News for the active lifestyle in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis

GUIDE TO U-PICK BLUEBERRY FARMS IN LAKE COUNTY

4/1/2019

It’s become one of the favorite seasons in Lake County. This year’s blueberry season kicks off the end of March and is expected to continue through May.

The growing number of local U-Pick farms currently has prices that range from approximately $4 for regular berries to $8 per pound for organic.   Eager blueberry lovers should pick to their hearts’ content since blueberries are widely considered a “super food” that’s low in calories and high in nutrients and antioxidants.

The state's history of growing blueberries began in the late 1800's.   The sweet crop was one of Florida's tastiest secrets. It wasn't until the 1970's that the current hybrid cultivar blueberry was introduced, and by the mid 1980's mass plantings took root in north-central and northwestern Florida.   The industry has grown tenfold over the last 30 years with hundreds of small blueberry farms sprouting up throughout the state.

Pickers should wear closed-toe shoes and pack drinking water. Due to variable picking hours, berry availability and weather conditions, it's recommended visitors call farms prior to visiting.

Here's the list of local U-Pick blueberry farms:

Atwood Family U-Pick Farm
25079 SE Hwy 450, Umatilla
352-630-0145

Blue Bayou Farms (organic)
8222 CR 48, Yalaha
352-267-5277
Other offerings: hot dogs and moonshine.

Far Reach Ranch Heavenly Blueberries
1255 South Dora Blvd., Tavares
352-343-7389
Other offerings: A variety of blueberry jams, blueberry salsa and local honey.

King Grove Organic Farm
19741 CR 44A, Eustis
352-589-2469

Lake Catherine Blueberries
5849 Lake Catherine Rd, Groveland
352-551-4110
Other offerings: Blackberries, jams, blueberry lemonade, ice cream, baked goods.

Artisan Acres
31614 Bottany Woods Dr., Eustis
407-915-4122
Other offerings: Local honey.

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GILBERT PARK'S PLAYGROUND READIES FOR OPENING DAY IN MOUNT DORA

1/13/2019

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The childhood treasure of Mount Dora will soon be re-opening. After a 3-month renovation, the Gilbert Park playground will put smiles on kids’ and parents’ faces again beginning on January 26.

In addition to a modern, two-tier pirate ship that replaced the aging wooden castle, the newly mulched playground also features equipment with large, rustic timber frames that include new swings, a rope climbing web and balance beams. (See video below)

Related: More information on Gilbert Park's new pirate ship

For children’s safety, the city improved lines of sight for caregivers to watch their children, and also added a new four-foot metal fence around the perimeter of the play area. Picnic tables will now be included inside the fenced area, so families can safely enjoy picnics while the children run back and forth to the play equipment.

The renovated playground was designed and built by Kompan, a Texas-based company. The $263,000 price tag for renovations and equipment was funded by the Parks Impact Fee Fund.

The old play fort was was built by the community almost 30 years ago and was demolished in late September. The smaller, plastic fort for toddlers remained. The new playground was originally expected to reopen by the end of October, but was delayed due to a missing part.

Opening day will begin with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Gilbert Park playground is located at 310 South Tremain Street in Mount Dora.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz.

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MOUNT DORA WELCOMES RUNNERS AND ROAD CLOSURES THIS WEEKEND

12/12/2018

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Runners, take your mark! Mount Dora's Half Marathon & 5k will take over the streets of Mount Dora during both mornings this weekend.

Runners in the 5k will hit the road on Saturday at 7:45 a.m. The half marathon runners will have their turn on Sunday beginning at 7 a.m.

ROAD CLOSURES

ABOVE: 5k route on Saturday

During the races, there will be the following road closures:
SATURDAY, 7:00 am to 9:30 am.

Unser Street, from Lincoln Avenue to 11th Avenue
11th Avenue, from N. Unser Street to Clayton Street
Clayton Street, from 11th Avenue to Liberty Avenue
Liberty Avenue, from Clayton Street to Grandview Street
Grandview Street, from Liberty Avenue to Lincoln Avenue
Lincoln Avenue, from Grandview Street to Baker Street
Baker Street to Donnelly Park

Additionally, the Edgerton Court Parking Area at Evans Park will be closed at 4 p.m. and remained closed through Sunday. The parking lot located on Baker Street and Tremain will remain open throughout the weekend.

