LEESBURG 2020 VISITORS GUIDE
FLORIDA | THE LAKEFRONT CITY
In The Center of It All
welcome to the
Lakefront City!
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eesburg is in the heart of Lake County and a prime location for enjoying life in Florida. Less than an hour from famous amusement parks and within easy driving distance of the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, it’s the ideal spot to stay and enjoy the best of Central Florida. Perhaps the best description of this city comes from its motto: “A diverse community energetically working in collaboration to ensure that the city of Leesburg upholds its history, ambience and natural resources to become and stay a vibrant community.” Founded in 1857 by Evander Lee and his brothers, Leesburg was a hub of business. The city’s proximity to Florida’s fresh waterways made it an ideal location to get supplies from the North for the store built by the Lee brothers. Leesburg was a frequent stop for people who enjoyed fishing and hunting. In fact, famous sharpshooter
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Annie Oakley often came to hunt and is honored with a statue behind the Leesburg Public Library. The first city hall was built in 1926. From 1930 until 1957, Leesburg was known for its popular Watermelon Festival. The Leesburg Historical Museum, on Sixth Street in the historic Woman’s Club Building, houses more information about Leesburg and its contributions to industry and agriculture. Leesburg is an inviting city with much to offer visitors and residents. Nestled between Lake Griffin and Lake Harris, the city, though modern, holds on to its small-town values and sense of community. “We are proud of what we’ve accomplished through the years in Leesburg,” City Manager Al Minner says. “Part of our mission with what we’ve done is to keep Leesburg constantly moving forward.” Leesburg is home to a number of manufacturing businesses. As a result, the population swells to more than 50,000 during the work week,
according to the city’s website. It’s interesting to note that the number of area automobile sales reaches higher than the number of residents. Sales from the area’s award-winning furniture stores also contribute significantly to the city’s economy. Mayor Elise Dennison moved to Leesburg 12 years ago and has watched with pride as the city streets, buildings and institutions have been updated and modernized. “That has really helped a lot in bringing it to the attention of a lot of people in the entire state of Florida,” Elise says. “I really hope Leesburg continues to grow the way we have planned, to make it a better place to live and to have a population that is happy being here.” As a member of the board of directors for the Florida League of Cities, she frequently meets with officials from across the state. “I have to tell you, the mayors and commissioners are really sitting up and taking notice of what’s happening in our city,” Elise says. “We’re becoming a template for a lot of what they are starting to do. I’m pretty proud of our city. I hope this continues and keeps improving.”
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FOUNTAIN LAKE
Gateway to growth
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POPULATION (2017):
by
the
AVERAGE AGE:
21,570 42.7
numbers MUNICIPAL AREA:
WATER AREA:
37
10.08
(SQUARE MILES)
(SQUARE MILES)
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Leesburg
NATURE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY Among the trails you’ll find supported by the city of Leesburg are Magnolia Trail and Fountain Lake Trail. These are set for gateways and land improvements in the master plan. It is suggested that Magnolia Trail will be extended to Main Street along the former rail until the trailhead is at the new city pool location on Pine Street. A recommendation has been made for an on-street cycle track from Magnolia to Dixie Avenue/State Road 44. Plans are in place to expand Fountain Lake Park north and west so the Fountain Lake Trail can be incorporated into the space. With the trail extensions, the planned streetscapes at 2nd and 4th Streets and landscape improvements, the city will be more accessible to walkers and bikers. These areas will provide shade and amenities to encourage residents and visitors to explore Main Street and downtown.
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DOWNTOWN LEESBURG
Florida Department of Transportation. The Complete Streets concept is vital to improving roadway access. On Dixie Avenue/State Road 44, the improvements ran from U.S. Highway 27 to Main Street. This included resurfacing, sidewalk improvements and a beautifully landscaped median to separate opposing lanes of traffic. It also aided in refining access to the roadways leading to downtown. “We know people have access to everything they need at their fingertips,” says Joe Shipes, CEO of the Leesburg Partnership. “Our goal from the beginning was to return the focus to downtown—to the shops, businesses and cultural experiences. You cannot experience the kind of personal service you’ll get in a downtown shop when buying online.” With this focus came a resurgence of businesses, shops and restaurants in downtown. Better signage helped people to get around easier and enjoy walking the streets during downtown events.
