Highlands County Talk

Christmas is celebrated in the Heartland with four Christmas Parades. Each parade will have its own thene with floats entering from local schools, businesses and organizations; marching bands and dignitaries wawing at spectators from a variety of decorated conveyances. The first parade willb e held in Avon Park in November, the first Monday after THanksgiving and is sponsored by the Avon park Chamber of Commerce. The parades starts at Anoka and Main streets, widning east and disbanding at Delaney Avenue. Usually there are from 90 to 100 entries. The Lake Placid Jaycees host the town's Christmas parade the second Saturday in December. The parade starts at the intersection of Main Street and Interlake Boulevard, and local businesses are open for customers who would like to combine Christmas shopping with parade watching. The Sebring parade is held the first Friday in December and starts on South Commerce in Sebring, winding downtown. This Christmas parade is sponsored by the Sebring Chamber of Commerce and Cohan Radio Group. The Wauchule Christmas Parade takes place the first Saturday in December on Main Street ind downtown Wauchula. The parade is sponsored by the Wauchula Chamber of Commerce. Since the four Christmas parades are set for a different date in each community, a person could attend all of them without too much trouble.

Local veterans organizations host a number of events during patriotic holidays each year in Highlands County. Members of these organizations can always be seen in parades celebrating patriotism on the Fourth of July, instructing students in flag folding, flag raising and flag burning and selling poppies to raise money for veterans on memorial and Veterans days. Veterans also join with other organizations such as the Elks, Moose adn Eagles clubs for flag raisings and celebratory dinners, breakfasts and programs to commemorate the day. Besides all these things, veterans support the Jr. ROTC program in the schools and sponsor essay contests on patriotic subjects with the winner warded a scholarship to further his or her education. Highlands County veterans are an active and dynamic force in the community.

Avon Park--Boat ramps on Arbuckle Creek, Lake Adelaide, Little Lake Bonnett, Lake Damon, Lake Denton, Lake Glenada, Lake Isabelle, Lake Lelia, Lake Letta, Lake Olivia, Lake Lotela, Lake Pioneer, Lake Viola, Little Lake Redwater.  There are picnic facilities at Lake Glenada and Lake Letta. There is a fishing pier at Lake Glenada.  There is a 2-mile sidewalk around Lake Olivia for pedestrian/bicycles.

Sebring--Boat ramps at Arbuckle Creek, Dinner Lake, Lake Istokpoga (2), Lake Josephine (3), Lake Sebring, Red Beach Lake, and Wolf Lake. 

At Istokpoga Park, there are many improvements including picnic facilities, bathrooms, nature trails, and a large pier and boardwalk.  Many fishing tournaments are hosted here.  The park is designated on the Great Florida Birding Trail.  It has on-site security and paved parking.

Desoto City Park and Lincoln Heights Park have softball fields for public use.  Desoto City also has picnic facilities and is located on 5 acres of a park-like setting.  Lincoln Heights has basketball courts and a playground.

The Preserve of Sun n' Lakes is a 1350-acre nature preserve, purchased by Highlands County as a wildlife corridor.  The recreation is mostly passive, including birdwatching, nature and off-road bike trails, and fishing.  No driving, hunting or camping is allowed on the site.

Lake Placid
Windy Point Park, located on the south side of Lake Istokpoga, also has many amenities for outdoor enthusiasts.  It contains double boat ramps, restrooms, picnic facilities, nature trails, lighted paved parking, and a youth fishing area on-site.  There is also law enforcement located at the site for security. 

Boat ramps on Lake Istokpoga, (2):  Boggy Branch and Lake Drive. There is also another double boat ramp at the Windy Point Park, which was discussed in my previous e-mail.   There are also boat ramps on Lake June at HL Bishop Park, Lake Carrie, Lake Childs (2), Lake Clay (2), Lake Francis, Lake Apthorp, Lake Huntley (2), Lake Persimmon, and the RK Butler Campground on the Kissimmee River.

Carver Park, located in the Highway Park subdivision, has a basketball court, picnic pavilion, lighted baseball field, and playground.

HL Bishop Park, located on Lake June has a clubhouse that can be rented for functions and a playground, basketball court, fishing pier, boardwalks, permitted swimming area, restrooms and picnic facilities.

Picnic pavilions are also located on Lake Childs and at Lake Drive boat ramp in Lorida.

The RK Butler Campground, located on the Kissimmee River, has 8 improved campsites.  Amenities include a playground, comfort station, bar-b-q and picnic facilities, electrical hook-ups, dump station, basketball court, and a resident manager for security.

This article was originally posted on http://sebring.activerain.com/

Avon Park is a community of approximately 10,000 located in Central Florida just norht of Sebring and Lake Placid. This small town is known as the "City of Charm" and offers a variety of reasons for visitors to consider it as a great vacation spot. With more than 30 lakes within the immediate vincintiy of Avon Park, there are plenty of opportunities for swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, picnicking and camping. There are over 11 golf courses in the area along with walking and hiking trails and Avon Park is also home of the Avon Park Bombing Range.

 Andrea Mills - "3116 Glacier Ave - Sebring FL" Copyright 2008 *All Rights Reserved

This article was originally posted on http://sebring.activerain.com/