ABOVE: Half marathon route

SUNDAY, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Donnelly Street, from Edgerton Court to 5th Avenue
5th Avenue, from McDonald Street to Clayton Street
Clayton Street, from 5th Avenue to Lakeview Avenue
Lakeview Avenue, Clayton Street to Highland Street
Highland Street, from Lakeview Street to Limit Avenue
Limit Avenue, from Highland Street to Hillside Avenue
Hilltop Drive to West 11th Avenue
11th Avenue, from Hilltop Drive to Oakland Avenue
Oakland Avenue, from Avalon to Overlook
Old Eustis Road
Morningside Drive
Old Us-441
Lakeshore Drive

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EUSTIS SKATE PARK OPENS THIS SATURDAY

12/10/2018

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All it took was some motivated young people to plant the seed. Fast forward two years (and tons of cement) and Eustis Skate Park is set to become a reality. The 9,000 square-foot skateboard facility located in Sunset Island Park will have its grand opening on Saturday, December 15.

The park is split into two featured areas for all levels of skateboarders and BMX riders including a street course with ramps, rails, and edges, along with a deep bowl that is on the other side of the course.

“Not only is this an opportunity for people to visit Eustis and enjoy the amenities we have, but improve the quality of life to the residents that already live here,” said City Manager Ron Neibert.

The grand opening will kick off with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. followed by local demonstrations, giveaways,and best trick contests. Trick contest registration will take place the morning of the grand opening and is open to anyone who would like to participate.

The City received a $100,000 grant from the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program (FRDAP) and is also funded by the city through the penny sales tax, including the recreation impact fee funds. Team Pain Skate Parks was selected to build the park.

City leaders, along with Team Pain members and local skate shops, are scheduled to take part in the grand opening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park located at 301 W. Ward Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Free subscriptions to the monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

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TAVARES' WOOTON WONDERLAND TO BE REPLACED

11/1/2018

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First it was the 30-year-old wooden castle in Mount Dora’s Gilbert Park.   Now another Lake County city has announced it will also be replacing its landmark playground. Tavares’ expansive wooden fort in downtown Wooton Park was built in 1985 and is at the end of its lifespan.

The City of Tavares’ goal is to build upon the success of the existing lakefront playground, dubbed Wooton Wonderland, and provide a safe, ADA compliant and fun children’s playground, according to John Drury, Tavares City Administrator.

Before any dates are set, The CIty of Tavares must first develop a budget, identify a source of funding and send out a Request for Proposals (RFP). Each proposal will provide creative features for the new playground that could include a seaplane, train and boat to play off the city’s current attractions.

Once a firm is selected, the process to rebuild the playground can begin, but demolition isn’t expected for a year or two, according to Drury.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz.

Get info on Gilbert Park's new playground

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BEST LOCAL PUMPKIN PATCHES

10/1/2018

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It’s arguably the most fun activity leading up to Halloween: the annual trek to the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin.

Here’s a list of local pumpkin patches that run the gamut from a place to peruse pumpkins to farms with fun activities for kids:

Community Pumpkin Patch
East Lake Chamber of Commerce (24214 SR 46, Sorrento)
Choose from a selection of pumpkins in a variety of shapes and sizes beginning the first weekend in October.
Dates/Hours: Monday-Sunday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. through October 30. Cash and checks accepted.

Fall in the Field Primitive Show
Renningers Antique Center, 20651 US Hwy 441, Mount Dora
Every year this weekend show features an area with a very impressive selection of unique heirloom pumpkins.
Dates/Hours: October 6 & 7, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Long & Scott Farm
26216 CR 448A, Mount Dora
Plenty of pumpkins and photo opportunities outside the entrance to Scott’s Country Market. On weekends you can also take in the corn maze, bounce pillow, and more. Pumpkins are available beginning in early October.
Dates/Hours: Tues - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 12 - 6 p.m. Corn maze remains open until December 9.

A Lot of Pumpkins Patch at
35317 Huff Road, Eustis (Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm)
352-357-9863
This farm with a shaded pumpkin patch also offers a carving station for visitors to carve their jack-o’-lantern at the farm; hayrides, maze, zip lines, bounce pillow, plus horse and pony rides and barnyard animals. A concession stand offers a wide variety of foods.
Dates/Hours: Friday - Sunday. Ends October 28
Weekend admission: General admission $4 and wristband $12; kids 2 and under free.
www.santaschristmastreeforest.com

Stanley Pond Adventure Farm
15426 CR 48, Astatula
Pumpkin photo ops, U-pick sunflowers, pumpkin decorating, pumpkin bowling, hayrides, magic show, bounce pillow, airboat, pony rides, and more.
Admission: $16.95
Dates/Hours: Weekends only, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. until October 28
www.stanleypond.com

Find Halloween activities for kids here. For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz here .

