The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest

10/12/2026

Dearest Readers,

A most delightful announcement is on the horizon!

Preparations are well underway for the 2027 Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest, and we are pleased to report that registration shall open very soon.

Naturally, those of discerning taste will wish to be among the first to secure their place at this much-anticipated gathering.

Should you desire to receive word the moment registration opens, we invite you to add your name to our list of interested guests.

https://tally.so/r/44OGVX

For in matters of society, as in matters of the heart, timing is everything.

Yours in great anticipation,
The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest

09/23/2026

Dearest Gilmore Girls viewers,

If you’ve ever wished Stars Hollow would host a Jane Austen festival, allow us to introduce Mount Dora.

From February 12–14, 2027, our town will welcome Austen lovers and curious newcomers for a weekend of Regency fashion, lectures, workshops, afternoon tea and a ball. There will be plenty to learn, people to meet and, we trust, a little good gossip.

The Mount Dora Visitor Center has presented its case for Mount Dora as Florida’s Stars Hollow below. We should like to submit the Jane Austen Fest as further evidence.

Join the 2027 waiting list to be among the first to hear when tickets and special experiences become available: https://tally.so/r/44OGVX

More at janeaustenfest.com.

We said what we said.

In this essay, we will make the case that Mount Dora is the Stars Hollow of Florida.

For anyone who did not spend years conducting “primary-source research” by watching Gilmore Girls: Stars Hollow is the fictional Connecticut town where everyone knows everyone, local businesses are institutions, festivals require full community participation, and Christmas is basically a municipal identity.

So we applied the scientific method to Mount Dora.

We considered the festivals. We examined the Luke’s-to-Cody's on 4th hypothesis. We reviewed evidence of Lakeside Inn, Mount Dora's suspicious similarity to Stars Hollow's Independence Inn. We factored in the antiques, arts, hills, lake, Jane Austen Fest and an upcoming Ice Cream Stroll and Pup Walk that sounds exactly like something Taylor Doose would have put on the town agenda.

Then we got to Christmas.

Light Up Mount Dora. The Christmas Walk. The Christmas Boat Parade by Rusty Anchor. An entire downtown wrapped in lights.

At that point, the thesis practically wrote itself.

Read our deeply serious, definitely scientific analysis on MountDora.com: https://business.mountdora.com/blog/meet-me-in-mount-dora-5704/post/hot-take-mount-dora-is-the-stars-hollow-of-florida-43369

So let's test the theory with the scientific method:

IF a small town has beloved local haunts, historic inns, eccentric festivals, antique shops, familiar faces everywhere and an almost unreasonable commitment to Christmas, THEN it may be Florida’s Stars Hollow, BECAUSE we have watched enough Gilmore Girls to know what we’re looking at.

Checks out to us!

09/02/2026

Regency Question of the Week:

If Mount Dora were a setting in a Jane Austen novel, where would the most important scene take place — along Lake Dora, in one of our historic homes, over afternoon tea, or during a chance encounter downtown?

And, of course, would it end in a proposal… or a scandal?

Sign up for updates for the 2027 Fest here: https://tally.so/r/44OGVX

08/18/2026

Regency Question of the Week:

At a Regency ball, being asked to dance wasn’t always as simple as saying yes.

Your dance partners, introductions, who was watching — and even how many dances you shared with the same person — could all carry a little social meaning.

So here’s the question:

If you were dropped into a Regency ballroom for one night, would you be trying to follow every rule of etiquette… or testing exactly how much you could get away with?

And which Jane Austen character would be your guide?

Sign up for updates for the 2027 Fest here: https://tally.so/r/44OGVX

07/23/2026

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a person in possession of an appetite must be in want of a very good meal.

And where better to satisfy it than Mount Dora—the gracious host city of the Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest?

Mount Dora Area Restaurant Week arrives July 25 through August 2, bringing special menus, dining deals, sweet treats and even something for those who prefer to cook at home.

One may take luncheon, dine elegantly in the evening, indulge in dessert or make several appearances throughout the week. Such devotion to local dining would be considered entirely proper.

Our Jane Austen Fest participants bring wonderful energy to Mount Dora each year, and many continue supporting our local restaurants, shops and businesses throughout the seasons. Restaurant Week presents another delightful occasion to visit the city, revisit a favorite establishment and discover somewhere new.

Menus are available at MountDoraEats.info. Reservations are strongly encouraged, especially for dinner—but do not overlook the charms of a midweek lunch.

Invite your most agreeable companions, make your selections and prepare to support Mount Dora’s dining community with great enthusiasm.

HUGE news: The Orlando Sentinel just covered our first-ever Mount Dora Area Restaurant Week, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to introduce Mount Dora’s restaurants to the greater Orlando region.

Running July 25 through August 2, Restaurant Week invites locals and visitors to explore special lunch, dinner, dessert and drink offers created by participating businesses across Mount Dora and the surrounding area.

This coverage matters because summer can be one of the hardest times of year for local restaurants. A few more tables during a quiet lunch or midweek dinner can make a real difference for the owners, chefs, servers and teams behind them.

