Weekend Best Bets

8TH ANNUAL FREE FAMILY FESTIVAL

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Crealdé School of Art, 600 Saint Andrews Blvd., Winter Park. Crealdé’s popular open house is a day of free fun, art and play on Crealdé School of Art’s lakeside campus. Children enjoy pony rides, face painting and bounce house fun in the midst of the Contemporary Sculpture Garden. They can choose from a wide selection of hands-on art workshops, including plein-air pastel painting in the garden facing Lake Sterling, darkroom photography, clay animal sculpting and printmaking. Families have the opportunity to see all the studios, meet Crealdé’s professional art faculty, and register for classes. For more information, call (407) 671-1886.

14TH ANNUAL OCOEE SPRING FLING

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Bill Breeze Park, 125 N. Lakeshore Drive, Ocoee. The free event includes fun activities, games and live demonstrations aimed at reinforcing safe behavior by youth and families, and it showcases community services available in the area. There will be a bike rodeo, game truck, rock climbing, live burn demonstration, educational road obstacle track, food, music and prizes. Ocoee.org or (407) 905-3100.

60TH WINTER PARK SIDEWALK ART FESTIVAL

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 17, at Winter Park’s Central Park along Park Avenue. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is one of the nation’s most prestigious outdoor art festivals. Each year, more than 350,000 visitors enjoy the show. Expect to see dazzling sculpture and glass for the big pocketbook as well as smaller works to please just about anyone. Enjoy Friday night’s jazz concert, children’s workshop village and school art exhibits, and great food and sidewalk cafes.  Come out for this annual tradition in Winter Park. Be sure to leave your dogs at home when you visit the festival; they are not allowed to enter the event. For more information, visit wpsaf.org.

HORIZON WEST FEST AT HAMLIN

2-8 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Horizon West, 14111 Shoreside Way, Winter Garden. The family-fun event includes a “Horizon West’s Got Talent” show, community scavenger hunt, kids zone, human-powered Sno-cone machine, live music and performances, food and a beer and wine bar.

PETFEST

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St. Sponsored by Animal Clinic of Windermere, the event is perfect for people with pets. There will be doggy games, food trucks, face painting, the Doggy Fun Zone and vendors selling pet products. Admission is free. Windermereparksandrecreation.com.

WINTER PARK BOOK FESTIVAL

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at the Winter Park Public Library, 460 E. New England Ave., Winter Park. Come enjoy a day-long celebration of the written word. Hear from Opening Keynote Speakers Pam Brandon, Katie Farmand and Heather McPherson from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., followed by an adult author panel, titled “No Excuses: Settings Goals and Routines,” from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. A young-adult and middle-grade author panel, titled “Two Roads: Becoming a Writer and Bringing a Story to Life,” runs from 1 to 2 p.m. There’s also Storybook STEAM for children ages 3 to 6 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and an author panel, titled “Crossroads: Where Horror Meets Fantasy,” from 3 to 4 p.m. A Craftsaganza will take place all day on the second-floor genius lab and third floor meeting room. For more information, call (407) 623-3300.