Bust out the bonnets and brush up on your curtsies because the Jane Austen Fest returns to Mount Dora this weekend.

Fans of literature, history and period fashion will step back in time during the annual celebration honoring famed English novelist Jane Austen and the era she helped immortalize through her writing, while blending historical education with modern-day fun.

Jane Austen (1775–1817) remains one of literature’s most beloved authors, known for classics such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Her novels, celebrated for sharp wit and social commentary, often focused on women navigating society, relationships and independence during the early 19th century.

“As Jane and her sister Cassandra attended dinner parties and balls, she paid close attention to other people,” says a blurb on readbrightly.com that highlights facts about popular authors, including Jane Austen. “After every event, she wrote down what people said and did, including details like bad breath and questionable motives. She used these details to enrich her stories and bring her characters to life.”

Now in its sixth year, the Mount Dora festival invites attendees to experience Austen’s world through themed workshops, lectures, teas, fashion and social gatherings, all built around the event’s signature tagline: “A foot in the 21st Century and a toe in the Regency Era.”

Margaret Andersen, president of Jane Austen Fest, says the enduring fascination with Austen continues to draw devoted fans and newcomers alike. In fact, festival planners are expecting hundreds.

“I think she’s a fascinating woman,” Margaret says about Jane Austen. 

Personally, Margaret says she remembers her mother reading to her and her sister every night, and all of Jane Austen’s books were included, which started her own fascination.

“She wrote six novels and she wrote them out by hand, with actual pen and ink. She didn’t have a computer, obviously, or even a typewriter,” Margaret says. “And she died at 41 years old, so to have a legacy like this is amazing.” 

“First of all, she was one of the first novelists that included women characters who said ‘no,’ and that was an unusual thing in the Regency era for women to disagree,” Margaret says.

The weekend is packed with fantasy and fun. Margaret says most people come dressed to the ‘T’ in Regency era-inspired attire, adding to the immersive fun. Returning favorites such as the Regency Ball, workshops in perfume and bonnet making, afternoon teas at the historic Donnelly House, discussion groups, trivia hunts and a marketplace are open to the public. 

Margaret says some of the most notable events taking place at the festival are the keynote speaker on Saturday, Claire Saim, who co-wrote Jane Austen, A visual encyclopedia. She says there will be Regency Ball on Saturday night preceded by a Regency dance class and a promenade to the church where it’s being held. Other classes throughout the weekend include perfume making and lawn bowling, one of the only physical activities women were allowed to participate in during the 1700-1800s.

 Margaret says popular shows like Bridgerton have already helped people identify with the era. The festival just brings it to life.

“Bridgerton seems to be so big with a younger demographic, and, of course, Bridgerton is a fantasy, but it is in the same era, the Regency era with the dresses and all that stuff,” Margaret says. 

Beyond fun and celebration, the festival also supports education, something not many woman at that time were allowed.

“We are a nonprofit and our proceeds go to scholarships for women pursuing an education in particularly history, writing, literature and fashion,” Margaret says.

All in all, she believes the event’s popularity reflects a desire for connection and escapism.

“The world right now is so crazy that stepping back into a fantasy for a weekend is, I think, something that people are really looking forward to,” she says.

For a full schedule of events or registration information, visit janeaustenfest.com.