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The 420 Issue: How to get your medical marijuana card in Florida
Buying bud above board
Columbia Pictures-themed water park will feature rides based around Ghostbusters, Men in Black and Jumanji
With tourists ready to travel once again, many destinations are preparing for a massive influx of visitors once the pandemic has subsided. Those that can are using this time to enhance their offerings, but few are going to the extreme that one waterpark in Thailand is. The Amazone water park in Bangsaray, Thailand, is undergoing…
Surprise art happening ‘Walk On By’ will see impromptu performances and art around Orlando early Wednesday morning
Nine years ago, seemingly spontaneous performances and art installations popped up round the downtown Orlando area seemingly at random at the crack of dawn on an also random weekday. And before many of us would even be up and out of bed, most of it was already long gone. That early-morning happening, the brainchild of…
Legal Public Notices 04/21
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage Š Store 8138 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando FL. 32810 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando, FL. 32810 (407) 489-3742, May 7, 2021 @ 12:00…
Orlando band Universal Funk Orchestra premiere 4/20-riffic music video ‘Puff Puff Pass’
Orlando band Universal Funk Orchestra unveiled their new music video for “Puff Puff Pass” just in time for the latter half of 4/20 observances and celebrations. “Puff Puff Pass,” featuring a guest spot by CreativAngel, debuted last week, but the band held on to the video until just the right moment and dropped it today.…
Eat tacos and win a trip to Cancún during Orlando Taco Week
A trip to Mexico is just one of the prizes in this year’s during Orlando Taco Week. As part of Orlando Weekly’s Eat to Win promotion, taco lovers can snag free meals, gift cards and other goodies by checking in at participating restaurants. Have your passport stamped at various participating locations as you dine during…
IAAPA’s annual amusement industry expo will return to Orlando, but not to normal
After shifting to a virtual version last year due to the ongoing pandemic, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) announced its flagship expo will return to an in-person event this November. The annual tourism expo ranks among the largest events hosted by the Orange County Convention Center and has become a yearly…
New woman-owned wine shop opens in Baldwin Park
Golden Hour Wine, a woman-owned wine shop, has opened in Baldwin Park. The shop hosted a soft opening last weekend and will only be selling wine from responsibly farmed and small-production wineries. Golden Hour Wine has a little bit of everything, including beers and ciders. Customers can choose their bottle of choice by region, style or…
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival returns in May
The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is returning to the Central Park area for its 62nd year in May. The festival, which features national and international artists, is one of the nation’s oldest juried art shows, according to the festival’s website. Hundreds of artists apply from across the globe, but only 225 will present their…
OK, ‘donkeys,’ Gordon Ramsay Fish + Chips is confirmed to open this August in Orlando’s Icon Park
We wrote about rampant speculation that celebrity chef and reality television star Gordon Ramsay was planning to open a restaurant in Orlando back in March, and it turns out it’s all true. Ramsay is bringing one of his resto concepts to Orlando this very summer. Orlando foodies sadly won’t be getting lamb sauce but they…
Polk County Sheriff tells new Florida residents to avoid voting ‘the stupid way you did up north’
Polk County Sheriff to new liberal residents: "Welcome to Florida. But don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north; you'll get what they got." pic.twitter.com/602idmHEYQ — The First (@TheFirstonTV) April 19, 2021 One of the more glaring moments during yesterday’s signing ceremony for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ steaming turd of…
Tokyo’s ambitious new theme park land may show the future of Disney parks
Every single Disney resort in the world is now adding new attractions. Disney California Adventure is receiving a Marvel-themed area. Shanghai is getting the world’s first Zootopia-themed land. Disney’s two least popular parks, Hong Kong Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios Paris, are each undergoing massive overhauls that will see multiple new additions to their lineups.…
Florida politicians shouldn’t buy what Elon Musk is selling. Boring Company tunnels aren’t the solution to Florida’s transit woes
Kylie Jenner helped hype the latest Elon Musk project when she went for a short car ride last week in a tunnel that Musk’s Boring Company has built under Las Vegas. As is common whenever a new gadget is marketed, Florida officials quickly joined the chorus expressing interest in building a similar concept here. Last…
SeaWorld Orlando will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Seven Seas Food Festival
Starting April 30, SeaWorld will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo with flavorful food, drinks, and traditional Mexican music. The festivities will include a “fiesta in the street” filled with stilt walkers and entertainers at the Wild Arctic Plaza; a DJ dance party with social distancing, and live music from customary Mexican bands. No fiesta would…
Sinister Central Florida death metal legends Deicide announce summer show in Orlando
When you live your life in service to the Horned One, a little thing like a pandemic isn’t going to deter you from spreading the musical anti-gospel. Hence the recent announcement of an Orlando show for Central Florida death metal legends Deicide set for this summer. Deicide is heading out on a North American tour…
Former Queensrÿche belter Geoff Tate to play Orlando this autumn
The Plaza Live did an admirable pivot last year to outdoors shows with their Front Porch Series (which is still going strong), but touring shows look to be coming back in earnest later this year. And one of those touring shows are coming to the Plaza Live in the form of former Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate’s solo…
Gov. Ron DeSantis signs $1 billion sales tax hike on consumers to save businesses’ pocketbooks
Gov. Ron DeSantis late Monday signed into law a plan to require out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians, with the estimated $1 billion a year in revenue going to curb a pair of taxes on Florida businesses. While the proposal (SB 50) was widely supported by Tallahassee business groups,…
Florida House mulls bill that would ban COVID-19 vaccine passports permanently
A House committee Monday approved a proposal that would limit local emergency orders and make permanent Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order barring COVID-19 “passports” that would show people have been vaccinated. The Health & Human Services Committee voted 14-8 to support a revised proposal (HB 7047) intended to “minimize the negative effects of extended emergencies.”…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis passes anti-protest law (and it’s a felony to get sufficiently mad about it)
This morning, in the midst of George Floyd’s murder-by-cop trial and surrounded by a crowd of grinning white men, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law his signature piece of legislation, a hyperpartisan “anti-riot” bill that most certainly sucks. Despite Democrats and Black legislators arguing that the measure would squash First Amendment rights and disproportionately…
Soseki chef and founding partner Denni Cha has left the Winter Park hot spot
A month after opening to the public, Soseki — the high-end omakase concept in Winter Park — has lost one of its founding partners. Denni Cha, who established the intimate 10-seat restaurant with Taglish Collective’s Michael Collantes, has left the Fairbanks Avenue hot spot. Cha cited personal reasons — a serious knee injury in need…
Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe owners plot several new restaurants
The restaurant group behind Russell’s on Lake Ivanhoe has plans for several new restaurants, including a pizza place and an expansion of their Local Butcher & Market brand. VO Hospitality already operates several restaurants in the Orlando area. In the few short years of their existence, they have opened two locations of their Local Butcher…
Sanctuary Medicinals opens new dispensary on International Drive in Orlando
Any MedMen loyalists who are still feeling bummed about the chain’s continued closure can take heart in Orlando’s newest dispensary. Sanctuary Medicinals opened on I-Drive this week, and it’s offering a limited time deal for 4/20 to its new customers. The spot at 5381 International Drive sells flower, cartridges and edibles. They partnered with Apopka-based…
Florida state budget still up in the air after weekend of dealing
Florida lawmakers trying to piece together a roughly $100 billion state budget for the coming year spent the weekend trading offers on everything from teacher pay raises to more money to help mothers with newborn children. Many key spending issues remained up in the air Sunday, including a proposal by Gov. Ron DeSantis to use…
Florida House to hear bipartisan bill raising hiring standards for police
A bipartisan proposal that would expand hiring standards and bolster use-of-force training for police and correctional officers was quickly advanced to the House floor on Friday. The House Appropriations Committee unanimously backed the proposal (HB 7051), which includes seeking to limit the use of chokeholds to circumstances when law-enforcement officers perceive immediate threats of serious…
