Festivals of Speed Combines Elegance & Horsepower at the Mission Inn Resort & Club

The Festivals of Speed expanded its event circuit in March 2011 to include a Motorsports Gathering & Luxury Lifestyle Display at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills. This inaugural showing included exotic and vintage vehicles that drew aficionados and enthusiasts from across Florida, Lake County, and the surrounding areas.

Festivals of Speed events have successful annual operations in St. Petersburg, Florida at the Four Diamond Renaissance Vinoy Hotel & Resort, in Orlando at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, and at the Epic Hotel in Downtown Miami.  Bringing together this ever changing display of the world’s most exotic vintage and contemporary automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft and watercraft at the award-winning Mission Inn Resort & Club was the first of many expansions Festivals of Speed has planned.  

 

This unique new event weekend featured luxury receptions, and a one of a kind automotive gathering.  Attendees had a rare opportunity to appreciate automotive masterpieces of design and engineering in a setting that is both festive and elegant.   Featured at this prestigious event among other unique vehicles was a beautifully restored 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica that captured the coveted Festivals of Speed Best of Show trophy, a Jaguar XK 150 currently noted as the most decorated Jaguar in the US, Ferrari 599 GTO, 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC, an exquisite 1936 Packard Duel Cowl Phaeton Super 12, and the famous 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS that claimed first prize in the original Cannonball run. The Ferrari 410 that took Best of Show previously owned by the Shah of Iran. It took three years to build and was personally overseen by Enzo Ferrari himself.

 

On Sunday, March 6th these prized vehicles were all set for display on the plush fairway of the Mission Inn Resort & Club’s Championship Golf Course that has been revered as one of Florida’s finest. Guests and participants enjoyed exclusive culinary offerings, fine wines, smooth jazz, fashion, ‘VIP’ cafes, awards presentations, cigar smokes, scotch tastings and much more. 

 

FESTIVALS OF SPEED TO DISPLAY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT VEHICLE COLLECTION IN COMPANY HISTORY

Festivals of Speed, the premier luxury lifestyle and automotive event production company in Florida, is returning to The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes on Sunday, October 10 with The Fifth Annual Festivals of Speed Orlando presented by Fields Motorsports. The Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children will once again be the beneficiary. The weekend will feature three days of rare and exotic vehicles, fine foods, top shelf spirits, luxury products and services, fashion shows and more. At the many events, attendees will come face to face with vintage and contemporary exotic cars, motorcycles, boats and aircraft.

The Festivals of Speed Orlando will commence on Friday, October 8^th with a Jetport Reception at the Orlando International Airport.  The event will feature a preview of the some of the most noteworthy vehicles to appear over the weekend as well as a display of aircraft and powerboats. The setting is a lavishly decorated aircraft hangar complete with smooth themed food stations, open bar, smooth jazz, fine art, exclusive watch displays, elegant jewelry, luxury products & services as well as live and silent auctions benefitting the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. This event kicks off Festivals of Speed annually and is an unmatched experience for anyone who has never attended. 

A special addition to this year’s weekend is the Festivals of Speed Golf Classic at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes Golf Club to benefit Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children on Saturday, October 9^th.  The course was designed by two-time British Open Champion Greg Norman, and provides golfers with a challenging test of skill and an experience not typically found in Florida.  Joe Sabatini, Founder and President of The Festivals of Speed stated “We are proud to partner with the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes Golf Club this year for the inaugural Festivals of Speed Golf Classic.  This addition to the weekend will add even more entertainment for our long time collectors and guests and deliver a new demographic of affluent attendees in the loyal golf enthusiast. For our Sponsors, the Festivals of Speed is all about networking, so the addition of a golf tournament is a clear fit.”

Saturday evening, the festivities continue on to Primo at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton for the annual Wine Connoisseur’s Dinner. Primo is led by James Beard Foundation award winning Chef Melissa Kelly. The Wine Connoisseur’s Dinner Saturday has become an immensely popular and highly anticipated staple to the Orlando Festivals of Speed weekend.  Primo will be closed to all but guests of the Festivals of Speed who will experience a four course plated meal of the organic contemporary Italian cuisine that Primo is known for. Each plate will be paired with a fine wine by sommeliers from top vineyards and wineries.  After dinner, guests will enjoy complementary cigars and fine cognac on the terrace that overlooks the unique and plush foliage of the beautiful Grande Lakes property. To further enhance the evening, guests will be able to see an exclusive preview of the exotic vehicles as they enter the lawns of the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott in anticipation of the main event on Sunday. 

 The weekend concludes on Sunday October 10th, with the Motorsports Collection Display of over 250 cars, motorcycles and watercraft. Guests can enjoy The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes property’s splendor and amenities, while eyeing some of the rarest vintage and contemporary vehicle designs. In addition to the world class vehicles on display which will include Bugatti, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, BMW, Mercedes, and more, attendees will encounter fine wines, exciting culinary offerings, robust cigars and smooth jazz in the beautiful landscape, as well as luxury lifestyle displays featuring fine jewelry and timepieces. At the end of the day, the event will conclude with an exciting awards ceremony presenting premier car collectors with coveted trophies designed and produced by Tiffany & Co.  To make the return of this world class weekend even more inviting, Sabatini has announced that the automotive collection he is putting together for the Fifth Annual Festivals of Speed Orlando is going to be the most significant display in Festivals of Speed history. Just one of the notable vehicles he has confirmed is the rare Bugatti Sang Bleu. Bugatti unveiled the Sang Bleu, an exclusive one-off Grand Sport, honoring the marques precious heritage at the Pebble Beach Concours d’elegance last August. To top off all of the anticipation, famed Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni will be in attendance all throughout the weekend. This event gets larger and more exciting every year, and promises to be a weekend that the automotive and luxury enthusiast will not soon forget.

 About Festivals of Speed

Headquartered in Eustis, Florida, Festivals of Speed was founded as the ultimate luxury showcase for discerning enthusiasts with a passion for all forms of transportation. With a series of extremely special events scheduled throughout the year, Festivals of Speed joins the very best in automotive, aircraft, marine and motorcycle transportation with the finest culinary, wine, spirits, and fashion for the ultimate luxury experience. For more information, please visit www.festivalsofspeed.com. 352-385-9450.