This April, pop off in Sebring.
There ’s a sorcerous fete about an 60 minutes and a one-half outside ofOrlandoeach spring , where the “ pop ” of opened soda bottles fill the air and the appurtenance of choice is sugary , bubbly drinks . No , this is n’t a beat - up - business - for - dentists convening — it ’s something so much sweeter . This carbonated wonderland of a weekend ( happening April 7 and 8 this class ) is theSebring Soda Festival , which provide more than 200 craft sodas to taste , along with everything from a Soda Pop Princess Pageant to a mascot dressed like a soda bottleful . When it come to fizzy beverages , nobody pours it up like Sebring .
It all begin in 2018 with Jeff Cannady , who was the first owner of theSebring Soda & Ice Cream Works , an ice cream parlor and shop in town that ’s stocked with craft and vintage bottled sodas . Cannady approach Sebring ’s chamber of commerce and tourism display panel about putting on an event focused on carbonate beverages , and the estimation appealed .
“ We realized that when you get wind about festivals in general , you take heed about draw of the same types of things over and over , ” said Liz Barber , who was the president and CEO of the Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce at the time . “ When we sit down down and thought about what Sebring has that most places do n’t have , a downtown craft sodium carbonate shop was one of them . ”
Sebring Soda Festival
Cannady was also an ambassador for the maiden fest in April 2018 , aggregate his business inter-group communication with soda ash provider and distributer with general sodium carbonate savvy to get things up and running . He also team up with Sebling ’s Chamber of Commerce , Tourism Development Council , and Community Redevelopment Agency .
“ We had a fantastic first year and Jeff ’s business got meddlesome as a solution , ” remembers Barber .
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notwithstanding , Cannady cease up decided to close down Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works before long after the fete .
“ Originally my first opinion was , well , you ca n’t close up , we just had an extremely successful event , ” remember Barber . “ So , I just kind of casually say , ‘ Well , have you call back about selling it to somebody ? ' and he ’s like , ‘ No , do you want it ? ’ ”
Barber and her married man Daniel decide that the answer was a resounding yes , purchasing the shop class a few weeks later . The patronage has since expanded to include a shop inLake Placid , and persist postulate with the Sebring Soda Festival . It sells bottles of the effect ’s pop featured soda brands , as well as tickets that are required to participate in the fete ’s soda tasting .
“When we sat down and thought about what Sebring has that most places don’t have, a downtown craft soda shop was one of them.”|Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works
While sodium carbonate is the centrepiece , the two - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. outcome has grown to include live amusement and that sal soda bottle mascot . The 2021 fete insert a Soda Pop Princess Pageant , and this year marks the addition of a Soda Pop Pre - Teen Pageant . In keeping with the event ’s report , contestants put on soda - related skits .
“ Their skit is their meter to shine and they show their personality , ” says Tenille Drury - Smith , President of the United States and CEO of the Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce . “ Last class , a lot of them chose to go more of a fifties diner theme , but this year , they ’re definitely getting very originative with what they ’re doing . ”
Other offerings include a tonic - themed pet costume contest , a pic booth resembling a jumbo soda caddy , nutrient trucks , and a Thomas Kyd fun zona with bubble party on the night of Friday , April 7 .
And then , of course , there ’s the soda ash sampling . trafficker mesa are managed by local nonprofit organizations who hand out condiment cup - sized servings of fizzing drinks .
“ It ’s a direction for them to rig up a booth and promote their non-profit-making , and in return , they distribute the sal soda tastings for us , ” says Tenille Drury - Smith , this class ’s festival co - personal digital assistant . “ Nonprofits that do help tend to come back year after year . It ’s a platform for them to be capable to share their mission and what they do . ”
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The festival ’s website lists the epithet of sodium carbonate pour out at the result , but Drury - Smith notes that these are subject to change . Among them , Avery ’s Beverages of Connecticut is a pop brand name that she thinks caters well to kid , in part due to their " Totally Gross Sodas " seam .
“ They have names like Unicorn Yack , Kitty Piddle , and Dog Drool ; those are playfulness spirit , ” she explains . In 2019 , Avery ’s even made a custom festival soda calledGator Grog .
Other vendor participants include Capt’n Eli ’s Soda of Maine , Boots Beverages in Texas , Hank ’s of Pennsylvania , and Boylan Bottling Co. of New York . About 200 cases of soda are purchase and delivered right before the fete , which number to around 2,400 bottles . Totally Gross Sodas aside , other selection incorporate more common savor — think root or birch tree beer , cherry red dope and ointment soda — with specialty varieties such as espresso , butterscotch , cucumber , and candied Baron Verulam .
Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works remains involved with the Sebring Soda Festival|Sebring Soda Festival
If you want to unite in on the tonic sampling , you could purchasetasting cardsfor unlike bit of samples . Cards start up at $ 6 for eight samples , followed by $ 15 for 24 and $ 25 for 48 . The cards are shareable , too , so that ( for representative ) a family of four can habituate a single poster to get stamped for sample distribution .
But if you hoard a exclusive placard to yourself , no one will judge you for it . Drinking down lots of tonic is the event ’s master attractive feature , after all .
The event includes many offerings beyond soda sampling, including food trucks.|Sebring Soda Festival
Local nonprofit organizations hand out condiment cup-sized servings of fizzy drinks.|Photo by Caroline Maxcy Photography, courtesy of Greater Sebring Chamber of Commerce
Available sodas are a mix of traditional and wacky flavors.|Sebring Soda Festival
