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Show all (6)What's more American than Apple Pie? This week, it's an English Flower Festival and Tea. This uniquely British tradition of completely decorating a church in blossoms takes an American twist at Church of the Nativity. See over 30 floral arrangements created to the theme GOD BLESS AMERICA.
This weekend-long event is open free to the public and includes flower displays, musical performances, and traditional English tea. Festival times are Friday and Saturday, February 23 and 24 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday, February 25 from noon to 3:00 pm. Musicians will perform Friday and Saturday and English Tea is available the entire weekend.
Church of the Nativity presents this event with no entry free each year as our gift to the community, open to all. Flower arrangements are created by church members and they completely fill the church; everyone in the parish is involved, from the youth group on up. One of Nativity's flower arrangers is in her nineties and learned how to arrange flowers just to participate in this annual gift to the public.
Flower festivals, originally "Well Dressings", are an English tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, where people decorated the town well to show a community's gratitude for sparing them from calamity (such as the Black Death or drought). By the 18th century the tradition of “Well Dressing” transformed into “Church Dressing” where entire churches were bedecked in flowers.
In 2003 this English tradition came to Sarasota via British “snow birds.” At Church of the Nativity, many of their parishioners are from the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. These members arranged Nativity’s first flower festival to celebrate the first anniversary of Nativity’s new sanctuary with a British flair. The church has embraced this British tradition and made it part of our American celebration at Church of the Nativity.
While enjoying the fragrant displays, visitors can also hear local musicians perform. Friday morning at 11:00 am enjoy "The Sound of Elegance" with Harpist Bonnie Caplan. At 2:00 pm Friday afternoon the Sarasota Academy String Trio performs. Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 3:00 pm the Nativity Choir and guest artists present "A Tribute to Those Who Serve."
Church of the Nativity is located on Lockwood Ridge just south of University Parkway. For further information, call 941-355-3262. Flower viewing and music performances are free and open to the public. For those wishing to enjoy high tea, it is offered for sale in the fellowship hall throughout the Festival.
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