The future of immersive theme parks is in a field in the middle of France
Disney’s push into fully immersive experiences began earlier this month, with the opening of their Star Wars-themed hotel in Orlando. While certainly the most high-profile example, Disney’s push into truly immersive themed entertainment comes on the shoulders of a far-less-known French theme park company that has been impressing with its ability to transport guests into…
A boat rental app looks to bring boating to the masses and it has proven popular in Central Florida
In 2020, as the world closed down, many people rediscovered to benefits of being outside. Across the U.S., outdoor offerings from camping to road trips saw a dramatic uptick in interest. During this wave, sharing economy app GetMyBoat saw a wave of new interest. The app is exactly what it sounds like, a platform for…
The immersive ‘Star Wars’ hotel just opened but Disney is already directing attention toward another long-anticipated attraction
After years of development and construction, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser welcomed the first paying guests at the start of this month. The hotel was first announced in 2017 as part of a D23 Expo Parks panel that saw Disney giving many details on the enhancements the company has been busy at work on across Walt…
New Mills 50 restaurant Eastwood will bring live-fire cooking to 17-92 next year
And the news from Team Market Group continues. Led by Romi, Keith and Daniel Mowardi, the entertainment and nightlife management company is making an enterprising foray into the restaurant world this year, first with Plantees, the plant-based burger joint we told you about that’s slated to open in April; then with Taco Kat, a downtown…
She Past Away to play Orlando’s Abbey just in time for Halloween
Halloween season just got a little more spooky. Turkish band She Past Away are returning to Central Florida after a sell-out show at Tampa’s Crowbar last December, but this time it’s Orlando’s turn to get gothy. The post-punk duo have a surprisingly sizable fanbase in the Sunshine State, enough to sell out all previous Tampa…
Legal Public Notices 3/2/2022
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below at the property indicated: March 11, 2022 at the times and location listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00 PM Extra Space Storage 1101 Marshall Farms Rd, Ocoee 34761 (407) 516-7221 Patrick Laster – Household Furniture,…
Brian McKnight to make the temperature rise even higher than usual in Orlando this summer
As the commercial pitchmen say, summer just got hotter. R&B hitmaker Brian McKnight (ahem “Back At One”) is coming to Orlando and bringing along his stalwart live band “The Brian McKnight 4.” Expect soulful, jazzy renditions of his catalog of hits — especially since this year marks the 30th anniversary of McKnight’s eponymous solo album, released by…
Florida inches closer to another bad decision as ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is poised to become law of the land
The Florida Senate is poised to consider a controversial measure that would prohibit school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grade levels, as one Republican called on lawmakers to “soften” the bill when it is heard on the Senate floor. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the bill (HB 1557) in a 12-8…
Alternative rockers Afghan Whigs returning to a familiar Orlando haunt in May
Alternative rock survivors Afghan Whigs have announced a late spring North American tour kicking off in Florida, and they’re returning to a downtown Orlando stage they’ve played many times in the past. The run of 12 dates kicks off in Florida, with a few shows in the Sunshine State before meandering through the South, the…
Bao’s Castle opens new ‘ghost kitchen’ outpost at Collab Kitchens on Curry Ford
Orlando restaurant Bao’s Castle is making moves and has just opened a new outpost — though not brick-and-mortar in the traditional sense — in the Collab Kitchens “ghost kitchen” hive on Curry Ford. “Bao’s Kitchen” moves into Collab Kitchens starting this week (yesterday in fact), providing the bao-starved masses of Orlando with the Castle’s overstuffed, delicious steamed buns…
Independent venues and promoters across the country — including Tampa’s Crowbar — link up as ‘D Tour’
A group of independent venues and promoters around the country have joined forces as “D Tour” with the intent of offering touring artists an alternative network of venues to accommodate multi-city North American tours. D Tour aims to match up bands with “locally owned, unique venue experiences across multiple markets” and this currently includes 12…
Primrose Lanes Restaurant and Bowling Club opens this summer in the Milk District with cocktails and dining
It’s been nearly four years since Colonial Lanes, the Milk District bastion of bowling and boozing, shuttered for good. But you’ll be bowling like The Jesus and eating and drinking like a kingpin when Primrose Lanes Restaurant and Bowling Club opens this summer after Team Market Group’s makeover is complete. TMG, led by Romi, Keith and…
Blake Shelton to play intimate show at Ole Red Orlando in March
Country singer and star of reality tv contest The Voice, Blake Shelton is returning to Orlando later this month to take the stage at his Ole Red Orlando bar. And there’s a contest for fans to attend this intimate show for free. Shelton plays Ole Red as part of the “Spring Blake” celebration of country…
Folk-punker Frank Turner is playing ’50 States in 50 Days’ this summer and that includes Orlando
Frank Turner is taking his Sleeping Souls backing band out on the road this summer — every road it would seem — for a marathon “50 States in 50 Days Tour” and inevitably he will be steering his music ship into Orlando. The tour starts in Portland, Maine on June 13 and wraps all the way over in Honolulu…
Comedian Mike Epps will pull no punches when his ‘No Remorse’ stand-up tour hits Orlando in March
Comedian and actor Mike Epps is returning to the City Beautiful to do some stand-up in March, but this time he’s not taking any prisoners on this “No Remorse Comedy Tour.” Epps is remorselessly joined by comedic colleagues Sommore (Soul Plane), Gary Owen (Daddy Day Care) and Earthquake (Def Comedy Jam). Besides these headlining dates, Epps…
Immersion, a zero-waste, science-based restaurant inside a private Orlando club, opens this spring
London House may be a private, members-only club, but the high-society hotspot will open the doors of its boutique restaurant to non-members when Immersion at London House by Chef Rikku emerges April 2. (An early version of this story implied that London House is open to the public, which is certainly not the case. We…
‘The Batman’ is hard-boiled super noir — more detective story than action epic
It should come as little surprise that a film directed by Matt Reeves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, War for the Planet of the Apes), is extremely cool. And yet, the marketing for The Batman left me uncertain. More than uncertain, actually. Highly skeptical! The casting, the color palette, the odd contouring of…
Florida Strawberry Festival releases berry, berry good food lineup for 2022
The annual celebration runs March 3-13 in Plant City
Downtown Orlando’s Taco Kat will serve Sonoran-style tacos and tequila from the old Cleo’s Lounge space
Over the past few years, brothers Romi, Keith and Daniel Mawardi of Team Market Group have steered the downtown cocktail and nightclub scene to sophisticated realms. I mean, who doesn’t love Mather’s, Robinson Room and the Wellborn, right? Now the group is going gangbusters on the culinary front. In addition to Plantees, which we told…
Orlando’s Se7enbites wins ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ event at South Beach Wine and Food Festival
Beloved Orlando eatery Se7enbites won an award from the mayor of Flavortown himself this week. During a Diners Drive-Ins and Dives-themed competition at South Beach Wine and Food Festival, the regular “best breakfast” winner took home the top prize for Best Bite. “So very ecstatic to announce WE WON !! Best Bite of the night…
Orlando’s Ongaku Overdrive throwing a live-music tribute to the sounds of ‘Mega Man’ in March
Ongaku Overdrive — the popular local series of hybrid events combining anime, videogames and music — are returning to live action next week with a big event at the Abbey. Headlining the night is Bit Brigade performing the soundtrack to the Mega Man 2 video game in full — while one member of the band plays the game alongside the music.…
Counting Crows to amble into Orlando’s Hard Rock Live this spring
Alternative rock survivors and “Mr. Jones” troubadours the Counting Crows are heading south this spring for an appearance at Sunfest in West Palm and they’ve added a couple of Central Florida warmup dates along the way. The Adam Duritz-led folky art-rockers are set to play Tampa on April 26 and Orlando’s Hard Rock Live a…
‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill passes Florida House
The Florida House on Thursday passed an education measure that would prohibit instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, as Republicans disputed a “don’t say gay” moniker that critics gave the bill. House members voted 69-47 to approve the bill (HB 1557), with six Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. Those Republicans were…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cheered at CPAC as potential presidential campaign looms
Gov. Ron DeSantis drew rock-star cheers Thursday as he declared Florida “the citadel of freedom” and played up his conservative credentials while opening the four-day Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando. DeSantis tossed hats to the crowd at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel before diving into a speech heavy on opposition to the federal government…
Orange County Public Schools make facemasks optional for faculty, staff
Orange County Public Schools will masks entirely optional for faculty and staff at the end of this month. In an announcement shared today, the school district said that teachers would no longer be required to mask up starting on February 28. “OCPS families and employees, due to the continuing decline of COVID-19 cases in our…
Parramore has its own Main Street District again, nearly 14 years after the city killed the last one
There’s no doubt that Orlando’s Main Street District program has been a success, supporting hubs of interconnected businesses and residents throughout a sometimes imposingly sprawling city. Parramore hasn’t been able to reap the same benefits seen in places like The Milk District, Mills 50 and the Milk District, however. Since their Main Street District was…
Winter Haven’s Peppa Pig Theme Park opens today