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he need for economic growth required Leesburg to become more visible to travelers who might not be familiar with city roadways. Elegant gateways now introduce the city to drivers at the split of U.S. Highways 441 and 27, along with smaller but similarly designed gateways at 14th and Main streets, leading directly to historic downtown Leesburg. There’s also a welcoming gateway at Canal Street. The Dixie Avenue Complete Streets project was aided with a grant from the
Friendly skies
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eesburg International Airport is an essential part of the growth of business and transportation in this part of Central Florida. The busy airport handles more than 60,000 takeoffs and landings annually on two runways extending up to 6,300 feet and provides aviation fuel and supports health, welfare, emergency and safety-related services. “The airport is a special asset because of two things: it makes us a community that hosts aviation, which means it allows companies that locate here to use the airport as a job-creation center,” City Manager Al Minner says. “We’ve refurbished and torn down buildings to ensure aviation industries will locate at our airport. Our efforts have definitely paid off.” As an international airport, Leesburg offers U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The airport is a direct stop for in-bound flights from foreign countries with user fees for various services. An officer is on duty from 8am– 4:30pm on weekdays with an additional fee needed for after-hours services.
Recreational activities
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here’s always something exciting happening through Leesburg’s Recreation Department. Director Travis Rima, along with his staff and a host of volunteers, offers residents and visitors an array of activities in every corner of the city. “We’re really proud of where we’ve come from and what we’ve evolved to,” Travis says. “There has always been a strong rec department in the city of Leesburg, but most of it was focused on youth athletics. In 2014, we made it our goal to expand, knowing not every child or adult is into sports.” Creating a plan that included a variety of options for children and adults meant adding new and different things every year. The events include Rec’N Saturday, a monthly “hodgepodge of activities,” the Daddy-Daughter Dance in February, Mother-Son Nerf Wars in March, Brunch with
the Easter Bunny in April and Bounce-a-Palooza! with an array of bouncy houses and fun games scheduled for June 27. Halloween means a haunted house, and there’s Open Mic in November. Everyone is included in the recreational activities. The Start Smart Programs are for children ages 2-9. Whether the children are playing baseball, tennis, soccer or any other sport, they’re learning the basics of the game and understanding the rules of fair play and sportsmanship. There’s also Start Smart Move and Play to help small
children develop the motor skills that will aid them as they grow up. When searching for alternatives to sporting events, volunteers organized and trained the Royal Heat Dance Team. Designed for children ages 5-18, the dance team performs throughout the year at various city events. In addition, there are adult leagues for basketball, soccer, flag football and kickball for people ages 18 and older. “We’ve had a great response to many of the new programs we’ve offered,” Travis says. “Some of them even sold out.”
The Recreation Department also takes advantage of the beauty of nature in Leesburg. “We have some adventurous programs like a kayak and canoe trip to the island around Venetian Gardens and a fishing clinic that included participation from the (Florida) Fish and Wildlife Commission,” Travis says. “Every kid leaves with a fishing rod and some tackle.” When Travis was hired in 2014, one of his first big projects was getting the Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex in Sunnyside back in playing shape. He worked closely with city commissioners on plans. “There were three significant things we did to accomplish this goal: we budgeted money for revamping the fields, we lowered the rates they’d been charging and we began making connections to get tournaments scheduled here,” Travis says. Lowering the rental rates
The airport’s fixed-base operations are SunAir Aviation, which is open from 7am-7pm every day. SunAir has a pilot’s lounge, car rental and courtesy vehicle, and long-term and overnight tie-down rentals. Other services include pilot training and piston aircraft repairs. Airport Manager Tracey Dean says the airport is proactive in its focus on airport safety. “We’ve got rehab construction going for the primary runway to keep it safe and to stay ahead of potential rebuilding,” she says. Airport use has increased from prior years, partly due to student pilots. The Civil Air Patrol and the Experimental Aircraft Association both have programs for young people at the airport. Lake Composite Squadron SER-FL-021 is under the command of Florida Wing Civil Air Patrol. There are programs for cadets (ages 12-21) and senior members (ages 18 and up).
