Florida’s Lake County Historical Society will kick off the Lake County Citrus Label Tour with dedication ceremonies at 12 locations in nine cities Aug. 23-26.
This informative driving tour is steeped in the history of the county’s citrus industry. At each of the 12 locations on the tour, large two-sided signs will each feature two antique citrus label reproductions.
For 60 years, the labels were prolific as advertising for fresh fruit in wooden crates shipped to markets. The crate labels lasted until shortly after World War II, when shortages of wood and metal brought about the invention of cardboard boxes with preprinted brand names.
The Lake County tour was inspired by the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame’s Citrus Label tours in Polk, Manatee, and Indian River counties. John Jackson, a member of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, encouraged the Lake County Historical Society to join forces with the hall of fame and local historical societies across the county to create the tour.
Citrus families and organizations, local dignitaries, and elected officials will participate in the dedication ceremonies to be held on consecutive days from Aug. 23 to Aug. 26. Here’s the dedication schedule:
- Aug. 23: Umatilla Museum at 10 a.m., Umatilla Cadwell Park at 11 a.m., Eustis Museum at 2 p.m., Eustis Ferran Park at 3 p.m.
- Aug. 24: Mount Dora Simpson Cove at 10 a.m., Tavares Museum at 1:30 p.m., Tavares Old Courthouse at 2:30 p.m.
- Aug. 25: Leesburg Town Square at 10 a.m., Howey in the Hills Griffin Park at 1 p.m.
- Aug. 26: Mascotte Civic Center at 10 a.m., Groveland Museum at 11 a.m., Clermont Historic Village at 2 p.m.
More information about the tour is available here.
Source: Florida Citrus Hall of Fame
