Pasco County, Florida
Dade City
A whole town festival for a citrus fruit most of the country has never eaten.
The Kumquat Festival: an entire town festival for a citrus fruit most of the country has never eaten.
What this place is
Why Dade City is here
The Hatton post office became the Dade City post office on 18 December 1884; the town reincorporated as a city on 5 June 1889 and became the seat of Pasco County when the county was created in 1887.
Kumquats. The fruit grows here in quantity and the town built its annual festival around it.
- Kumquat harvest: November to March
- January — Kumquat Festival
Worth the trip
What to look for
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The courthouse square, home to the Dade City Cruise-In car show.
- 02
The Pioneer Florida Museum, opened on Labor Day 1975, holding a 1913 locomotive, a Methodist church, a pre-Civil War house, an old school and a train depot.
Time your visit
The weekend that matters
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January
Kumquat Festival
Running since 1998
Held each January in downtown Dade City and drawing tens of thousands. The star is kumquat pie, a Pasco County speciality, alongside kumquat jelly, butter and the fresh fruit itself.
Hotels, inns, rentals and campgrounds
Where to Stay
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Campgrounds
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Campgrounds
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Vacation Rentals
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Campgrounds
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Campgrounds
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Campgrounds
Restaurants, seafood, cafes and bars
Where to Eat
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
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Seafood · $
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
Parks, beaches, museums, tours and charters
Things to Do
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Parks Nature
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Parks Nature
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Museums History
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Parks Nature
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Golf
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Golf
Dade City on the record
Pictures of the place
Archive and Creative Commons photographs of Dade City. Nothing here is generated; every image is credited to the person who took it.
74 guides, written from this town’s own record
Guides
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The Best Things to Do in Dade City, Florida
The kumquat is the size of a large olive, with sweet skin and sour pulp, and for one weekend each January, Dade City turns its entire downtown into a shrine to it.
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The Best Restaurants in Dade City, Florida
Dade City’s restaurant scene is smaller than Tampa’s and proud of it—here is where to eat in the seat of Pasco County, from the courthouse square to the US-301 strip.
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Where to Stay in Dade City: Hotels, Inns and Rentals
The fruit is a kumquat: small, sour-skinned, sweet-hearted, and the reason this town throws a party every January. You can sleep here too.
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A Weekend in Dade City: What to See, Eat and Do
The kumquat is the size of a grape, looks like a tiny orange, and is eaten whole, rind and all, a sour-sweet shock that most of America has never tried. Dade City grows them by the ton and throws a festival for them every January. That tells you most of what you need to know about this town of 7,570 people, the seat of Pasco County, where the courthouse square still anchors life and the biggest local debate is probably whether the kumquat is better in pie or eaten out of hand.
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16 Things to Know Before Visiting Dade City, FL
Dade City throws a whole festival for a citrus fruit most of the country has never eaten. Here's how to make the most of it.
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The Best Time of Year to Visit Dade City
The best time to visit Dade City is late January, when the town’s most famous crop takes over the courthouse square and the streets around it.
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Dade City vs Wesley Chapel: Which Florida Town to Visit
Dade City's January Kumquat Festival is the rare small-town event that hasn't been polished into a generic street fair—it's built around a fruit most of the country has never tasted, and that's exactly the point.
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The History of Dade City in 6 Landmarks
Dade City's history is a matter of public record, not legend, and these six landmarks tell the story straight.
Public record
Dade City by the numbers
- 7,570Residents (2023)
- 3.2% Homes held for seasonal use
- 162 Places in this guide