MT. DORA, Fla. — Obayana Ajanaku was the first to arrive Sunday morning to set up his tent for the second day of the Mount Dora Art Festival.
Ajanaku and 300 other artists braved the frigid temperatures Saturday, where the thermometer climbed down into the 40s but the wind made it feel a lot colder.
Ajanaku, a jewelry artist who says his work is inspired by his grandmother, said he had no thought of packing in his tent and leaving.
“I gave Lowe’s some business and bought some extra sand and weights and concrete blocks,” he said.
Kyle Brown, a pastel artist a few tents down, also arrived early. He said wind was an art exhibitor’s biggest fear because of the damage it could do to his work.
“If you’re gonna go for the life of an artist, I don’t think you can just take it when it’s convenient, right,” he asked, smiling.
The wind claimed several victims this weekend. One couple sadly packed away their tent that overturned early Sunday, saying they would go to church and joked that God had given them a sign.
For those who stayed, coffee was a must, as well as multiple jackets and electric hand warmers.
Jaime Barks said that despite the 20-degree temperature difference between Saturday and Sunday, she thought the calmer wind and sunshine were already setting the day up to be the more pleasant of the two.
“It feels so much better today at 29 than it did yesterday evening at 48,” she remarked. “I want to take my hat off, but my hair would be crazy.”
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