Subj : Edison Festival of Light Mid-January through mid-February
To   : All
From : Mike Dippel
Date : Mon Feb 02 2026 10:07:54

Edison Festival of Light

Most people associate Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) with his famous laboratory in 
Menlo Park, New Jersey. 

But when he was 38 years old, a widower and seriously ill, his doctors sent him to 
Florida for a long vacation. 

There he discovered giant bamboo growing along the Caloosahatchee River. 

He established his winter home in Fort Myers and planned to use the bamboo fiber to 
make filaments for his new incandescent electric lamp bulbs.

The Edison Festival of Light, held annually in Fort Myers for more than three weeks, 
encompassing his birthday ( see Edison's Birthday), began as a three-day event in 1938.

Highlights of the festival include concerts, the coronation of the King and Queen of 
Edisonia, a children's parade, fireworks, exhibits of Edison's various inventions, and 
exhibits of regional inventors. 

The Grand Parade of Light˙a nighttime procession of more than 100 bands, floats, and 
marching units˙is the festival's grand finale. 

Edison's winter home and his Florida laboratory are open to the public year-round.

Info: 1300 Hendry St.
Fort Myers, FL 33901
239-334-2999; fax: 239-334-7418
www.edisonfestival.org

Full story:
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Edison+Festival+of+Light
 
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