The Redland International Orchid Festival, which was held last weekend at the Redland Fruit and Spice Park in South Dade, attracted orchid fans from around the world.
This three-day festival has been around for 25 years. It included local, national, and international orchids and other plant growers, horticulturists, and other enthusiasts. More than 10,000 people attended. live music performances, food pantries, orchids and other attractions.
Bartholomew Motes, the festival’s director and organizer, took over from his father, Martin, about five years ago. Bartholomew and his wife Karina have continued the festival’s legacy, aiming to increase attendance and vendor success while promoting orchid appreciation.
“We believe that everybody should have an opportunity to buy things at the best prices possible and have the widest variety,” said Bartholomew Motes. “And so that’s why we’re pretty accepting of vendors here.”
The festival featured innovative approaches to planting, including new agricultural systems, presented in attractive tents throughout the venue. Attendees also had the chance to participate in raffles and witness awards given for the best orchid plants.
Hector Rivera, who is Brazilian and works in North Miami, bought a huge orchid for $180.
“I am a collector,” he said. “I highly recommend this event to connect with more people.”
Francisco Palacios, the lab director of Plant Cell Technology, a company based in Washington, D.C., also visited the Fruit and Spice Park to sell his plants. He said presenters are teaching people to raise their own orchids at home.
“We find that this is something that anybody can do from their own home,” Palacios said. “We have all the materials for people to learn how to do this.”
