The flame azaleas – the indigenous native species – are still in beautiful bloom.
The Polk County Ramp Tramp Festival is tomorrow, starting at 10:00. We usually hit the Delano market first, then head over for the festival. It’s usually a whole lot of fun, as it brings the old boys out. For a long time, there was an elderly gentleman who used to attend in his CCC uniform. You can usually also get bags of ramps there.
The Blue Ridge Trout Festival is next Saturday in the downtown park. You probably think that if you don’t fish, you won’t be interested, but you would be wrong. There’s some very good educational events that any naturalist would profit from, and some of the exhibits are interesting to almost anyone. Kids of all genders seem to enjoy it. Plus, the admission is $5, and the food trucks ain’t bad. There’s a fundraiser and dinner with silent auction at Merciers the night before, with – I’m told – over $7,000 worth of items for the silent auction. The education schedule is on the website.
http://www.blueridgetroutfest.com/