Want to put a smile in your step?
Spend a Saturday in Winter Park. Yep. Saturday. Why? Because it is Farmer’s Market Day. Every Saturday an encampment of tents fan out in a tight cluster around the old train station in historic downtown Winter Park.
When you arrive, bring an appetite for surprises.
Farmers Market in Winter Park full of Surprises
Bromeliads – so many choices at Winter Park Saturday Farmers Market. Photo by Lucy Beebe Tobias
The first surprise is the surplus of color. Sure some of the color is produce but mostly it is plants. Plants everywhere. Flamboyant orchids, rows of marigolds, butterfly friendly pentas plus succulents in artful arrangements. Add bushels of bromeliads, vegetables, cut flowers, impatiens blooming in many colors and did I mention pots of climbing vines and trees? Oh yes, you can carry home a young Southern magnolia tree. See, I told you this Saturday market would be surprising.
Howard Jacobson presides over tables full of dehydrated fruits and all kinds of nuts. While he praises the anti-oxidant qualities of a fruit mix to a young couple, people of all ages line up to buy his products including a medley of dried fruits so visually attractive they look like fresh fruit recently sliced.
Howard Jacobson weighs his famous veggie chips at Winter Park Saturday Farmers Market. Photo by Lucy Beebe Tobias
Nearby vendors have homemade soap, honey produced by local bees, organic produce, handmade pasta and jewelry. Like most farmers’ markets, this is cash and check only place, most don’t take credit cards. There is an ATM machine nearby.
Inside the old train station are more vendors Added pluses of being inside are the fact it is blissfully air-conditioned and the restrooms are found here.
Davis Bakery & Co. inside the train station does a brisk business making bagel sandwiches stuffed with eggs, bacon you name it. Nearby is a table full of cookies, all sinfully decadent including bite size pecan pies. Partner a pecan pie bite or a bagel with coffee from the coffee stand inside the train station and life is good indeed.
Downtown Winter Park invites walkers, browsers, buyers, movie goers
Downtown Winter Park owes much of its lovely landscaping and laid back elegant feel to Charles Hosmer Morse, born on September 23, 1833 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. He is a co-founder of the City of Winter Park. Morse (1833-1921) is also one of the first trustees of Rollins College here in Winter Park and the Morse Museum of American Art is named after him
A long linear park, beautifully landscaped, sits next to the train tracks and across from the new train station. While most Florida towns have turned their train stations into museums, Winter Park has a new train station that actually works and is part of the SunRail system.
The park, named Central Park, is described as “one of his (Morse’s) many benedictions.”
A sample of sidewalk landscaping at Central Park, Winter Park. Photo by Lucy Beebe Tobias
On Thursday, June 12 at 8 p.m. show up at downtown Central Park with your blanket or folding chair, heck, bring the whole family and a picnic basket – for the Popcorn Flicks a free showing of the movie “Toy Story” in the park. Popcorn is free too. Rain date is June 26. For more information call 407-629-0054.
Another benediction for your visit can be strolling up and down Park Avenue, right across from the park. The street is shaded by trees and loaded with shops both eclectic and upscale plus a United Nations of culinary cuisines.
Don’t overlook the entryways to courtyards along the way – like the hidden garden courtyard with a gurgling fountain,Bistro restaurant with outdoor seating, and the Ancient Olive where olive oil tasting is a satisfying way to select your next olive oil.
Winter Park restaurants are dog friendly
Hidden garden interior courtyard, Park Avenue, Winter Park. Photo by Lucy Beebe Tobias
Park Avenue restaurants are dog friendly with lots of outdoor seating and plentiful water bowls. Business also put dog bowls outside.
Be sure to step inside the Spice and Tea Exchange. Take a deep breath. The spice smells are intoxicating. Time to buy tea.
Speaking of tasting, consider taking a cooking class at Williams- Sonoma on Park Avenue. During the month of June they have a class on Wednesday, June 11 featuring the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Vegetable Cookbook (class fee included the book). On Wednesday, June 18 join them for a rustic Italian feast.
In addition Williams-Sonoma has two technique classes in June, both are free but seating is limited. Reservations recommended. Classes are Eat Your Meat on June 8 and Classic Summertime Grilling on June 22.
For ages 8-12 sign up for William-Sonoma Junior Chef Classes, free on June 7, 21 and June 28.
Restaurants on Park Avenue in Winter Park had dog friendly seating outdoors. Photo by Lucy Beebe Tobias
With all the possibilities consider a few vacation days here – check into the Park Plaza Hotel built in 1922. Put on your walking shoes and funky straw hat, do the Park Avenue walk and visit the Morse Museum of American Art with its breathtaking collection of Tiffany glass and the reconstructed chapel interior he created for the 1893 World’s Columbian Expo in Chicago – that’s for starters.
Then, weather permitting, take an hour-long boat ride on the Winter Park chain of lakes – do note that the pontoon boats are small and have no awnings.
All of these adventures are within easy walking distance of each other. During a recent Saturday morning visit, free parking for four hours in a downtown lot next to the Winter Park Farmer’s Market was more than enough time to visit the market, walk Park Avenue and see the Morse Museum.
A little further afield, stroll the grounds of Rollins College, founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists. Rollins College is located at 1000 Holt Avenue. The Cornell Fine Arts Museum on campus has free admission for all of 2014 thanks to the Bessemer Trust. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. closed on Mondays. Summer exhibits include Allure of Ancient Rome: Old Master Prints and drawings through August 31, 2014 and the 2014 Rollins Faculty exhibition until August 31.
Winter Park is located 20 minutes north of Orlando.
The Details
Winter Park Saturday Farmer’s Market – 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday at 200 West New England Avenue. Contact City of Winter Park (407) 599-3397. The market closes the third Saturday every March for the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival.
Morse Museum of American Art – 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, closed Mondays. Located at 445 North Park Avenue.
Admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, $1 students. From November through April, the Morse is open until 8 p.m. on Fridays and admission is free from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on those Fridays.
Boat Ride -18 passenger pontoon boats with Scenic Boat Tours located at 312 E. Morse Blvd call (407) 644-4056. Tours last one hour and leave on the hour. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Christmas day. Cash or checks only. Adults: $12, Children 2-11 pay $6, under the age of two ride free.
Upcoming
The Florida Society For Ethical Ecotourism
holds its annual meeting on June 27-28 at Four Points by Sheraton in Punta Gorda and I’ll be speaking at 2 p.m. on Saturday during the conference. You don’t have to be a member to attend.