Media and Travel Trade Inquiries

As an emerging Florida tourism destination, we welcome media and those who specialize in the travel space to experience and showcase this unique and special area of South Central Florida known as Sebring. Whether you specialize in print, online, broadcast or freelance, we invite you and your storytelling talents to explore and share everything the Sebring area has to offer. Simply fill out the form below with at least 3 weeks’ notice for a press trip or 7-10 business days for all other inquiries, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible. If you wish to stay up to date on upcoming events and other Sebring-related information, sign up for our newsletter here.

Information Request

This form is designed for members of the media and travel industry to request information about the Sebring region as well as support for media familiarization trips. Please note that if you are not a member of the media or travel industry, you can visit our homepage to learn more about Sebring and its surrounding areas or to plan your next trip.

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News

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Upcoming Events

Stay in the know of all things Sebring and find information for upcoming events here.

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Sample Itineraries

From raceways to nature trails, plan your ideal trip with the help of our sample itineraries.

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Explore

Explore like a local with our all-inclusive interactive map.

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Past Media Mentions

Use the collapsible content sections below to explore past media mentions of Sebring, Avon Park and Lake Placid, organized by category.

Discover Lake Placid: The Caladium Capital of the World | Florida Road Trip Season 10

Ben And Erin Napier Talk Filming New Season Of ‘Home Town Takeover’ In Sebring (Southern Living)

In Search of a Laid-Back Nature-Packed Florida Vacation (Chatelaine.com)

Best Days Trips from Orlando, Florida (Fodor’s Travel)

Erin & Ben Napier Reveal Home Town Takeover is Heading to Sebring, Fla. for Season 3 (People.com)

15 Best Things To Do In Sebring, Florida (Southern Living)

Last Minute Spring Break Travel Ideas (WFLA’s Daytime travel segment featuring travel writer Terry Ward)

Underrated Places to Visit in Florida (Afar Magazine mentions Lake Placid, FL & Sebring, FL)

21 Best Weekend Getaways in Florida (Conde Nast Traveler)

12 Florida winter destinations with direct flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul (Star Tribune)

20 Hidden Gems in Florida That Only Locals Know About (tripmemos.com)

9 Awesome Things To Do In Sebring, FL (tripmememos.com)

Florida Beyond Theme Parks and Beaches: Try These 10 State Parks (USA Today)

Caladiums Invade FOX 13 Studios

This Under-the-radar Florida City Has a State Park, Old-school Charm, and a 26,000-acre Lake (Travel + Leisure)

Sebring, Florida. Early Example Of Professional City Planning (florida-backroads-travel.com)

Mike Miller shares details of the City of Sebring’s history, as well as a few current attractions and activities.

The Florida Gems That Few Tourists See (Wall Street Journal)

Read of one journalist’s experience on the popular Cypress Swamp trail in Highlands Hammock State Park

Sebring Soda Fest on FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Watch Visit Sebring’s own Casey Hartt share samples of just a few of Sebring Soda Festival’s 200+ featured sodas with FOX 13 Tampa Bay and discuss the 5th Annual Sebring Soda Festival.

Fizzy Drink Lovers Shouldn’t Skip This Florida Soda Festival (Thrillist.com on the Sebring Soda Festival)

24 Best Weekend Getaways in Florida (Travel + Leisure)

See Travel + Leisure highlight Sebring at No. 14 of the Best Weekend Getaways in Florida

The Murals of Lake Placid, Florida | coastalbreezenews.com

Visit These 12 Incredible Charming Small Towns In Florida – Sebring in April 

The Best Small Towns in Florida Are Big on Charm (Country Living)

10 Cool Things to Do in Sebring, Florida (YouTube video by Travel Blogger Tamra Gruber of Y Travel Blog)

Travel Awaits – Best Things To Do

Author Melody Pittman attended the 2019 Soda Fest FAM and frequently includes the Sebring area in her media outlets

Florida Rambler – Sebring Soda Fest

Florida on a Tankful: Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works

Channel 13 (Orlando) & Bay News 9 (Tampa)

Florida on a Tankful: Maxwell Groves offers an old Florida front porch
Video: Florida on a Tankful: Maxwell Groves offers an old Florida front porch 

Florida on a Tankful: American Clown School

Channel 13 (Orlando) & Bay News 9 (Tampa)

Local Color: Lake Placid Festival is about a vivid plant

Florida on a Tankful: Town of Super Sized Art

Florida on a Tankful: A Carousel of Lights in Sebring

Florida on a Tankful: Art lesson in polymer clay
Video: Florida on a Tankful: Art Lesson in polymer clay

