Outside of its on-site Blue Palmetto Cafe, Bok Tower Gardens offers a variety of dining options, including citrus trees in the Olmstead Gardens and pathways, orchards featuring papaya and nectarines, grape vines, blackberry brambles, and blueberry bushes.
Head of Business Development “We understand that forbidden fruit is often the most tasty,” chuckles Erica Smith, “but they discourage guests from sampling as they explore this vast sanctuary, with the famous Singing Tower as its Tolkienesque centerpiece.”
“With the exception of the mulberry tree that adorns the venue’s outdoor kitchen/garden, it’s primarily the local wildlife enjoying the fruits of their labor and care,” she says.
To be honest, our employees go and eat the fruit as soon as it’s ripe.
But on July 12, when Bok Tower Gardens’ second annual Fruit Fest gets begin, tasting won’t simply be accepted—it will be celebrated.
Fruit Fest, which is free with basic entry, will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and include three early talks and live music. Tropical fruit samples, small meals inspired by the fruits, and a bar with four fruity margarita options will follow.
A number of mango, dragonfruit, mamey, lychee, longan, jackfruit, and sapodilla kinds are available for tasting. An excellent choice for a celebration that was initially sparked by a straightforward mango tasting.
Smith explains that even though it was a smaller gathering with over ten different mango kinds to sample, the guests absolutely adored it. It got us to thinking about how we could host a celebration using food and edible plants that would serve more people. Tropical tastings are held in many public gardens across Florida, allowing us to demonstrate that plants are not only aesthetically pleasing but also delicious.
Beginning at 9 a.m., the three-lecture series will teach people how to establish a food forest in their own homes.
Josh Jamison from Cody Cove Farm will start by teaching guests about fruits that grow quickly for their Florida gardens.
Taylor Walker, the horticultural manager of Bok Tower Gardens and a well-known fruit enthusiast, will then give a lecture on the fruits that thrive in the distinct microclimate of Lake Wales Ridge in Central Florida.
Following cleanup, Raleigh Barnes of Third Insight Design & Nursery will offer advice on edible landscaping, utilizing vibrant fruits and lovely flora to create a lovely yard.
There will be delicious refreshments and live music after. Drinks and food are served a la carte. Small meals will cost four, and fruits will cost one Bok Buck, or $1. Smith promises to be creative as well as delicious.
A deluxe tropical fruit cup with Chamoy and Taj n, jackfruit tacos, watermelon and Feta salad, curry shrimp over fragrant jasmine rice, and many more delectable tropical fruit-inspired meals will be served. These will be special plates made especially for the occasion that aren’t often offered in our cafe.
The margarita bar will also serve fruit-saluting adult beverages for seven Bok Bucks apiece. Watermelon mint, passionfruit, coconut mango, and strawberry are among the flavors.
She adds, “We’ll also have a lemonade and a delicious ginger-passionfruit-pineapple iced tea.”
The primarily indoor Fruit Fest is likely to revitalize foodies, outdoor lovers, garden and horticulture enthusiasts, and more.
Because no fruit is prohibited at this occasion.
Smith describes it as a “choose your own food adventure.”
You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram at @amydrooor on the OSFoodie account @orlando.foodie. [email protected] is the email address. Join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group for more culinary adventures.
If you go
Bok Tower Gardens entrance is $20 for adults, $10 for children aged 6 to 17, free for children under 5, and $10 for canines. The 3.5-mile Pine Ridge Preserve hiking trail is included in the single-day garden admission fee. In Lake Wales, Bok Tower Gardens can be found at 151 Tower Blvd.
