OCTOBER EDITION: News & Events for Mount Dora, Tavares &Eustis

Pumpkin season is here! Whether searching for the perfect pumpkin or a fun photo op, find the list of festive local pumpkin patches to visit this season here.

The festival season has kicked off, so get ready for tons of Fall festivals and lots of Halloween fun for kids and adults. Get the complete round-up of the best local Fall events here.

Great live music comes to Tavares with the return of Rocktober Fest on October 22 along with Monster Splash. The same weekend the nationally ranked Mount Dora Craft Fair makes its return to downtown. Read more

Yes? No? It's all but impossible to miss the signs around downtown Mount Dora about the proposed charter amendment on the November ballot regarding building heights. From the very basics to more detailed information, here are 13 things to know about the referendum. Read more

One of the best seasonal activities has reopened for the season. Long & Scott Corn Maze Adventure features a challenging corn maze and plenty of other fun daytime and nighttime activities. Read more

Walk and learn! The Mount Dora Historical Society will host its second annual Historic Walking Tour on October 15. The event starts at the parking lot across from First United Methodist Church on 5th Avenue at 10 a.m. More information can be found here.

Mount Dora Groves, a proposed large new development on the orange groves at U.S. 441 near Country Club of Mount Dora, is being considered by the Lake County Commission at a public meeting October 11. The proposed development is residential and commercial. Read more. The meeting is at 9 a.m. at 315 W. Main Street in downtown Tavares.

A collection of three short films, Midnight Montage: Book of Consequences, recently debuted in Mount Dora. The series of 3 short, dark films featured some locally shot scenes, as well as a handful of Lake County residents as actors. The small-budget film may eventually be available for rent on Amazon.

Scroll down for buzz on local eateries and stores, plus local Government Buzz, and the Best of Mount Dora winners. Be sure to follow Mount Dora Buzz's Instagram and Twitter for updates on local events and breaking news.

A new store, The Outpost, opened in downtown Mount Dora on 4th Avenue and sells a huge variety of Life is Good merchandise. The shop is the sister store to Walk in the Woods on 5th Avenue.

Carnivores rejoice! Mount Dora Jerky Company will be opening soon in the former home of Barrel of Books and Games on 4th Avenue in downtown. The unique shop is the sister store to Mount Dora Olive Oil Company and will offer a variety of quality jerky and related products.

The area is getting a couple of new restaurants soon. It's been a long time coming, but Lake Eustis Waterfront Grille is getting closer to an opening. The casual eatery with a view of the marina and the lake is expected to open later this month. Stay tuned to Mount Dora Buzz on Facebook and Instagram for more information when it's available. A new sushi restaurant is in the works at the Stoneybrooke Publix shopping center. Watch Mount Dora Buzz's Instagram for more information as it becomes available on these new restaurants and others.

One of Tavares' eateries, Buster Tubbs, just relaunched with a new menu. The small downtown restaurant is now called Buster Tubbs Taste of Louisiana after teaming up with Pernell’s Seasoning, a regional spice blend company.

Scroll down for this month's events, hot topics at City Hall, stellar local businesses, new development buzz and the Best of Mount Dora.

Mount Dora City Manager Patrick Comiskey proposed consolidating the Fire Department into a single location on Limit Avenue, as part of a proposed re-shuffling of city resources. Mount Dora Fire Fighters Union had significant public safety concerns about the proposal. Read more For now, Comiskey appears to be holding off on his proposed plan.

There's good news about taxes! Mount Dora City Council voted to keep the City's tax millage rate at 5.9603 mills while reducing the Fire Assessment Fee on houses from $219 to $209.

Mount Dora made changes to some of its annual holiday events this year. The long tradition of Mount Dora Police Department organizing popular community events like Stuff the Cruiser, the Northeast Christmas Party, the Santa Tour and Shop with a Cop has ended, but not at the behest of MDPD. Some of the events may be picked up by other city staff, but City Manager Patrick Comiskey didn’t respond to repeated questions by Mount Dora Buzz about the changes.

Mount Dora Groves, a proposed large new development on the orange groves at U.S. 441 near Country Club of Mount Dora, is being considered by the Lake County Commission at a public meeting October 11. The proposed development is residential and commercial. Read more. The meeting is at 9 a.m. at 315 W. Main Street in downtown Tavares.

Be sure to check Mount Dora Buzz's government page regularly to find out what's happening at Mount Dora City Hall.

Besides the expected, the Sears Roebuck catalog also offered the unexpected: houses! Downtown Mount Dora still has some of these historic homes standing. Read more

As a historic Central Florida town, Mount Dora has an interesting past. To read a timeline of its history and related articles, click here.

Sign up for Mount Dora Buzz

The above is a paid political advertisement.