Everyone loves a fair. It could be a country event staged in a muddy field or a world-class extravaganza running for months in the heart of a big city, but fairs of all kinds always draw throngs of visitors to their attractions. The first fair I remember attending was the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. We attended five times, and I never forget that my grandmother loved the Mormon Temple Pavilion because she could sit in a comfortable chair in an air-conditioned room and watc

Here in West Orange County, we're treated to any number of Halloween celebrations. Long gone are the days when children draped under faded fitted sheets simply went door-to-door in search of a sugary fix. Halloween is big business now, with pop-up stores vending all sorts of complex paraphernalia. Cities and towns host trick-or-treaters in safe downtown environments staged by merchant associations, and church and school parking lots feature Trunk-O'ween events, guaranteeing c

1965. Jim is second row from the bottom, far right. I was originally front center but a bout of nausea caused the nun to bring me into the nearby sacristy for a whiff of smelling salts; then back to the photo opportunity, though now just steps away from the sacristy door, just in case... As our staff and volunteer crew at the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation prepare for our Oranges & Ornaments Festival of Trees , I can't help wallowing in the traditions of the 43 Christmases

I recently returned from a long visit to Lucca to attend the wedding of my second cousin once removed. After a day of dining receptions...

First of all, thank you for reading the blog and for the comments. We're always please to see how interested our Winter Garden Heritage...

After a friend read my recent watery post, https://www.wghf.org/post/fish-story , I was asked to elaborate on my "discovery" of West...

Sunset on Lake Apopka. The first time I remember going fishing was when my dad brought me down to the pedestrian path along Shore Road in...

I am not an interesting travel companion. While cohorts spend their days and nights swilling colorful cocktails (and their mornings...

Jim returns to his keyboard after a long, hot weekend planting, weeding, watering, and fertilizing. I'll never be rewarded with one of...

A treasured slice of our citrus history The reason the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation was formed in 1994 - we're in our 31st year! -...

The beautiful home is located in a neighborhood that's been known by three distinct names over the past 150 years. When Oakland's town...

That's how we advise newcomers when they ask for a condensed version of West orange County's history to share back home. While those...

The Meyer Lemon Since beginning my job at the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation in August 2012, I've been fascinated with all aspects of...

When I arrived in Central Florida in mid-1978, there wasn't much to say about West Orange County in the Howell Farms neighborhood I...

W hen we get a few minutes here at the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, after our (vintage carved wooden partners') desks are...