Sig gns for the times
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“All of this was done with the goal of attracting people and business to Leesburg,” Al says. “So far, everything is moving forward with sustainability.” The grants are funded through the Leesburg Community Redevelopment Agency and general revenue sources. “This is for long-term redevelopment for city businesses,” Al says. “We’re working on a direct line to connect the downtown to all of the Leesburg area. This is an excellent way for small businesses to upgrade and make their buildings and landscaping more attractive to customers.” Eligible businesses must be in the three corridors defined by the CRA: U.S. Highway 441/Dixie Highway, U.S. Highway 27, and East Main Street and Griffin. The new budget year begins Oct. 1. Applications are available at City Hall, the Planning and Zoning Department and the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Download an application at leesburgflorida.gov. For more information, call 352.728.9760.
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he city of Leesburg is partnering with businesses to improve the overall look of buildings. The Façade, Sign and Landscaping Grant Program provides businesses with financial help to make upgrades and meet the standards of the city’s master plan. “This encourages businesses to enhance the signage on their buildings,” City Manager Al Minner says. “They may go from the traditional pole-mounted sign to a more attractive, more eyecatching monument-style sign.” Participating businesses can receive up to $20,000 from the city. This money can be used for new signs, refreshing the building’s exterior with new paint or siding, adding architectural enhancements such as balconies, awnings or porches, or improving landscaping with floral elements or decorative shrubs and trees. For example, if a business receives $10,000 for improvements, the city provides 80 percent of that cost. The business would pay $2,000.
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for the fields was a big step, as more tournaments began coming to town. Now the fields are busy most of the year, with 30-40 tournaments going on in Leesburg. With all the programs and events offered by the Recreation Department, Travis says the aim is to pair children with good mentors to help them get on the right path and stay there. “Our goal is to help all the kids, especially those who might need a little extra guidance,” he says. A complete list of recreational facilities and programs is available in the 2020 Program Guide at leesburgflorida.gov.
The squadron based at Leesburg Airport provides the tactical applications of the three Civil Air Patrol missions mandated by Congress: aerospace education, emergency services and cadet programs. EAA Chapter 534 offers the Young Eagles, a free program for children ages 8-17 who want to learn to fly. They’re offered free online courses and an hour of dual instructions on their way to a pilot’s license. During wildfires, the aviators at Firehawk Helicopters are available. This company, based at Leesburg International Airport, has nine Sikorsky S-70/UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for commercial aviation firefighting. The accomplished pilots also do flight testing for the U.S. Department of Defense to aid in research and development of new aircraft.
looking
Forward
CONCEPT FOR DOWNTOWN MAIN STREET
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he future for Leesburg is bright as the city and its leaders work to complete projects for the Leesburg Downtown Master Plan. Though the focus is on the historic downtown area, projects already are complete or under construction in other parts of the city as well. Historic Downtown Leesburg is vital to the future development of the city. Traffic to downtown businesses has increased, and more small businesses are finding the area a productive and active place to locate. “It has really helped the situation in Leesburg to bring it up to date and bring it to the attention of a lot of people in the entire state of Florida,” Mayor Elise Dennison says. Downtown plans include Laneway Places, areas that provide pedestrian walkways for people to enjoy activities and events. With the designated streets raised to sidewalk level, there will be easier access to Main Street and beautiful outdoor plazas with shaded areas and improved signage, lighting, public art sites and landscaping. More residential housing is planned in the higher floors of downtown businesses. This would allow more people to enjoy downtown living and be within walking distance of everything going on in Leesburg. “We’re not just focusing on downtown, though that was our original mission,” says Joe Shipes, CEO of the Leesburg Partnership. “We’re highlighting the experience of living and working in Leesburg.” Continued improvements at the Lakefront will make Venetian Gardens an even brighter jewel. With the demolition of an old pool, there
is additional space for retail businesses and restaurants. City planners also are looking at better ways to connect the Lakefront to Main Street. THE AQUATIC CENTER An exciting development in the Recreation Department is the planned Aquatic Center on Pine Street, east of downtown. It will include a competition pool, recreational pool, water slide and other features.
