LaBelle — For 57 years, this authentic Florida town east of Fort Myers has been celebrating swamp cabbage in a down-home festival and parade.
The Swamp Cabbage Festival takes place every year on the last weekend in February.
Swamp cabbage — it’s called hearts of palm when you pay $10 for it in a fancy restaurant — comes from the state tree, the sabal or cabbage palm.
The festival is the sort of small-town extravaganza where teen-age girls vie in a beauty pageant, the high school band plays “Louie Louie” in the parade, and folks debate whether the big entertainment is the rodeo or the armadillo races.
The festival bills itself as “family festival with no alcoholic beverages” and organizers expect 30,000 to 50,000 people over festival weekend.
The festival is free and fills the city’s waterfront Barron Park, North State Road 29 at the Caloosahatchee River.
Swamp Cabbage Festival tentative schedule
- This is the traditional schedule. It has not been updated with changes for 2023.
- Parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday in front of the Dollar General Market and ends on Bridge Street in front of the Catholic Church.
- Heritage Boat Tours on Calosahatchee River.. Advance tickets are encouraged.
- Hendry County Cattlemen Association Annual Ranch Rodeo is held Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday at 10 a.m. It’s $10 for adults; kids under 10 are free. (These are 2021 prices and may change.)This takes place at the rodeo grounds on State Road 29. The rodeo features homegrown Florida cowboys and cowgirls and is a qualifying event for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association state championships in Kissimmee. Details.
- Classic car show, Sunday at the wharf along the Caloosahatchee River. Details.
Here’s more information on the Swamp Cabbage Festival website.
The armadillo races, managed by the Rotary Club to raise money for scholarships, occur at intervals throughout the festival.
If you love armadillos, you’ll get 15 seconds of fun from this armadillo “dancing.”
Historic LaBelle, home of the Swamp Cabbage Festival
LaBelle started as a town located right on the main drag, the Caloosahatchee River, because at the turn to 19th Century, rivers were the highways of Florida. The region was populated by cattle and citrus farmers and in 1895, landowner Captain Francis Hendry platted the town that would become the seat of the county named after him.
While a 1928 fire destroyed many of the original buildings, a few remain and the historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town, however, is now in a decidedly out of the way location and its historic downtown is a work in progress.
We had a terrific lunch in a beautifully restored downtown cafe called the Forrey Grill, with a tasty blackened grilled chicken on a croissant sandwich and fresh crunchy homemade potato chips.
We’ve also enjoyed excellent barbecue at Log Cabin BBQ, 480 W Hickpochee Ave. You’ll want to stop here after reading all the reviews on Yelp. The free soup was especially good. (Yup, free soup for everyone.)
Where is LaBelle?
Labelle is 28 miles east of Fort Myers on State Road 80, also known as Palm Beach Boulevard. If you are coming from the east coast, Labelle is 98 miles west of West Palm Beach on State Road 80. And if you are travelling south from the Orlando area, take U.S. 27 south for 74 miles to Palmdale, where you pick up County Road 29 for the final 14 miles to Labelle. (See map below).
Places to explore near LaBelle and Fort Myers
- Exploring along the Caloosahatchee: Kayak trails, rustic scenery and small towns
- Kayak Telegraph Creek, unspoiled kayak trail 20 minutes from LaBelle
- Six Miles Cypress Slough Preserve
- Fort Myers Beach: Charming seaside getaway
- Lovers Key State Park for manatees, kayaking and beaches
- Mound Key State Archaeology Site
- Cayo Costa State Park: Dreams of a private island
- What makes Sanibel special and nine ways to experience it.
Find a room near LaBelle
Find a campground near LaBelle
Whisper Creek RV Resort, Labelle
The Glades RV Resort, Labelle
Upriver RV Resort, Fort Myers
Seminole Campground, Fort Myers
Check out this light-hearted documentary video about the festival:
NOTE: Florida Rambler is not associated with the festival nor do we sell or know where you can buy swamp cabbage, although you can find it in many supermarkets labelled “Hearts of Palm.”
The author, Bonnie Gross, travels with her husband David Blasco, discovering off-the-beaten path places to hike, kayak, bike, swim and explore. Florida Rambler was founded in 2010 by Bonnie and fellow journalist Bob Rountree, two long-time Florida residents who have spent decades exploring the Florida outdoors. Their articles have been published in the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, The Guardian and Visit Florida.