This was the 6th year for the Habitat Strawberry Festival and it was again a big hit! In fact it…read morewas so large this year they had to move it to a larger location and still was packed. Rows and rows of vendors selling their wares was over whelming. Interspersed were some amazing food vendors making everything you could imagine. Even though most people weren't watching, the live bands were very good. A car show, pet contest, pie eating contest and expensive kiddie rides rounded out the activities. Strawberries? Flats of strawberries could be preordered and picked up at the festival. That was it. No other strawberries or strawberry related items. Bottled water? Couldn't find it sold anywhere. I'm thinking it may be hanging out with the strawberry items that weren't there. :(

From the owner: Habitat for Humanity of Marion County has been hosting the annual Habitat Ocala Strawberry Festival…read moresince 2014 and we are about to celebrate our 10th year of operation. The festival brings in visitors from all over the state and numerous out-of-state visitors, this is an event for the entire family. At the festival, there are over 230 vendors, a car show, a kid's area, entertainment, live bands, a Habitat Food Court, and lots of strawberries. The event is always on the 1st Saturday of March at the McPherson Government Complex- 601 SE 25th Avenue Ocala. The festival is open from 9 am until 5 pm. Parking is $5 per carload and admission is FREE. All proceeds from the event are used toward the construction of a decent, affordable Habitat home.

Sponsored by the Master Gardeners, this was the 22nd year of the county's Spring Festival. The name…read moresays it all as it celebrates all things related to spring....plants, garden accessories, classes & seeds. This was the 2nd year they added food trucks so you can shop, eat, & shop some more. You actually need to be recharged because this festival is huge and you need the entire day (or two) to see everything. Vendors come for the most part from out of town so this may be the only opportunity to purchase a plant that you wouldn't otherwise see in town. There are so many varieties of plants some which are trees, orchids, herbs, succulents, roses, ferns, bromeliads & bonsais. Parking is never a problem as the police are there to direct you where to go in the huge lot. If you've over purchased and are not sure you can carry your goodies out to your car the 4H club is always there to help. They're pull it all in a wagon to a special pick up area where you can just drive up and they'll load it in your vehicle for you. I've always admired this service organization and it's a great way for them to get involved. Don't forget to tip these hard working volunteers for helping you out. A tip from this longtime attendee is to know the out of town vendors and stay in touch with them. That way if there's something you're looking for that you can't find here you can contact them in advance and see if they can bring it for you to purchase.

Congratulations to the organizers on this 15th annual Festival for another incredible experience…read more This is my only "taste of Greece" in these parts and I always take advantage of it. There's always so much to see and do here...especially eating!!! Everything is homemade and the desserts are some I have never seen. In fact the line for them is always the longest. New this year is an outdoor area so there's even more seating in the beautiful sun. If you should need an interesting gift for someone you'll certainly find something here as most vendors sell Greek items as well as some groceries. Entertainment is always fun as anyone is welcome to dance to their fantastic band. Then there are the professional dancers who attend UF and perform the classic Greek choreographed dances. Definitely the best 3 day festival around that good for kids and families!

Small festival with a lot of heart. Good band started at 5pm. Lots of nice merch along the sides of…read morethe event room. ONLY 1 kind of GREEK BEER...hubby didn't like that kind. In a warehouse like room, but all the tables were dressed up festively. Souvlaki was boring, fries were overcooked, gyro was just ok, napoleon was kind of nasty--basically just frosting piled up with very tough phillo layers in between frosting layers. Kid activity area looked just awful! Once was enough. We may try Tarpon Springs next time for Greek festivals.

Every year they out do themselves from the previous year and this year was wayyy over the top!!…read moreAfter 32 years they're really pros at it. Breaking it down, there were over 100 local & out of town vendors, 5 hours of non-stop entertainment, the most well attended annual event at 20,000 people, 10 whole blocks of fun, Santa's first appearance in his sleigh, Jr. Sunshine parade, ice skating rink, 4 stages of live music & entertainment, Whoville, large children's entertainment area and a 42' Christmas tree. Whew! New this year is the children's area, the Grinch & all of Whoville made you want to be a kid again. I loved all the photo ops. The 4 stages had continuous live entertainment so no matter where you were you could enjoy what they had to offer. The faux ice skating rink is always enjoyed by the kids and it's just a joy to see this added lighted tent through out the season. Then there's the lights. Ohhhh those lights. Blinking, changing, twinkling, hanging from trees, wrapped around the trunks, along the buildings, they're beautiful and they're everywhere. It was also good to see private employees working at night--fixing or holding up electrical extensions, telling people to be careful not to trip over the cords and other mechanical related issues. I have to say a personal thanks to the city for being the only event downtown to have a legitimate, large, dedicated ADA parking lot that was over seen by OPD! This is how it should be at every downtown event and I'm hoping others will take a cue from this. If you miss the official LUO day no fear. You can visit downtown every night during the season to view the lights, ice skate on weekends and see Santa and Mrs. Claus every Tues. & Thurs. I can't wait to see how they top this family event next year!

This is an annual event that should not be missed. Mostly because it benefits our wonderful,…read moredepleted and somewhat polluted Silver Spring. While discovering all about the Silver Spring you can enjoy a multitude of fun. For 2 days there are musicians playing mostly blue grass at the mansion stage as well as the dock stage. This year there were 40 vendors selling a wide variety merchandise. Movies and exhibits are always fun and educational. New this year were beautiful mermaids in a cute indoor setting where children can have there photo taken with them. It's surely to return next year as it was a huge hit. Auctions of one of a kind art run both days and there's always a signing of a celebrity of some sort. The most popular event are the famous glass bottom boats. It's your only chance to ride one for only 1/2 price!

Known as FAFO this is the most popular art show in Ocala as it has been going strong for 49 years!…read moreThere's every type of art category i.e.: mixed media, fiber, photography, clay, jewelry, sculpture and a lot more. Most important to the artists is that this is a juried show. There's always awards for each category. This is also a win for us customers as 1)A good variety means multiple purchases 2)Everyone would like an art piece from a winning artist. This certainly has expanded over the years. In previous years it was held at McPherson Complex which was always nice and was on grass so it was a comfortable walk. The last 2 years now it has been held downtown over several different areas. I love that it is the only event downtown that has an entire designated handicap parking area. I don't care for that as it is spread out over different areas and there's a ton of walking involved. And it's all on hot cement. Add to that fact that the entire downtown streets are closed down for 2 days and it makes for mayhem to the drivers. Other than the art vendors there are a ton of other happenings. There's live performances of some type at 2 different stages that changes every couple of hours. If you're hungry there's a few food trucks parked in a designated area and the local school walks around selling bottled water that won't break the bank. It's always a great outing for anyone. If you're an art lover and happen to miss it, most of the art vendors attend a similar art show in Gainesville not long after this on.