Lemon Bay Fest was founded in 2002 to celebrate the arts, culture, and history of Lemon Bay.

Every year the Elsie Quirk Public Library and the Englewood Charlotte Public Library have partnered together to create a week of programs and displays.

We hope you enjoy them all!

Schedule of Events:

February 1, 2025

11:00 am - 12:00 pm: Seashells 101 - Englewood Shell Club

The Englewood Shell club will share their enthusiasm for shells and the local environment. Shells from the Club's collection will be on display as members share an overview of local shells and best conservation practices on the beach.

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Englewood Museum Open House

Learn about Englewood's history through the many local artifacts preserved here.

Historic Lampp House

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Good Day Sunshine State: The Beatles in 1964 Florida - Bob Kealing

Through dozens of primary interviews, letters, photographs and court transcripts, Bob Kealing chronicles the Beatles' travels in this presentation through the potboiler that was 1964 Florida.

February 3, 2025

9:30 am - 12:00 pm: Lemon Bay Woman's Club Open House

Learn about this recognized Sarasota Historical Building and its role in Englewood's early history.

Lemon Bay Woman's Club

10:30 am - 12:30 pm: Sewing Zesty Microwavable Heating Pads - Registration Required

Join Elsie Quirk Library staff to learn how to make your own microwavable heating pad with a relaxing lemon lavender scent and a hand-sewn lemon design.

Elsie Quirk Library

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: American Roots Music Roadshow - Vermont's Easy Street

Lisa Brande and Mark Trichka of Vermont's Easy Street will present an upbeat jaunt through American history in story and song featuring Bluegrass, Swing, Country, Cajun and Zydeco and some early Rock and Roll music.

Elsie Quirk Library

February 4, 2025

10:30 am - 11:30 am: Telling Florida Food Stories - Dalia Col0n

Journalist and author Dalia Col0n of WUSF's "The Zest" podcast explores Florida's history through the lens of food -- from indigenous food, to the rise and fall of the citrus industry, to modern sustainability efforts.

Elsie Quirk Library

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Breaking Down the Myth of the 'Pirate' Jose Gaspar Neil Durrant

Join Charlotte County History Librarian Neil Durrant for a discussion about the myth of Jose Gaspar, the fictional Spanish pirate who terrorized the Gulf of Mexico from his base in southwest Florida during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Englewood Charlotte Public Library

February 5, 2025

10:30 am - 12:30 pm: Artistic Shell Design - Registration required

We will decorate shells collected from our local beaches using vibrant napkins and Mod Podge, transforming them into stunning keepsakes.

Elsie Quirk Library

11:00 am - 2:00 pm: Englewood Museum Open House

Learn about Englewood's history through the many local artifacts preserved here.

Historic Lampp House

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Englewood: Charlotte's Redheaded Step Kid

Join Author James Abraham for a presentation about how ill-fated Englewood never really recovered from the Great Depression and the diverting of U.S. 41.

Englewood Charlotte Public Library

3:45 pm - 4:30 pm: Lemon Lab

Join the children's librarian to conduct some experiments and learn all about acidity! Recommended for ages 5 to 8.

Elsie Quirk Library

February 6, 2025

10:30 am - 11:30 am: A History of Indian Mound Park - Clay Bush

Join Sarasota County Archaeologist Clay Bush for an exploration of the history of the site at Indian Mound Park, plus how archaeologists identify, interpret and protect significant coastal sites like it.

Elsie Quirk Library

10:30 am - 11:30 am: Little Adventures - Lemon Bay Fest Edition

Join us for story time filled with a variety of early literacy activities that include music, stories, movement, crafts and school readinessall about lemons! Recommended for ages 2 to 5.

Elsie Quirk Library

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm: The Industrial Development of Charlotte County

Join Charlotte County Historian, Dr. Jennifer Zoebelein, for a discussion of how the railroads and phosphate contributed to the industrial development of Charlotte County.

Englewood Charlotte Public Library

February 7, 2025

10:30 am - 11:30 am: Guiding Lights: An Illustrated History of Florida's Most Famous Lighthouses

Join author Liz Coursen as she discusses the little-known but vital role that lighthouses played in Florida's history, using colorful vintage postcards and contemporaneous ephemera, in this lively and fast-paced lecture.

Elsie Quirk Library

10:30 am - 2:30 pm: Cookie House Tours

Join Charlotte County library and history staff for a tour of the historic "Cookie House" at the Cedar Point Environmental Park.

Cedar Point Environmental Park

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Rachel Carson: Their Books Changed the World

Join author Betty Jean Steinshouer for a presentation celebrating the women who started the environmental movement, with "The Everglades: River of Grass" in 1947 and "Silent Spring" in 1964. Without them, much of Florida's beautiful flora and fauna would have been lost.

Englewood Charlotte Public Library

February 8, 2025

10:00 am - 4:00 pm: Cracker Fair

Come on down to the newly renovated Pioneer Plaza on DearbornStreet for the Cracker Fair sponsored by the Lemon Bay Historical Society. Music and fun for the whole family with kid's games, crafts, historical presentations, food vendors, artists, a lemon dessert contest and more.

Pioneer Plaza

10:30 am - 11:30 am: Cracker Chidlings - Betty Jean Steinshouer

Join author Betty Jean Steinshouer for a discussion about MarjorieKinnan Rawlings and Zora Neale Hurston, from "Seraph on the Suwanee" to "The Secret River", examining the Jim Crow-era friendship between two of Florida's most celebrated authors.

Englewood Charlotte Public Library

1:30 pm - 3:45 pm: Movies: "Patrick Smith's Florida" and "Cracker"

Join us in wrapping up Lemon Bay Fest with a double movie feature and light refreshments. These films highlight the importance of preserving Florida's unique past, showcasing the lives of those who embody its "Florida Cracker" heritage.

Elsie Quirk Library

Date: February 1 - 8, 2025

Location: Various Venues In Englewood, FL

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