Windermere Rotary to host 2016 Spring Fest

WINDERMERE  The Rotary Club of Windermere is gearing up for one of its biggest events of the year this weekend.

The three-day Rotary Windermere Spring Fest is set to take place April 1 to 3 at The Pines at Windermere and will offer family-friendly activities and special events, all of which will benefit the charities the Rotary supports. 

“We put events on throughout the year to support our charities — Health Central, the Edgewood Children’s Ranch, Home at Last — along with funding scholarships, supporting Interact clubs and more,” said Louis Acosta, the Rotary’s Spring Fest event chair. “It’s a fundraising event and this year we have a collection of events happening over a three-day period.”

The event originated in the early 2000s as Festival Among the Lakes but has since been rebranded.

The weekend kicks off with an April Fools’ Day dinner party on Friday. This $50 ticketed event includes cocktails, a buffet, gourmet cupcakes, cash bar, prizes, raffles and music by the band Mid-Life Crisis. 

Saturday’s events start at 10 a.m. Boat dealers will be on hand for a boat show, and bands will play live music all afternoon. Vendors such as Bubbalou’s Bodacious Bar B Que and Kona Dog will offer food throughout the day, and the Boy Scouts will sell hamburgers. Kids can play in bounce houses, and everyone will be able to take in a student art exhibition.

“All weekend long, there will be art representing over 20 different area schools with over 1,200 pieces,” said Todd Bednarek, Rotary Club’s president-elect.

Healthy West Orange will have an expo during the day to educate people about healthy lifestyles, nutrition and exercise, and to offer free health screenings.

To cap the day, another ticketed event, Casino Night, is set to begin at 7 p.m. Guests can “buy in” on the Rotary website for $40, which includes snacks, drink tickets, a cash bar and prizes. 

Sunday’s events also begin at 10 a.m., with a martial-arts exhibit occurring at noon and the We Have Talent show at 2 p.m. 

Contact Danielle Hendrix at [email protected].