I've only been inside briefly for a small family gathering. But the event space is beautiful and I…read morecan see a lot of good things happening here in the future! I look forward to it.

Rented a space from the guy that owns this building. What a nut job. Everyday he would come buy to…read morecheck on his precious building. Its a warehouse for heavens sake! I had enough when he started interacting with my employees stirring up trouble between them. Steer clear from this place!

This historical tour was fantastic! We did the last tour of the day with Kayla, the owner. She was…read moreextremely knowledgeable and shared so much information on the home and what's happened over the years. I'm going to have to take this tour again just to try to remember it all! Lovely maintained home with so much history. Who visited, who contributed to the building and maintenance of the home, the restoration efforts. It was fascinating. We happened to be there on a day when they received a gift of an original Edison grammaphone with the beeswax songs in paper wrappers! And it actually worked! Amazing. Also loved the Louis Comfort Tiffany windows - just gorgeous!

If you're planning a visit to nearby Blue Springs State Park, the Stetson Mansion is an absolutely…read moremust-visit stop. Yes - Stetson - as in the hats. I was just as surprised to learn that the famed hat-maker once called the small town of DeLand, FL home. I happened to be visiting during peak manatee season and so had the privilege of being able to still enjoy the mansion during its special holiday tour season. During the holiday tour, each room of the mansion has a unique theme to it that you get to learn all about from your helpful docent. Not only do you get to the enjoy the wonderful story of that room's decorations theme but the history of the home and family is wonderfully blended in. I'm told that obviously during the regular historical tour you dive deeper but I left learning waaaaay more about the Stetson family than I ever expected (or knew). The home is privately owned and you the love and passion the new owners have for the historic property is evident in every room. We even had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners (the super sweet and DeLand native, Kayla) I was surprised to learn she had even created many of the decorations herself that adorned the opulent rooms in the mansion. The Stetson Mansion is a great example of one of the many historical gems tucked away in Florida small towns that you can stumble upon when exploring the state. Whether you're doing the regular history tour or holiday tour, you're sure to have a fabulous visit to the Stetson Mansion.

Heartless, Unaccommodating, and Potentially Unlawful -- A Devastating Experience with Villa Festa…read more I WOULD NEVER USE THIS VENUE or book with Beth at Villa Festa. Our wedding was scheduled for October 4, 2025 but due to serious and unforeseen personal and financial hardship, we reached out to Villa Festa with advance notice, hoping for an honest, human conversation. We had already paid over $9,000 of a $10,000 contract -- more than 90% of the total cost, with payments made at the end of 2024 and additional payments in January 2025. Only leaving a 1300$ deposit remaining which was due a month prior, Despite this, and despite having received no services at all, the venue refused to offer a meaningful refund, only returning $1,071and keeping the rest -- while refusing to compromise in any reasonable way only on their terms When we asked about rescheduling, we were told we could only move the wedding to July or August -- the hottest, most uncomfortable months in Florida -- or pay additional upcharges and fees just to secure a new fall date. If we wanted to keep the original October weekend, we could -- but only if we dropped the weekend package or else lose value we already paid for. Downsizing or adjusting the event would also require giving up our full-weekend access or paying even more for the new year, which is over 1k. We were shocked to learn that the contract -- which the venue keeps pointing to -- contains a clause stating that exceptions can be made on a "case-by-case basis." Yet when we approached them early and respectfully, they refused to help unless it involved more payments or major losses on our end. Worse, the owner Beth has since ignored all emails, refused to return phone calls, and declined to meet in person -- showing zero effort to resolve the situation or even maintain basic communication. The entire interaction has been emotionally exhausting. In light of these circumstances, I believe that Villa Festa's rigid "no refund" stance may violate Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA), under Florida Statutes 501.201-501.213. Businesses are prohibited from: -Failing to provide services as agreed -Misleading customers about contract terms -Acting in bad faith in enforcement of policies A "no refund" policy that disregards performance failures, ignores written clauses about case-by-case exceptions, and keeps thousands of dollars without delivering any service could very well be seen as unfair, deceptive, and potentially unenforceable under Florida law. Villa Festa may look like a charming venue, but behind the scenes, you'll find a lack of professionalism, empathy, and integrity. This was supposed to be the most important day of our lives -- instead, we were treated like a burden the moment the money was received. I would NEVER recommend this venue to anyone, and I hope this review saves someone else from a heartbreak, money and time.

We attended a family wedding there and the employees were very helpful, kind and accommodating to…read moreour family. Decor was great and the food was tasty.

