Marsh to come alive with Birds and Bicycles

The Lake County divisions of Parks & Trails and Tourism & Business Relations are proud to be partnering with the Trout Lake Nature Center to promote the Birds and Bicycles event on Saturday, Feb. 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Emeralda Marsh.

Emeralda Marsh is a 7,000-acre natural land in North Lake County. Participants can bicycle or walk the 7 miles of the firmly packed clay roads on the Interpretive Drive. For the event, there will be hayride wagons looping around to give walkers a lift.

Photo courtesy of Peg Lindsey

There will also be informative stations on the levee including: birders with scopes spotting the birds and identifying them; naturalists showing participants insect and butterfly displays; educators demonstrating the role of wetlands; biologists exhibiting live native reptiles and a black bear diorama; Plein air artists transferring the nature’s beauty to canvas; and geocaching sites for the day.

Birds and Bicycles participants can start between 8 and 11:30 a.m. as the event ends at 1 p.m. Participants are encouraged to dress in layers, wear comfortable hiking shoes and a hat. It is also recommended to bring sunscreen, snacks, water, a camera and binoculars. There is a suggested donation of $5 per adult and $3 per child under age 16.

Sponsors and partners of the Birds and Bicycles event include Trout Lake Nature Center, Lake County Parks & Trails Division, Lake County Water Authority, Lake County Public Lands Management, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Watershed Action Volunteer Program, St. Johns River Water Management District, Mount Dora Center for the Arts, Ocklawaha Valley Audubon Society, Beautyberry chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Promise Ranch.

For more information or to sign up for the event, call (352) 357-7536 or log on to www.troutlakenature.org.

Directions to Emeralda Marsh from Leesburg: Take U.S. Highway 441 to County Road 44. Proceed east, crossing Haynes Creek canal. Shortly after crossing canal, turn north on to Emeralda Island Road, proceed, to the “T” intersection, turn left, proceed around the sharp curve, Wood Duck parking lot is on the left.

Directions to Emeralda Marsh from Eustis and Mount Dora: Take State Road 19 north through Eustis, turn left on County Road 44. Turn north onto Emeralda Island Road, proceed to the “T” intersection, turn left, proceed around the sharp curve, Wood Duck parking lot is on the left.

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Art festival shines in the sparkling backdrop of this lakeside downtown

For art lovers, casual festival-goers and families nothing compares to the Mount Dora Arts Festival. Scheduled for Feb. 6-7, 2010, the 35th annual festival is one of the largest in the state with about 285 artists, from all over the world, attending.

More than 300,000 people are expected to attend the 35th Annual Mount Dora Arts Festival

Kicking off the festival season in Florida, more than 300,000 visitors and potential buyers attend the two-day event, which is ranked in Sunshine Artist’s Top 100 Festivals. While the fine art draws thousands to the quaint downtown, tourists and families journey to the festival to witness the striking beauty of the downtown itself.

With its downtown streets lined with New England architectural, this hilly destination overlooks the breathtaking view of Lake Dora. Beside some fine dining opportunities and unique boutiques for shopping, downtown Mount Dora features art galleries, sunset cruises, and horse and carriage rides.

With more than a dozen special events downtown each year, the Art Festival is the crown jewel. Other than the endless rows of fine art, including oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, clay, sculpture and photography, the festival features local and regional musical entertainment at a main stage in Donnelly Park. Often confused with local craft shows, the Mount Dora Arts Festival is a juried event with $21,000 in awards handed out to artists earning honors for best of show, judge choice awards and best of category.

The event began when a group of art-loving friends decided to hold an arts festival in their small Lake County town. Through hard work and dedication, the first Mount Dora Arts Festival was held in 1975. Each year, a portion of the funds raised by the event were saved in the hopes of eventually having enough to begin an art center. In 1985, the dream was realized when the Mount Dora Art Center was opened at 138 E. Fifth Ave. in downtown Mount Dora. The Center changes exhibits every six to seven weeks and offers educational music, dance and art classes for adults and children.

The Annual Mount Dora Arts Festival is held each February in downtown Mount Dora, Fla. The 2010 festival is Feb. 6-7. For more information, call the Mount Dora Center for the Arts at (352) 383-0880 or log on to www.mountdoracenterforthearts.org.

