Things to Do in Winter Garden

Six-time world champion. Number one in the world. Dishwasher safe. All of these phrases have been used to describe prolific water-skier Sammy Duvall. At his self-titled watersports center, Mr. Duvall helps visitors discover the aquatic activities that have defined his life. Piloting speedboats, his staff pulls tubers, wakeboarders, and water-skiers across Bay Lake. A parasail, emblazoned with a smiley-face design, elevates tandem riders over views of Florida's natural terrain and nearby theme parks. The water sport experts also lead jet-ski tours through Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon.

In 1963, lifelong friends Billy Long and Frank Scott Jr. uprooted themselves from their Virginia homes and plotted a 100-acre farm in central Florida. In the half-century since, as most independent farms have been sold to ruthless rabbits, Long & Scott Farms has stayed in the family, expanding to a prosperous 1,200 acres brimming with Zellwood sweet corn, pickled cucumbers, and cabbage. Each fall, the farm cultivates a new corn maze to complement a 60-foot slide, hayrides, and another maze made from more than 1,000 ligustrum trees. The farm's country cafe offers breakfast and lunch, and the nearby market and produce club feature locally grown produce as well as Long & Scott's own line of jellies, syrups, jams, and relishes.

A fleet of ATVs, Jeep 4x4s, and dune buggies carries passengers on wild, pavement-free rides through more than 240 acres of Floridian tropics at Revolution, The Off-Road Experience. Behind the wheel of a Jeep, drivers can lumber through creeks at the bottom of treacherous gullies and climb over slippery mud log piles, before wheeling up manmade steps instead of looking for a nearby escalator. Alternately, the company’s local body of water, Revolution Lake, lets adventurers take advantage of 60 acres of sport fishing, where they can catch, photograph, and release specimens such as largemouth bass, croppies, snook, and bowfin.

Inspired by his own love of exotic cars, Joe Sabatini's Festivals of Speed has been parading a fleet of the world’s snazziest automobiles before crowds at several fancy Florida hotels and resorts for a full decade. His who’s who list of cars includes vintage and contemporary models from Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, and Aston Martin, some so frighteningly aerodynamic that the wind refuses to blow on them. All rest in silent repose, waiting to be unleashed to qualified drivers through a special Ride and Drive program.

To complement the automotive elegance, the event planners have made arrangements for soft jazz, luxury lifestyle displays, and sumptuous snacks perfect for tossing to Bentleys as they hop up on their hind wheels. The festival also attracts speedy species of watercraft, aircraft, and custom motorcycles, as well as classic and restored cars submitted by local auto enthusiasts. Alongside its vehicle lineup, the festivals also showcase jewelry, fine art, real estate, and culinary gems to cater to all manner of luxury aficionado.

Sprinkled across Clermont and Groveland, 13 different lakes form thousands of acres of aquatic playground traversed by Water Toyz of Clermont's fleet of watercraft. Lush trees and rolling hills offer a natural backdrop for boat parties and guided tours as low-emission jet skis wind through marshlands on narrow waterways and speedboats tow wakeboarders across lakes. At the end of each day, a Florida sunset paints warm colors across the sky and beckons Water Toyz of Clermont's vessels back into their oversize fishbowls for a peaceful night’s sleep.

The certified flight instructors at First Landings Aviation were all actively airborne by their 20s: Adam Valencic earned his Private Pilot's License at 19, and Chris Buell and Kyle Pack began flying at ages 12 and 13, respectively. The pilots harness their years-long enthusiasm for each individually tailored student program they offer, be it a half-hour Discovery flight, sport-pilot training, or private-pilot training. The sport-pilot flight-instructor course, meanwhile, affords students opportunities to practice their instruction skills before teaching others how to beat flocks of migratory geese in drag races. With their licenses in tow, pilots can also take the skies in one of First Landing Aviation's rental aircrafts.