The locals are fond of saying this is where the Old West meets the Old South. As the oldest settlement in the heart of Florida cattle country, several blocks of downtown brick buildings have been herded into the Arcadia Historic District. The roots of Southern style folk architecture can be seen in such wood-frame structures as the Micajah T. Singleton House, the John Morgan Ingraham House and the Johnson-Smith House.
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The farming roots run deep in Arcadia as well. James Shelfer was planting oranges along Joshua Creek in the 1880s and today the family-run operation has been designated a Century Pioneer Family Farms. The heritage groves and packing house are open for tours. For a true slice of Southern cooking, Wheeler’s Cafe has been baking its trademark peanut butter pie since 1929.
The Old West comes to town every March for the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, featuring the finest bull riding and barrel racing in the Sunshine State. “The Granddaddy of ’em All” started in 1928 as a local fundraiser and is now a highlight of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Amateur saddle tramps can head out to Deep Creek Preserve southwest of the city for trail riding on more than 2,000 acres of pristine freshwater prairie and longleaf pine flatwoods.
The languid waters of cypress-draped Peace River have made Arcadia one of the favorite places to launch a canoe in all of Florida. Local canoe outfitters serve paddlers and also provide tips on finding prehistoric shark teeth and fossils along the waterway as it makes its way 106 unhurried miles to the Charlotte Harbor estuary.
For a town that prizes its heritage, it is no surprise that the Antique Fairs held the fourth Saturday of every month. These events are some of the largest antique gatherings in the South, with over 100 dealers and thousands of buyers. More than two dozen shops are members of the Antique Association of Arcadia, all bunched into a four-block area ideal for browsing. Along the way, you’ll discover why Arcadia boosters like to brag that theirs is the “Best Small Town in Florida.”
