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‘The Fourth Grandma’: A holiday tale from Florida cartoonist and zine-maker Jen Sandwich
Jen Sandwich is a prolific DIY comic/zine author and illustrator based in South Florida. Her mostly autobiographical works are populated with anthropomorphic cats and rabbits and deftly mix the heart-rending and the hilarious. (See more of her work here). In honor of the rapidly approaching holidays, this week we bring you one of Sandwich’s Christmas…
Watermark editor Billy Manes speaks to NPR about Orlando after Pulse
Billy Manes, editor-in-chief at Watermark and former writer for Orlando Weekly, spoke to NPR’s Ari Shapiro on Tuesday about life in Orlando six months after the Pulse massacre. Manes also spoke to Shapiro, host of All Things Considered, on June 13, a day after the mass shooting at the gay nightclub ended the lives of 49…
Orlando Pride’s Alex Morgan joins Olympique Lyonnais in France
Orlando Pride’s forward Alex Morgan is leaving the team temporarily to play the first half of 2017 with the French team Olympique Lyonnais during the European season. Morgan, who is also the star forward for the U.S. Women’s National Team, will return to the Pride in May to finish out the National Women’s Soccer League season, according to…
In case you forgot sharks live in the water, a 14-foot great white was spotted near Port Canaveral yesterday
Did you know that sharks live in the water? It’s true. They’re always there. All the time. But in case you forgot this important ocean fact, a 14-foot great white shark was spotted near Port Canaveral yesterday. According to WFTV, Captain Craig Shaffer of Canaveral Princess Deep Sea Fishing, hooked this beast while bottom fishing about…
Florida is one of the fastest-growing states, says U.S. Census Bureau
New figures from the U.S. Census Bureau released Tuesday show that Florida’s population grew by 1.8% last year, and more than likely none of them will use a turn signal. All jokes aside, this is a significant increase. According to the Census Bureau, from July 2015 to July 2016, only Nevada and Utah grew at faster…
Disney retailers agree to stop using on-call shift scheduling
Disney, along with six other major retailers, agreed to stop the use of on-call scheduling, a terrible practice that requires employees to call their employer everyday to find out if they are scheduled. Following an inquiry from multiple state attorneys, a few major chains say they’re walking away from on-call scheduling. From the Washington Post:…
The first ever Publix Starbucks opened in the Winter Park Village location
Located next to the deli, the first Starbucks to ever grace the inside of a Publix opened at the Winter Park Village location. The Winter Park Village Publix is the first of four locations that will be testing out the new satellite Starbucks, which opened last Thursday, December 15. According to a spokesman with Publix,…
This standing-room only section at Orlando City’s new stadium will be insane
Orlando City released an image a few days ago of “The Wall,” a new massive standing-room only section that will be the first of its kind in any Major League Soccer stadium. This incredibly steep section is modeled after Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall in Germany, which, as you can see in the video below, is…
J.K. Rowling pays tribute to Pulse victims in new ‘Harry Potter’ comic
Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling teamed up with legendary comic artist Jim Lee for an entry in the upcoming book Love is Love, a 144-page anthology dedicated to the victims of the mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub on June 12. For her entry, Rowling lent the use of her popular characters Harry, Ron, Hermione,…
Pulse families sue Facebook, Twitter and Google
Family members of victims killed in the mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse are suing Facebook, Twitter and Google for helping to radicalize the Orlando shooter by allegedly providing “material support” to the terrorist group ISIS. Fox News reports the lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Michigan on behalf of the families…
You can now order Shake Shack from your phone
Last week, we reported that McDonalds will start a delivery and online ordering/payment system in Florida via their app. Expect more quick-service spots to follow suit. The next to jump on the fast(er) food pre-order, pre-pay system is rumored to be Shake Shack. You won’t have to wait in line or interact with a person…
