FESTIVAL HISTORY

Welcome to the Swamp Cabbage Festival History Archive, where we celebrate the rich heritage of LaBelle, Florida. Here, you'll find records of past festival Queens, honored pioneer families, and parade Grand Marshals who have shaped our community’s legacy. Explore this archive to learn about the remarkable individuals and families who have contributed to the spirit and traditions of the festival throughout the years.


How it all began... was in 1966, the newly formed LaBelle Jaycees were searching for a project to sponsor that would benefit the entire community. Gary Lucia, the organization's first president, appointed T. E. Hedges and Bernard Rasmussen to study the idea and develop a proposal. Noting the abundance of sabal palms, or as they are called locally "cabbage trees," in the area and remembering their importance to early settlers as both building material and food, Rasmussen suggested a "Swamp Cabbage Festival." Hedges added this should be popular with visitors who had heard of the native delicacy - also known as "Hearts of Palm" - but had not tried it.

The Jaycees adopted the project and began promoting an old - fashioned pioneer festival honoring Florida's State Tree. The idea caught the community's imagination and as ideas started to snowball, other organizations were invited to participate. Soon, all of LaBelle was involved in preparation for the first Swamp Cabbage Festival.

The first festival held in 1967 was such a success that LaBelle Jaycees organized a permanent Swamp Cabbage Festival Committee with representatives from civic groups and churches. The committee successfully guided the efforts of the community through the next five festivals, each one bigger and better than the ones before. Joe Thomas, Chairman of the 1973 Swamp Cabbage Festival, said, "the Swamp Cabbage Festival has become one of the major events in Southwest Florida because of the pride people here have in our community. The festival is our way of expressing this pride and an old-fashioned, but never out of date, American spirit of cooperation."


HERITAGE/PIONEER FAMILIES

2025 Bessie Gregory Family

2024 Steven Whidden Family

2023 Isom Dees Family

2022 none

2021 none

2020 R.B. Waldron Family

2019 Jesse & Irma O'Ferrell

2018 Bersabe & Ramon Rodriguez, Sr.

2017  Willie & William Harn Family

2016  Jaycees

2015  Pratt Family

2014  MaryAnn Driggers Kirkland Family

2013  Benjamin Guy Family

2012  O’Bannon  Family

2011  Eugene Rennolds Family

2010  MG Davis Family

2009  Oscar Langford Family

2008  Pendrey Family       

2007  Doub Family

2006  Felix Taylor Family

2005  Fait Ballard Family

2004  Alton Jones Family

2003  Asa Barton Townsend Family

2002  Kirby Thompson Family

2001  Flora Forrey Burchard   Hampton Family

2000  A.O. Ward & J.V. Francis Families

1999  Morrison J Bush Family

1998  Summerall Family

1997  Hodges Family

1996  Gad Curry Family

1995  Gaulding Family

1994  Small Family

1993  Deese Family                       

1992   Luckey Family

1991   Richards-Pfluge Family

1990   Maddox Family

1989   Cross Family

1988 John Samus & Margaret Parsons Family

1987   L J Nobles Family

1986   Jennings-Hand Family

1985   Miller Family

1984   Daniels Family

1983   Dyess Family

1982   Hires Family

1981   Hill-Akin Family

1980   Hans Christian Hansen

          Family

1979   Blount Family

1978   Thigpen Family

1977  Murray Family

1976   Carson Family

1975   Magill Family

1974   Millard F Yeomans Family

1973 Captain Francis A Hendry Family

1972   Thomas Howard Family

1971   Washington Hall Family

1970   W.T. Hull, Sr., Family

1969 Mrs. M.E. Forrey & the Burke Family

GRAND MARSHALS

2025 Myra Johnson

2024 Capt. Shawn Reed

2023 Mayor Julie Wilkins

2022 Steven Nisbet, Sr.

2021  no parade (covid)