Watch: Malfunctioning plane from Cocoa Beach Air Show makes crash landing in ocean
A plane flying in the Cocoa Beach Air Show was forced to make an emergency landing in the water off Satellite Beach on Saturday. The TBM Avenger plane suffered a mechanical issue, according to a post to the air show’s official Facebook page. The pilot was able to bring the plane down into the ocean…
Meet Florida’s latest invasive species: the Western Clawed Frog
Florida already has a long list of invasive species, which includes Burmese pythons, Nile crocodiles, poisonous toads, “River Monsters,” herpes monkeys, meningitis snails, and cute little capybara. So, it shouldn’t be that shocking that the Sunshine State now has a clawed frog from Western Africa. Researchers with the University of Florida recently confirmed that a…
Marijuana dispensary MedMen hopes to grow to 15 Florida locations
The marijuana dispensary chain MedMen is planning a large expansion in Florida. According to a report from the Orlando Business Journal, the nationwide chain plans to have as many as 15 operational stores in Florida by the end of the year. In anticipation of this, they hope to expand the output of their growing operation…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushes back against plan to raise state’s $275 a week unemployment benefit
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put a damper on the idea that Florida might raise its unemployment benefits payouts, calling the current maximum of $275 a week “fine” during a press conference on Friday. DeSantis balked at the idea of raising the state’s paltry unemployment benefit amounts when asked about a bipartisan effort in the legislature…
Orange County to run mobile vaccine site at Silver Star Recreation Center next week
Orange County’s mobile vaccine operation moves over from Barber Park to a new location at Silver Star Recreation Center for the duration of next week. From Monday-Friday, April 19-23, county staffers at Silver Star on Apopka-Vineland Road will administer up to 1,000 Pfizer vaccines per day, for free. The site will run on an appointment-only basis…
Creative City Project announces the 2021 return of Immerse in downtown Orlando
The Creative City Project in 2021 are bringing back the event they are best known for — the Immerse performing-arts takeover of downtown Orlando. From Oct. 15-17, Creative City Project will turn 10 city blocks of downtown Orlando into a staging area for a dazzling array of performing arts, visual arts, installation and music, which can be experienced up…
Blake Shelton plays Orlando concert to celebrate grand opening of Ole Red restaurant
Blake Shelton visited Orlando on Thursday to christen his new restaurant in Icon Park with a performance. The country star and long-time judge on The Voice was on hand to celebrate his fourth Ole Red restaurant along International Drive. The sprawling, Southern restaurant is mere steps from the attraction’s massive Ferris wheel, covering two floors…
Florida Senate pushes increase in unemployment benefits
An effort to increase Florida’s much-criticized unemployment benefits, boosting the amounts and lengths of payments, continued to advance Thursday in the state Senate. Pointing to the massive jump in unemployment last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a revised proposal (SB 1906) that would increase the maximum amount of unemployment…
Florida Legislature passes anti-protest bill, a blow to First Amendment rights
Republican lawmakers handed Gov. Ron DeSantis one of his top legislative priorities Thursday, with the Florida Senate giving final passage to a contentious law-and-order measure spawned by nationwide protests after last year’s death of George Floyd. The sweeping proposal, titled “Combating Public Disorder,” would create a new crime of “mob intimidation,” enhance penalties for riot-related…
Organic grocery store Earth Fare to reopen SoDo location
A little over a year after closing all of their U.S. locations, Earth Fare is returning to Orlando. The natural and organic grocery chain will once again inhabit its SoDo spot at the corner of Orange Avenue and Gore Street. The 24,000-square-foot grocery existed for a year in that space before the company-wide closing. The…
Pizza Bruno will pop-up at the Ravenous Pig’s beer garden next week
Ravenous Pig Brewing’s new beer garden is going to see a visit from a local foodie luminary next week, and you can reap the tasty benefits. Bruno Zacchini from Pizza Bruno will be setting up shop at the Pig’s beer garden and dispensing tasty pies, of course, but there’s a special surprise in store of…
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz attended drug-fueled parties inside Orlando gated community, per report
