This coming Friday (February 27) kicks off the three day event of GeorgeFest, a celebration festival paying tribute to our nation’s founding father: George Washington.  The gala is put on by the Lake Eustis Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by local businesses.  It is this annual event that helps put Eustis on the map, as Eustis has the second longest running GeorgeFest in the nation, behind Laredo, Texas.

At 5:30 Friday afternoon, the public is welcome to attend the festival and enjoy food and music performed by Patrick Gibson at the Ferran Park band shell in downtown Eustis.  And as soon as the sun sets over Lake Eustis, visitors are treated to grand fireworks display sponsored by Lake Mechanical Contractors, Inc.

On Saturday, families are encouraged to get up early and line Bay Street with their foldout chairs to watch the parade.  This years parade is boasting a turnout of almost 60 floats.  After the parade, the festivities move back to Ferran Park where children can enjoy the rides at that carnival, parents can visit the local vendors that have setup tents to display their wares, and all can enjoy the music, food, and contests.

The contest include: a pie eating, hot dog eating, top dawg and dog trot, cardboard boat races, citrus squeeze, and many more.  The citrus squeeze always brings about a big crowd due to its recognition of Lake County’s heritage of being a citrus producer.  The rules are quite simple:

1. 5 person teams – 4 juicers and 1 runner
2. Each team must juice the most that they can by any creative means possible without the use of a motor (electrical, gas, solar, wind, etc) within 10 minutes.
3. Judging is based on: most juice juiced, most creative juicing process, best costume, and crowd favorite.

Sunday tames down a little mostly a feature of music, food, and the carnival.  But those waiting to stick it out to the end, have a chance to see who wins the button contest with a top prize that is well worth the $2 raffle.

For more information and a schedule of events with times, visit www.eustisgeorgefest.com.  To view photos from past GeorgeFests, click here.