As bear cubs begin to leave their dens to explore the world, celebrate with the City of Umatilla during the Ninth Annual Florida Black Bear Festival on Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Cadwell Park, located at 4 Cassady St. in Umatilla.

The theme for this year's festival is "Living Safely in Bear Country." The festival is presented by a partnership of Defenders of Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, City of Umatilla, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Umatilla Chamber of Commerce and Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club.

“The Florida Black Bear Festival is a fun event full of activities, presentations and field trips that provide participants with information about how bears live; bear behavior; how we can avoid attracting them to our homes; and how we can live and recreate in bear country safely” said Susan R. Martin, Executive Director of the Umatilla Chamber of Commerce.

Festival highlights include: