Jane Austen Fest in Mount Dora: Why we're already planning for next year's visit!

Jane Austen Fest in Mount Dora last weekend - we're already planning for next year!

Regency fashions, afternoon tea, and a deep dive into Jane Austen’s enchanting cousin, Eliza, were all part of a delightful three‑day weekend in Mount Dora celebrating the famed author of six novels, including Pride and Prejudice.

This weekend, the charming central Florida town once again hosted the Jane Austen Fest, now in its sixth year. The Fest is a non‑profit organization that awards scholarships to young women while offering the community and its guests three days of Regency‑themed events. Board President Margaret Anderson, a lifelong Austen devotee, oversees the festivities. Her passion and dedication—supported by a team of tireless volunteers—result in an incredible, and incredibly full, weekend of activities for Austen fans of every level.

The marketplace is Regency shopping in Annie Donnelly Park.

As luck would have it, we were vacationing in Florida for the month and, even better, staying only forty minutes from Mount Dora. During an afternoon of sightseeing with family two weeks ago, we spotted banners for the Jane Austen Fest, and I signed up immediately. Although the afternoon teas at the town’s Victorian jewel, the Donnelly House, had sold out early (note to self: book ahead next year), there were still plenty of activities to enjoy. The marketplace offered a variety of vendors—dresses, crafts, and tea, including a special Jane Austen blend that will be featured in an upcoming blog. There were also fashion shows, a Regency ball, and a central gathering spot—an "Assembly Room" —where guests could chat, browse books, or work on a communal jigsaw puzzle.

Margaret Anderson, JA Fest President

Claire Saim, author, discussed Jane's "almost French cousin".

                       

But one event on the weekend schedule truly captured my attention: a lecture on Jane Austen’s engaging and cosmopolitan cousin, Eliza de Feuillide, presented by French author Claire Saim. Saim wrote Jane Austen: A Visual Encyclopedia (yes, also to be featured in an upcoming BTS Tuesday Tea & Tomes).

In the City Hall Auditorium, conveniently just steps from Mount Dora’s Annie Donnelly Park, the home base for the Fest, Sims shared slides chronicling her Austen research throughout France. Granted rare access to the former home of Eliza and her husband—now a very private residence—Sims even visited what is believed to be the actual bedroom of Jane’s cousin.

Divine Jane tea

More Regency shopping.

BTS’ Austentacious Tea Talk has often mentioned Eliza and her jet‑setting life (before jets existed), including her time at Versailles, where she met Marie Antoinette. We like to imagine the two sharing a cup of tea, perhaps using the fine china the French queen helped design. (We have a reproduction from Bernardaud which we share at our tea talks.)

Mount Dora, a charming town, offers a variety of shops & dining during the Fest and all year.

There was so much to enjoy at the Jane Austen Fest and having it set in Mount Dora only enhanced the experience. After the presentation and a stroll through the marketplace, my husband and I explored the town on foot and ended our visit with a tapas lunch on a sunny outdoor patio.

Next year, we’ll be back—and afternoon tea will definitely be on our itinerary.