Here is the standard PR. I think it ended with 36 vendors and a AOS judged
show. Admission $5.



The Miami Orchid Festival, a major new orchid event, is coming to the
Tamiami Fair Expo Center(10900 Coral Way) on January 30th, 31st and February
1st. The Festival will be in some aspects the largest orchid event of the
season and hence is billed as "South Florida's Winter Orchid Extravaganza".
Truly national and international in scope, the Miami Festival brings
together forty growers from the US and around the world. Orchidists from
Malaya, Taiwan, the Philippines will join growers from Brazil, Venezuela and
Peru as well as local and national growers. Many of these leading orchid
nurseries have never before exhibited in South Florida and will be offering
the public new varieties of orchid species and hybrids not previously
available here.

The Miami Orchid Festival is a community based event with the sponsorship of
the Orchid Society of Coral Gables and with participation by the South Dade
Amateur Orchid Society, the American Orchid Society's Florida Carribean
Judging Center, the Coalition on Orchid Species and Orchid Mania(the
childrens' AIDS charity), all of whom will be contributing to the staffing
of the event and sharing in its success. An overwhelming majority of local
commercial orchid growers will also be exhibiting and vending. The event is
intended to bring the entire orchid community of South Florida together.

Staged exhibits will be mounted by both commercial and amateur groups. The
latter will, in a unique feature, be competing for cash prizes for the best
exhibits. Both individual plants and exhibits will be eligible for ribbons,
trophies and the much coveted American Orchid Society awards. The public is
also invited to bring plants for exhibit and judging on Thursday January
29th between 12 and 6 PM..

Orchid theme arts and crafts will be offered for sale as well as a full
range of supplies, materials and tools for all the orchid grower's needs.

Lectures by internationally renowned experts as well as growing classes for
amateurs and more advanced hobbyists will be presented. Local orchid
societies will be there during the entire show to recruit new members and to
help the public with their orchid related problems.

Miami's first orchid event of the year promises in many aspects to be not
only the first but the best!

For further information or to arrange photo shoots or other extended
coverage of this colorful tropical event, contact Dr. Martin Motes at 305
2474398 or email at