South Florida's Winter Orchid Extravaganza - Tamiami International Orchid Festival

Miami International Orchid Festival, a major orchid event now in its
fifth year, is coming to the Sunshine Pavilion of Tamiami Fair Expo
Center(10900 Coral Way) on January 25th, 26th, and 27th 2008. The Festival has become in some aspects the largest annual orchid event of the season and
hence is billed as "South Florida's Winter Orchid Extravaganza".

Truly national and international in scope, the Miami International Festival brings
together fifty growers from the US and around the world. Orchidists from
Malaya, Taiwan, the Philippines will join growers from Brazil, Venezuela,
Equador, Singapore and Peru as well as local and national growers. Some of
these leading orchid nurseries have never before exhibited in South Florida
and will be offering the public new varieties of orchid species and hybrids
not previously available here.

The Tamiami Festival is a community based event with the sponsorship of the
not for profit Greater Miami Orchid Festivals, and with participation by
Orchid Society of Coral Gables, the South Dade Amateur Orchid Society, the
American Orchid Society's Florida Carribean Judging Center, the Coalition on
Orchid Species and Orchid Mania(the children's AIDS charity), all of whom
will be contributing to the staffing of the event and sharing in its
success. An overwhelming majority of local commercial orchid growers will
also be exhibiting and vending. The event is intended to bring the entire
orchid community of South Florida together.

Staged exhibits will be mounted by both commercial and amateur groups. The
latter will, in a unique feature, be competing for cash prizes for the best
exhibits. Both individual plants and exhibits will be eligible for ribbons,
trophies and the much coveted American Orchid Society awards. The public is
also invited to bring plants for exhibit and judging on Thursday January
24th between 12 and 5 PM.

Orchid theme arts and crafts will be offered for sale as well as a full
range of supplies, materials and tools for all the orchid grower's needs.

Lectures by internationally renowned experts as well as growing classes for
amateurs and more advanced hobbyists will be presented. Local orchid
societies will be there during the entire show to recruit new members and to
help the public with their orchid related problems.

Miami's first orchid event of the year promises in many aspects to be not
only the first but the best!

The festival is open to the public from 10:00AM- 8:00 PM Friday and Saturday
and 10-6 on Sunday. Plan to be there! Take either the 8th Street or Bird
Road exits of the Fla. Turnpike and follow the signs about a mile and a half
to the Fair Expo Center. The Festival is also easily accessed from the
Palmetto Expressway(826) at Coral Way. Proceed West to 109St.

Admission is only $7.00 and there is ample free parking convenient to the
fully air conditioned hall.

For further information or to arrange photo shoots or other extended
coverage of this colorful tropical event, contact Dr. Martin Motes at 305
2474398 or email at vandas@mindpring.com or visit

Blue orchid at 1888Orchids.com

www.miamiorchidfestival.com.