The eight-lane competition pool, with bleachers for spectators on each side, will allow the city to attract swimming tournaments. Plans also include recreational areas and picnic shelters. The development of a commercial and mixed-use node at the intersection of Pine and Childs streets will add business, shopping and other varied attractions in this area. Many of the projects are still on the drawing board. But every effort is being made to promote the diversity of experiences in the area, along with the unique character of Leesburg’s exciting downtown.
keeping O POWER FOR THE PEOPLE The city of Leesburg Electric Department has served residents since 1924 and currently has more than 26,000 customers. The goal of the utility company is to provide high-quality, low-cost, customer-driven electrical service. The city government serves twice as many people as the city’s population with its electric, gas, water and wastewater public utilities. The efficiency of the Electric Department is increased by having the distribution systems primarily underground, protecting it from the elements and improving the beauty of the neighborhoods and businesses. Leesburg Electric Department was awarded four national commendations by the American Public Power Association for providing support following hurricanes Florence and Michael. The latest upgrade is the implementation of a new phone system to ensure dispatchers are able to handle more calls in an efficient manner during an outage. A DROP AT A TIME Leesburg Public Works provides high-quality water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste services to residents and businesses at competitive rates. D.C. Maudlin, director of Public Works, explains the unique process of turning wastewater into a usable resource again. “Leesburg water is drawn from the Floridan aquifer at 18 well locations scattered around the municipal area,” he says. “The raw water is very high quality, requiring only minimal treatment at one of six treatment facilities prior to distribution.”
Our City running
find Leesburg Public Works among the highest level of service and among the lowest, if not the lowest, in cost.
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safe and enjoyable place to live and work,” the chief says. The department participates in community events, including National Night Out, Junior Athletic Games, Christmas Bike Give Away with Santa, Shop with a Cop, Citizens Police Academy, Coffee with a Cop, Crime Prevention and Safety Symposiums and Neighborhood Watch meetings.
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TO PROTECT AND SERVE The Leesburg Police Department is a progressive, full-service law enforcement agency with more than 100 employees and a great group of volunteers. Chief Rob Hicks joined the LPD almost 25 years ago and became chief of police in 2014. “I take pride in the fact that, throughout the trials and tribulations our field has faced, our agency has remained
PROTECTING LIFE AND PROPERTY The Leesburg Fire Department was founded in 1875 and, today, four stations protect more than 20,000 residents along with professional, commercial and industrial assets. Each 24-hour shift has 13 line firefighters, one battalion chief for any of the four stations, and a lieutenant, engineer or driver, and one firefighter at each station. Fire Station 63 at the Leesburg International Airport has an aircraft rescue firefighting vehicle on site. Medical transportation is provided by Lake Emergency Medical Services. The men and women of the Leesburg Fire Department are constantly training to provide fire protection and learning better ways to educate the public. In addition, the department also provides rescue services, advanced life support, fire inspections and disaster preparedness. David Johnson became fire chief in 2014 after joining the department in 1994 and rising through the ranks. In his message to residents from the website, the chief says: “The department takes pride in its ability to serve the needs of the community and visitors. Each day, our citizens call upon our 42 firefighters to respond to a variety of emergencies, including medical emergencies, structure fires and vehicle accidents.” To learn more about these and other departments, visit leesburgflorida.gov.