2020 Rene Pratt

2019 Dr. Kai-Fu Chow

2018 Margaret England

2017 Joseph H. Thomas

2016 Jaycees

2015 “Uncle” Bill McGill

2014 Pat Beddingfield

2013 Mary Bartoshuk

2012 Nikki Yeager

2011 Charles Humphries

2010 Paul Pulletti

2009 David Childs

2008 Phillip Pelletier

2007 W.T. “Bill” Maddox

2006 Pat Langford

2005 Martha Raye Humphries

2004 Lucretia Strickland

2003 Rep. Joseph R. Spratt

2002 Jack Paul

2001 Jake Leicht

2000 Tully F. Dunlap

1999 Larry Woosley

1998 Henry R. Kirby

1997 Joe Risley, Jr.

1996 Mize Johnson

1995 Clara Hull

1994 Dallas Townsend

1993 Cecil Akin

1992 William E. Perry

1991 Robert L. Yeomans

1990 Doris Mattice

1989 June Smith

1988 Lois Barron

1987 L.J. Nobles, Jr.

1986 Darrell Harris

1985 Sherri Craichy

1984 Thomas A. Smith

1983 Ida Lofton Kirby

1982 Stan Wegscheid

1981 Gary Lucia

1980 Broward Parsons

1979 Bette Foote

1978 Blitz Wegman

1977 Dr. Elizabeth Brungard

1976 Onley R. Hull

1975 R.E. Burchard

1974 Frankye Cobb Thomas

1973 John W. Ash, Sr.

1972 Jack Patton

1971 Judge R.M. Harris

1970 J.R. (Jack) Spratt

1969 W.T. (Bill) Maddox

1968 W.B. Barron

1967 Robert E. Byrd

Festival Queens

2025 Kinley Rae Garrett

2024 Emmalee Grace

2023 Hailey Prince

2022 Grace Layne Ryan

2021 Novie Jo Kohutek

2020 Ryley Bowen

2019 Brooke White

2018 Mahalet Gonzales

2017 Alyssa Jonson

2016 Kasey Whidden

2015 Abby Arnold

2014 Ashley Curry

2013 Kayla Keller

2012 Mallory Allen

2011 Olivia Luckey

2010 Callie Burley

2009 Daphne Glisson

2008 Ashley Pitttman

2007 Esophia Higgins

2006 Maria Pridgen

2005 Amanda Rae Pittman

2004 Ashley Rose Barbery

2003 Ashley Murray Gomez

2002 Cathryn Gayle Miller

2001 Brittany Langford Kinney

2000 Amy Burchard Paul

1999 Melissa Oswald Howell

1998 Amanda Miller Gregg

1997 Inez deDeugd McComas

1996 Jennifer Danforth Berg

1995 Inez deDeugd McComas

1994 Sally Chipman Deroo

1993 Jennifer Danforth Dunn

1992 Lynnette White

1991 Kathleen Whitford

1990 Stacee Stinnett Seligman

1989 Susan Brant Hill

1988 Jennifer Dunaway Klinger

1987 Mara Woosley

1986 Heather Delance Spano

1985 Lori Jones White

1984 Jerri Lynn Merritt

1983 Leah Langley Furman

1982 Kimberly Dunaway Kemp

1981 Yvonne McGee

1980 Rena Ireland Dipofi

1979 Cynthia Mott Croley

1978 Chris Lehman Robbins

1977 Sonja Burchard

1976 Cheryl Wooten Hill

1975 Dana Thompson Crawley

1974 Terri Prescott

1973 Gaye Nobles Murrah

1972 Cindi Bass Sanders

1971 Sherri Woosley Carpenter

1970 Laura Miller Nolte

1969 Judy Burgess Puletti

1968 Deborah Cordell James

1967 Linda Stilwell Liddiard


Themes:

2026 - 60th Anniversary (Diamond)

2025 - Planes, Trains & Automobiles

2024 - Under the Big Tree Top

2023 - Wild about Hendry County

2022 - Red, White & Moo

2021 - Florida: 500 years of Cattle

2020 - The Roaring Twenties

2019 - Peace, Love & Swamp Cabbage

2018 - Through the Years

2017 - History, Heritage, Heart

2016 - 50th Anniversary (Gold)

2015 - Local Heroes

2014 - LaBelle's Best Family Recipes

2013 - Cracker Style

2012 - Spanning Time

2011 - 45th Annual

2010 - The town Stitched together with Love

2009 - Creating tomorrow's Heritage...Today!

2008 - Roots of our past...Strengthen our future

2007 - 41st Annual

2006 - 40th Annual

2005 - 39th Annual

2004 - 38th Annual

2003 - Swamp Cabbage Fun Fest

2002 - From our Heart to Yours

2001 - 35th Annual

2000 - 34th Annual

1999 - 33rd Annual

1998 - 32nd Annual

1997 - 31st Annual

1996 - 30th Annual

1995 - 29th Annual

1994 - 28th Annual

1993 - 27th Annual

1992 - Once Upon a Dream

1991 - Silver Anniversary

1990 - LaBelle, as I see it

1989 - 23rd Annual

1988 - LaBelle, Looking toward our Future...

1987 - Celebration on the Caloosahatchee

1986 - USA our Honor

1985 - 19th Annual

1984 - 18th Annual

1983 - Reflections of the Past

1982 - Suwannee River, Song of the South

1981 - 15th Annual

1980 - 14th Annual

1979 - 13th Annual

1978 - 12th Annual

1977 - 11th Annual

1976 - 10th Annual

1975 - 9th Annual

1974 - Pioneers 'N Progress (8th annual)

1973 - 50th Anniversary of Hendry County

1972 - 6th Annual

1971 - 5th Annual

1970 - 4th Annual

1969 - 3rd Annual

1968 - 2nd Annual

1967 - 1st Annual

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