Springtime Tallahassee

Springtime Tallahassee is an annual event held on the first Saturday in April in Tallahassee, Florida, United States celebrating Tallahassee's history and culture.

Springtime Tallahassee began in 1967 as a concept to keep Tallahassee as the state capital. At the time, Florida had its first Legislature based on reapportionment in which Florida legislators from southern and central Florida were insisting that the capitol be in a more centralized location.

Tallahassee's civic and business leaders mapped a strategy and proposed it to their legislative delegation asking for help. As the legislative session advanced, unkind comments about Tallahassee were made by legislators. This prompted the Junior League of Tallahassee with the Junior League taking the southern and central legislators' wives on a bus tour of old homes in Tallahassee and nearby Monticello. This drew an enthusiastic response. The Rotary Club produced a Chamber of Commerce bulletin called You can see everything in Tallahassee in one hour! and published a historical tourist volume called Tallahassee In View which included excerpts from the long history of Florida’s capital city and the surrounding area.

By Autumn of 1967 there were 20 various groups planning the First Annual Tallahassee Spring Festival. The first festival featured the Apalachee Jubilee with a parade and pageant commemorating the selection of Tallahassee as the capital of territorial Florida.

In 1969 A.F. “Pete” Rich lead a men's group to organize and give direction and financial support to the idea of a festival and his wife, Mrs. Jean Rich, served as General Chairman of the festival. A chartered organization called SpringTime Tallahassee, Inc. dedicated itself to advertise and promote the history and beauty of Tallahassee and its people to all Floridians and welcome them.

By 1970, Springtime Tallahassee membership was increased to 200. By 1971, Springtime Tallahassee changed the format and divided the organization into five krewes which would depict Tallahassee history by historical periods.

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