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MOUNT DORA'S CHALLENGING CORN MAZE OPENS OCT. 6

10/1/2018

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Get lost. And have a blast doing it.

The 16th annual corn maze at Long & Scott Farm opens on October 6. In previous years, the popular seasonal attraction reportedly brought in an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 weekend visitors.

Visitors that dare can enter the seven-acre corn maze and attempt to find their way out of the tall and twisting corn field. No need to panic. It's a friendly day of fun and before an anxiety attack kicks in, participants can raise a flag to surrender and be promptly rescued.

There is also a one-acre corn maze for smaller guests, plus a 3-acre live Tree Maze in the shape on an ear of corn. The popular attraction also includes an over-sized jumping pillow, 60' super slide, kids' zip line, covered picnic areas, mist maze, hayrides, rope maze, country market and cafe. There is also a quaint wooden castle very similar to the play fort recently removed in Mount Dora’s Gilbert Park.

Visitors can grab a bite to eat at the farm’s Country Cafe or choose a food truck

Scott's Maze Adventure is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) between October 6 and Dec. 9. It is recommended to get there early to avoid long lines. Latest entry is 3 p.m. The farm is located at 26216 County Road 448A, Mount Dora.

Admission is $12; children 3 and under are free. Kids 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Large groups can make reservations for admission on Tuesdays through Fridays.

Scott’s Country Market & Café opens Tuesday, October 2 for the season and operates Tuesdays through Sundays. Find the list of local pumpkin patches here.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. Find out what's happening locally with just a tap on your phone by downloading the area's free mobile app. Monthly issues of Mount Dora Buzz are available here.

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MOUNT DORA'S ICONIC PLAY FORT PERMANENTLY CLOSES THIS FRIDAY

9/19/2018

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ABOVE: The wooden castle fort stood for almost three decades.

OCT. 25 UDPATE: Construction is underway and completion is expected in early to mid November, according to the subcontractor.

There will no doubt be tears. The sprawling wooden beacon beloved by children and parents of Mount Dora for almost three decades will soon disappear. The aging play fort at Gilbert Park, a treasure trove of childhood memories for local families, will be permanently closed to the public on September 21 in preparation for its demolition on September 24.

After 28 years, the City of Mount Dora is replacing the charming old-school fort with a modern steel and plastic pirate ship for children from ages four to twelve. According to the City, the average life span of commercial playgrounds is approximately 15 to 20 years and the City’s Parks Department employees noticed the wooden structure was falling increasingly into disrepair causing safety concerns. The popular fort was built by the Mount Dora Woman’s Club in 1990 with the help of over a thousand volunteers spanning one week.

In June, the City Council made the decision to replace the structure, prior to the completion of the Parks Master Plan. The $263,000 price tag of the new playground will be funded by the Parks Impact Fee fund.

The durable pirate ship, dubbed the “Intrepid” by the manufacturer, Kompan, is approximately 60 feet long and 20 feet tall. It features clear lines of sight, two slides, a rope course and a sliding pole, as well as various interactive components on the upper deck and ground level. The ship's deck is not wheelchair accessible, according to a representative from the Texas-based company. However, the compressed mulch ground cover will allow wheelchair access to the lower portion, according to Lisa McDonald, the city's public information officer. However, a report for the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health states wood chips are not recognized as an ADA-compliant playground surface material due to not meeting the propulsion and turning requirements for mobility devices, such as wheelchairs. (Scroll down to view a video of the new play ship).

During the demolition and renovation, the park and facilities will remain open but the playground area will be closed. The playground will also be fenced off starting September 21, 2018.

A date of completion and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new equipment will be announced in the near future.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz.

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EUSTIS HAS PLANS FOR SEASONAL ICE-SKATING RINK

9/1/2018

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City leaders in Eustis are always developing new ways to set the city apart. This fall, residents won’t be disappointed.

The city will feature a downtown ice-skating rink, yes with real ice! The exact location is still being hammered out, but skaters are tentatively expected to hit the ice from November 19 to January 7.

The project will be dependent on community sponsorships, grants, and donations of approximately $115,000. The city budgeted $20,500 of its funds plus city services.

Ticket sales, concession sales and rentals will make up the remaining revenue needed, according to Kristina Rosenburg, City of Eustis Public Relations Coordinator.

Admission prices have not been determined yet, but the city is planning discounted admission for children and groups of over 20 people. The skating rink will also be available for events and party rentals.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get the area's top stories in your inbox once a month, sign up for the free monthly issue of Mount Dora Buzz here .

