I recently went to Orlando’s “Fall Fiesta in The Park” on November 4th, 2017 and can say it was a festive fiesta full of fun fall feeling festivities.
1. The more tents the better.
Lake Eola is a big lake itself, so when we walked up to see the entire lake surrounded by tents, we were immediately excited for all that we were going to see. I was more excited about how many steps on my FitBit I was about to get. Dog adoptions, independent photographers, arts, handmade crafts, food stands, homemade honey, jewelry, clothing, home décor, outdoor décor, and bonsai trees. The type of tents we saw was very diverse, and well spread out. We went from the salt rock stand to a home décor to a jewelry stand to a lemonade stand.
Around the entire lake, we saw many interesting and exciting stands, and enjoyed all the ohs and awes we experienced together. And the perfect weather made it even better. The fall breezes brought a fall feeling to the day, like little whispers of the season. The sun brightened the day, warming our skin and reminding us that we were still in Florida. And the shaded areas under the trees were great touches of cool that balanced out the heat. A perfect combination of weather I would say.
2. Endless dogs are key to a good festival.
I can’t even remember how many dogs we saw that day. And I can’t even remember a number of dogs I saw, spoke to, named myself, and pet. It was an endless amount of dogs, dogs of all sizes, all beautiful in their own way. What was great was that my friends and I all love dogs, so every single dog we saw was an exciting experience. And just as I spoke about in my last article, a lot of our time was spent comparing and bragging about our personal pets with each other.
3. When the word 'free' is included, go for it.
Especially for a bunch of college students, anything free sounds a lot nicer to our ears and our starving wallets. As we walked, any free sample was free game, and we went for them. Free specialty infused cookies, free cinnamon pecans, free sample of green tea mojitos, free teriyaki chicken sample; even free pens were invited to our day. A good idea is to not eat a big meal before going to a fall festival when you know free samples will be given out, that way you have an empty stomach and can enjoy all that you try. Being that this festival was such a huge festival, we had lots of free samples to try, and that alone can satisfy you.
4. Pick out your favorites to indulge in.
Even though the free samples did satisfy us, we did have to make a few purchases for substance. But at this festival the prices were reasonable and we were happy to spend money on fresh squeezed lemonade, mojito green tea, Cuban sandwiches, falafel and coleslaw, and of course funnel cake. We are all big foodies, so the free samples kept us entertained while these meals kept our stomachs happy. My friends enjoyed their Cuban sandwiches while I enjoyed a falafel sandwich and coleslaw. My green tea non-alcoholic mojito was well worth it, a combination I was skeptical of until I tasted it. Wow, what a flavor! However, the star of the festival was the countless lemonade stands. That lemonade was some of the best lemonade I’ve ever tasted. Not too sugary, not too warm, large enough to keep us hydrated, and a yummy taste that kept smiles on our faces.
5. The company is what it is all about to have a good time.
I enjoyed this day with a small group of friends who also enjoy all that comes with a public and free festival. My dear friends Erica, Rob and Darius were great company. I know having them with me made it even more special and even more exciting and fun. We laughed at ourselves, pointed out every single dog that we saw, tasted too many free samples, and oh and awed at everything from the Brighton look-alike jewelry to the salt rock stand. Even when there was a couple of stands that weren’t that interesting, being with the right company still made it exciting, like joking with the boys that they need to get some toe rings or me telling Erica that her pet python was waiting for her a few stands away. We shared stories, cracked some jokes, and made connections within those few hours we were there. All in all, the company made it an even more special day.