Small citrus fruit draw huge crowds
By Kyle LoJacono
Staff Writer
DADE CITY — For one day each year, more people pack into downtown Dade City than any other place all year in Pasco County. All those people make the trek for a peculiar orange fruit that comes into season each winter — the kumquat.
Specifically, they come for the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce’s annual Kumquat Festival.
“The fruit isn’t that well known like other citrus, so it gets people’s attention when they first here about it,” said Joey Wubbena, GDCCC president and co-chairman for the event since it began 13 years ago. “We don’t have turnstiles, but we have estimates of anywhere from 28,000 to 35,000 people who come out each year.”
This year’s festival is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 30 and is free to the public.
“It’s just amazing how many different types of crafts are available at the festival,” said Nita Beckwith, GDCCC executive director. “It’s a great place to go shopping for any type of arts and crafts because we’ll have about 380 vendors, plus a farmers’ market and prepared food too.”
Performers from several area dance studios will entertain audiences in the National Guard Armory, while country music bands play outside on the Florida Lottery Stage. Children can play in the bounce house, create with sand art or visit the butterfly garden, “Go Natural Butterflies,” where kids can see the insects up-close.
“There will also be an antique car show all day in the parking lot of the old courthouse,” said Susan Frimmel, festival co-chairwomen. “We will also have a horse drawn carriage giving people rides, the quilt challenge and a 5K (five kilometers or 3.1 miles) and 10K walk and a 5K run. So there is something for everyone.”
Frimmel has lived in Dade City for 15 years and has been a co-chairwoman for at least six years. She works for Pasco Regional Medical Center, which has been the presenting sponsor for the festival every year.
“I can’t even remember how many times I’ve been to the festival,” she said. “I just love all the arts and crafts and walking the streets seeing them. If you’ve never been to it you don’t know how much fun you’re missing out on.”
Kumquats may not be the most common piece of produce, but Pasco County actually grows more of the grape-sized fruit than anywhere else in the world. Kumquat Growers Inc., the world’s largest producer and shipper of the fruit, is based in St. Joseph, which is a few miles to the west of Dade City.
“They plant 45 acres of kumquat trees each year,” Wubbena said. “That might not sound like a lot, but because the fruit is so small you get a lot of them from each tree.”
The Kumquat was first cultivated in Southeast Asia. Unlike most citrus, the skin of the small fruit can be eaten. The only parts that are inedible are the seeds.
“I just love kumquat pie,” said Frimmel. “I don’t like it frozen solid, but I like it slightly frozen…They are pretty good for you too because one to two kumquats will give you your daily requirement of vitamin C.”
Wubbena will have the fruit any way.
“I love them just as a snack when they are in season like they are right now,” he said. “We are lucky because the growers got all of them picked before that long freeze happened a couple weeks back. Otherwise we might not have a festival this year.”
While it is a chamber event, the city has a lot to do with putting the festival together.
“Without the help of the city we couldn’t pull it off each year,” Wubbena said. “We get help from the Dade City Police Department and a lot of other government and volunteer organizations too to help with logistics and everything else that you need to put on something this big.”
For more information on the Kumquat Festival, visit www.dadecitychamber.org and click on the Kumquat Festival link on the left side of the screen.
KUMQUAT PIE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- One 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
- One 8-ounze container of whipped topping
- 2/3 cup pureed kumquats
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
PREPARATION
- Wash fruit, cut in half and remove seeds. Place in blender or food processor and puree until very smooth.
- Strain out most of the liquid with a cheese cloth. Too much liquid will make it hard to combine.
- Beat condensed milk and whipped topping together. Add lemon juice and beat until thickened. Add pureed kumquats, pour in pie shell and chill in refrigerator for four to five hours.