Why Florida Is Loud Fest needs to be a recurring thing
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND What a week it’s been for Orlando musician Glenn Ritchey. First, the guy helps launch Counterweight, the ambitious new collaborative audiovisual art series by Time Waste Management and TMD, with an evocative performance of his solo drone vehicle Temperament. Then, only 48 hours later, he debuts his own behemoth baby, the Florida…
Kidz Bop is now an official music partner with Legoland Florida
Since 2001, Kidz Bop has been the go-to music choice for very young music listeners. Known for their family-friendly updates to pop songs, Kidz Bop is now about to release its 34th album. With over 16 million albums sold, the Kidz Bop Kids has ranked as Billboard’s No. 1 Kids’ Album Artist for the past…
Pitbull controversy raises concerns at Space Florida
Another agency’s controversial contract with a Miami rapper, and its aftermath, was on the mind of Space Florida officials Friday, as they reaffirmed a $1 million line of credit for an unnamed company. In voting to maintain the credit line, Space Florida board member Jason Steele advised his colleagues at the state’s aerospace agency of…
Someone in the 55 West building would like you to “Send Nudes”
Like a bright and shining star for all of Orlando to see, a glowing window display in the 55 West building is asking that we please “Send Nudes.” Nestled between festive holiday lights, and clearly visible from I-4, the apartment’s window display was photographed last weekend and uploaded to Reddit. No word on whether or…
Orlando man knows a thing or two about exterior illumination
If you come across local resident Adam Laprada’s Christmas lights display, it will be painfully obvious this guy knows a thing or two about exterior illumination. His impressive 15-minute musical light display, called Laprada Lights, is synchronized with familiar Christmas jams like “Jingle Bell Rock” and holiday-prog from Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The show runs every night…
Florida’s 29 electors ready to cast votes for Trump today
Florida’s 29 members of the Electoral College will be meeting Monday afternoon in Tallahassee to cast their votes for Donald Trump to become the nation’s next president. The Miami Herald reports Florida law requires electors, which are selected by the state GOP and approved by Gov. Rick Scott, to vote for the presidential candidate chosen…
SeaWorld offers New Year’s Eve events, including fancy food and reserved seating
With less than two weeks to go, New Year’s Eve is fast approaching. SeaWorld Orlando is here with numerous ways to help ring in the new year (or ring out this crap one), including a $199 four-course meal. The Dine with Shamu meal will get a New Year’s upgrade with a souvenir photo and a…
Annual passholders will finally get their own entrance line at Walt Disney World
Few things are more annoying than standing behind a group of tourists who just can’t seem to figure out how to scan their MagicBands to enter a Disney World theme park. Every local has struggled with the pain of being stuck behind these tourists, but now Disney has a new plan to help annual passholders…
Band of the Week: Travis Adams
This week, we’re presenting a special – and somewhat sad – edition of Band of the Week. Longtime Orlando musician Travis Adams is departing the city next week for Seattle, leaving behind a legacy of bands like My Hotel Year, Inkwell and Field Kit that have been a cornerstone of this city’s sound. He’ll play a…
Rick Scott taps conservative Lawson for Florida Supreme Court
In making his first appointment to the Florida Supreme Court, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday selected a veteran appellate judge with conservative credentials. Scott appointed C. Alan Lawson, chief judge of the Daytona Beach-based 5th District Court of Appeal, to replace Justice James E.C. Perry, who is leaving the state’s highest court because he has…
Time Waste Management and TMD debut fascinating audiovisual series Counterweight in a church
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Art guerrillas Time Waste Management and left-field dance cabal TMD – two of the most idealistic and forward groups in the city right now – have pooled their energy and vision to launch Counterweight (Dec. 15, Audubon Park Covenant Church), a series that merges ambient sounds and video art in alternative settings.…
Trump gloats about presidential win in Orlando, where he lost
President-elect Donald Trump spent the majority of his speech in Orlando on Friday night boasting and gloating about winning the presidency in a city and county where he was beat by Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Speaking at the Central Florida Fairgrounds with decorated Christmas trees behind him, Trump did a state-by-state recount of his victory…
Visit Florida CEO resigns after controversy surrounding secret contract with Pitbull
Gov. Rick Scott on Friday requested the resignation of the state’s tourism-marketing leader amid a controversy over an expired $1 million contract with a Miami hip-hop artist whom the governor praised for his “devotion to our great state.” Visit Florida President and CEO Will Seccombe agreed to resign from the $120,000-a-year position he’s held since…
UPDATED: Saturday is the Claddagh Cottage fundraiser for their move to a new location
UPDATED: When this was posted, we misunderstood Claddagh Cottage’s post about their “Closing Party” to mean the pub would close after tonight. This is not the case. Claddagh Cottage remains open through Dec. 31. We regret the error. Saturday night, the Claddagh Cottage Irish Pub throws a fundraiser party in the place they’ve lived for…
Florida’s minimum wage will go up a whole 5 cents next year
Florida is giving every minimum-wage worker a five-cent pay raise next month. The Panama City News Herald reports the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity says the state’s minimum wage will go from $8.05 per hour to $8.10 per hour on Jan. 1. Assuming employees consistently work 40 hours a week on this wage (which isn’t…
Local music showcase Orlando Is Loud going down at Uncle Lou’s tonight
Pregame for the weekend’s Florida Is Loud festivities with this official “Orlando Is Loud” warmup show featuring a stacked lineup of Harsh Radish, Autarx, Witchbender, Andean Shrine and Uh. Show starts at 7 p.m. tonight at Uncle Lou’s. Sources say that this show will NOT be on punk time. Donations accepted. Related Stories
Damage from Hurricane Hermine, Matthew near $1.6 billion
Hurricane damages in Florida have reached at least $1.59 billion from the two storms that hammered parts of North Florida and the East Coast this year, according to the latest numbers from the insurance industry and the state. The numbers don’t include agricultural losses and some damages that local governments are handling without state assistance.…
Donald Trump is in Orlando today for two massive fundraisers, and to say ‘thanks’
Despite the fact Hillary Clinton won Orange County, President-elect Donald Trump and Mike Pence will be in Orlando later today to thank us for our enormous support, or something or other. To be honest, we’re not sure why he’s here, or if anyone really knows what Trump’s “Thank You Tour” is all about. So far,…
New McDonalds delivery service coming to Orlando in January
Because we can’t be bothered to drive to McDonalds anymore, the company announced Thursday that they will soon be testing out a new delivery service in select Florida cities. The new service through UberEATS will be available in January of 2017, and will include 200 restaurants in Orlando, Tampa and Miami, said a spokesperson with…
‘Rogue One’ AWR Troopers will begin appearing at Hollywood Studios today
Coinciding with the official opening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Disney announced that AWR Troopers will begin appearing at Hollywood Studios starting today. Disney announced on their official blog that the AWR Troopers, which stands for “Advanced Weapons Research) will appear in a new scene in the park’s existing “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far,…
Opera Orlando’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ is a family-friendly holiday opera for all ages
As local arts organizations get into the thick of the holiday season, with recent performances of the usual Christmas fare and the indefatigable Nutcracker, the smaller-scale but courageous Opera Orlando has its sights set on something different: Gian Carlo Menotti’s family-friendly short opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. Inspired by a Renaissance depiction of the Adoration…
Magic Kingdom adds four more restaurants serving beer and wine
Despite the fact that dealing with heat, crowds, long lines and screaming children is just a bit more bearable when you take the edge off with an adult beverage, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom did not serve alcohol on property until 2012, when Be Our Guest opened, serving French wines and Belgian beers. (We have…
