Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens holds its Fall Fest on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4990 NE 180th Ave. in Williston. The garden calls it one of its largest single-day events of the year. The plant vendors, craft market, food, and live music headline the event. On Nov. 7 the garden sets aside several of its regular rules, and those regular rules are what make Cedar Lakes most useful to people who live nearby.
On a regular day, Cedar Lakes is a 20-acre quarry garden where a leashed dog can walk the trails with you. A membership costs less than a few days of admission. Festival day brings a different set of rules. Once you know which days are which, it's easier to plan your year around the place, beyond the one weekend when out-of-town guests are visiting.
A garden with a short list of exceptions
The garden's pet policy welcomes dogs during standard business hours. The same policy says pets are not allowed during any special event, and it names four of them: the Spring Festival, the Fall Festival, the Reggae festival, and Christmas in the Quarry. Every other open day is a regular day.
| Event | 2026 dates | Dogs allowed? |
|---|---|---|
| Garden Show & Spring Fest | May 2–3 (11th annual, already past) | Service animals only |
| Fall Fest | Saturday, Nov. 7, 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | Service animals only |
| Christmas in the Quarry | Dec. 12–13, 17, 19–20, and 22–23, 5:30–8 p.m. | Service animals only |
| Reggae festival | Watch the garden's calendar | Service animals only |
| Any regular open day | Entry from 9:30 a.m., last admission 4:45 p.m. | Yes, leashed |
On regular days, a few rules apply to pets. Dogs must stay on a leash and under control, retractable leashes are not allowed, and vaccines must be current. Owners clean up after their pets. If a pet growls, barks, or snaps, the owner and pet will be asked to leave, and admission is not refunded. The garden also has resident cats. Touching or feeding them, or any of the wildlife, is not allowed, so plan on a shorter leash near the ponds.
Why the trails feel the way they do
The terrain makes more sense once you know the history. The garden says Dr. Raymond Webber found the property in 1991. It was a lime rock quarry more than 100 years old, and stone mined there had gone into the foundation of nearby Highway 27. By then the pit was long abandoned and had turned into a polluted swamp. Webber bought it for private use and first planned to make it a big fishing pond.
He and a small team built the walkways and walls by hand, rolling materials in by wheelbarrow. They added islands, winding concrete paths, cascading pools and waterfalls, pavilions and gazebos, and bridges made of Brazilian walnut. Webber took up gardening later, to soften all that stone. In January 2014 he set up Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, gave the 20-acre garden to it, and opened it to the public. He gave the 64 acres of woodland next door to Conservation Florida.
The quarry shape explains the walking. The standard garden loop is about a mile long, and it drops from the rim to the quarry floor. The red trail along the top is fairly level and is the one the garden suggests for strollers and wheelchairs. The full blue trail has steeper sections. The garden's own accessibility page says the grounds are not considered handicap accessible. Getting to the lower level means going down a steep ramp, and the garden suggests bringing someone who can help on the descent. The restrooms at the front were built to be fully wheelchair accessible. The steep descent to the lower gardens follows the walls of the old lime rock pit.
What Nov. 7 adds, and what it takes away
Fall Fest fills the grounds near the entrance with exotic, native, and unusual plant vendors who sell plants suited to Florida yards. There is also an arts-and-crafts market of handmade goods from Florida artisans, food and drink vendors, local live music, and several scavenger hunts and nature activities for kids. A festival ticket includes the full garden: the trails, the waterfalls, and the koi ponds. The garden points visitors to its social media pages for vendor and performer updates.
Festival admission is $12 for adults and $7 for ages 6 to 13, and kids 5 and under get in free. Military members, veterans, and first responders pay $6 with ID. Members pay $6 as well, adults and kids alike, and need to show both their membership card and a photo ID. Parking is on-site and included.
The garden's materials disagree about tickets. The Fall Fest page links to presale tickets on Zeffy, which lists those purchases as non-refundable. The FAQ on that same page says tickets must be bought in person at the admission desk on event day. A quick email to [email protected] before Nov. 7 will settle which one applies.
The garden's own planning tips suggest an order for the day:
- Leave the dog at home. The festival page says only service animals are allowed on Nov. 7.
- Walk the garden first. The vendors are set up near the parking lot, and the garden suggests buying or picking up plants on your way out. That way you aren't carrying a flat of perennials around a quarry.
- Check the forecast and keep the plan. The event goes on in light rain. For severe weather, the garden will post updates on its website and social media.
- Know where the restrooms are. The main restrooms are at the garden entrance. Portable units are in the festival area and on the far side of the gardens.
The year-round rules still apply on festival day. Picking or clipping plants is prohibited, and so are climbing on rocks or ledges and swimming in any quarry or pond. Alcohol, glass, drones, confetti, glitter, and birdseed are not allowed anywhere on the property.
Two festivals, one Saturday
Nov. 7 is busy in town too. Mainstreet Daily News' fall festival roundup lists the Blooming Bliss Fall Festival at Heritage Park, 116 N. Main St., from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It promises free activities, local shopping, food, and time with neighbors, on the same day as the Cedar Lakes event.
The hours suggest an order. Blooming Bliss wraps up at 2:30, and Cedar Lakes runs until 5. Start the morning downtown at Heritage Park, then drive out NE 180th Ave. for an afternoon in the quarry. Stop at the plant vendors near the parking lot on your way out. One of the two events is free and the other charges admission, so the cost of the day comes down to how many people walk through the garden gate.
The math on a membership when you live nearby
This is where regular days pay off. Regular admission is $12 plus tax for anyone 13 and older and $7 plus tax for ages 6 to 13. Children 5 and under get in free. Listed prices are subject to 7% sales tax, so an adult ticket comes to $12.84. Members get in free.
| Membership | Annual cost | Adult regular-day visits it replaces | Pays for itself on |
|---|---|---|---|
| One named adult | $40 | $12.84 each | The 4th visit |
| Two named adults | $60 | $25.68 per joint visit | The 3rd visit together |
| Three named adults | $80 | $38.52 per group visit | The 3rd visit together |
| Four named adults | $100 | $51.36 per group visit | The 2nd visit together |
| Gold, two adults plus up to six guests a day | $200 | Depends on guests | Varies by group size |
Members also get free or discounted entry to special events. The $6 member price at Fall Fest is one example. They also get 10% off garden merchandise, discounts on classes, and 50% off admission at Kanapaha Botanical Garden.
If you walk a dog, a single-adult membership pays for itself by the fourth regular-day loop. After that, each trip around the rim with your dog costs nothing extra. The Gold tier fits households that keep hosting visitors, since it covers up to six guests a day. The Kanapaha discount extends the card into Gainesville. Coming from that direction, the garden suggests SR 121 south.
Fall Fest is the big day on the calendar, and on Nov. 7 the dog stays home. The garden's regular days, entry from 9:30 a.m. with last admission at 4:45 p.m., are when the membership adds up.
Andy Mauldin grew up in Gainesville and works across Williston and the rest of Levy County. He pays attention to the places that shape a week here, like a quarry garden down NE 180th Ave. or a Saturday festival at Heritage Park. If you'd like to talk about life on this side of North Central Florida, Guidelight Realty is glad to help. Schedule a Consultation whenever it suits you.
