafood and agricultural products. In addition, the partnership will seek to raise awareness about the importance of Florida’s $100 billion agriculture industry. With a year-round growing season, Florida is a national leader in agricultural production.