Shop last-minute local at the annual Grandma Party Bazaar on Sunday
Aside from smelling a little bit like mothballs, a grandma’s closet has always been a trove for one-of-a-kind knickknacks, like jewel-encrusted cat-eye sunglasses or a handmade seashell hair comb. Grandma Party Bazaar 2016 doesn’t have quite the same funky smell as your grandma’s closet, but it’s got local unique finds that make for a perfect…
Sweater Fest hits a double-digit milestone this weekend in the Milk District
Now a decade strong, the annual holiday soiree Sweater Fest mixes Christmas kitsch with serious sonic cred for one glorious night that just gets bigger and bigger in terms of taste and scope. This year’s event crams a whopping 17 distinct musical acts into the intimate confines of the Spacebar across all manner of musical…
Busy bakers can now order fail-safe cookies from DoveCote
Cookies are surefire A-plus gifts, but if the idea of pulling out the stand mixer and cookie sheets has you all hot and bothered and you haven’t even turned on the oven yet, DoveCote might be your answer. The downtown French brasserie is taking orders for house-made holiday confections. Each box is filled with a…
Find out who’s a good dog at the AKC National Championships this weekend
Dogs, as the old saying goes, are man’s best friend. But they’re also our most cherished genetically modified organism. Millennia of selective breeding has resulted in a rainbow of canine shapes, sizes and intrinsic behaviors. And throughout those thousands of years, the eternal question has persisted: “Who’s a good dog?” The AKC National Championship is…
19 Orlando restaurants open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or both
We all need a break, and if you’re the one always stuck cooking Christmas dinner every year, channel A Christmas Story and just announce: Most of these spots are in Touristan, but that makes sense, since access to a kitchen isn’t something you normally have on vacation. But there are a few spots available in…
Sci-Fried headline a Star Wars party at the Geek Easy during ‘Rogue One’ weekend
Most of us are excited about Rogue One, the new prequel to A New Hope that comes out this Friday. But chances are you’re not nearly as excited as the members of Sci-Fried. The local nerd rock outfit, famous for metal jams centered around sci-fi and gaming fandom, has created a Star Wars-themed set just…
Anthrax and Killswitch Engage announce Orlando show in 2017
Old school meets metalcore, as thrash pioneers Anthrax and Roadrunner Records artists Killswitch Engage have joined forces for a U.S. tour dubbed the “Killthrax” tour. (Wait … okay, we get it.) Taking place in early 2017, there is an Orlando date pencilled in for April. Anthrax, Killswitch Engage and Devil Wears Prada play the House…
Salsa survivors Guaco to play House of Blues tonight
Venezualan gaita/salsa pioneers Guaco have been making music since the Beatles were a thing; the faces have changed the but the beat goes on and the feet never stop. Guaco returns to Orlando tonight for a headlining gig at House of Blues. Show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are still available for $40-$60. Related Stories
Florida man robs gas station while wearing drawn-on goatee
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a robbery suspect who apparently drew a fake beard on himself. Authorities describe the man as a heavy-set white male in his ’30s, wearing a red bandana, and obviously some sort of Sharpie goatee. The incident happened at the Holiday Gas Station located at 1937 US 19…
The Florida white ibis will probably give you salmonella
More than likely you’ve encountered a white ibis, a derpy little bird often seen darting around downtown Orlando, well don’t get too close because it’s probably riddled with salmonella. According to a recent study funded by the National Institute of Health, the Florida white ibis may be playing a large role in the yearly average…
Florida court rules that police can compel suspects to reveal phone passcode
The Florida Court of Appeals Second District ruled this week that you can, in fact, be forced by law enforcement to provide your mobile phone passcode. And you can thank iPhone’s TouchID for that Fifth Amendment-busting ruling. The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution protects against self-incrimination. Several courts have ruled that forcing a suspect to…
The U.S. Coast Guard just dropped off 26 tons of cocaine in Fort Lauderdale
This morning, the U.S. Coast Guard offloaded more than 26 tons of confiscated cocaine at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and just look all that uncut yeyo. According to CBS Miami, this literal boatload of cocaine is one of the largest drug offloads in history, and is worth nearly $715 million whole sale, $2…
Detroit Lions player ‘mad’ Pro Bowl is in Orlando
Darius Slay, a cornerback for the Detroit Lions who wasn’t good enough to go to the Pro Bowl this year, is mad the annual all-star game will be held in Orlando, and not Hawaii. Slay, the 10th-best corner back in the NFL who has yet to have a season considered good enough for a Pro…
Pitbull hits back at haters with tweet disclosing $1 million contract with Visit Florida
Armando Christian Pérez is apparently done being a political pawn for Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran. The Miami rapper better known as Pitbull released on Twitter the details of his $1 million contract with Visit Florida to promote the Sunshine State for a year. Earlier this week, the Florida House of Representatives filed a lawsuit…
BASE Orlando shows off the best in body painting at Fire & Ice tonight
Tonight’s edition of the Body Art Showcase and Exhibit features a wintry theme. So expect plenty of sexy White Walker-looking living canvases strolling around. Load up on colored drinks at Drip’s Color Bar, but remember the schoolyard lesson that you see with your eyes, not with your hands. 8 p.m. Thursday; DRIP, 8747 International Drive;…
Legal fight with Pitbull complicates funding for Visit Florida
Florida’s tourism-marketing arm no longer enters into contracts in which details are shrouded in trade secrets, the leader of the agency said Wednesday. However, Visit Florida’s ability to secure a proposed $76 million in state funding remains cloudy. The House on Tuesday filed a lawsuit to open to the public the details of an expired…
Orlando Zine Fest opens up at three different locations this weekend
The tired trope that “print is dead” is, like, so over. Young, forward-looking artists and writers know that there’s no more exciting way to put your work in someone’s brain than by putting it in their hands. And if you aren’t swayed by the artistic argument, think about this: Many of the most important philosophical…
Finish shopping for your foodie friends at East End Market’s holiday artisan market
We’re pretty stoked about the way artisan markets have proliferated around the city, including pop-up shops at Redlight Redlight, Park Ave CDs, Pottery Barn and West Elm, and especially Grandma Party at Stardust Video & Coffee. But if you’ve got plenty of foodies on your holiday shopping list, East End’s Holiday Market is where you’ll…
‘An American in Paris’ ends 2016 at the Dr. Phillips Center on a high note
The slate of shows in this past year’s Fairwinds Broadway Across series has seen its share of ups and downs, but 2016 is ending on a high note thanks to the thrillingly transporting tour of An American in Paris. This Tony-winning adaptation of the 1951 Gene Kelly film weds classical jazz standards by George and…
Florida’s abortion law faces another court challenge
Citing First Amendment and privacy rights, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has filed a federal lawsuit challenging part of a sweeping abortion law that has already had other provisions blocked by a judge. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Tallahassee on behalf of clergy members and abortion-rights proponents, targets part of the law dealing…
The Center hits back against complaints regarding Pulse donations
The GLBT Center of Central Florida is rebutting allegations in an Orlando Sentinel article regarding complaints that prompted a state investigation into how the organization handled donations made in the wake of the Pulse massacre. The Center became a gathering site for the community after the mass shooting on June 12 that killed 49 people…
Star Trek’s Worf, Michael Dorn, to star in ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ at Orlando Shakes
Orlando Shakespeare Theater announced today that the lead in their production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra will be played by Star Trek: The Next Generation star Michael Dorn. Dorn is indelibly linked to the iconic role of Lieutenant Commander Worf, son of Mogh, the first Klingon officer in Starfleet. Dorn has also had roles in…
Pulse victims will be honored at 2017 Rose Parade with a tribute float
