The Cabana at Jensen Dunes
Assisted Living and Memory Support
It’s finally that time of year! The annual Pineapple Art and Music Festival returns to Jensen Beach. But, visitors and some locals alike aren’t aware of the pineapple’s impact on the community’s history and the story behind this fruity festival. We rounded up a few fun facts as you gear up for the event:
- During the late 1800s, John Laurence Jensen, namesake of Jensen Beach, operated a pineapple plantation that produced and shipped over 1 million boxes of pineapples a year, earning the town the name “Pineapple Capital of the World.”
- Harsh freezes, fires and financial problems contributed to the decline of the pineapple industry in 1920, but the legacy still lives on today throughout the Jensen Beach area.
- The inaugural Pineapple Festival was held in 1988 in conjunction with the Jensen Beach Centennial Celebration and featured a concert by Marie Osmond.
- A main component of the festival is the Bahamian Market from the island of Eleuthera in Bahamas. Jensen Beach became a sister city to Gregory Town, Eleuthera, Bahamas in 1990.
The festival takes place in historic downtown Jensen Beach Friday, November 16 through Sunday, November 18 and admission is free all weekend long. Will we see you there?