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Tavares hosts free concerts during Planes, Trains & BBQ

3/24/2022

MARCH 29 UPDATE: This event has been postponed due forecasted inclement weather. No new date has been set.

Lake County is the place to be for country music concerts and barbecue in April. The annual fest, dubbed ‘Planes, Trains & BBQ,’ kicks off on Friday, April 1 in downtown Tavares with an evening of mouth-watering barbecue, country music concerts, plus a cornhole tournament and a variety of vendors. The fun continues on Saturday, April 2 with more concerts, barbecue and seaplane events.

The two-days of festivities at Wooton Park will also feature a Kids Zone, fireworks and an air show. The park is located at 100 E. Ruby Street at the downtown Tavares waterfront. Seating is limited in the park’s concert area, so visitors are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. Parking is available nearby in the parking garage located at 200 N. Sinclair Avenue.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

FRIDAY, APRIL 1
4:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Live music, BBQ, plus more food vendors and merchandise
4:00 p.m.: Crossfire Creek Band
4:00 p.m.: Vendors ready to serve BBQ
7:00 p.m.: Cornhole Tournament
7:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.: Drew Parker country music concert

SATURDAY, APRIL 2
11:00 a.m.: Seaplane contests
11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.: Family Fun Zone in Tavares Square with interactive games for all ages and a trackless train
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Dallas Tyler Band concert
4:30 - 7:45 p.m.: Hayfire concert
7:50 p.m.: Twilight Airshow and fireworks
8:30 - 9:45 p.m.: Headliner concert featuring Girl Named Tom
This trio’s distinctive harmonies, musicality and heartfelt performances earned them the top prize on NBC’s “The Voice." The sibling group of Bekah, Caleb and Joshua Liechty landed four songs on the iTunes Top 10 charts, with two of them reaching number one.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

MARCH 29 UPDATE: This event has been postponed due forecasted inclement weather.

Mount Dora Sailing Regatta sets sail on March 26 & 27

3/1/2022

ABOVE: Sailboats racing at Mount Dora Yacht Clubs annual Sailing Regatta. (Photo by Ingrid Zagers, Z.ePhotography)

Once again, colorful sails will gracefully litter Lake Dora near the end of March. The 69th Annual Mount Dora Sailing Regatta is expected to draw dozens of boats over the two-day event beginning March 26.

The races are spread over three courses across a portion of Lake Dora to take advantage of the wind and provide ample space for competitive races. All ages are invited to participate.

The Regatta is open to all classes, including Optis, Lasers, 420s, Flying Scots, Hunters, Open Bics, Sunfish, Hobies, Wayfarers, and Catalinas.

The first race typically kicks off Saturday in the early afternoon. and the last race usually finishes close to 4 p.m. Typically, three to four races will be sailed that afternoon, depending on the weather. The 4th Avenue docks, Lighthouse Point, and Palm Island Boardwalk provide excellent vantage points for spectators. Sunday's first race usually starts at 9:30 a.m. and no races begin after 12 p.m.

The regatta, organized by Mount Dora Yacht Club (MDYC) is the longest running annual event in the city. MDYC, the oldest inland yacht club in Florida, held its first regatta in 1913. At that time the event featured powerboats and was reportedly such an exciting event that local businesses closed so everyone could attend. In 1953, the regatta transitioned to sailboats to alleviate a noise issue.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

Vintage boat festival evokes nostalgia on Lake Dora

3/1/2022

ABOVE: Vintage boat docked at Wooton Park during Vintage Boat Festival (Mount Dora Buzz file photo)

At first glance, Lake Dora seems far removed from glitz and glamour. However, once a year she flashes her more refined and alluring attributes when visitors are transported to the glamorous Sinatra era.

The downtown Tavares lakefront is gearing up for the 41st Annual Sunnyland Antique and Classic Boat Festival, the largest classic wood boat show in the country. From 250 to 300 meticulously restored boats are typically displayed in the water and along one third of a mile of Lake Dora shoreline at Wooton Park during the multi-day event on March 25 through 27.

The waterfront festival is the ideal place for dreamers and boaters to spend their day. In previous years, the Antique and Classic Boat Festival boasted eye candy that ranged from perfectly varnished Gar Wood race boats of the 1930s to intriguing concept boats like the Evinrude Lark, as well as vessels of fantastical design like the 1956 Lone Star Meteor and the 1955 Chris-Craft Cobra. The prestigious event, which reportedly draws between eight and ten thousand visitors, was previously held along downtown Mount Dora’s waterfront, and before that in Sanford.

Another feature of the festival is the Nautical Flea Market where more than eighty vendors peddle everything from old boat parts and lanterns to shiny chrome accessories and wooden oars. Due to a number of stunning vintage boats for sale, nautical dreamers are advised to bring just a little extra pocket change.

The event’s hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday the show is from 9 a.m. to noon. Parking is available at the City of Tavares Parking garage. For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, this month, click here. Discover the area's online entertainment calendar here. Also download the area's free mobile app.

Arts & Entertainment

Tavares hosts free concerts during Planes, Trains & BBQ

Mount Dora Sailing Regatta sets sail on March 26 & 27

Vintage boat festival evokes nostalgia on Lake Dora

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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