Snort, snort, the world’s first Peppa Pig’s theme park officially opens today. Brought to life by Merlin Entertainment, which also owns nearby Legoland Florida Resort, the five-acre park features six rides based on the popular kid TV show’s characters, six play areas, slides, pop jets and more. One of the theme park’s goals is to…
Kiwi Camera’s annual Spring Swap Meet returns next month in Winter Park
Kiwi Camera Service in Winter Park are bringing back their big annual Swap Meet next month, where aspiring shutterbugs and devotees of analog film over digital all converge to hobnob and pick up some new gear. The event is a yearly gathering of local vendors and camera enthusiasts buying, selling and trading used equipment of…
Rick Scott’s ‘Rescue America’ plan pulls the mask off the terrifying theocracy Republicans want
If Rick Scott knows the Bible as well as the average Republican claims to, then he definitely knows that a snake pushed Adam and Eve toward the knowledge of good and evil. So, it’s fitting that our most serpentine politician is the one pulling back the veil on the evil of Republican policies. Scott’s recently…
Def Squad rapper Keith Murray heading to Orlando this summer
Def’s Squad’s Keith Murray is set to headline Will’s Pub, with a a stacked cadre of local hip-hop talent supporting him on the night. Performing before Murray on the night are DaFew, RedRum and Swamburger. Spinning in between sets are DJ Rome from the Sound of Orlando Show, DJ Jesse Jazz and Jaymob will spin…
![Sarasota Republican Congressional Candidate Martin Hyde threatens cop’s job for giving him a ticket [VIDEO]](https://i0.wp.com/www.orlandoweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/screenshot_2022-02-24_10.00.28_am.png?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1)
Sarasota Republican Congressional Candidate Martin Hyde threatens cop’s job for giving him a ticket [VIDEO]
It’s rare that you find a person who lacks the self-awareness to use the phrase “Do you know who I am?” unironically. But Florida MAGA dummy Martin Hyde is blissfully ignorant of the baggage that phrase carries, kudos of the same part of his brain that makes him think a t-shirt with a gun filled…
Florida Senate confirms surgeon general with unorthodox views on COVID-19
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointme nt of Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo was confirmed Wednesday by the Senate, despite objections from Democrats who criticized his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 24-15 party-line vote displayed the fissure between the parties on DeSantis’ approach to the pandemic, which in the past year has mostly concentrated on treating people…
Honolulu Harry’s brings taste of the islands to College Park
A new Hawaiian restaurant is planning to open in College Park this spring. Honolulu Harry’s is a island-themed concept that will offer poke bowls and tropical drinks, per Bungalower. The spot is located on the ground floor of the Wellesley condos at 2305 Edgewater Drive. Related Poke bowls have proven to be a remarkably popular…
![[VIDEO] Florida man steals crossbow by stuffing it down his pants](https://i0.wp.com/www.orlandoweekly.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/screenshot_2022-02-23_12.14.28_pm.png?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1)
[VIDEO] Florida man steals crossbow by stuffing it down his pants
A Florida man was definitely not happy to see police two days after he successfully stole a crossbow from a hardware store by stuffing it down his pants. Police in Brevard County have arrested Darren Durrant on the suspicion that he’s the man seen on surveillance footage lifting a crossbow by shoving it down his…
Florida transgender bathroom case heard by federal appeals court
In a closely watched case that could have national repercussions, a federal appeals court on Tuesday peppered attorneys with questions in a lawsuit over whether a Northeast Florida high school should have prevented a transgender male student from using boys’ bathrooms. The lawsuit has drawn attention from dozens of the nation’s largest corporations, 70 anti-sexual…
Things to do in Orlando, Feb. 23-27: Lucinda Williams, Sanford Porchfest, Whiskey Business, Sam Flax Wall Project, Rally for Our Rights
Our editors’ selections of the best things to do this weekend. Wednesday, Feb. 23 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater World-renowned Black modern dance troupe performs at the Steinmetz. Should be a feast for the eyes and ears. 7:30 p.m., Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org, $39-$125 Thursday, Feb. 24 Art Speaks:…
Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’, CRT fearmongering bills under discussion in state House
The Republican-dominated Florida House is on the brink of passing two of the most controversial education proposals of the 2022 legislative session, drawing ire from Democrats who say the bills would stifle teachers and further stigmatize LGBTQ students. The proposals would limit the way race, sexual orientation and gender identity are discussed in schools. The…
Whiskey Business returns to downtown Orlando this Friday
It’s been a long two years and we all could use a drink. Luckily, Whiskey Business is back this Friday. The celebration of all things stiff is back after a COVID-19-imposed hiatus with more than 50 whiskeys, scotches, bourbons and ryes to sample. Join us at the Historic Cheyenne saloon for live music, craft beer…
