​Tons of fun is in the making when an event combines amazing talent, competition and a bit of creative enterprise.

Those ingredients will be abundant when dozens of live performance artists from across the US converge for the Eustis Buskers Festival on March 30.    

Busking, entertaining in a public place for donations, is sometimes credited with adding charm to intimate settings, like historic downtown districts.  Eustis’ fourth annual festival will provide buskers a bigger stage, while treating residents and visitors to a free event packed with entertainment.  The performances occur from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at “Busk Stops” throughout downtown.

The day-long festival will feature performers such as musicians, dancers, comedians, jugglers, mimes, living statues, artists and acrobats. Each busker will perform two 30-minute acts throughout the day.  Judges will rate each act and invite the top performers to the Grand Finale which will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the bandshell at Ferran Park.  

Prizes for top performers include a $3,000 grand prize, a $1,500 People’s Choice prize, a $1,000 second prize, a $750 third place prize and 1st, 2nd & 3rd place divisional prizes.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  Free subscriptions to Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates are available here.   ​​

​Artists in Lake County will open their private working studios to visitors during  the annual Off the Beaten Path Florida Arts Tour on March 30 and 31.  The self-guided tour will showcase 29 artists in 21 studios.

Every year, the tour welcomes art lovers, collectors and families into the studios to meet the artists in their work environments, watch demonstrations, enjoy light refreshments, and shop for unique original works of art. The varied types of offerings include paintings, sculptures, textiles, jewelry, ceramics, woodworks, photography, printmaking, and illustration.

The tours have been growing rapidly in popularity every year, probably due to the new trend of ‘cultural tourism.’ People seem to enjoy getting out, exploring, and discovering new things, new ideas,” said John Wilton, one of the artists and spokesman for the event.

The Lake County tour includes studios in Mount Dora,  Eustis, Leesburg, Sorrento, Umatilla and Weirsdale. The artists include Elisabeth Ferber, Corinne Garrett, Barb Batson, Emily Lewis, Lou Buiga, Brenda Heim, Tim Dardis,  Krysta Smith, Kelly Cornell, Jackii Molsick, Doug Hayes, K. Batson, Kimberly Miller, Dodi Truenow, Michele and Reid Pasternak, Jennifer Harper, Cynthia Powell-Allen, Kace Montgomery, Denise Kirsop, Kate Esplen, Cathy Caine, Lois Stover, Jenny Murin, Barbara Boyce, Liz Wincup, John Kellum, and Steve Lytle.

A Studio Guide containing the maps of the studio locations can also be downloaded from FloridaArtsTour.com.  All studios on the Tour will be open free of charge from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  Free subscriptions to Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates are available here.   ​​