MangoMania on in Cape Coral

The annual festival of the tropical orange and green hued fruit continues today.

MangoMania, a two-day celebration of all things mango hosted by the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, can be found at the German American Social Club in Cape Coral.

Lisa Benton, executive director of the chamber, said she expects 11,000 people this weekend.

The festival features food and craft vendors, a children’s area, live music, plant sales and a tasting station.

At the station, Benton said, “They’ll get to taste different varieties of mangos.”

Doug Flowerree, owner of the Mango Factory, is helping to man the station. He said valencia pride and kent mangos are in season but keitt mangos will come in in a few weeks.

Gina Celso, a Cape resident, said she was surprised to find different varieties of mangos.

“I thought a mango was a mango was a mango, but I was wrong.” Celso said.

Tropical plants and mango trees also can be found at the festival. Ross MacDonald, director of the Koreshan Botanical Society, brought different varieties of mango trees to sell.

He said mango trees are a hearty plant, and summer is a great time to plant them.
“We’re almost sold out of half of them already,” MacDonald said.

A highlight of MangoMania is the noontime crazy hat parade.

Participants create crazy mango hats and strut their stuff in a parade led by the Mango Queen, Melissa Koferl.

Koferl was riding on her carriage, a golf cart, greeting her subjects Saturday. “It’s really turning out to be a really good day,” she said.