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Wastewater is collected and sent to one of two wastewater treatment facilities. Approximately 85 percent of the wastewater, by volume, is recovered, further treated and distributed to customers as reclaimed water for irrigation. The solid waste division provides curbside, bulk debris and commercial dumpster waste collection, as well as residential recycling and cardboard pickup for businesses. “Our solid waste service is the best in the county. We collect residential garbage twice weekly and residential recycle materials once weekly,” D.C. says. Public works is not very glitzy, but it’s the meat and potatoes of local government’s mission. When there is no order, everyone notices public works, but its accomplishments generally go unnoticed. For example, the city’s Lake Lorraine project worked to help clean waterways by removing pollutants. These projects truly show how we all live “downstream.” When cost and level of service are compared, you’ll
true to our core beliefs (and) we protect and serve our community with integrity, courage, compassion and intelligence,” he says. The department uses a problem-solving philosophy supported by community relationships and intelligence-led principles. The department works closely with the community to nurture relationships, foster new relationships, promote safety and combat crime and the fear of crime. “With strong police/ community relationships forged on the foundation of mutual respect and trust, we can and will continue working together to make our city a
welcome,
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n the biggest economic development project for the region, the city of Leesburg is proud of becoming a part of the expansion plans of The Villages. Founded more than 40 years ago, The Villages is the largest retirement community in the world and the population grows daily, according to thevillages.com. “Economic development is generally thought of as increasing industrial base,” Leesburg City Manager Al Minner says. “Too often, our service economy does not receive the credit it should for job creation and investment. This sector of our economy has brought untold job growth in the construction industry, medical field, entertainment industry, education and uncountable service jobs. And the best organization at creating this kind of investment is The Villages.” When The Villages announced continued growth south of State Road 44, Leesburg city officials were eager to become partners and bring “The Villages lifestyle” to Leesburg. “The city and The Villages have partnered on a number of fronts, which will bring new housing development, commercial development and utility investment not only to our city but to the Lake County/Sumter County region,” Al says. “In Leesburg alone, Villages growth will inject over $750 million in new investment, double our natural gas system and bring countless other jobs and economic growth.”
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UF Health Leesburg Hospital
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In addition to utilizing the latest technology, the hospital also is dedicated to providing understanding and compassionate care to patients and their families. The primary goal of UF Health Leesburg Hospital is to serve the community by providing the best health care through the Community Health Needs Assessment. The future is now for health care in Leesburg. As the city continues to grow, the hospital’s growth will reflect that. With greater access to a variety of services and health care, Leesburg is in a unique place to provide the best health care offered to everyone, from newborns to geriatric patients.
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he face of health care in Leesburg recently changed. The former Leesburg Regional Medical Center is now UF Health Leesburg Hospital, part of UF Health Central Florida. The hospital continues to offer extensive and comprehensive health-care services to residents of Lake, Sumter and Marion counties. It is the largest, most comprehensive healthcare provider in the region, with 24-hour emergency care, adult inpatient psychiatric services, cardiovascular care, orthopedics, minimally invasive surgery, labor and delivery, neurosurgery and more.
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LEESBURG REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IS NOW
Leesburg’s
Lakefront Enhancements
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THE VENETIAN CENTER
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With the completion of Phase III of the Venetian Gardens Master Plan, the natural beauty and enhancements of the grounds are stunning. The Venetian Center, unveiled in November 2019, is the perfect facility for any event. With 20,700 square feet, it offers a beautiful lobby and three meeting rooms, the largest of which seats 1,000 people in the auditorium layout and 450 people for a banquet. The covered portico and terrace include a walking bridge to Martin Luther King Jr. Island. The building was designed to enhance the views of Lake Harris, accentuating the natural beauty of the park. “Venetian Gardens is one of the intrinsic assets that Leesburg offers,” City Manager Al Minner says. “By investing in Leesburg’s
SKI BEACH
The addition of a splash pad to Rogers Park in 2017 significantly increased visits to this corner of Leesburg’s Lakefront. The splash pad has 20 play features and is aimed at giving participants a good soak. Children can cool off with spray tunnels, a blooming spinner, a fun-brella, flow puddles and a confetti sprayer. The 2,100-square-foot playground also has a LifeFloor surface that is slip-resistant, and a pavilion and picnic tables also are available. Add to that Kids Korner Playground, which is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and it’s a great place for family fun. The addition of new swings includes Zero G swings to accommodate children with disabilities and even a swing for the generations, which allows parent and child to swing together. A 75-foot zip line has become the most popular part of the park. The seated rider on the zip line goes from one side of the park to the other. Surrounded by benches and plenty of beautiful shade trees, the park offers something for everyone.
