Florida small town festival ranks Top 50 BEST in nation
ncarol.com/10103934

MOUNT DORA, Fla. - ncarol.com -- After 23 years of flying under the radar, Visit Mount Dora's Spring Festival of Arts and Crafts debuts at an impressive #49 rank on Sunshine Artists Magazines annual list of Top 200 Contemporary/Classic Craft Festivals in America for 2020. Event coordinator Janet Gamache says she is thrilled. "Too be recognized for our hard work over the years is a wonderful feeling."
Originally known as the "Mount Dora Antique Show," the annual event was created in the late 90's by a handful of business owners to draw guests into their town.

More on ncarol.com

• DuraFast Label Company Launches Seiko SLP850 2" Thermal Printer with Free Label Promotion
• Scientific Figure Releases Free Layout Template Libraries for Graphical Abstracts and Research Posters
• Permian Museum announces the addition of an Ancient Alien Artifacts photo gallery
• Lease A Sales Rep Rebands to Rent A Sales Rep
• The Golden Jazz Fest Shuttle Returns for 2026

Today the event is run by Visit Mount Dora, a not for profit group dedicated to "bringing feet on the street".
Event coordinator Janet Gamache says, "When I became the coordinator in 2013, I knew that the event needed work. People nicknamed it the "Gems and Junk" show. It consisted of 40 vendors on blue tarps peddling what appeared to be garage sale items. There weren't many true antiques at the event."
Today you can expect to see more than 200 fine and fun artists and crafters lining the streets of the downtown business district.
At the start of the evolution, Gamache had the name changed to the "Spring Collectibles and Crafts Show" and moved the few true antique dealers that remained to one area. She started soliciting artists and hand crafters to set up and support the event.
Today the antique dealers are gone. "Most of the original vendors were nearing retirement. Eventually they just dwindled away to none," says Gamache.

More on ncarol.com

• KeysCaribbean Resorts Offer Savings On Vacations Through Aug. 31, Preview Exceptional Select Fall Rates of Less Than $200/Night
• Fit Body Boot Camp Launches Nationwide 'Fit Body Forever' Workshops to Help Adults 60+ Rebuild Strength and Prevent Falls
• Canadian Aerospace Defence Talent Expo (CADTE) Launches National TalentThread Initiative to Strengthen Canada's Future Workforce
• 5.6 Million EUR in Q1 Project Awards for Integrated IoT Solutions / Data Analytics Subsidiary of Smart City Developer: Affluence (Stock Symbol: AFFU)
• Merger Advancement For Embodied AI Co in Robotic Systems Serving High Value Hospitality, Gaming & Real Estate Sectors: MBody AI Corp. (NAS DAQ: MBAI)

The official name of the event is now the "Mount Dora Spring Festival of Arts and Crafts" and selection is a quasi-juried process. Participants are hand selected based on their originality, quality, and scope of work. Fine art is mixed in with practical hand-crafted items. You might see an artist selling beautiful blown glass sculpture next to someone who makes amazing, hand sewn dresses or an exhibitor who turns wood into a pepper mill on the same street. Every item in the event is unique and must be one-of-a kind.

The Mount Dora Spring Festival of Arts and Crafts runs Saturday March 20 and Sunday March 21, 2021 from 9AM-5PM in historic downtown Mount Dora, FL.
In response to safety concerns surrounding Covid-19, extra space will be allotted between booths, hand sanitizer will be available on site and masks are encouraged. There will be no bounce house this year.

Admission is always FREE. Service pets only please.
www.MountDoraSpringFestival.com