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Florida Rail Adventures expands service

Orlando Spring Rail Ramble on Feb. 15

Lake County’s longstanding railroad attraction is expanding its service this week with the launch of a new lunch train, the “Citrus Sun.” Florida Rail Adventures also recently announced the six-hour “Orlando Spring Rail Ramble” excursion on Monday, Feb. 15, at 9:30 a.m. The train departs from Eustis and travels through Tavares, Lake Jem, Zellwood, Plymouth, Apopka and Orlando.

The news release from Florida Rail Adventures is below:

Citrus Sun lunch train

FLORIDA

RAIL ADVENTURES

51 WEST MAGNOLIA AVENUE 

EUSTIS, FLORIDA 32726

FLORIDA RAIL ADVENTURES TO EXPAND SERVICE

Eustis: Florida Rail Adventures will expand its excursion and lunch train service on January 27, 2010.

The “Citrus Sun” will begin five day a week service out of Eustis offering lunch on the train with departures at 12:30 and 2:30 PM Wednesday thru Sunday.

The train will feature a three course meal while riding the rails between Eustis and Tavares, a 10 mile round trip. The train ride including lunch will cost $29.00 plus tax.

In addition, the railway will offer coach service for those guests who want to enjoy the ride, but not eat. Cost for coach tickets is: adults $14.00, seniors (62 plus) $12.00, kids (2 to 12) $8.00 and under 2 free.

All trips will feature a narration by on board staff members. Snack and beverage service will be offered to coach passengers. 

For the first time, passengers may board the train in Tavares at the new platform/station in Wooton Park. The “Citrus Sun” will depart from Tavares at 1:15 and 3:15 PM Wednesday thru Sunday. 

Reservations can be made by calling 352-589-4300 or on line at www.railflorida.com.

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Local music comes alive at Historic State Theatre

While Lake County is brimming with talented musicians and songwriters, finding a great venue to enjoy some of these fresh tunes can be a chore. The Historic State Theatre in Eustis is an ideal location.

Built in 1922 as a vaudeville house, the theater soon was converted into a movie house. It was abandoned for many years, but reopened in 1975 as a live performance venue. The theater continues to thrive as a community playhouse, and is a burgeoning scene for up-and-coming artists.

 Check out the Friday, Jan. 22, performance featuring Blackwater Creek Bluegrass, Hwy 19 and Larry Mangum. The news release from Eustis Main Street is below:

For Immediate Release – January 19, 2010

Public Arts and Music presents “A Musical Evening” This Friday

 Eustis, FL – Bluegrass, rockin’ blues, and an award-winning singer/songwriter headline this Friday’s “An Evening of Music” at the Historic State Theatre in downtown Eustis. This is the 7th in an ongoing series of concerts produced by the Eustis Main Street, Inc. Committee. 

Blackwater Creek Bluegrass was started by Pat McLaughlin. McLaughlin is a hot banjo picker and luthier from the Eustis area. He is well known locally for repairing school band instruments and helping to save Eustis’ historic band shell. The McLaughlin family has also supported Bay Street Players and the historic theatre where he will be playing Friday. Blackwater Creek is not just a fine bluegrass band; they are a piece of Eustis’ history.

Hwy 19 was born out of Eustis open mic scene. Andy Dubois, the band’s founder, is a talented song writer from the Howey-in-the-Hills area. Hwy 19’s guitar, harmonica, bass and great vocals entertain audiences with their toe tapping, bluesy Americana style.

Rounding out the evening is award winning singer/songwriter Larry Mangum. Approaching nearly three thousand performances, Larry has become one of north Florida’s premier performers. Mangum placed first in the Gamblefest songwriter’s competition in both 2005 and 2008. Joined Friday by John Henry Gates and Woodie Berlin, Mangum will be playing songs from his new CD due to be completed in March.

The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. at the State Theatre at 109 N. Bay Street in historic downtown Eustis. Tickets are $15 and available through the Bay Street Players Box office. For tickets and information go to http://www.eustismainstreet.org/ and follow the “Musical Evening” link or call the ticket office at 352-357-7777.

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Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra prepares for 2010 concerts

The Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra is preparing for 2010 with its four remaining concerts of its fifth season beginning with “Legends, Mysteries, and Myths” at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 at the St. Patrick Catholic Church of Mount Dora and on Jan. 22 at The Wesley Center of the First United Methodist Church of Clermont.

Guy Saint-Clair is the classical concert pianist & composer and founder of the FLSO

The enchantingly beautiful music of “Legends, Mysteries, and Myths” tells a mythical story. Music includes Felix Mendelssohn’s “Hebrides Overture,” Jean Sibelius’ “Swan of Tuonela,” Josef Suk’s “Scherzo Fantastique,” Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite,” Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Flight of the Bumblebee” and Camille Saint-Saens’ “Danse Bacchanale.”

“Some of the music will be familiar to our audience, but even some of our musicians have not heard the pieces before they received their part,” said Audrey Sanders, executive director of the Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra (FLSO).

The symphony orchestra’s fifth season continues:

• Feb. 18 in Mount Dora & Feb. 19 in Clermont — “Heartland America” is a tribute to America with Guy Saint-Clair, classical concert pianist & composer and founder of the FLSO, performing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with the orchestra and a surprise visit from the Mount Dora School of Ballet. The orchestra will also be swinging with popular tunes from Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington.
• April 8 in Mount Dora & April 9 in Clermont — “French Impressions” is a beautiful poetical evening and is a festival of impressionistic color and light. The first part of the program features seven symphonic poems of Guy Saint-Clair’s “Indigo Dreaming” for piano and orchestra, with the composer at the piano. The evening continues with giants of French Impressionism such as Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Faure and Camille Saint-Saens.
• May 6 in Mount Dora & May 7 in Clermont — “Latin Fireworks” is on the heels of Cinco de Mayo and brings an explosive end to the orchestra’s fifth season with fiery selections including “Blue Tango,” “La Bamba,” “Malaguena,” “Girl from Ipanema” and “Tico Tico.”

For more information about the Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra or to order tickets, call (352) 589-1500 or write Florida Lakes Symphony Orchestra, 2034 Bayside Ave., Mount Dora, FL 32757. Concert tickets are $42 in advance or $45 at the door.

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Online coupon campaign gains steam

Everyone is looking for a deal these days and Lake County is hoping its new online accommodation coupon will bring visitors to the area.

Download your $10 accommodation coupon at http://www.lakecountyfl.com.

The Lake County Tourism & Business Relations Division reported this morning that the first $10 accommodation coupon was redeemed. The news came from Sleep Inn of Leesburg, which is located at 2479 N. Citrus Blvd. To contact Sleep Inn, call (352) 326-9002, e-mail sleepinn347@aol.com or log on to http://www.choicehotels.com/.

The online coupon is available at www.lakecountyfl.com and is good for $10 off a stay at any participating hotel, bed & breakfast inn or vacation home located in Lake County, Fla. Since marketing began for the online accommodation coupon on Jan. 6, nearly two dozen Web surfers have downloaded it.

To receive the $10 coupon, a guest must fill out a Web form and print the personalized coupon from www.lakecountyfl.com. The Web form requires participants to fill out their name, e-mail address, phone number and address. After filling out the Web form, guests are asked to subscribe to Lake County Tourism’s quarterly newsletter. Reproduced or photocopied coupons will not be honored.

To plan a Lake County, Fla., vacation, call (800) 430-LAKE, log on to www.lakecountyfl.com or visit the Lake County Welcome Center, located at 20763 U.S. Highway 27, Groveland, FL.

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Mount Dora Bed and Breakfast receives award

On behalf of Superior Small Lodging Association, the Lake County Tourism & Business Relations Division presented the Farnsworth House Bed & Breakfast of Mount Dora with a 2009 Donal A. Dermody White Glove Award, the only small accommodation in the County to receive the award.

The White Glove Award is a prestigious honor that is awarded for housekeeping excellence. While there are thousands of hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts, travel lodges, inns, beach houses, resorts and other hospitality destinations across the state, only 80 locations earned the coveted 2009 White Glove Award.

Debi Dyer (left) presents the 2009 White Glove Award to the Farnsworth House B&B owners Bob and Vivian Rodriguez.

“The White Glove Award is our organization’s highest recognition for housekeeping achievement,” said Donna Boucher, Superior Small Lodging Association executive director. “Properties must receive a Total Housekeeping Score of 100 percent in their annual review to receive this award.”

Facilities are nominated and selected through a detailed annual inspection. Experienced, independent inspectors select the winning small lodgings based on strict industry criteria including, quality of bath and bed linens as well as cleanliness of every room. The White Glove Awards were announced at the annual conference of Superior Small Lodging Association in November 2009.

“Everyone at the conference is hoping to receive one of these,” said Debi Dyer, Lake County Tourism Specialist to bed & breakfast owners Bob and Vivian Rodriguez. “The Farnsworth House Bed & Breakfast made Lake County look beautiful at the conference.”

Vivian added, “Lake County is so beautiful it deserves these types of awards. This is our second year in row to receive the White Gloves Award. It’s such an honor.”

For more information about Farnsworth House Bed & Breakfast, located at 1029 E. Fifth Ave. in Mount Dora, call (352) 735-1894 or log on to www.farnsworthhousebnb.com. For more information about Lake County tourism, call (800) 430-LAKE or log on to www.lakecountyfl.com.

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Opening reception for Tropical Treasures exhibit is Friday

The Lake Eustis Museum of Art helps to cultivate, exhibit and collect fine art. The museum, located at 200-B E. Orange Ave. in Eustis, is teaming with City Hall for its new exhibit, Tropical Treasures. On Friday, Jan. 15, the museum is hosting a reception for the exhibit, which features Central Florida Watercolor Society members Margarita Chapman, Sally Hall, Nancy Gonzalez, Nancy Larkin and Faye Tambrino.

The news release from the City of Eustis is below:

For Immediate Release – January 7, 2010

Tropical Treasures will be featured at Eustis City Hall

Opening Reception 6 – 9 p.m. Jan. 15th

Eustis, FL – 2010 brings a new art partnership to Eustis, with the first exhibit at Eustis City Hall Gallery by some of the regions premier water color artists. TROPICAL TREASURES exhibitors include Central Florida Watercolor Society members Margarita Chapman, Sally Hall, Nancy Gonzalez, Nancy Larkin and Faye Tambrino.

The vibrant work of these artists is a perfect complement to VIVID REALITY TROPICAL INTENSITY: VICTOR BOKAS, which opens in Eustis City Hall, with a coinciding reception at Lake Eustis Museum of Art, 200 B East Orange Ave., on Jan. 15. Bokas’ colorful, bold, painted images that translate tropical heat and life, along with his found-object assemblages and collection of Florida kitsch will be at the art museum through Feb. 21.  The watercolor exhibit at City Hall will remain through March 28, and is available for free viewing during regular City business hours.

Exhibitor Nancy Larkin is a Florida native drawn to bright colors and humorous subjects. She has sketched and painted in Mexico, Ireland, Greece and France. She is charter president of Central Florida Watercolor Society and recently took first place in a Tri-State competition in Tallahassee.

President of CFWS Faye Tambrino of Fern Park prefers watercolor and favors forms from nature. “I enjoy beginning most of my paintings without a plan and allow the media to suggest ideas to me. I see the arts as an integral part of life and much of my work reflects my Christian faith,” Tambrino says.

In addition to Sally Hall and Margarita Chapman, self-taught Nancy Gonzales of Winter Park is exhibiting her paintings. Gonzales finds joy in painting and believes we all have some artistic talent and with practice can produce wonder work for self-enjoyment and to please others.

“Understandably, we all have various tastes. But hopefully we can appreciate the time and effort taken to draw and paint every framed masterpiece,” Gonzales says.

Lake Eustis Museum of Art is open weekdays, excluding Monday, from 10 – 4 p.m. Weekend hours are noon – 4. A $5 donation is asked of adult non-members. For information call 352-483-2900, or see http://www.lakeeustismuseumofart.org/.

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News from Florida Rail Adventures

Florida Rail Adventures announced this week that it was suspending rail service in Mount Dora as a result of needing to replace railroad ties.

The suspension of service between Mount Dora and Tavares does not affect the other rail operations. All dinner and lunch trains, Rail Rambles, Gunfight at the OK Corral and the Orlando Magic trips will run as scheduled. Those trips originate in Eustis on a different set of railroad tracks.

Lake County’s longstanding railroad attraction just reopened for business as Florida Rail Adventures on Oct. 8. The news release announcing the suspended service is below:

News Release – January 5, 2010

SERVICE TO MOUNT DORA SUSPENDED

Eustis, FL:  Florida Rail Adventures announced today it is suspending tourist rail service out of Mount Dora effective immediately.  An inspection of the rail line shows that in order to keep the line up to standards set by the Federal Railroad Administration a minimum of 1000 railroad ties will need to be replaced. That number could jump as work progressed.

General Manager & President of Florida Rail Adventures, Neil Bagaus, said, “over the past three months, we replaced over 400 ties to try and keep the line open, but lack of maintenance over the past 5 years by previous companies has caught up with us. Florida Rail Adventures simply cannot afford the cost to rehabilitate the line.”

This announcement comes as ridership in December out of Mount Dora reached a 5 year high. Guest ridership was nearly double when compared to last Christmas season.

Florida Rail Adventures operated the Mount Dora Meteor five days a week with round trips between Mount Dora and Tavares. Bagaus added that “the railway is looking at other alternatives in order to operate a scheduled one hour 15 minute tourist train.” The railway already operates dinner/ lunch trains, rail rambles and trips to the Orlando Magic games.

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Florida Highwaymen Art Show and Sale this weekend

The Heron Cay Lakeview Bed & Breakfast is at it again — hosting some of the most accomplished painters of Florida’s beautiful landscapes. The Mount Dora Florida Highwaymen Art Show & Sale is scheduled for Jan. 8 & 9. The event’s press release is below:

Mount Dora, Florida (PRWEB)  December 19, 2009 –  Florida’s historic landscape artists, known as The Florida Highwaymen, will be returning to Mount Dora for the 4th HIGHWAYMEN Art Show and Sale, Friday and Saturday, January 8th and 9th, 2010.

On Saturday, January 9th, the popular Highwaymen artists will display and sell their art work from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside and outside of the Donnelly Building in Donnelly Park, located in the center of Mount Dora.  Visitors can enjoy the scenic renderings of Florida’s landscape expressed in the Classic Highwaymen art style.  Participating in this event will be original Highwaymen; Mary Ann Carroll, the only female in the group, Al Black, James Gibson, Isaac Knight, Robert Lewis, Roy McLendon and Carnell Smith… with Others to be announced.  Admission, as before, is Free.

Friday, January 8th, the evening prior to the Main Saturday event, the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce will host a ‘Meet and Greet’ the Artists between 6 and 8 p.m. at the Chamber’s Historic Train Station. Many vintage Highwaymen paintings will be on exhibit. Refreshments and light appetizers will be served. Admission is FREE… and ALL are invited to attend.

2010 is also Mount Dora’s Centennial. After the Gala New Year’s weekend begins the Year Long Celebration… the Highwaymen Event will continue the festivities the following weekend.

 In the 1950s, the Highwaymen artists were a group of young black men from the Fort Pierce area. The late Alfred Hair and the late Harold Newton were considered the leaders of the group, studying under Backus and bringing their new-found talent back to the group.  The art work, painted on an inexpensive construction material known as upson board, displayed traditional Florida scenes of palm trees, royal poinciana trees, and river vistas.  From there, the artists would travel with their paintings along U.S. 1 and other Florida roadways, selling them from the trunks of their cars.  It wasn’t until the 1990s that the group was labeled The Highwaymen.

This Winter Art Event is presented by Heron Cay Lakeview Bed & Breakfast, with cosponsoring by the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce and the City of Mount Dora; and sponsored in part by: The Frosty Mug – Grand Rental Station – Mount Dora Community Trust – Sharp Design – WhatToDoInMountDora.  Printing provided by Lake County, Florida.  Margie Salyer and Randy Burgener are coordinating this Winter Highwaymen Show and Sale.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Highwaymen art will be donated to the Restoration Fund for the Historic Mount Dora Train Station, the Home of the Chamber of Commerce. 

For additional information, contact Randy by calling (352) 383-4050 or Toll Free at 1-888-437-6622. 

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