Overall, The Artisan Downtown is a decent place. They have really seemed to have gotten their stuff…read moretogether since the last time I was here. At least so far anyway. I will update if this changes through my stay. My first stay was quite horrendous to say the least. Let's hope this stay is a lot better. Update: as I wake up in the morning and go to make my morning cuppa coffee, the Keurig doesn't work. Now, coffee is my life as stated on my page. I don't know what to do with myself as there is nobody working in the front desk, quite literally there is a sign. Disappointed in that. I went to go take a shower and my options were either scolding hot or freezing cold. So I awesomely got to choose between the two. That was pleasant. As stated in one of the pictures you can see that some of the paint is faded in a couple different areas in the room and the wood is showing underneath. Just some basic light maintenance needs to be tended to. And the lightbulbs need to be checked out before customers come into the room. Other than that, I am happy with the aesthetic of the junior suite. It is roomie and nicely decorated. I like the fact that the living room is sectioned off from the bedroom. Makes it feel like you're in your own little apartment versus being in a hotel. They seem to have made some upgrades since the last time I had stayed here. In the bathroom, they have amenities that they did not have before. So kudos to them. Now let's see how the rest of my stay goes! Oh, and Lindsay who works the front desk, rocks!

Wi-Fi? Wouldn't know because we weren't informed on check in. Kind of a lapse. Otherwise a fine…read morestay.

Love the conversion of this historic church into a multi-use space! We stayed in one of the Airbnbs…read moreand really enjoyed it. So many great businesses under one roof with great event spaces for weddings and large gatherings. - The Window Room has Noble Roots (fresh produce), South of the South Smokehouse, Coffee at Kuzco's and Centro Tea Co. I enjoyed the most amazing iced coffee from Kuzco's (Kuzco Special Latte) - wish I had order the large. - Oliver and Gray Home, which has a cute collection of items for self-service purchase. - Chapel Tap offers craft beers on tap and wine with a killer happy hour ($4 draft or house wine) - Tropi Shack has 32 styles of Cuban sandwiches, a variety of hotdog styles and ice cream

From the owner: Formerly a historic church, Northwest Square has been transformed into a mixed-use space featuring…read morea food hall, tap room, retail shops, and apartments.

Dorothy's is my go-to florist for sending flowers to my mom in DeLand.. They are always so kind and…read morehelpful, and their arrangements are spectacular!

Thank you Dorothy's for the beautiful flowers you sent as a thank you gift to my friends! They were…read morebeautiful and they loved them!

This place was absolutely magical. Emily, the owner was so knowledgeable and thorough in her…read moredescriptions and information on the building and the land/lakes/stores/restaurants around it. The stay itself was peaceful, quiet, and serene. I could read my book on that screened in back porch for a lifetime! Highly recommended, we would come back 100 times over.

Our second stay here, same room because this was our choice the night before our wedding, close to…read moreour venue. We love it here! The room? Adorably themed. We chose the cowboy theme. A nice back screened balcony to relax on, nice amenities. A peaceful place near downtown Cassadega. The owners and caretakers/ hosts were great. Our first stay here a host walked us up to our room and gave us and other guests a brief tour. Whether you need a brief romantic getaway, staying for the not far beaches, this place has all the charm and history! Recommend! We will definitely be here again for our anniversary! Thanks to the owners for another great stay!

I live in Florida and I have bronchial asthma. On a 90+ degree day in a nun outfit - I attempted…read moreto walk 6 long blocks. After the 4th block - i was done. I walked slowly to The Athens Theatre where Tim let me in to cool off and catch my breath. The MANAGER of the theatre let me stay in even with sound check!!! The play was fantastic, the seats amazing and production superb. I could have gone south really bad - but Tim and The Athens Theatre saved me from that happening. Thank you, Athens, Theatre, and Tim. You are simply the best.

Recently, DH and I went to see the sound of music at the Athens Theatre, and we were blown away!…read moreEveryone was so very good at everything they did! Especially the orchestra, the nuns and the father! We are so very happy to see the Athens bringing back a lot of the golden era musicals like they used to have in 2017 and 18. The children, and all of the performers as a whole were amazing! I enjoyed it so much that I am bringing my mom today! I really hope that the theatre will be bringing back musicals like "hello Dolly", "The King and I", "Guys and Dolls", "Oklahoma", "Brigadoon", "The Music Man", "Gypsy", "My Fair Lady", and "Fiddler On The Roof" to name a few. We love seeing those musicals and bringing the younger generation to see it live. My niece enjoyed it the last time I brought her and it's different than seeing it on a DVD. The theatre is wonderful since the seats are comfortable and you can see from any seat in the house. Come back to the theatre!

My corporation has used Encore for all of our events for over 10 years. The service and quality of…read morethe food has always been a draw for people to come to the event. Teddy was a fixture at this company and our main contact but she has since retired and passed the baton over. The new team is also great and this year (2017) was my first experience with them. Same great quality and service.

Encore Catering is top notch! I will never use anybody else. I used all the other catering services…read morebefore finding the best in central FL. I am so thankful to have found Encore. They make having a function enjoyable. Joe and Rachel....BRAVO. I can't express how thankful I am for you both and your amazing team.