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8 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE WEKIVA (BIKE) TRAIL

8/1/2018

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One of the Mount Dora area’s most anticipated recreational projects is the Wekiva Trail. The large project is a cycling and hiking trail that would connect Mount Dora to other existing trails through thousands of acres of preservation land and destinations such as Rock Springs Run, Wekiva Springs State Park, as well as both coasts of Florida.

Here are eight things you need to know about the project:

1. In a nutshell, what is the Wekiva Trail?
It's a 15-mile, multi-use trail that will provide hikers, cyclists and nature enthusiasts a regional connection among Lake, Seminole and Orange Counties. Mount Dora would be connected by this trail to the Central Florida Coast to Coast Trail which covers more than 200 miles from Cape Canaveral National Seashore to downtown St. Petersburg on the opposite coast.

2. Where will the main trailhead be located?
The main trailhead is near Camp Challenge and the CR 46A interchange in Mount Plymouth/Sorrento. Downtown Mount Dora and the East Lake Regional Park will also have trailheads.

3. What is the process to complete the trail?
The project has four sequential phases: Project Development & Environmental Study (PDE), Design, Right of Way (ROW) acquisition and lastly, the construction phase.

4. Who owns the train tracks?
Well, that has always been where it gets a little tricky. CSX Transportation owns the real estate the tracks are on. The tracks, other infrastructure, and the rights to operate on them are owned by the operator, Florida Central Railroad.

ABOVE: Mount Dora's historic railroad trestle on will be at the Tremain St. trailhead.

5. What is the trail's current stage of development?
The trail consists of four segments in different phases as follows:

Segment 1: Mount Dora’s Tremain Street trestle to Sorrento Elementary School and East Lake Regional Park:
The segment is planned to follow the existing railbed by either removing the tracks or running parallel to them. This piece has some sticky funding issues, as explained below.
Stage: Neither Lake County nor the City of Mount Dora has allocated the agreed-upon $1 million each to pay Florida Central Railroad to abandon the operational rights and preserve the ROW as a designated transportation corridor. Before Mount Dora & Lake County will commit to their halves of the $2 million payment to Florida Central Railroad, they want to know FDOT is committed to buying the real estate from CSX. If that doesn’t come to fruition, a new study would be done to examine putting the trail along SR 46 into Mount Dora

Segment 2. The section goes from the main trailhead at Mount Plymouth/Sorrento’s Camp Challenge west to CR 437 and East Lake Regional Park next to Sorrento Elementary.
Stage: This section is currently under design and partial FDOT ROW funding is secured. Construction funding is still pending.

Segment 3. This stretch will feature the future regional trialhead at Camp Challenge. This portion of the trail will run parallel to a new toll-free, two-lane road that will be next to an elevated portion of State Road 429. The trail will be separated by a safety barrier and connect to Seminole County and the Lake Markham Trail, which will connect it to the Central Florida Coast to Coast Trail (C2C Trail).
Stage: Under construction; open by 2020

Segment 4. This portion will start at trailhead by Camp Challenge and extend south along the west side of SR 429 into Orange County to CR 435 on land owned by Lake County.
Stage: In design phase. Funded for construction; open 2021.

Possible Segment 5: Mount Dora to Tavares section will be entering a feasibility study this year.

6. What will happen to the Tremain Street railroad trestle?
The current plan is to preserve and adapt the trestle for walkers and cyclists by replacing the train tracks with a deck and adding a safety railing. The use of the trestle for the trail was the best option to ensure its preservation.

7. What is the earliest portion of the trail to be completed?
The easternmost segments of the trail will open around 2020-21 from Camp Challenge (CR 46A’s interchange) east toward Seminole County or south into Orange County.

ABOVE: Rendering of renovations to Mount Dora's historic trestle.

8. What will the Wekiva Trail mean for Mount Dora?
The completed trail project would provide a showcase regional trail for the residents of Mount Dora and Lake County and an eco-tourism opportunity to attract enthusiasts from throughout Florida and elsewhere.

"This is a transformational project," said T.J. Fish, a planning consultant who for 13 years headed the Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization and has been working on the trail project for the last seven years. "For Mount Dora to connect to the Central Florida Coast to Coast Trail with a spur from downtown through the Wekiva Greenway, a heightened level of economic development and quality of life will be experienced." Fish points to communities like Winter Garden and Dunedin that experienced rebirths as a result of the Florida C2C Trail.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here. To get area's news in your inbox once a month, subscribe to the free month issue of Mount Dora Buzz here .