This quaint little town has a lot to see and do. In the summer, I experience their patriotic 4th of July event. With a military jazz band and fireworks over Lake Dora. In the winter, they have their Scottish Highland Festival. View the massive house-covering mural of Van Gogh's Starry Night. And at any time of the year, enjoy a plethora of unique shops and quaint restaurants.
The first time I visited Mt. Dora was for their 4th of July event. I decided to go up earlier that day and explore before all the big hoopla.
Immediately turning off Hwy 441, you are transported to a darling town with great oak trees decorated with Spanish moss. There are several public parking lots. Down by the lake is a parking garage. I usually park in the public parking lot off East 5th Avenue by a vet clinic. It is near the top of the downtown area by Donnelly Park.
Just slightly up the street from Donnelly Park is the Donnelly House, which is a Masonic Temple.
I wandered the streets, popping into some of their cute vintage shops. While you are exploring, be sure to look up and check out all the original and notable architecture this town has.
There are a couple of museums to check out. The Modernism Museum, for being a small space has some cool exhibits. When I was there in 2018, they had an impressive one with pieces from the art group Memphis. There were known for their artistic and innovative architecture in the '80s.
Back over by Donnelly Park is the Mt Dora Center for the Arts. It displays work by local artists. They had a circus-themed exhibition with a wide range from paintings, to mixed media pieces, and sculptures.
I didn't eat at their restaurant, which is across the street, called 1921 Mount Dora, but their menu looked good with some classic dishes and some playful ones.
Just enjoy exploring all the small streets and the discoveries you will find.
For the 4th of July event, they had food trucks down by Elizabeth Evans Park. It was hot because it was July in Florida, so I decided to eat inside a restaurant. Also, I had time to spend. I made my way back down one of the small streets to Goblin Market.
It is an old house, and they kept that homey feeling. The ambiance is probably the most captivating attraction of this restaurant; you feel like you are a guest in someone's house. I ate upstairs in the bar/library area.
I enjoyed a refreshing Moscow mule, and with it being the 4th of July, I found a burger an appropriate food choice.
After my meal and relaxing time in the air conditioning, I made my way to Elizabeth Evans Park, where the main event was.
They had a live jazz band from the military playing music. The band was fantastic!
The firework show was incredible! They happen right above your head!
In January, we visited the town for their Scottish Highland Festival. It was one of the random cold days that Florida gets. So we got to dress accordingly and pretend we were in the Highlands.
There were booths to visit of several clans. The clan booth, food trucks, and music stage are set up at Donnelly Park. You could look up your name in one of the books they have. You also got to learn how the clan originated and the meaning behind their coat of arms and flag. I was super excited to learn about Clan Makenzie! Shout out to all my Outlander fans!
My heritage is German and Swedish, but I feel like if I were Scottish, I would be part of the clan McPhearson.
There was a large truck serving Scottish delicacies. I got a Scottish egg, which is a hard-boiled egg covered in a mixture of sausage and breadcrumbs then deep-fried. You can't go wrong with anything deep-fried.
They also had packages of homemade scones you could buy.
We made our way down to Elizabeth Evans Park for the sheep herding show. We stopped off at a food hall where Wolf Branch Brewing, a brewery coming very highly recommended by my friend. Fun fact: Mt Dora has an open container law, so you can grab your drink and keep the fun going.
It was impressive to see dogs at work.
We went back up to Donnelly Park to watch the City of Mt Dora Pipes and Drums perform.
I had passed the Van Gogh House many times before while driving. The first time I saw it, I did a double-take. After watching the band, we walked down 5th avenue towards the lake. I don't know much about the house or why the owners painted the iconic starry night sky. But I am not surprised, with all the little treasures to be found in this town.
Ready for another beverage, my friend suggested Serendipity Brews. They have a very unique beer selection, which you can buy in cans, and a few wine options. If you don't want an alcoholic beverage, don't worry they have an awesome coffee selection. We sat and enjoyed our beverages for a bit in the warm, cute, and inviting shop.
My friend and I had so much fun we are planning to go back this year. Some events happen on both days, and other events happen either Saturday or Sunday. Saturday has a few more things like the fairy garden with the unicorn and a late-night Celtic concert. So go to one or both and travel to the land of the bagpipes for a day.
Mt. Dora has a bunch of great restaurants. The ones I have eaten at and enjoyed are of course the Goblin Market and JK Thai & Sushi. Scoops on 5th will help you with that sweet tooth craving with their ice cream. Wave has been on my list for a while. They have some new takes on sushi, like their sushi burger. It fills up fast, so making a reservation is best. But in this tiny town, you can have Cuban, English pub, Indian, Thai, Sushi, a literal culinary little world.
Lakeside Inn is a big part of the history of downtown Mt Dora. The inn was built in 1883 in all her Victorian glamour. You can follow the path that crosses over the railroad and takes you back behind the house to view the lake. I have heard that it is lovely to dine at one of their restaurants, especially the one on the veranda, and watch the sunset over the lake.
This town has not only charm, but lively cultural events with a worldly restaurant cuisine. So plan your adventure to the lovely lakeside town of Mt Dora.
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