So many cats, so many personalities! Orange County Animal Services is offering BOGO kitties
So many cats, so many personalities. Meet Butters (A453942), Casper (A487663) and Pumpkin (A487962), just some of the cats that need your help getting adopted! We at OCAS are fortunate that our cats do get adopted quickly. Still, every now and then we have to remind people they are here, and they are all looking…
World Famous House of Mac coming to SoDo, Sand Lake Food Trucks Park is open and more Orlando food news
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS: The Yardery, serving Montreal-style sourdough bagels, backyard barbecue favorites and pizza, has opened at 415 E. Fourth St. in Sanford … Miami celeb hotspot World Famous House of Mac will open its first location outside of South Florida in an old Pizza Hut space in SoDo. Apart from mac & cheese, WFHOM…
Orlando breaks go hard in a new release from Blair Sound Design
You know that breaks revival I’ve been talking about lately? Well, I wasn’t tripping (dance culture drug pun only partially intended). Of the local artists who’ve recently dabbled in the distinctly Floridian brand of breakbeat, there’s been the usually techno-centric Astro Pup and the famously synthwave-minded Moondragon. Now you can add Orlando dance-music producer and…
If you think the Democrats are screwed and you want to blame it on AOC, perhaps that says more about you than her
The benefit (drawback?) of running your own news organization is that no one’s going to tell you your reporting is lazy and your story reeks of a conclusion in search of evidence. And so we have “Squad politics backfire” by Axios’ Mike Allen, an exercise in Smart Brevity™ that blames the recall of school board…
Winter Park’s Jam Hot Chicken tests the courage of poultry pyros
Playing chicken
It’s nonstop Viking-on-Viking violence in ‘Vikings: Valhalla,’ new on Netflix Friday
Streaming premieres this week. Premieres Wednesday: The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder — What’s changed for 14-year-old Penny Proud since 2005, when her original Disney Channel series went off the air? Well, this revival show repaints her world with a few modern flourishes, including a gender-nonconforming friend and an adult same-sex couple voiced by Billy…
Orlando concert picks this week: The Gloomies, Growing Stone, Las Nubes
If you go out, be safe. If you’d rather not, there’s a great livestream option in here for you. Growing Stone, Las Nubes: While Skylar Sarkis keeps it on the up when he fronts melodic punk band Taking Meds, the New Yorker uses his Growing Stone project to breathe and muse a bit in the…
Free Will Astrology: Your horoscope for Feb. 23–March 1
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Deb Caletti made the following observation: “You have ordinary moments and ordinary moments and more ordinary moments, and then, suddenly, there is something monumental right there. You have past and future colliding in the present, your own personal Big Bang, and nothing will ever be the same.” In my vision…
Williston rep. pushes amendment to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill that would force schools to out students to parents
A Florida legislator is looking to make the state’s proposed “Don’t Say Gay” bill a little bit more cruel. State House Rep. Joe Harding is pushing an amendment that would force schools to out children to their parents. Harding, who represents a district that runs from Cedar Key to Ocala, is proposing a sort of…
Florida looks to bar doctor from practicing for five years after undercover agents lied to him to get medical marijuana
State health officials are asking an administrative law judge to permanently ban a Tallahassee physician from ordering medical marijuana for patients, suspend his medical license for five years and impose a $10,000 fine, after an investigation that included undercover agents posing as patients. The Department of Health’s proposed penalties against physician Joseph Dorn – who…
Legislature, Gov. DeSantis split three ways over Florida redistricting maps
House Republicans advanced a map for new congressional lines Friday that includes a disputed North Florida district closer to what the Senate proposed than what Gov. Ron DeSantis has sought. Still, the Republican-controlled House Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee voted along party lines to approve a plan (PCB CRS 22-01) that could add two seats for the…
Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes is hosting another white nationalist conference in Orlando during CPAC
If the Republican Party ever bothered to examine the company they keep, the number of white nationalist offshoots that crop up everywhere they put down stakes might give them pause. That is to say, local shitbird Nick Fuentes is once again using the occasion of CPAC in Orlando to host a white nationalist gathering. [Ed.…
Orlando Shakes brings vitality and magic to a classic musical, ‘The Fantasticks’
What pretty poets say
Questions and doubts overshadow Orlando Museum of Art’s Basquiat show ‘Heroes and Monsters’
If you’re going to get scooped, it eases the blow somewhat for it to be the New York Times that does it. (Updated Feb. 23, 2022.) Validating weeks of whispers, Brett Sokol of the Times published a report today that openly questions the veracity of the 25 Basquiat works hanging in the Orlando Museum of…
