Royal Poinciana Fiesta Celebrates its 75th Anniversary
June 1 – 4, 2012
The Tropical Flowering Tree Society, dedicated to the promotion, propagation, and preservation of tropical flowering trees, presents the 75th annual Royal Poinciana Fiesta, June 1 – 4, 2012. Miami’s oldest festival has added new events to this year’s four-day event to help commemorate its 75th anniversary.
The festival kick-off Luncheon, Art Show and Musicale
Friday, June 1, 11:30 am
Coral Gables Museum
285 Aragon Avenue
Coral Gables.
Tickets are $25 per person and are available by calling Lynda at 304-441-8589. This new event is sponsored by Coral Gables Garden Club, Coral Gables Music Club, and the Tropical Flowering Tree Society.
Tree Planting with TREEmendous Miami
Saturday June 2, 8:30 am
meeting at the Coconut Grove Metrorail Station
SW 27 Avenue and US 1.
All volunteers, 18 years of age and older are welcome to help plant flowering trees along US 1 to beautify our city. For more information about the tree planting please call Steve Pearson at 305-233-3619.
Trolley Tour
Sunday, June 3
Gates open at 11:30 am, Trolley Tour departs at 1:00 pm
The Kampong
4013 Douglas Road
Coconut Grove.
See the spectacular blooming Poinciana trees in Coral Gables and Coconut Grove.
The South Florida Woodturners are providing a handcrafted, turned bowl made from Poinciana wood for a silent auction. BYO brown bag lunch and take self-guided tour of the Kampong. $25 per person. $8 for Kampong ONLY. Reservations Required: Please call Carol at 305-258-1086
Monday, June 4 at 7:00 pm
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
10901 Old Cutler Road
Coral Gables
The four-day celebration wraps up with the Fiesta with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, and jazz by Joe Donato. The 2012 Royal Poinciana Fiesta poster artist, Lisa Remeny, and artists Pauline Goldsmith, Linda Apriletti, Debra Cortese, and others will be showing and selling their Poinciana inspired art. The Fiesta will conclude with the presentations of college scholarship awards to Royal Poinciana Queen and her Court, and the Larry Schokman Book Award. College scholarships to the Royal Poinciana Queen and two Princesses are based on an application, essay, personal interview and school recommendations. Guests are invited to join a tram tour of Fairchild. TFTS Members free, $5 per person for non-members. No reservations required.
The Royal Poinciana Fiesta began in 1937 as a celebration of the blooming of the magnificent Royal Poinciana trees, introduced to Miami by Dr. David Fairchild, founder of the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. One of oldest of these trees is planted at The Kampong, where he and his wife, Marian Bell Fairchild, youngest daughter of Alexander Graham Bell, built a home and garden. The Kampong is now one of four gardens of the National Tropical Botanic Garden.