The 49 victims of the Pulse massacre in Orlando will be honored at the Rose Parade next month with a tribute float that will be ridden by local LGBTQ leaders and survivors of the June 12 shooting. The Pasadena Star-News reports the float, commissioned by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, will be named “To Honor and…
Local website Shows I Go To throws Xmas bash at Will’s Pub tonight
Whiskey Wonderland, a holiday bash thrown by local music site Shows I Go To, is happening tonight with live sets from Slumberjack, the States and Likeways and a screening of SIGT’s new documentary(!), Don’t Give Up. DJ set by FoxForce005 as well. The party begins tonight at 8 p.m. at Will’s Pub. Cover is $8. Related…
United Arts leaves Mad Cow Theatre out of $1.48 million in grant awards
United Arts of Central Florida denied a funding request from Mad Cow Theatre that left the debt-ridden theater company out of $1.48 million in grant awards to local arts organizations. Mad Cow has come under fire after several artists accused the theater of late checks and failing to make payments, which was later affirmed by…
21 free concerts happening in Orlando this week
Wednesday, Dec. 14 Eugene Snowden’s Ten Pints Of Truth 10 pm at Lil Indies, 1036 N. Mills Ave. Reggae Night with Hor!zen and DJ Red I 10 pm at the Caboose, 1827 N. Orange Ave. Thursday, Dec. 15 Thursday Jazz Jams 8 pm at Austin’s Coffee, 929 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park The Mellow Relics…
Central Florida counties get money to curb human-bear interactions
State money was spread across 12 counties on Tuesday to help reduce the potential for conflicts between Florida’s bear and human populations. Most of the $825,000 in “BearWise” program money will go to lower the cost of bear-resistant trash cans for residents, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a release announcing the…
Downtown’s latest live venue … the library?
Since its 2014 opening, the Melrose Center for Technology, Innovation and Creativity at the downtown Orlando Public Library has gotten increasingly fresh and relevant, preserving the grand old notion of a civic library by bringing it into shining modernity. Now, it’s even venturing into the province of some of the many young nightclubs that surround it…
This Florida teacher’s math song is so fire
Nadine S. Ebri, a teacher at La Core Christian Academy in Jacksonville, recently shared this video of her students getting extremely hyped for long division. In the video, students can be heard chanting “Divide. Multiply. Subtract. Break it on down and bring it on back,” as various students get way too hyped to complete math…
Florida senator files controversial bill to expand open carry
Senate Judiciary Chairman Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, introduced a controversial measure Friday that would allow the more than 1.67 million Floridians with concealed-weapons licenses to openly carry handguns. Steube’s bill (SB 140), which is filed for the 2017 legislative session, also would expand the places where people with concealed-weapons licenses are allowed to carry guns. It…
‘Rogue One’ is one of the two best science-fiction films of the decade
Merging nostalgia with fresh faces, and old-fashioned adventure with next-generation computer animation, Rogue One is not just the best Star Wars movie since 1983’s Return of the Jedi, but, with Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, one of the two best science-fiction films of the decade. Though it’s embarrassingly superior to George Lucas’s three prequels, and even noticeably…
Savage Love (12/14/16)
Perhaps you’re not the best person to ask, being a cis white man, but as a queer woman of color, the election had an extremely detrimental effect on my relationships with my white partners. I love and care for them, but looking at those results has me wondering why the fuck they didn’t do better…
Gimme Shelter (12/14/16)
Are you looking for a new pet? Meet Isabella! Isabella (A365089) is looking for a forever family! Isabella is 2 years old and came to the shelter as a stray. She is a sweet, well-behaved dog and she’s very friendly. Isabella loves to eat treats, and she knows how to sit for one. She enjoys…
Winter is coming, and progressives need to get ready
Informed Dissent
Carol Stein saves a full house at Timucua with an impromptu performance; update on Benoit Glazer’s condition; happy birthday to WPRK
WPRK just celebrated its 64th anniversary. The Rollins College station is the area’s truest embodiment of what the term “college radio” fully connotes. On the local FM band, it’s far to the left in heart and ethos. This student-powered beacon is a community cultural treasure as an expressive outlet for the area’s youth and the…
