On June 16th at 5:30 PM The Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce and its Board of Directors and Membership celebrated the Harvest of Pine Island Mangoes. This was also the MangoMania 2016 Kick-Off party and the June After-Hours Card Exchange .

Jennifer Jennings, executive director of the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center and MangoMania coordinator, said at Thursday’s kick-off party, "The purpose today is to get all of our volunteers in place, and to announce to our community that it is MangoMania planning time; to also re-introduce our new Mango Queen – Summer Dooley- to the Greater Pine Island area, and to celebrate the harvest of Pine Island’s MangoMania crops by the blessing of the Mangoes”

The hosts of this year’s kick-off party and the blessing of the harvest of the Mangoes, was Tarpon Lodge in Pineland, Florida. A beautiful table was prepared with great finger foods, cheese platters, salmon dip and crackers, veggie platter and fresh fruit platter and cash bar for all the guests to enjoy.

The Queen and party guests were all asked to get a mango out of a basket and walk to the boat ramp to be a part of the Blessing of the Mango for MangoMania 2016.

The mango festival is Pine Island’s and Lee County’s featured summer attraction. MangoMania is the place to go wild for fruit as you walk the event grounds and sample locally-grown tropical fruits, foods, deserts and drinks. ”

The Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce will have large tents at the event with all kinds of local grown fruits and, of course, Mangos. MangoMania is a celebration of all the tropical fruit grown on Pine Island which includes Lychee, Carambola, Longan, Papaya and Chocolate Pudding Fruit. Vendors will be featuring exotic fruit trees, and fruit-related products will be available for purchase. The festival also offers live music, kid’s activities and rides.

Come out for the Mango Pie eating contest which is always a blast. This year the contest will be broken up into adults and kids to make it fair for all ages to compete. The event will also feature a Hula Hoop contest, Mango Hat decorated contest and Hat Parade, Mango corn hole contest, Mango Generation Gap Relay, Mr. Mango Head Contest, Mango Juggling contest, Largest Mango contest and our Professional & Amateur Mango food contest.

Make sure to get your 50/50 raffle ticket a winner will be selection on each day, you do not have to be at the event to win. Purchase a Mango 50/50Raffle Ticket areas will be setup around the park, one for $5 or 5 for $20. The tickets will be placed in a large Mango Spinner at the main stage on wins will be pulled Saturday & Sunday around 5:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the event or online at www.MangoMania.net

But if this isn’t enough, then we’ve got two full days of live entertainment by Trailer Park Barbie and the Boys, Hot Flashz, Ben Jarrell & the Wildwood Weeds, Chasing Dallas, Ben Prestage and Pine Island Dance Troop. Something for everyone, meet this year’s MangoMania Queen Summer Dooley.

Come and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of MangoMania Tropical Fruit Fair. It will again be held at the
German American Social Club
2101 SW Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, Florida 33991

Saturday, July 16th - 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 17th - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Ticket Pricing: $6 for adults, $5 in advance, tickets can be picked up at the Chamber building or online at www.MangoManiaFL.net, free for children 10 and younger.

For more information about the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce or the 20th Annual MangoMania Tropical Fruit Fair call Jennifer Jennings at 239-283-0888 or log onto www.MangoManiaFL.net