With boat slips and access to Lake Harris, Venetian Cove Marina is a one-stop service zone complete with boat storage areas, fuel, supplies and public restrooms. The Dock Master Building has a 147-slip dry storage area along with 44 wet slips. What’s more, the city is in the planning phases of expanding the marina by adding additional wet slips.
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VENETIAN COVE MARINA
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Lakefront, not only do we improve this beautiful asset for residents of Leesburg, the investment has the ability to be a stimulus for the entire Lake County region.” Through a public/private partnership, another welcomed addition to the Lakefront will be a 9,700-square-foot restaurant similar to its companion restaurant, Eaton’s Beach Sandbar & Grill in Weirsdale. Situated near the Leesburg Boat Club and the Venetian Center, it will include a tiki bar, transient boat slips, waterfront dining and an extended boardwalk along the shores of Lake Harris. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2020.
ROGERS PARK
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This area, locally known as the “Point” of the Lakefront, boasts several new improvements as well, including sand volleyball courts, rentable pavilions, lakefront walking trails, boat ramps, a sand beach, boat dockage and public restrooms. Park users can access Ski Beach through walking trails, by water or the main entry located at the intersection of Lake Shore and Lake Harris Drive.
BIKEFEST
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A partnership of priorities
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alking down the heart of Leesburg on Main Street, you’ll find great shopping and dining as well as historic buildings now housing these modern businesses and shops. The Leesburg Partnership, celebrating its 25th year of service, is a diverse mix of businesses and organizations in the city. Founded by the Downtown Leesburg Business Association, the city of Leesburg and the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the partnership—affiliated with Main Street USA and Florida Main Street—embraces the four components of these two programs: Outreach • Promotion • Economic Restructuring • Design The staff of Leesburg Partnership includes Joe Shipes, chief executive officer; Joanne Smalley, Main Street manager; and Cat Reel, operations manager. Outreach includes getting ideas from people who have a stake in Leesburg’s success and gathering a community consensus. Working closely with the Downtown Leesburg
CRAFT BEER, WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL
BBQ AND BLUES
variety of delicious offerings from food truck vendors. These events fill the annual calendar of the Leesburg Partnership: • Balloons on the Lakefront • Boo Bash • Christmas House • Christmas Parade • Christmas Stroll • Craft Beer, Wine & Food Festival • Leesburg Bikefest • Leesburg Art Festival • Leesburg Fish Fry • Leesburg Mardi Gras • Scarecrow Build-off & Expo
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Business Association, the partnership encourages shopping locally and highlights the advantages of supporting small business in the community. Leesburgeats.com lists the great dining places, and Discover Downtown at leesburgpartnership.com features a map of downtown that’s easy to download and take with you. The Leesburg Partnership promotes DLBA annual events, including the Chili Cook Off and BBQ and Blues. A popular monthly event in historic downtown Leesburg is Food Truck-N-Flick Night, where locals and visitors come together to enjoy a great family movie and a
FOOD TRUCK-N-FLICK NIGHT
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MARDI GRAS
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Commerce flourishes
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he Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce is a vital entity that focuses on building business— from starting businesses to helping existing ones expand or sustain, all depending on the goal of the business. “We do all this while offering a friendly welcome to visitors, residents and potential residents alike looking for information about the beautiful city of Leesburg,” says Sandi Moore, executive director of the chamber. Working with operations manager Danielle Parker, Sandi says the chamber has a finger on the pulse of the community’s needs and what businesses need to be successful. At the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, advocacy is the No. 1 role. “We are here for our businesses to listen, to help guide and to fight for what they need, whether that is facilitating ways for the education systems to improve or facilitating a business owner to sit in front of each city department head to work out a problem,” Sandi says.
