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NEWS RELEASE TOPIC:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2009

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Oct. 12, 2009) – The beautiful colors and cooler temperatures can only mean one thing—fall is in full swing in Florida! Use this fall season to explore Florida outdoors. Get outside and experience the refreshing feel that autumn in the Sunshine Sates brings. Check out www.VISITFLORIDA.com for more Florida fall outdoor happenings.

(Listings are arranged from North to South)

PUNTA GORDA – The official kick off of the Holiday Season in Punta Gorda begins Nov. 21 with the Festival Of Lights. Festivities begin at 5:30 pm with Lee County Pipes & Drums. Guests can enjoy balloon creations by Luis the Balloon Man, face and body airbrush art, complimentary refreshments courtesy of Village Merchants, visits with Santa and live music in center court featuring “Sounds of The Virgin Islands Band.” Call (941) 639-8721 for more information.

PENSACOLA – The road to Fort Pickens has been closed to the public because of storm damage in 2004 and during that time, wildlife has flourished. Thanks to the re-opening of Fort Pickens Road, visitors can rediscover the wild side of Santa Rosa Island. Free ranger-led tours offer glimpses of area wildlife including armadillos, rabbits and red foxes. Other tours include full-moon walks, snorkeling, sea turtle education programs, star gazing, bicycle rides and candle-lit tours of Fort Pickens, a massive, brick fortress. Fort Pickens is also an excellent bird-watching destination; Great Blue Herons, Woodpeckers, a variety of woodland birds and the white-bellied Osprey with a wingspan averaging four feet have all been spotted there. Call (800) 874-1234 or visit www.VisitPensacola.com.

ST. AUGUSTINE –Starting Oct. 24, be a part of the nature explorations of Fort Matanzas National Monument. These ranger-led walks are part of a series of excursions, each exploring a different habitat or ecosystem at Fort Matanzas. The tours take place on the last Saturday of each month from 9:30 - 11:30 am. Fort Matanzas National Monument is located on A1A at the south end of Anastasia Island approximately 15 miles south of St. Augustine. For more information, call (904) 461-0116 or visit www.nps.gov/foma.

GAINESVILLE – The Florida Museum of Natural History hosts its fourth annual ButterflyFest Oct. 24 – 25 for a weekend of fun activities focused on pollinator conservation and gardening. ButterflyFest is a free, family-friendly event with activities and workshops emphasizing awareness and conservation of backyard pollinators and wildlife. This year’s event also features the first “Pollinator Photo Contest” with cash prizes awarded in junior and adult age divisions. Visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest or call (352) 846-2000.

OVIEDO – Join the Sunday Morning Bike Ride: Oviedo to Big Tree Park Oct. 18 from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Starting in downtown Oviedo, the ride is 21 miles roundtrip or about three hours. Riders will travel northwest on the paved Cross Seminole Trail from Oviedo to Big Tree Park in Longwood and return. For those who prefer a shorter ride, join in at the halfway point at Central Winds Park in Winter Springs. Participants must provide bike, helmet, water and snacks. The ride is moderate to strenuous. Contact (407) 719-7145.

ORLANDO – Central Florida’s largest Hispanic festival, Florida Calle Orange Festival Latino, brings together people of many nationalities, religions and backgrounds to enjoy food, music and dancing in the streets of downtown Orlando Oct. 25. Beginning as a primarily Puerto Rican gathering, this festival now encompasses a myriad of cultures – from Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Admission is $15 for adults, but free to children ages 12 and under. Visit rmpromotions.net/quepasa.html or call (407) 381-5310.

NAPLES – Naples Botanical Garden’s 170-acre tropical garden will open to the public in November 2009. Designed by what the Miami Herald dubbed a “dream team” of internationally renowned landscape architects, Naples Botanical Garden will also include a unique 90-acre nature sanctuary with seven different ecosystems that is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Visit www.naplesgarden.org for more details.

CLEWISTON – Visitors can learn about the unconquered Seminole Tribe of Florida at Billie Swamp Safari on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in the Florida Everglades. Swamp Buggy Eco-Tours and Airboat Rides depart daily through the untamed Everglades with abundant native and exotic wildlife including alligators, many bird species, hogs, élan, bison and more. Enjoy animal and reptile exhibits, boardwalk nature trail, and sample Seminole foods in the Swamp Water Café. A rustic camping village includes native-style chickees for overnight stays. Visit www.billieswampsafari.travel or call 1-800-GO-SAFARI.

Check out www.VISITFLORIDA.com for more great information about Florida’s great outdoors. For even more outdoor events and information, also visit www.GetOutdoorsFlorida.org.

VISIT FLORIDA is the official tourism marketing corporation for the state of Florida. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership VISIT FLORIDA has more than 3,400 tourism industry Partners and four major strategic alliances with American Express Travel Related services, AirTran Airways, Dollar Rent A Car and The Hertz Corporation. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, visit www.VISITFLORIDA.org.