SMALL-TOWN FLAVOR

Historic Winter Garden is both happily hip and refreshingly retro.

Nestled on the southern shore of Lake Apopka, quaint Winter Garden refers to itself as “the charming little city with a juicy past.” Juicy, in this context, refers to citrus, the industry that sustained this once-remote Southwest Orange County outpost for much of the past century.

Now, however, Winter Garden boasts nearly 40,000 residents, few of whom have any connection with oranges beyond sipping a cold glass of the golden nectar with their breakfast croissants.

At the heart of the city is its vibrant Downtown Historic District, one of the most interesting and picturesque of any in the region. The district, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, encompasses about 100 acres bounded by Woodland, Tremaine, Henderson and Lake View streets.

Plant Street, the city’s lively main drag, is the heart of Winter Garden and has emerged as one of the most desirable destinations in Central Florida to dine, shop and stroll.

Residents of Horizon West, of course, will enjoy their own Village Centers and a major Town Center. But the development’s adjacency to refreshingly retro Winter Garden offers yet another, decidedly different diversion for area newcomers.

Early settlers of Winter Garden were primarily farmers, and not just of citrus. A year-round growing season, fertile soil and easy access to railroads serving northern markets meant that agriculture of all varieties flourished. 

Later, as Central Florida’s economy became more dependent upon tourism, the city’s proximity to Walt Disney World and other attractions provided another economic shot in the arm.

But it’s fair to say that Winter Garden didn’t really come into its own until the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy was established in 1986. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit worked with local governments around the country to convert abandoned rail beds into trails for walking, hiking and biking.

One result of that effort was the popular West Orange Trail, a 22-mile route that rambles right through the middle of Plant Street. In fact, the Winter Garden Station quickly emerged as a favorite stop for thousands of trail users every month.

Local boosters and businesspeople were happy to welcome the visitors, many of whom had never before been to Winter Garden and were delighted by its picture-postcard ambience and its neighborly attitude.

Today, about 1.3 million people annually visit downtown Winter Garden, which has become a cultural and commercial capital of Southwest Orange County. And there’s plenty to do and see.

The lovingly restored Garden Theatre, a circa-1930s movie house, is located in the heart of the Historic District. Now a performing-arts center, it hosts live theater, dance and musical programs as well as the annual Starlight Film Festival, which celebrates inventive, micro-budget productions.

 In addition, the city partnered with the Winter Garden Arts Association to convert the old Boyd Street Fire Station into a hub for visual art that now houses a gallery and a teaching facility. It’s the first step toward creation of an Art and Design District, which will offer artists both living space and studio space.

In addition, Winter Garden has become something of a mecca for foodies. There are an array of regionally recognized restaurants, including the critically acclaimed Chef’s Table at the Edgewater Hotel, where you can savor the likes of foie gras, terrine with over-toasted brioche and apricot balsamic gastrique. 

Then there’s the fire-grilled filet with celery root and potato purée at Thai Blossom, the seared tuna and homemade soup at the Moon Cricket Café and what’s been acclaimed by various critics as some of the best pizza in Central Florida at family owned Winter Garden Pizza Company.

Sure, it’s all very hip — except when it isn’t. Need to stock up on insecticides? Get a bottle of tail and mane shampoo for your horses or a 50-pound bag of feed for your catfish farm? Try Winter Garden Feed & Seed. With any luck, you may have a chance to share a moment with Pinkie, the neighborly pet pig who enjoys free run of the store. 

And the Heritage Foundation operates two museums: The Winter Garden Heritage Museum, located in the old Atlantic Coast Line Depot, and the Central Florida Railroad Museum, located in the old Tavares & Gulf Railroad Depot. Both of the museums offer free admission.

The Winter Garden Farmers Market, which won an “America’s Favorite” award from America’s Farmland Trust a couple of years back, is held every Saturday and features locally grown produce, fresh flowers, baked goods and even live entertainment.

Coming soon: a $2 million microbrewery and artisan market, to be built further up Plant Street. The microbrewery, part of a proposed project known as the Plant Street Market, would stretch the downtown west two blocks to Park Avenue.

Boosters say the Plant Street Market and brewery will be comparable to the East End Market in the Audubon Park neighborhood of Orlando, at which an erstwhile church has been transformed into a showcase for culinary artists and has become a dining destination.

Trains still play an important role in Winter Garden. On weekends, The Cannonball Express, a restored 1907 steam-powered locomotive, makes eight-mile passenger runs between Ocoee and Winter Garden ($20 adults, $15 for children 4 to 12).