The chamber also offers networking opportunities for businesses and a virtual presence. Utilizing all social media platforms and having a stellar website, the chamber will help grow your business’ search engine optimization (SEO). In the networking world, there are a variety of options, including face-toface and virtual networking. Businesses can decide what works best for them, and the chamber has it covered. The Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to say that its focus every day is building strong business, strong community and, ultimately, a strong Leesburg. Visit the Welcome Center downtown or leesburgchamber.com. LOCAL TV Broadcasting since 2005, LakeFront TV is dedicated to providing information and programming for viewers in Lake County. A variety of programs on the schedule appeal to residents of Leesburg. They can see monthly updates from the mayor,
city commission meetings, information from various organizations and civic groups, news from the city, interviews with celebrities who come to town and many other programs. Viewers also can find exercise and health videos, as well as videos of local events like parades and festivals. Awardwinning LakeFront TV has entertainment and educational programming for all ages. LakeFront TV is available on Xfinity channel 22, Prism channel 21 and Spectrum channel 497, or subscribe at youtube.com.
at home with
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the Arts
mong the goals of the Leesburg Partnership is bringing more of the arts to downtown. With the help of Leesburg Center for the Arts, that has happened. The center’s executive director, Maria Stefanovic, guides a staff that includes program director Patricia Gilmore and outreach director Sara Tremblay. “Our goal was to make Leesburg the creative hub for Lake County,” Maria says. “I believe our visions statement says it all. We keep that in mind with everything we do.” The visions statement reads: “To PROVIDE art education, awareness and opportunities to artists, creatives and dabblers in the North Lake County area. ENRICH and INSPIRE our community with art and culture and BE the sense of place for local artists, creatives and dabblers to gather, create and collaborate.” The 43rd Leesburg Art Festival, currently rescheduled to Oct. 24-25 from March, is the city’s artistic centerpiece. “We are the public arts arm of the city,” Maria says. “In addition to the annual arts festival, we sponsor the Boho Fest, Night Market and fundraisers like the Beast Feast and the Wine Pairing party.” Members and the public also can enjoy weekly and monthly events at the center, 429. W. Magnolia St. Try Coffee and
Convo at noon every Friday or join the coaching sessions for drawing, watermedia or acrylic painting. Classes are available for all ages. During summer breaks, weekly classes are offered for children to encourage art participation. Visit leesburgarts.com. For those who think art is their future, the Jan Smith Art Scholarship is available. Students who are working on a degree in art or art education in a college or technical school are eligible. To apply, you must submit an art portfolio and statement about your plans. Another unique aspect of Leesburg Center for the Arts is its Mobile Art Studio, or MAS. The studio shows up at afterschool programs, during school and in public places. Kids and adults not only create art, they also learn about art. The MAS has programs about famous artists who influenced various movements. Participants also meet local artists who ride along the streets in the Mobile Arts Studio. Artwork that everyone in town enjoys includes seven murals painted on public buildings, from the concrete in front of the substation at 14th Street to the painting that’s reminiscent of Old Florida above the parking lot on 7th Street and the CAF building, which has its own mural. Plans are underway to do more murals in other parts of the city.
L-R: JIM KEEGAN, JOANNA SMITHERMAN AND JENNIFER HARPER LITTLE BIG PRINT STEAMROLLER EVENT PARTNERSHIP WITH LEESBURG CENTER FOR THE ARTS, JENNIFER HARPER PRINTMAKING STUDIOS AND CITY OF LEESBURG.
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OUR
natural BEAUTY
OUR
historic CHARM
OUR
festive ATTITUDE
Be in The Center of It All LEESBURG, FLORIDA • THE LAKEFRONT CITY
www.leesburgflorida.gov
