First Time in Perry: What to Know Before You Go

Start with the town, not the trip

Perry was incorporated in 1903, but its roots go deeper. The settlement was first called Rosehead. In 1875 it was renamed Perrytown after Madison Starke Perry, the fourth governor of Florida. The name later got shortened. Timber built this place, and timber still defines it. The town calls itself the Tree Capital of the South, and that is not a slogan invented by a marketing board. It is the identity the annual Florida Forest Festival exists to celebrate.

The festival began in 1956 as the Pine Tree Festival. It was created to teach forestry heritage and fire safety at a time when forest fires were crippling the county’s timber industry. The festival still runs every year, and it remains the town’s defining weekend. The King Tree Parade rolls down Jefferson Street on Saturday morning. From noon, the World’s Largest Free Fish Fry is served at Forest Capital Park. There are chainsaw and cross-cut competitions, the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, and the Great Race 5K. If you come for one weekend, make it that one.

What you will actually find

Perry’s population is 6,965 people. The median age is 34.8 years. Median household income sits at $44,815, and the median home value is $122,900. The unemployment rate is 6.6 percent. About 18.6 percent of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Of the 2,968 housing units in town, none are held for seasonal or recreational use. That last number tells you a lot. Perry is not a vacation rental market. It is a place where people live.

There are 552 vacant housing units, which is a reminder that the town has seen economic shifts. But the median gross rent is $949, which keeps things affordable. You are not coming to Perry for luxury. You are coming for the forest, the festival, and a slower pace.

Where to eat

The restaurant scene runs along the main highways, mostly US-19 and South Byron Butler Parkway. You will find the usual national names, but the ratings tell a different story than what you might expect.

Mama's Italian Family Restaurant sits at 2275 S Byron Butler Pkwy and holds a 4.4 rating from over a thousand reviews. That is the highest-rated spot on the list. 3 Nelsons Sandwich & Ice Cream Shop at 1300 N Jefferson St matches that 4.4 rating with 836 reviews. It is on the north side of town, a little off the main drag, and worth the detour.

Casa Grande Mexican Restaurant Co at 210 S Byron Butler Pkwy comes in at 4.3 from 1,101 reviews. Huddle House at 2717 S Byron Butler Pkwy has a 4.1 rating from 1,689 reviews, which is remarkably strong for a chain that usually gets written off. Old Mexico at 2241 S Byron Butler Pkwy sits at 4.0, as do Fusion Buffet at 2385 S Byron Butler Pkwy and C J Supreme Buffet at 1860 S Jefferson St.

The fast food options are what you would expect. Hardee's at 2046 S Byron Butler Pkwy rates 3.9. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at 2161 S Byron Butler Pkwy also rates 3.9. Taco Bell at 2159 S Byron Butler Pkwy rates 3.5. Sonic Drive-In at 1950 S Jefferson St rates 3.4. Burger King at 2144 S Byron Butler Pkwy rates 3.3. McDonald's at 2132 US-19 rates 3.0. None of these will change your life, but they are there if you need them.

Where to stay

There is one hotel on the list worth naming: Hampton Inn Perry at 2399 S Byron Butler Pkwy. It rates 4.2 from 664 reviews. That is the only lodging we can vouch for from the data. If you are coming for the festival, book early. If you are coming any other weekend, you will probably be fine.

What to do besides the festival

The Forest Capital Museum State Park sits one mile south of Perry on US 19/US 98. It is a 13-acre park with displays on the history of the forest industry and the wildlife of the forest. Beside the museum stands a reconstructed Cracker homestead — house, barn, well, arbor and garden — showing how a Florida homestead family lived. It is quiet, educational, and free of any resort polish.

That is the thing about Perry. It does not try to be anything other than what it is. There is no beach. There is no turquoise water. There is no pretense. There is a forest, a festival that has run for decades, and a town that has kept its working identity intact.

A few practical notes

Bring cash for the fish fry. Bring comfortable shoes for the parade and the park. Do not expect fine dining or nightlife. Do expect to be fed well, greeted plainly, and reminded that Florida has more than coastlines.

Perry is not a destination for everyone. That is fine. The people who get it tend to come back. The people who do not, usually skip it for the interstate. You know which one you are.