A new report from CNN paints a picture of the Florida Republican millieu that the GOP likely wants to stay under wraps. Two women who spoke to the network on condition of anonymity claimed they took part in drug-fueled parties in a suburban Orlando gated community with Florida representative Matt Gaetz and other high-ranking GOP…
Touring Immersive Van Gogh exhibit is coming to Orlando in October
Immersive Van Gogh is coming to Orlando this fall, but where? That’s the question that lingers even as pre-sales start for the buzz-laden traveling exhibition, set to open Oct. 7 in a “historic venue in the heart of Orlando.” Immersive Van Gogh reimagines the work of ol’ Vincent from the canvas to fantastical projection-based, larger-than-life…
SUV jumps Daytona Beach drawbridge
We’ve all thought about it. No one who has sat at a drawbridge, watching the spans go up into a vague ramp shape, can claim they haven’t imagined jumping it. But there’s something self-selecting in the Daytona Beach crowds that causes people to keep going through with it. An SUV drove through the bridge’s traffic…
New Orlando spa on I-Drive promises a socially acceptable way to soak in beer
The bougie have come for every little corner of impoverished life. They took the dive bar away, dimming the lights on cocktail joints and setting out a bowl of peanuts to cover the scent of money. They turned street food and deli counter sandwiches into pop-up events and food truck rallies. Now they are coming…
WUCF TV to air Melrose in the Mix session by Deltona alt-rapper Mag.Lo tonight
From seemingly out of nowhere, experimental Deltona rapper Mag.Lo emerged as a gifted and articulate next-gen voice even in the shadow of a strong alt-rap bill in 2018 at Will’s Pub that featured the buzzing likes of JPEGMAFIA, Milo and Elucid. He was so immediately impressive and original that I invited the young MC to…
All-star percussionist Rashid Williams will play Orlando’s Will’s Pub in May
Drummer-to-the-stars Rashid Williams is coming down to Orlando to headline a night of “Jam Sessions” next month, and he’ll be teaming up with formidable bassist Dwayne DW Wright. Williams’ CV is unbelievable. Stints with (John Legend, Jill Scott, JCole, Alicia Keys and N.E.R.D. as well as lending his percussive skills to Cirque du Soleil, are proof…
Florida House passes anti-transgender bill that would allow for genital examinations of high school athletes
The Republican-dominated Florida House on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban transgender females from playing on girls’ and women’s high-school and college sports teams, with Democrats arguing the measure is purely political. The proposal (HB 1475) would make participation in athletics contingent on determining students’ “biological sex,” a disputed term that refers to the…
Huey Magoo’s looking to flap into downtown Orlando by the end of the year
Local chain Huey Magoo’s is looking to expand into downtown Orlando and they won’t be taking no for an answer, according to the Orlando Business Journal. Huey Magoo’s may already have 14 Florida outposts but they’re making moves to open magic number 15 downtown, with Magoo’s CEO Andy Howard telling OBJ that they’re “aggressively” looking…
Florida’s ‘Grim Reaper’ lawyer looks to have disciplinary sanctions dismissed
A Northwest Florida attorney who drew national headlines by dressing as the Grim Reaper to criticize Gov. Ron DeSantis’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic is asking a judge to dismiss court proceedings seeking penalties for comments attributed to him in a news story. Prosecutors last month filed a motion in Walton County to pursue sanctions…
Pulse-inspired documentary ‘Disarm Hate’ to screen for free virtually as part of OnePulse’s Conversation Starters series
Pulse-inspired documentary Disarm Hate will be available for a free virtual screening in May courtesy the OnePulse Foundation. Disarm Hate is a doc and travelogue that follows a group of LGBTQ+ activists on an RV journey from Lost Angeles to a massive gun-control rally in Washington D.C. in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting…
Musical comedy ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ happening at the Dr. Phillips Center in late April
Not only is the the Scripps National Spelling Bee coming to Orlando this year, but now Putnam County’s tuneful spell-off is too. Local troupe Celebration Theatre Company are taking on the Broadway hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee later this month in the plush environs of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing…
Ava MediterrAegean, a high-end Mediterranean restaurant, will open in the old Luma on Park space in Winter Park
