Lake County’s rolling hills will soon resemble a Scottish landscape as the annual Mt Dora Scottish Highland Festival returns. The sound of bagpipes floating in the air echoes.
The 13th annual celebration of Scottish, Irish and Celtic culture will be held Saturday and Sunday at the city’s Donnelly Park and Elizabeth Evans Park. Guests can explore clan and cultural heritage, browse the food stalls, watch Highland athletics and get a taste of Scotland through food and sounds.
Chris Carson, director of cultural and special events for Mount Dora, helped launch the festival more than a decade ago and has seen the annual weekend expand into a community tradition throughout the year, including the Mount Dora City Pipe Band.
“I love our tartan parade and the way it brings people together, from the association to the different pipe bands that visit,” he said.
Mount Dora shares ‘sister city’ status with the Scottish city of Forres, with the aim of fostering cultural and educational exchanges between the two towns.
Inside Donnelly Park, visitors can learn about different clans, spot re-enactors, shop from vendors of handmade Celtic products, and indulge in Scottish food and drink. Additional entertainment includes Highland dancing, special performances by Celtica Nova, known for blowing fire from bagpipes, the Harp Twins, Albanach and the Sean Healy Band.
There will also be a Border Collie and Highland Cattle exhibit at Donnelly Park on Saturday.
Another activity will be held on the shores of Lake Dora in Elizabeth Evans Park. Both days will feature highland athletic competitions that will test your physical fitness and skills, as well as provide alternative entertainment. A fire engine towing event will also be held.
Carson said the atmosphere and topography of Mount Dora helped set the stage and tone for the event.
“Mount Dora is like the New England of the South,” he said. “We have a northern quilt, a culture, a lot of character.”
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Toms Dinis Santos / Orlando Sentinel
Members of the Panama City Pipes and Drums Band perform to a lively crowd at the 2022 Mount Dora Scottish Highland Festival. (Orlando Sentinel Files)
If you go
The Mount Dora Scottish Highland Festival will be held at 530 N. Donnelly St. and 100 N. Donnelly St. in Mount Dora on February 21st from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and February 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Online advance tickets are $15 (plus handling fees) per day in advance or $22 at the gate. Live music events at Mount Dora Music Hall (520 N. Baker St. in Mount Dora) begin the weekend on February 20th from 7pm to 9pm, with tickets available for purchase online or at the gate ($10-$12). Park-and-ride options are available from First Baptist Church, 1000 E. 1st Ave. in Mount Dora, all day Saturday and from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday. Service animals are welcome, but no other pets please. We recommend using blankets and chairs. For more information, visit mountdorascot.com.
