[GreekOstrich]

Hi! I was considering heading out to the art festival at Mt. Dora this weekend.....but first wanted some more details....Would it be worth the effort to get there? Is the quality of the artwork good......or is it basically crafts? Do you have to fight crowds?

Thanks for any input!!!

[woolman44]

I went to the art fair about 10 years ago. Mostly up scale art work and very pricey. It is a very nice little town and it takes up most of the downtown area. Lots of food venders and parking was a challenge.

[OpusX1]

This will be our third year for the art show. It is a great show. Very upscale, nice art. Not much crafts.
Get there around noon a you should be abe to park without a problem, we park about 4-5 blocks from the start of the show and pay $5.
There will be a crowd but it is a huge show.
We plan on four hours at the show so total time for the show and driving is 5-6 hours.

[JohnN]

We went last year. Very upscale means big $$$$, but it was a lot of fun and interesting art. Go EARLY and you'll have much better parking and smaller crowds (ie: be there when it opens). We didn't buy anything, I thought it was very nice but overpriced. Regardless, it's great fun to see once and reach your own conclusions.

[GreekOstrich]

Thanks for all of the tips. We're going to give it a try! Will try to post any additional info when we get back for those interested..........

[JAV0108]

We went today. It was VERY crowded but well worth going to. Another great experience. It was great to see all of the art and talent. If you go, try the grilled sweet corn and mozzarella cheese sandwich for a snack, it was delicious.

[GreekOstrich]

My husband and I did go to this year's "35th Annual" Mount Dora Arts festival on Saturday.....and we're glad we did. It was HUGE.....the program listed 303 exhibiting artists from all over the country, with media including clay, fine crafts, glass & metal, jewelry, mixed media, painting, sculpture, photography, and watercolor.......the gamut of styles, but all high quality.

Be prepared to do a lot of walking. The exhibit is enormous, and spans MANY blocks. Also, we arrived 10 minutes after the official opening time (10:00) and had a difficult time finding a parking place! We eventually lucked out and found a $5.00 space a couple of blocks away. I asked the gal running the lot if it is less crowded later in the day, and she said you never can tell. Perhaps during the Sunday church hours, it might be a bit less crowded.

I taught art for over 30 years, so I love going to these shows for inspiration. Wasn't sure what to expect after being spoiled by living in the Chicago area.......but was not disappointed!