With so many events on the calendar, it’s easy to see that Mount Dora lives up to its “Festival City” nickname. And indeed, a festival is how Michael and I found ourselves in the Central Florida city one beautiful October morning as part of our mission to visit a different destination in our home state of Florida each month.
The Mount Dora Craft Fair is a juried show and boasts over 400 vendors lined along the streets of downtown with an estimated 100,000 visitors over its two-day run. According to the locals we spoke with, the city is always bustling on festival days, so if you visit on an event day, come prepared to handle crowds and pay to park far away from your destination.
With the weather so perfectly pleasant, we didn’t mind at all and enjoyed the city’s small-town charm while checking out unique and inventive crafts. Headed to Mount Dora and wanting to make the most of your day? I’ll show you around:
SCENES FROM THE MOUNT DORA CRAFT FAIR
Even if you’re not attending on an event day, Mount Dora has so much to offer visitors! We visited (and recommend!) the following local businesses during our day in town:
MOUNT DORA FOOD + DRINK
Joy Donuts
Joy Donuts (now closed) is a small food truck located off of US Hwy 441, and its donuts are absolutely heavenly. We’d read online that they tend to sell out early, so to avoid any disappointment we placed an order online the night before for one dozen donuts (we also vowed not to eat them all, but we definitely broke our promise).
Flavors rotate with the seasons, so there were lots of pumpkin options available to choose from. We ordered a dozen assorted donuts, with the “frosted crack” and cookie butter flavors ultimately being our favorite.
→Joy Donuts // Now Closed
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Magical Meat Boutique
The Magical Meat Boutique isn’t at all what it sounds like – it’s a British pub located right downtown with a huge patio for dining and a train car out back for private parties. Classic English dishes are on the menu (though we chose the smallest thing we could for a snack – chicken tenders and fries), as well as an impressive beer selection. We were quite surprised at the large number of expats from the British Isles in the area!
→Magical Meat Boutique // 322 Alexander St, Mt Dora, FL 32757
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1921 Mount Dora
1921 Mount Dora is one of the more upscale dining options in Mount Dora, but their lunch prices feel quite fair for fresh, local cuisine. A special “festival menu” was available, which was different from the one posted online, and the weather simply begged us to sit outside. My soup and salad hit the spot, too!
→1921 Mount Dora // 142 E 4th Ave, Mt Dora, FL 32757
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Windsor Rose Tea Room
We rarely say no to afternoon tea when it’s available, so we stopped into the Windsor Rose Tea Room (now closed) for a pot of tea and a scone. The price seemed a touch high, but the scones we received were gargantuan and we weren’t able to get through them!
→Windsor Rose Tea Room // Now Closed
THINGS TO DO IN MOUNT DORA
Modernism Museum
The most pleasant surprise during our day in Mount Dora was the Modernism Museum. It’s quite small (essentially it’s only one room) but the exhibit currently on offer is one you can’t miss. The museum hosts the largest collection of Memphis furniture and objects ever shown in an American museum – and many of the items were owned by the late David Bowie.
I’m not sure if the museum was empty as a result of the festival going on just beyond its doors, but I greatly appreciated the opportunity to explore the exhibit in my own time, without worrying about bumping into others.
→Modernism Museum // 145 E 4th Ave, Mt Dora, FL 32757
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: TRAVEL TIPS FOR MOUNT DORA
Mount Dora is located about fifty minutes from Orlando International and Sanford International Airports and the city can also be reached by rail from Tavares and Eustis. Chances are, if you’re headed to Mount Dora, you’re visiting for a festival or to head antique/boutique shopping, and the compact downtown is perfect for a day trip.
Parking is limited during festivals; I recommend saving time and paying to park at a private home (there will be plenty of people advertising parking on their lawns!) or at a church. Visitors with dogs will want to note that animals are prohibited in festival areas on event days, and it is strictly enforced; alcohol purchased within the festival limits, however, is permitted to be carried with you.
Looking for more? You may enjoy these other Florida guides:
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- Two Nights in Miami
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- Bern’s Steak House – Tampa, FL
Which small town in your home state or region is your favorite?
Oh my goodness, I want to visit so badly! Those donuts have my name written all over them!?
Xo Logan
https://peculiarporter.com
10/10 would drive four hours roundtrip tomorrow solely for the donuts!
Thanks for reading along!