Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 9

147 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 DESOTO COUNTY , FLOR IDA just under 37,000, about 75 percent live in the unincorporated area. Hines admits DeSoto County is also very fortunate with lots of unique tourism to entice both visitors and residents. One of the most popular is Arcadia’s Downtown Antique District run by the Antique Association of Arcadia. The district boasts more than 25 antique shops, but every fourth Saturday of the month, over 100 antique dealers temporarily set up shop. It’s no wonder that Florida Monthly magazine named the district as the state’s “Best Place for Antique Shopping.” The County is also home to the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo, sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA). It’s an annual three-day event that celebrated its 92nd year in 2020. The biggest natural attraction is the gorgeous Peace River offering many different activities from airboat tours to fishing. Sondra Guffey, Director of Economic Development & Tourism, reports, “Tourism is part of everyday life in the county. People like our agricultural activities and that’s part of our appeal. Some visitors enjoy going to the citrus groves where oranges grow, or to a ranch to watch a cowboy work the cattle and horses. It’s the real thing.” When promoting DeSoto County to new markets, Guffey says it really helps being part of the Florida Heartland. This group of six areas located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee, consists of DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties. She notes, “We join forces to promote the entire region because we are all very similar. That way we quadruple our impact by working together. A major part of our marketing is digital, so we reach well beyond our geographical area.” Hines adds there are currently eight residential housing developments all in various stages of the approval. Combined, the developments total