About LaBelle

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Full of friendly people and history, LaBelle is a town on the south side of the Caloosahatchee River, near Lake Okeechobee. In fact, in order to get to it, all we have to do is drive a short while from Fort Myers.

In comparison to Fort Myers, LaBelle is a small, scenic town. However, it is bursting with history. One of its most well-known landmarks is the Curtis Honey House. It is also well known among Floridians for its Swamp Cabbage Festival, citrus farms and lovely country architecture.

Back in the day, LaBelle was the cattle-raising center. Nowadays, although it is still popular among Floridian cowboys, it offers a lot more to the visitors. Its rich heritage and culture are what attracts us the most, and you can bet LaBelle delivers in terms of charm.

The Swamp Cabbage Festival

Throughout the last 50+ years, LaBelle, Florida has been the home of a festival with a rather unusual name: the Swamp Cabbage Festival.

Those who didn’t grow up in LaBelle would probably think that swamp cabbage is a very strange thing to build a festival around. However, LaBelle celebrates the sabal palm and its heart — AKA swamp cabbage. This type of palm is a part of the scenic surroundings of LaBelle.

Nevertheless, if we’re ever at this annual festival, we can taste some boiled cabbage and feel the history running through our mouths. The locals still prepare the cabbage according to the long-time Floridians’ recipes.

Furthermore, apart from food, this festival offers a lot in terms of entertainment. We can buy fried pumpkin bread, frog leg jam and try some gator tail and swamp cabbage fritters, but after that, we can enjoy ourselves while observing an armadillo race. Of course, there’s also a rodeo, as well as a parade, which is why LaBelle’s festival is one of the most exquisite events to visit.

How to enjoy ourselves in LaBelle, Florida

The Caloosahatchee River is one of the calmest places in LaBelle. Therefore, we ought to start our adventure by visiting Barron Park and the boat dock. Once there, we’ll have a chance to hear a whole range of birds singing and chirping. We might even notice a sizeable bass making its way through the sweet tea brown Caloosahatchee river!

Once we take in the calmness of the river, we can then move on to some people-watching. Indeed, LaBelle, Florida is popular among snowbirds and other tourists. They are all crossing the town’s bridge, looking for some sunshine in LaBelle and Fort Myers.

The bridge is a great sightseeing attraction, but after that, we mustn’t forget to visit downtown LaBelle. 

Downtown LaBelle

Located near the bridge that goes into the town, downtown LaBelle is the best place to be if we want to enjoy good food and fantastic shopping tours.

The first place we should visit is Miss Patty’s consignment store called “Formerly Yours.” A little bit of Southern hospitality won’t ever do us wrong, which is why Miss Patty’s is the place to be. Back in the day, this location was everything and anything under the sun. It was a furniture store, a lighting store, a dried goods store and even a florist. However, now its owner is Patty Ellison, and it offers visitors a chance to shop for antiques and crafts. In essence, this store is like reliving old memories. Just ask Peggy O’Ferrell, an employee at Miss Patty’s. Peggy moved to LaBelle, Florida in the sixties, so we bet she knows a lot about all the changes the town went through.

In terms of hospitality, Miss Patty and Peggy will make us feel right at home. Indeed, we will get coffee, water, and a spotless lavatory. What’s more, among the incredible treasures this store has to offer, we might just find something for ourselves. 

But what if we don’t have enough money? Well, Miss Patty thought of that too. She is one of those kind ladies who doesn’t want her customers to feel bad because they don’t have enough money on them. So, since credit cards are not accepted, we may pay her later by sending money in a prepaid envelope. Essentially, it’s the IOUs that work around here, courtesy of the utmost kindness of Miss Patty.

Harold P. Curtis Honey House

Ever since 1954, this place has been a hot spot in this little scenic town. It was always an attractive place to visit, yet its popularity grew even more once healthy eating and local agriculture had become popular as well. Its owner is Rene Curtis Pratt, and according to him, there’s been a great increase in terms of visitor traffic.

In fact, every year, some tourists visit LaBelle, Florida just for the honey. And, since there are many varieties we can choose from, it’s no wonder this place is famous. There’s mangrove, unfiltered sea grape, palmetto, orange blossom, and wildflower honey. Furthermore, we can also try “gator sauce,” gator jerky, honey candy, and jellies. What’s more, the owner even focuses on education as well, so we can find out interesting facts about the bees and see why they’re important whenever we visit the Honey House.

LaBelle Heritage Museum

Another downtown attraction is the LaBelle Heritage Museum. There, Joe Thomas, a history expert, can tell us all about this town’s history and introduce us to its culture. Joe himself came to LaBelle, Florida when he was ten, and he says that it’s the love for the river that boosted his interest in the town’s history when he was in sixth grade.

We can ask Thomas anything about LaBelle, and we can even check out artifacts and photos at the museum. One thing we must remember to ask him is to tell us more about the downtown hotel fire, which transpired in the fifties. Furthermore, there is an interesting collection of fossils we ought to explore. These fossils were found within 15 miles of LaBelle, Florida.

Where to Eat in LaBelle

We’re bound to be hungry after all that walking around and history immersion. Because of that, it’s best to soothe our hunger at the Forrey Grill where you can even sample some local craft beer, which is also in the downtown area.

However, if we would like to try some delicious BBQ and seafood and wonderful service, then Log Cabin Great American BBQ & Seafood is a must. Featuring wonderful cabin decorations and artsy fish and cowboy-themed trinkets, this restaurant is a favorite for many. But we don’t have to worry if we are not really up for BBQ. The restaurant offers an inexpensive Southern breakfast as well, which includes a country fried steak or gravy and biscuits.  Be warned this place is always booming.

Nevertheless, if we would like to spend some time in a friendly café, then Two Peas Café is just the place to be. Once there, we can order salads, fried green tomatoes, and even Granny Ella’s pies. The most popular choices of pies are the strawberry pie and the coconut cream pie — which are as delicious as they sound! 

And for some Mexican food, Taquería San Julian is unmissable if we’re craving some tacos al pastor (pork tacos).

The Arts in LaBelle

Once we’re done eating delicious food, we can always explore the Barron Park House Gallery. Once there, we can browse art (made by the locals) and even take part in art workshops.

And finally, if we’re interested in seeing a show, then we ought to visit the Firehouse Community Theatre. It’s situated right in the downtown area, and it offers a few shows every year. Thus, both locals and visitors can enjoy farces, comedies, and musicals right there in this small, but charming town.
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