Mount Dora Arts Festival to return for 48th edition
The streets of downtown Mount Dora will soon be filled with artists’ booths and thousands of visitors as an annual art tradition returns.
The Mount Dora Arts Festival is back for its 48th annual event Saturday and Sunday, with around 300 artists showing painting, sculpture, clay, mixed media, photography, jewelry and more. The event also features a kid zone, festival food, adult beverages and live entertainment throughout the weekend.
What has become a nationally-ranked festival drawing tens of thousands of visitors and artists from around the country started with humble beginnings in 1975 with a group of art-loving citizens.
“That same group of people created the Mount Dora Center for the Arts, a nonprofit. Now the proceeds from the festival go back to the Art Center for our programming,” said Janet Gamache, the center’s executive director and festival coordinator.
A total of $15,000 is on the line for top artists who receive honors at the festival.
“The top amount is $5,000 if we purchase their piece, or they can take a $2,500 cash award,” Gamache said. “We have $1,500 for the top 2D and the top 3D artists. Then we have $500 honorable mentions for another 10 people.”
Visitors will travel from around the state or further specifically for the festival but end up discovering all of the town’s offerings in the process, then come back later.
“They’ll return to shop and eat in the restaurants and stay here in town,” Gamache said. “It’s a great economic driver for the town itself for tourism, not just for that weekend but for the future also.”
If you go
The 48th Mount Dora Arts Festival is 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 4 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 5 in downtown Mount Dora and is free to attend. Shuttles are available at 900 Lincoln Ave. or 301 W. 13th Ave. in Mount Dora. For more information, visit mountdoraart.com.