Got Grapefruit? Safety Harbor Does. Do You Know Why?

Grapefruits. 

Chances are if you’ve spent any time in Safety Harbor, you’ve either seen them painted on the sides of buildings, or you’ve heard the stories about the citrus fruit’s place in Harbor history. 

But do you actually know how many grapefruits grace the facades of downtown edifices? How they got there, and when? Why the grapefruit is so special to Safety Harbor? 

Thanks to Safety Harbor Patch, you’re about to find out. 

History of the Grapefruit in the Harbor

According to legend (and history books), the sweetly-sour citrus fruit was originally grown from a seed planted in the West Indies by English sea captain Samuel Shaddock.

Count Odet Philippe, who is said to be the first European settler in Pinellas County, was also the first person to introduce the grapefruit to Florida, back in 1823. 

While the fruit was both revered and reviled for its bitter yet enticing taste, it soon caught on and became a cash crop for Florida settlers, who shipped them up North to far away places like New York and New England. 

But enough about history. What you really want to know is ...

How, When and Why the Harbor Started to Celebrate its Favorite Fruit

Festivals. That’s how most special things — people, objects, seafood — are honored in the great state of Florida. 

According to Tampa Bay Musicians Co-Op founder Regina AaMacha, former Safety Harbor resident Nancy Foster came up with the idea for a grapefruit festival as a way to promote the town; a committee was formed, and soon afterward the inaugural Grapefruit Legacy Festival was scheduled for April 15, 2011. 

Almost immediately, acclaimed local artists and community activists Kiaralinda and Todd Ramquist came up with the idea to have area artists splash the grapefruit’s likeness on various buildings around town as part of the celebration.

“It originated with our association with Steve Spathelf of the Dunedin oranges fame,” Kiaralinda explained. “He’s done over one hundred of them in Dunedin, and we’ve done a lot a lot of work in Dunedin. So I thought, why don’t I get in touch with the people organizing the grapefruit festival and see if we could do something downtown with them?” 

With many business owners skeptical of allowing a food item to be painted on their establishment, city leaders stepped in and got the painting portion of the festival off the ground.

“When the idea came to the city, we immediately offered all six of our city-owned downtown buildings as a canvas,” Safety Harbor City Manager Matt Spoor said. 

“We asked Kiaralinda if City Hall could be the first one. We wanted to lead by example,” he added. “It’s one thing to say you support the art community and chamber, it’s another thing to have grapefruits on your buildings!” 

So the festival was set, the artists were ready to paint ... what happened next? 

Coming Together to Celebrate Grapefruit Heritage in Style

Thanks to the collaboration of countless city and community leaders:

• Twenty flashy, fruity images were applied to 17 downtown buildings with varying degrees of difficulty and style.

• AaMacha and her musicians penned and performed songs honoring the town’s grapefruit heritage.

• And the festival was a big success; this year’s edition was wrapped into the popular ChalkFest at the end of March.

Regarding the paintings, nearly 20 artists took to the streets to complete the grapefruit project over the course of a few days. Most were completed in time for the inaugural festival. 

In addition to Kiralinda, Todd and Spathelf, Stacy Roth, Kathy Harmon, Kumpa Tawornprom, Shannon O’Leary, Holly Bird and Janene Smith, among others contributed their time and talent to the project. 

Kiaralinda says she is willing to paint more grapefruits around town — for a fee this time. But she admitted she was proud to be a part of the original celebration. 

“We’ve been in this town for a long time, so it was a win-win for everyone,” she said. “We don’t need (Safety Harbor) to be big, but we need it to be fun and full of things to do!” 

If you would like to commission a grapefruit to be painted at your establishment, contact Kiaralinda at kiaralindastudios@me.com. 

A map is available here to help curious art and fruit connoisseurs make their way along the grapefruit trail.

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