Art Fewtival at Mount Dora Florida on March 17 20118

Terminal updated on Jan 25th, 2022 at 09:46 am

With its cute location on a lake plus a lush old oak canopy and even a few hills, Mount Dora has been attracting visitors for 150 years. In the final few decades, leaders in the town have devised a fomula to keep the visitors coming — a steady schedule of festivals and special events.

The many Mountain Dora festivals bring people to patronize the downtown stores and restaurants. Residents might mutter about the traffic, but these events and the visitors brand Mount Dora more lively than many historic small towns in Florida.

The Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora is a grand old hotel with a porch full of rocking chairs, a beautiful view of Lake Dora and several historic buildings, including this i at the archway to the complex. It's popular with those attending Mount Dora festivals (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Located within forty minutes of northwest Orlando, Mountain Dora has resisted high rises and cookie-cutter commerce and attempted to retain its small-boondocks amuse.

More from Florida Rambler: 12 things I love about Mountain Dora

Mount Dora festivals brand it a destination for antiquarian lovers, fine art lovers and crafters. Many accommodations in boondocks take special (higher) rates for "festival weekends," which includes the three-times-a-year Antique Extravaganzas at sprawling Renninger's Antique Center.

Some might have preferred the less perfect Mount Dora of a few decades ago, but there's no employ pining for information technology. Mount Dora is still a adept base for exploring i of the all-time areas of Florida for outdoor activities.

In that location are other smaller weekend celebrations, as well, but the busiest weekends and biggest draws are these eight, co-ordinate to city officials:

Mount Dora festivals: The historic Donnelly House is beyond the street from Donnelly park, where many special events occur. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

2021 Mount Dora festivals

• December – January. The almanac Christmas lights festival. Every bit if Mount Dora isn't pretty enough, the city gets busy with 2 million lights. They flip the switch the Saturday after Thanksgiving and there are a series of holiday events on the next weekend: the Christmas Walk, a holiday street party, a holiday parade during the day and lighted boat parade at night. The lights stay on through Jan. Details on the Christmas lights festival are here.

Festivals in Mount Dora: The downtown is lined with shops and cafes. (Photograph: Bonnie Gross)

2022 Mount Dora festivals

• January. fourteen-16, 2022. Dates TBA. Renninger'due south Antique Extravaganza. More 800 antique dealers converge on Mount Dora for this big outdoor show. The admission price says it all: $10 on Fri, when you lot can scoop up the best stuff; $six Sabbatum; and and so $four Sunday. The event is repeated three times a year, the third weekend of November, Jan and February.
• Feb. 5-6, 2022. The  Annual Arts Festival spreads out throughout the downtown, alluring 285 artists and thousands of visitors. As of mid-January, this festival is yet scheduled.
• February. xix-xx, 2022. Annual Scottish Highland Festival. This gated result with a $10 admission ticket features Scottish bands and musicians all the weekend at Donnelly Park. and an afternoon of Highland Games in Gilbert Park on Saturday from 10 a.grand. ot 5 p.m. Details.
• Feb. 18-20, 2022. Renninger'due south Antiquarian Extravaganza returns for a second winter weekend, with the same abundance of antiques and curiosities, dealers and customers. That weekend is also the Mount Dora Music Festival.
• October 2022. The 45th Almanac Bicycle Festival, which attracts one,000 cyclists. Here are details from Florida Rambler.
• Oct. 22-23, 2022. Annual Craft Fair. This is a juried event that attracts top crafters from around the land. It likewise draws 200,000 visitors.
• November 2022. Plant & Garden Festival. In that location aregarden tours the same weekend. Information 352-729-2170.
• Nov. 18-20, 2022. Renninger'southward Antique Extravaganza. The final major antiquarian event of the year is scheduled to be held.
• There are really many more smaller festivals.Get the complete updates list here.

I of the booths at Renninger's Antique Center, in Mount Dora. Renninger's stages several festivals in Mount Dora that are large draws. (Photograph: Bonnie Gross)

Resources for planning a visit to Mount Dora:

• Florida Rambler'southward guide to Lake Dora camping
• Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce
• Renninger's Antiquarian Center
• Mountain Dora issue schedule

The lighthouse along the lake in historic Mount Dora, near Orlando. (Photo: Bonnie Gross)

Things to do nigh Mount Dora

This region is full of state parks, state and national forests and hiking, biking and kayak trails. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Kayaking the Dora Canal
• Kayak Blackwater Creek and Lake Norris, splendid waterways near Mount Dora
• The West Orangish Trail for bicycling
• Wintertime Garden and the historic Edgewater Hotel as a base.
• Kelly Park and Rock Springs Park
• Blue Leap State Park
• Ocala National Forest

A note from the editor:

The information in this commodity was accurate when published merely may change without detect. Confirm details when planning your trip by post-obit the applicable links in this commodity.

This page may include affiliate links, such equally Amazon and Hotels.com, from which we may earn a modest commission. We besides include free links to local small businesses, such as kayak outfitters and restaurants, for the convenience of readers.

This article is the holding of FloridaRambler.com and is protected by U.S. Copyright Law. Re-publication without written permission is against the police.

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The author, Bonnie Gross, travels with her hubby David Blasco, discovering off-the-beaten path places to hike, kayak, bike, swim and explore. Florida Rambler was founded in 2010 past Bonnie and boyfriend journalist Bob Rountree, two long-time Florida residents who have spent decades exploring the Florida outdoors. Their articles have been published in the Dominicus Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, The Guardian and Visit Florida.

bryantchimplas56.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.floridarambler.com/historic-florida-getaways/mount-dora-festivals/

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