Brooksville Tangerine Festival returns to downtown, spotlights citrus heritage

Brooksville Main Street will stage the Second Annual Brooksville Tangerine Festival on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Brooksville. The one-day event aims to celebrate the city’s citrus heritage while providing free admission and free parking for residents and visitors.

Programming centers on locally sourced produce and community-driven activities. Fresh-picked tangerines from Wingate Farm will be a signature feature. Two stages of live music will provide continuous entertainment, and a Tangerine Treasure Market will showcase arts and vendors. The festival will also include a Tangerine Art Trail, a Tangerine Royalty Contest open to all ages (including a pet category), a family fun zone, food trucks and a sizeable car show expected to draw classic and custom vehicles to downtown streets.

Organizers and volunteers are highlighted as part of the festival build-out, and Brooksville Main Street is directing registration and participation questions to its own channels. The event’s free admission and parking lower barriers to attendance and create an accessible platform for small businesses, makers and farms to reach new customers.

The festival taps into Brooksville’s long association with citrus production, using that heritage as a platform to promote economic activity in the historic downtown core. For local vendors and Wingate Farm, the gathering offers direct retail opportunities and visibility; for restaurants and food trucks, it brings foot traffic that can matter for off-season revenues. For civic leaders and municipal departments, the event will require coordination around street closures, traffic management, public safety and sanitation—typical responsibilities when a central business district hosts a large public event.

Beyond immediate economic effects, the festival can serve as a civic engagement vehicle. Volunteer-run contests and staffed activity zones provide entry points for residents to get involved with Main Street programs, strengthening the informal networks that sustain downtown events. Free admission and family-friendly programming broaden who participates, potentially energizing younger residents and families who might not otherwise attend civic gatherings.

For Brooksville voters and local officials, the Tangerine Festival will be a visible example of how nonprofit-organized events and small-scale agritourism intersect with downtown placemaking and municipal services. If turnout meets organizers’ expectations, the festival could reinforce arguments for continued support of Main Street initiatives and downtown event policies.

The Tangerine Festival offers Hernando County residents a chance to enjoy local produce, live entertainment and community atmosphere while supporting small vendors and civic volunteers. Residents seeking to register, participate or volunteer should contact Brooksville Main Street through its official channels for details.