A bit surprising it’s taken this long, but a new restaurant will be moving into Luma’s old space on Park Avenue in Winter Park and its name is Ava MediterrAegean. The high-end concept will offer “flavors and colors of the Silk Road” similar to its sister restaurant, Mila MediterrAsian, in South Beach, and is being…
Florida Senators Rick Scott, Marco Rubio push bill to repeal order keeping cruise ships from sailing
Florida’s Republican politicians continue to push for the resumption of cruises. Following repeated calls from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to repeal a CDC order keeping ships from sailing without passing rigorous tests, US senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio have launched a bill that would do just that. The Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements…
Report: Former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg is cooperating with feds in Matt Gaetz investigation
Former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg is cooperating with federal authorities in their probe into Florida congressman Matt Gaetz. That’s the word from the New York Times, who spoke to anonymous sources with knowledge of the investigation. The Times reports that Greenberg began to spill on his associate Gaetz once he realized the strength…
Orlando Brewing to sell new hibiscus and blueberry Pride lager to benefit Orlando City SC’s charity org
Orlando Brewing’s anniversary beer Pride is getting a second-run with the help of Orlando City SC. The Pride lager, a beer that blends hibiscus and blueberry in a manner fitting of City’s purple and gold scheme, will return briefly to raise funds for the Orlando City Foundation. The fundraiser kicks off on Friday, April 16…
Florida House ready to pass bill effectively barring transgender girls, women from competing in high school, college sports
The Florida House is poised to pass a measure that would bar transgender females from participating in girls’ and women’s high-school and college sports, amid fierce opposition from Democrats and warnings about potential financial repercussions. The House on Tuesday took up the so-called “Fairness In Women’s Sports Act” (HB 1475), positioning it for a vote…
Florida House prepares Red Scare bill to teach students about ‘victims of communism’
Over 30,000 people died in Florida in the last year due to a twisted drive to prioritize capital above all else. The state is the site of multiple crises, in food distribution, in affordable housing, with no obvious solutions. That’s before we even get to the very real, existential threat to the entire state that…
Savage Love: ‘My toxic ex-boyfriend is dating a man now and I’m furious’
Dear Dan: I’m a woman in my late 20s. I broke up with a toxic ex about a year ago and I’ve been walking around thinking I was over it. I never missed him and rarely thought about him. A brief backstory: In the final months of us living together, we started having more discussions…
Enzian Theater’s Florida Film Festival shorts trend darker this year, but still offer something for everyone
There’s something for everyone among the 13 shorts programs, and this year’s Florida Film Festival is making it easier for online viewers to appreciate the eclecticism. “Last year was a learning curve for both festivals and filmmakers,” reflects Matthew Curtis, programming director. “By the time we opened, we had 99 percent of the shorts content…
Orlando concert picks this week: GG Cat, Gary Lazer Eyes, Drivin N Cryin
If you go out, respect everyone’s distance, for all our sakes. “The Sound of Orlando Show”: The guest list of DJ Rome’s Orlando-based, hip-hop-centric talk show is frequently enlightening. This week’s installments are exceptionally loaded ones, including bona fide pioneers repping rap music history on the national (Doodlebug of Digable Planets on April 20), regional…
Things to do in Orlando, April 14-20: ‘Hairspray,’ Tom + Dan’s Land Cruise, and crystals, crystals, crystals
The best safe, socially distanced, and virtual events this week. Wednesday-Thursday, April 14-15Frontyard Festival: HairsprayEven John Waters himself couldn’t resist the undeniable charms of a youth theater troupe tackling the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of his breakthrough film Hairspray. Maybe some of the sharp edges have been smoothed out, but it’s still pretty damn subversive.…
New Orlando releases: Steve Garron and the Guarantees, Alien Witch, Jrdn Alexander, Swift Knuckle Solution
Steve Garron & the Guarantees: Accomplished local scene veteran Steve Garron, the mind behind notable Orlando bands Precious and Potsie, has just re-emerged like an indefatigable phoenix with a strong new crew of seasoned players. The Black Box Recorder EP is a sturdy six-pack of alt-rock tunes that carry Garron’s vocal flamboyance with fresh air…
The 420 Issue: Now that you have your Florida MMJ card, what products should you use?
Cannabis consumption 101
