The Ocoee Founder’s Day Festival is the most well-rounded community-based event in Central Florida. With a variety of great activities and entertainment, the phrase “There’s something for everyone!” is not just a valid marketing pitch, but the actual truth. There’s a 5K run/walk, fishing tournament, classic car show/parade, carnival rides, beer garden, arts & crafts marketplace and fireworks display that will light up the night sky from the middle of Starke Lake.

Oh yeah, there’s two full evenings of great music lined up, too. Bands like .38 Special, Jim Van Fleet & The Reign, Earl Thomas Conley and Rodney Atkins will all take stage. More than 10 hours of free live music to enjoy as a family.

So here’s what you need to do.

The entertainment begins at 6pm on Friday evening, so load up your car that morning with folding chairs for the entire family, and plan on doing dinner at the festival. With over 20 vendors on site, you won’t need to worry about food selection. In addition to the music, kids can participate in various contests, play midway games and ride a few carnival rides.

Don’t wear yourselves out, though, Saturday is a much busier day.

If you act now, you can register for the Louis Fazio, Jr. 5K Walk and Run for only $19 (thru Oct. 17, race-day $25), which takes place at 7:30am on Saturday morning. Otherwise, the classic car show and free fishing tournament both begin at 10am, while the main-stage entertainment gets going just after 3pm. You could also do some shopping at the arts & crafts marketplace, or enter your dog into the “Howl-O-Ween” Doggie Contest. Just make sure to pick a spot to watch the concerts (and eventually the fireworks) by 5:30 or so, because the place is going to get packed.

At the end of the day, Founder’s Day in Ocoee is the type of event that local residents should support. It’s not overly extravagant, but it is true to the area and does an excellent job of bringing the local community together.

If you want all of the details, complete information is available online.

For those of you who aren’t residents of Winter Garden, Windermere or Ocoee, pack a small cooler and drive the extra few miles to downtown Winter Garden for a stop at Sweet Traditions. This French bakery is full of amazing baked goods and sweet treats that should not be missed.

Finally, if you can find a few spare minutes during all of the excitement, you might want to pay the small fee (adults $3; students $1) to walk through the Withers Maguire House & Museum. This building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is only open a few times per year.

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