The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest

05/21/2026

Uptown and Downtown Mount Dora ROLL CALL 📣

Donnelly Street is back, and we’re turning the detour into a comeback.

On Thursday, May 21, the City of Mount Dora will mark the reopening of Donnelly Street with a ribbon cutting, and the road is expected to reopen to traffic in both directions shortly after — around 1:30 PM.

So now the Visitor Center wants to know:

Who’s celebrating?

Downtown businesses, drop your specials, deals, live music, happy hours, featured menu items, shopping promos, Memorial Day weekend plans, or big “we made it through construction season” energy in the comments.

Residents, visitors, regulars, and Mount Dora fans: this is your invitation to scroll the comments, pick a few stops, and come show downtown some love.

Grab lunch. Stay for dinner. Shop the side streets. Take the long way home. Bring someone who has been waiting for the road to reopen.

It’s the Donnelly Street Comeback Tour, and we’re ready to make it a good one.

All roads lead to Mount Dora.

04/30/2026

04/08/2026

Dearest friends of the The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest,

Pray allow me a most urgent (and delicious) recommendation… 🍦🐾

This Sunday, our fair town of Mount Dora shall be transformed into a promenade of sweets for the Mount Dora Ice Cream Stroll & Pup Walk—a most agreeable affair featuring five-and-twenty stops of frozen delights scattered throughout the village.

One might stroll from shop to shop, sampling delicacies of every flavor, in the finest company—be it friends, family, or even one’s most loyal four-legged companion (who, I am told, are most welcome on this occasion).

But alas… tickets are disappearing with alarming speed, and it would be a tragedy most profound to miss such an engagement.

Should you wish to partake in this indulgent excursion, I encourage you to secure your place without delay.

Yours in sweetness and society,
A most eager attendee 🍨

02/20/2026

Thank you to Lake and Sumter Style Magazine for featuring our 2026 Fest in Historic Downtown Mount Dora!

The event was a splendid success and we're looking forward to 2027 already.

Share your pictures, videos, and favorite memories with us to continue the fun!

02/17/2026

“The navy has always been the favourite of her; she had never been able to hear of the navy without an emotion of pride.”
— Persuasion

It's always a pleasure to host the group from The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest. We had such a great time with you all and we're looking forward to seeing you next year👒

02/15/2026

Set in Historic Downtown Mount Dora, the Jane Austen Fest continues this weekend!

02/13/2026

🌸🎀 Bonnetmaking 🎀🌸

Surely no heroine of Jane Austen would venture out without a becoming bonnet!

Bonnetmaking was both art and necessity — shaping straw or fabric into elegant headwear, then trimming it with ribbons, silk flowers, and lace. A well-made bonnet was not merely practical; it framed the face, signaled taste, and completed a lady’s ensemble.

Delicate, decorative, and decidedly fashionable — proof that even the smallest details mattered in Austen’s world.

02/13/2026

🌿🎩 Lawn Bowling in Mount Dora 🎩🌿

If Jane Austen had visited Mount Dora, she might have approved of lawn bowling — a sport of skill, patience, and polite competition.

Players roll gently curved bowls across the green, aiming for a small white target ball called the “jack.” It looks simple… until you try it!

Graceful, strategic, and delightfully social — quite the proper way to spend an afternoon.

Thank you for hosting Mount Dora Lawn Bowling Club!

02/13/2026

A wonderful time being at the Perfume Making Workshop!

Thank you to Crafted Scent Bar for curating a spectacular workshop for the Jane Austen Fest.

02/13/2026

Thank you Lake and Sumter Style Magazine for the lovely feature on Jane Austen Fest bringing the Regency era to life in Mount Dora this weekend! 💫

We’re so excited to welcome everyone, celebrate together, and create unforgettable memories.

Full schedule at janeaustenfest.com ✨

02/13/2026

Kicking things off and welcoming everyone to the Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest.

Check in at Donnelly Park to get started, and a big thank you to our wonderful vendors who were up bright and early to help bring the festival to life.

Share your pictures and video footage with us in our Official Facebook Group: The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest Group.

Full schedule: janeaustenfest.com