Restaurant Week began as an idea from one local restaurant (shoutout Salt & Ember) and was quickly embraced by an entire dining community. We thought we would be lucky to get nine restaurants on board. We now have 27 participating businesses—and the event is still growing.

That kind of response is almost unheard of for a first-year Restaurant Week.

At the end of the day, this is a story of a community coming together. Mount Dora continues to live up to the hype: it truly is Someplace Special.

Read the article, explore the menus at MountDoraEats.info and make plans to dine out: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2026/07/23/first-ever-mount-dora-area-restaurant-week-begins-saturday/

07/14/2026

We are most delighted to take our place among the many gatherings that have earned Mount Dora the title of Festival City.

The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest brings the wit, elegance, fashion and traditions of the Regency era to our city—offering visitors yet another excellent reason to return.

Do join the 2027 waiting list, and you shall be among the very first to receive word when tickets for the Fest and its special experiences become available: https://tally.so/r/44OGVX

Festival details shall continue to be shared at janeaustenfest.com.

Mount Dora is known as Festival City—and the calendar explains why.

More than 30 events fill the year, from nationally recognized festivals to celebrations centered on art, antiques, food, film, cycling, sailing, gardening, and the holidays.

This fall alone brings the Mount Dora Bicycle Festival, the Mount Dora Ice Cream Stroll and Pup Walk - Fall '26, the nationally ranked Mount Dora Craft Fair—with more than 350 crafters and crowds that have topped 200,000—the Mount Dora Plant and Garden Fair, Renninger’s Antique Extravaganzas and a full season of Christmas events throughout downtown and along Lake Dora.

Then the calendar starts all over again.

In 2027, the Mount Dora Arts Festival will celebrate its 52nd year with approximately 300 artists filling the downtown streets, while the Mount Dora Yacht Club Sailboat Regatta will mark its 74th year on Lake Dora. Mount Dora Taste, The Florida Storytelling Festival, Central Florida Film Festival, The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest, Mount Dora Scottish Highland Festival, Spring Festival and Mount Dora Blueberry Festival will each bring something completely different to the city.

Which Mount Dora festival do you plan your year around?

Explore the major events calendar: www.MountDora.com/MountDoraMajorEventsandFestivals

06/15/2026

Dearest friends,

Those wishing to be among the first to secure their place at the Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest 2027 are most warmly encouraged to join our email notification list.

When tickets are released, our subscribers shall be the first to know — giving you the earliest opportunity to reserve the festival experiences, gatherings, and delights you most hope to attend.

As some offerings may be limited in capacity, we dare say it would be most prudent to make your interest known in advance.

Join the list here: https://tally.so/r/44OGVX

Festival details shall continue to be shared at janeaustenfest.com.

06/08/2026

Dearest readers,

Preparations are already underway for the 2027 Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest, and those wishing to secure their place in the merriment would be wise to make themselves known.

Join the 2027 waiting list to be among the first to hear when tickets and programming are released for next year’s Fest, taking place February 12, 13 & 14 in Mount Dora.

Our earliest correspondents will receive updates first, giving them the best opportunity to plan for beloved programming sessions, workshops, and space-limited events, including the Regency Ball, Afternoon Tea, Regency Dance Class, Hair Updo Workshop, Regency Table Games, Perfume Making, Lawn Bowling, Book Discussions, the Soirée, Regency Picnic, and more.

For a weekend of wit, dancing, conversation, and delightful society, we recommend placing your name upon the list.

Join the 2027 waiting list here:
https://tally.so/r/44OGVX

06/04/2026

A most elegant look back at the assembly room.

At this year’s The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest, guests stepped beyond the dance floor for “Assemblies and Balls: More Than the Dance,” a program exploring the customs, etiquette, fashion, and social rituals that shaped Regency gatherings.

Because in Jane Austen’s world, an assembly was never merely an evening of music and movement. It was a stage for introductions, reputations, conversation, courtship, careful manners, and the occasional most meaningful glance across the room.

Presented by Sarah Gorman, the session offered festival guests a richer understanding of the world behind the ball — where every dance, every partner, and every social cue carried its own significance.

Were you in attendance, dear friends? Share your favorite photos from the festival in the comments, and send your videos to [email protected] for a chance to be featured on this page.

A delightful reminder that in the Regency era, the drama was not only in the novels. Sometimes, it was right there in the assembly room.

Thank you to Alyssa Karnitz for capturing this wonderful moment.

06/02/2026

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a town in possession of bonnets, ball gowns, books, and excellent company must be in want of another Jane Austen Fest.

We are still quite happily reminiscing on the 2026 The Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest, from the charming costumes to the lively gatherings and all the delightful moments in between.

And so, dear friends, we offer this early notice with great pleasure:

Mount Dora Jane Austen Fest returns February 12, 13 & 14, 2027.

Further particulars shall be announced in due course. Until then, there is ample time to secure one’s calendar, consider one’s wardrobe, and prepare for a most agreeable return.