Florida towns claim to fame: We are #1

52 excuses to visit Florida’s Highlands County

A weekend getaway in Sebring promises a peaceful escape

Explore History, Charm, And A Scenic Drive To The Town Of Sebring In Florida

Wherever I May Roam Blog

Sebring, Florida: A Central Florida Town Everyone Will Want to Visit

Edible South Florida: Sebring and Surroundings

VISIT FLORIDA

Florida Travel: Welcome to Highlands Hammock State Park

Crazy Family Adventure Blog: Highlands Hammock State Park

Florida Rambler: Ancient oaks caress the soul at Highlands Hammock

Gillette Outdoors: Highlands Hammock State Park

Sebring Soda Festival 2019

Florida Travel Life: Sebring Soda Festival

Drugstore Diva: Everything You Need to Know about the Sebring Soda Festival

Local sodas are back at Sebring Soda Festival, April 3-4, 2020

Floridian Magazine: Sugar Sand Distillery

Solo Travel Girl

Florida Travel: Handcrafted Rum, Vodka, Moonshine and Whiskey at Sugar Sand Distillery in Lake Placid

News Sun: Good times, spirits

Rob’s Rum Guide

Sebring Area Fact Sheet

The Sebring area is becoming a popular vacation destination. Located just 60 miles south of Disney World and centrally located within a 2-hour drive from most major Florida cities, Sebring is home to the world-famous Sebring International Raceway, Highlands Hammock State Park, the Sebring Soda Festival and the Citrus Golf Trail, along with the nearly 100 freshwater lakes.

Sebring is a city in Highlands County nicknamed “The City on the Circle”, in reference to Circle Drive. The “Sebring area” also includes the City of Avon Park and the Town of Lake Placid, both in Highlands County.

Population

As of the 2017, census the population for the Sebring area/Highlands County was 102,883.

Land Area

The Sebring area, which includes all of Highlands County, comprises an area of 1,106 square miles.

Weather

Sebring’s climate is a humid, subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild, dry winters. Unlike most places with a similar climate classification, Sebring’s rainfall is clearly seasonal, with about 57% of the total rainfall occurring in June–September.

History

Founded in 1912, Sebring was named after George E. Sebring, a pottery manufacturer from Ohio who developed the city. He had a circular plan as the focal point for the city.  It was chartered by the state of Florida in 1913 and was selected as the county seat of Highlands County when the county was created in 1921. The village of Sebring, Ohio is also named for George E. Sebring (1859-1927) and his family.

Avon Park is the oldest city in the area and was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. The first permanent settler in Avon Park was Oliver Martin Crosby, a Connecticut native who moved to the area in 1884 to study the wildlife of the Everglades. By 1886, enough people had followed that the town of “Lake Forest” was founded. As president of the Florida Development Company, Crosby recruited settlers to the area, many of whom were from England, including many from the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, who gave the town its name.

Lake Placid has two nicknames: “Town of Murals” & “Caladium Capital of the World.”  The town has nearly 50 murals painted on buildings throughout the downtown, and 98 percent of the world’s caladium bulbs come from Lake Placid.

It was called “Lake Stearns” and was chartered in 1925. Dr. Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System and the founder of the Lake Placid Club in Lake Placid, NY proposed that Lake Stearns change its name to “Lake Placid.”  In 1927, the community was chartered as the town of Lake Placid.

Taxes

7.5% sales tax; 4% hotel tax

Hotel Rooms

About 1,000

Travel to Sebring

  • By Car – Sebring is just 2-3 hour drive from most major Florida cities (Tampa, Orlando, Ft. Myers, Palm Beach, Miami)
  • By Plane – Four airports within 100 miles of Sebring (Orlando, Tampa, Southwest Florida & Sarasota/Bradenton)
  • By Train – Amtrak has a station in Sebring (SBG)
  • By Bus – Greyhound has a station in Sebring

Sebring International Raceway

Sebring is known as the birthplace of American endurance auto racing.  It’s home to the Sebring International Speedway and its famous 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race. The Raceway is one of the oldest continuously operating racetracks in the U.S., its first race being run in 1950.

Learn More about Racing in Sebring

Highlands Hammock State Park

A 9,000-acre park that opened in 1931, four years before the Florida state park system was created. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and home to the Civilian Conservation Corps Florida Museum.

Learn More about Highlands Hammond State Park

South Florida State College

A public college in Florida with its main campus in Highlands County.  It is part of the Florida College System. South Florida State College was founded in 1965 and serves around 16,000 students/year.

Visit the South Florida State College Website

Citrus Golf Trail

A collection of nearly 10 golf courses, many of them with citrus groves around them, that have been dubbed the Value Golf Capital of America.  Many of them designed by well-known golf architects such as Donald Ross, Don Dyer and Ron Garl.

Learn More about the Citrus Golf Trail

Agritourism/Culinary

Despite its small size, the Sebring area boasts a surprising variety of dining options and unique gastronomic offerings such as Sugar Sand Distillery, Henscratch Winery, Maxwell Groves and the Sebring Soda & Ice Cream Works. It is also home to the Hookiemelt, a unique local dish served at Jaxson’s.

Learn More about Agritourism

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