A new Orlando DIY fest offers up all the varying flavors of Southern heaviness
Memory of a screeeeeeee festival
Space absurdity: ‘Passengers’ lacks clarity, intelligence
The ideas buried beneath the surface of Passengers are big: loneliness, companionship, technological morality and the nature of humanity’s role in the universe. It’s too bad the film’s screenplay, director and actors are unqualified to cinematically discuss those ideas. The time is the indeterminate future, and Jim (Chris Pratt) and Aurora (Jennifer Lawrence) are passengers…
Picks This Week: Whiskey Wonderland, the Outlaws, Guaco and more
Whiskey Wonderland A holiday bash thrown by local music site Shows I Go To, with live sets from Slumberjack, the States and Liveways and a screening of SIGT’s new documentary(!). 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Will’s Pub, $8 Guaco Venezualan gaita/salsa pioneers have been making music since the Beatles were a thing; the faces…
Selections: Our picks for the week’s best events (12/14-12/20)
Thursday, 15 Artborne Annual ART As this hellscape of a year draws to a close, we want to take stock of the good things that happened, few and far between as they may have been. One of them was the arrival on the scene of Artborne, the local art magazine that, as we wrote in August,…
Domu starts serving brunch, Meza Mediterranean Grill comes to Baldwin Park, plus more in local foodie news
OPENINGS The Sanctum Café will take over the adjacent space formerly occupied by Firefly Yoga. The café will remain open during the expansion process … Look for Meza Mediterranean Grill (from the same owner as Café Annie) to move into the old Loco Motion space in Baldwin Park … Casa Barcelona, a tapas joint, has…
Frosty’s Christmastime Lounge is the most seasonably appropriate bar in Orlando right now
Frosty’s Christmastime Lounge 50 E. Central Blvd., 407-969-0911, frostys-orlando.com Essay question:Only a Grinch would turn up his nose at Frosty’s, where you can drink under a soapy fake snowfall while gazing upon the most comprehensive collection of Christmas memorabilia outside of your Aunt Carol’s garage. A Charlie Brown Christmas on the TV screens, Bing Crosby…
Remembering the Orlando 49: Oscar Ambiorix Aracena Montero
Every week between now and the one-year anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shootings, Orlando Weekly will profile a person killed on June 12, 2016. This week: Oscar Ambiorix Aracena Montero One of Oscar Aracena Montero’s last dreams was to bring his mother from the Dominican Republican to Florida. The 26-year-old had left her in Santo…
ICYMI: A new location for Pulse, an update on Roger Trindade, a Trump return and other things you may have missed this week
Pulse owner says she will reopen nightclub at new location: After surprising many last week with her announcement that she wouldn’t sell the nightclub to the city of Orlando, Barbara Poma now says she plans to reopen Pulse in a different location but under the same name. Poma tells WMFE 90.7 News that the new…
Disney Springs celebrates its first Christmas with a drone show sure to entice twinkle-light lovers
I’m ordinarily among those grumbling about Christmas calendar creep, but this season I dove head-first into the holidays with an early December Very Merrytime Disney Cruise. To many, the idea of seven days at sea with ugly sweater–clad mice must sound like the seventh level of hell. But from Dickens-esque caroling and storytime with Mrs.…
Three important Orlando arts leaders have left their positions recently
Since the last installment of Culture2Go, we’ve learned of the imminent departures of several important Orlando arts leaders. —George Wallace, executive director of the Orlando Fringe, announced his resignation, effective Feb. 28, 2017. He’ll be relocating to Indianapolis to assume the newly created position of associate director of IndyFringe. Wallace began his career with the…
Modern musical ‘La La Land’ blends innovation with Hollywood nostalgia
L.A. confidential
Opening in Orlando: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Collateral Beauty and more
NOW PLAYING: Collateral Beauty When a movie’s credit lines include “Helen Mirren as Death” and “Keira Knightley as Love,” you usually want to sit up and take notice – that is, if you hope to someday win the Jeopardy category “Hollywood Fiascos.” Will Smith is obviously hoping for better from his latest self-improvement parable, in which…
