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Orlando made goods: 7 local makers who make good things happen
Local Gift Guide 2017
Every New Year’s Eve party happening in Orlando
Here you’ll find every ball drop, block party, and champagne toast ringing in the new year in Orlando. Did we miss one? Let us know at listings@orlandoweekly.com. Also be sure to check our robust online New Years Eve Guide for more things to do. Black & Gold New Year’s Eve Black tie NYE party with…
Florida lawmakers urge Puerto Rico governor to seek federal aid for evacuee housing
Florida lawmakers are urging Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló to seek federal aid on housing for the thousands of evacuees who are fleeing to the state from the deplorable conditions left on the island by Hurricane Maria. “There are tens of thousands of families living in Florida,” says state Sen. Victor Torres, D-Orlando, in a statement.…
New report examines Orlando Police response to Pulse shooting
Orlando Police officers and law enforcement agencies who responded to the massacre at the gay nightclub Pulse last year followed protocol, but more training is needed on future responses to potential terror strikes and coordinating communication, according to a new report. The nearly 200-page review was commissioned by the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented…
Universal Orlando sues over $275 million tax assessment of parking garages
According to a lawsuit filed Friday in Orange Circuit Court, Universal Orlando Resort is suing over its $275 million tax assessment for the theme park and CityWalk parking garages, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Calling this year’s assessment “excessive” for the North and South garages — which were the largest parking garages in the world when…
Palm Beach County becomes Florida’s first county to ban gay conversion therapy
On Tuesday, Palm Beach County commissioners voted to ban gay conversion therapy for minors, becoming the first county in Florida to do so outright. Citing a lawsuit by members of the Maitland-based Liberty Counsel, an anti-LGBTQ hate group, against the city of Tampa, Palm Beach County Attorney Denise Nieman reportedly recommended that the commission not…
Florida’s minimum wage is about to go up 15 whole cents
Florida’s minimum wage is about to go from $8.10 an hour to $8.25 next year. Hurray. Fifteen whole cents, folks. Let’s explore a few of the reasons $8.25 an hour is an incredibly shitty wage to pay someone. If you worked a 40-hour week at this rate, your annual income would be $17,160 before taxes,…
Crazy Town is coming to Orlando this March
Guess who’s back? Los Angeles’ Crazy Town are set to hit the road in February of next year and have an Orlando/Winter Park date confirmed. The group responsible for 2000 megahit “Butterfly” will be hitting the road with Davey Suicide and Loaded Guns on their package “Born to Raise Hell” tour. Crazy Town headline the Haven…
Tampa attorney caught paying female inmate to make jailhouse porn
Andrew Spark, a 54-year-old Tampa-based attorney, was arrested Sunday after he was caught attempting to make amateur porn with a female inmate at the Pinellas County Jail. Authorities say Spark used his position to gain access to the jail’s private visitation rooms, and that after receiving a tip that the attorney had been soliciting sex…
Florida authorities rescue sea turtle tangled in $53 million worth of cocaine
A U.S. Coast Guard boat based out of Key West, Florida, recently helped out a struggling sea turtle that wrapped itself in seven tons of blow. While assisting with a joint drug enforcement task force involving the Royal Canadian Army and the Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team, a U.S. Coast guard vessel was inspecting a…
Florida officials challenged on methadone clinic licenses after campout rush
Florida officials’ first-come, first-served system for dozens of new methadone-treatment licenses resulted in applicants camping out in tents with sleeping bags, coolers and, in one case, a gun, to be first in line. Pictures of applicants lounging in chairs outside the Department of Children and Families headquarters in Tallahassee are among the documents filed by…
Man who marooned himself on Lake Eola fountain says he took too much MDMA and wanted to be with the swans
The man who stole a swan boat and stranded himself on the fountain at Lake Eola told police he ingested a large quantity of molly and wanted to be with the swans because “they don’t judge him.” According to an Orlando City Police report, officers responded to the incident at about 4 a.m., on Dec.…
Puerto Rican activists call on Marco Rubio to vote against GOP tax bill
Puerto Rican activists in Orlando want U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to oppose the GOP tax bill because they say the measure would devastate the island as it struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria. For weeks, Puerto Rican officials and activists have argued that the $1.5 trillion Republican tax overhaul would be an attack on the…
Hurricane Irma insurance claims in Florida near 866,000 as pace slows
Estimated insured losses from Hurricane Irma have topped $6.55 billion, with the number of claims approaching 866,000, according to information released Monday by the state Office of Insurance Regulation. The latest report showed that 865,974 claims from the September storm had been filed with insurance companies as of Friday, with 719,512 involving residential properties. While…
Gwen Graham spends ‘workday’ at Second Harvest Food Bank
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gwen Graham spent what her team calls a “workday” on Monday helping prepare food boxes with Second Harvest Food Bank for displaced Puerto Rican families now living in Central Florida. The workday was the 47th of its kind, Graham told reporters. In the past, she has visited Floridians in their work and…
Here’s a first look at Donald Trump’s talking robot at Disney’s Hall of Presidents
Is anyone surprised Donald Trump’s animatronic robot looks more human than the president himself? This afternoon, WDWMagic and other media outlets got a sneak peek at the new bot, and the rest of the newly refurbished Hall of Presidents attraction. The big question since the election, at least for Disney fans, has been what words…
Lin-Manuel Miranda launches petition to tie Puerto Rico help to tax bill
Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Broadway megahit Hamilton and all the good songs in Disney’s Moana, wants you to sign a petition to include aid to Puerto Rico in the new tax bill. The MoveOn.org petition, which you can sign here, was created with the help of Power 4 Puerto Rico, and essentially argues that the…
Giant local turd threatens to beat up Jay-Z and feed him to an alligator
George Zimmerman, a hulking local turd who was acquitted for the murder of an unarmed Trayvon Martin in 2012, has now threatened to beat up Jay-Z and feed him to an alligator. Zimmerman recently told the website The Blast that two weeks ago a production team working on Jay-Z’s upcoming Trayvon Martin documentary stopped by…
Cirque du Soleil says new show at Disney Springs will focus on Disney animation
Cirque du Soleil released new details today about the yet-to-be named show replacing La Nouba, and fans of Disney cartoons should be pleased. The all new original show will “pay homage to Disney’s rich history of animation,” according to today’s announcement. “We are incredibly inspired by Disney’s immense creative universe. We are convinced that bringing…
Paul Manafort is allowed to move to Florida while Russia investigation continues
A federal judge has approved a $10 million bail agreement for ex-Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort that would allow him to end his house arrest in Virginia and move to his home in Palm Beach Gardens. POLITICO reports Manafort will still be under a nightly curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and GPS monitoring while…
Hard Rock Live brings the Eagles and Led Zeppelin to Orlando, sort of
Sure beats the labor and expense of building a time machine! The Classic Albums Live project is returning to the Orlando stage twice early on next year to present pivotal albums by beloved classic rockers. This time around the ensemble will be diving deep into the Eagles’ album Hotel California and Led Zeppelin’s Led Zeppelin…
Check out the new game day eats at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium
Camping World Stadium is bringing new game-day eats for fans to nosh on, and just from a cursory glance, it looks like it involves A LOT of horseradish sauce. Levy Restaurants, which manages concessions at Camping World Stadium, has created several snacks that build upon traditional game-day fare to make it a little more interesting,…
Capture the flag is going down at Mead Garden tonight
Tonight, after the sun goes down, a big ol’ game of adults-only Capture the Flag will be held at Mead Botanical Garden. Hosted by Playground City, tonight’s event has a $3-$5 suggested donation for admission and will launch from inside the garden at the Denning Street entrance. Attendees should meet at 6 p.m. for a…
Thanks, Kaká
Ricardo Kaká, former Ballon d’Or winner and Orlando City midfielder, has announced his intention to retire from professional soccer at age 35. “I have arrived to the conclusion that now is the moment to finish my career as a professional player,” Kaká, who has played for Brazil, AC Milan and Real Madrid, told Brazil’s Globo…
Uncle Joe is coming to Orlando in January
Fresh off his sweet summer gig installing above-ground swimming pools, former Vice President “Diamond” Joe Biden is bringing his “American Promise Tour” to Orlando early next year. Biden will stop in for an intimate evening at the Dr. Phillips Center’s Walt Disney Theater at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29. “Over the last month I’ve traveled around the…
Brightline train gets final federal approval to connect Orlando to Miami
Brightline, the somewhat high-speed private rail service from All Aboard Florida, just got the final nod to begin construction on the West Palm Beach-to-Orlando leg. The Federal Railroad Administration issued a decision on the plan last Friday, Dec. 15, that basically makes the Miami-to-Orlando route a reality at some point. Construction for the Phase 2…
Florida Supreme Court dismisses suit on Rick Scott’s judicial appointment powers
Saying it is too soon to rule on the issue, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a high-profile case about whether Gov. Rick Scott or his successor has the power to appoint replacements for three justices whose terms end as Scott’s tenure comes to a close. Thursday’s decision —- which a dissenting justice asserted…
Zoya Zafar headlines a bill of emerging local talent at Will’s Pub
Recently lauded by TLU’s Bao Le-Huu for her “beautiful jazz voice that can captivate with just the faintest exhalation” and picked as a local musician to keep an eye on, we can only add that we were captivated by Zoya Zafar’s recent set at a house show. We sat raptly at her feet as she…
Just a bird shopping for birdseed in a Publix
There’s a bird in this Publix just shopping for birdseed like it’s nbd pic.twitter.com/MLm6L9PC79 — Candy Cane Queen (@PuddinHearts) December 16, 2017 Publix, “Where shopping is a pleasure” for birds too. Today Twitter user @PuddinHearts caught this most excellent image of a bird perusing the birdseed section of a Publix grocery store, and I think…
After taking a beating from hurricanes, Flagler Beach Pier has finally reopened
After the Flagler Beach landmark took a double beating from Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma, the boardwalk is once again in working, walk-able condition, News 6 Orlando reports. Last year, Hurricane Matthew destroyed about 160 feet of the pier, forcing the city to temporarily close the landmark. And although the damage was a somewhat easy…
‘The Book of Mormon’ is still a NSFW knockout
When the first national touring company of the hit musical The Book of Mormon began crossing the country half a decade ago, Mitt Romney was running for the White House, and mocking the religious beliefs of a potential President probably made the show a tough sell in conservative areas. Today, the thought of a Commander-in-Chief…
Giant LEGO animals are coming to Harry P. Leu Gardens this January
Giant animals made from more than 450,000 LEGO bricks are coming to Harry P. Leu Gardens early next year. The exhibit, “Nature Connects Art with LEGO Bricks” by Artist Sean Kenney, will be on display from Jan. 6 through April 22 and features 16 sculptures in 13 displays throughout the 50-acre garden. “The use of LEGO bricks…
Marco Rubio gets his way on child tax credits in GOP tax overhaul
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio got his way on the Republican tax overhaul Friday after nobody called his bluff when the Florida senator threatened to vote against the measure for not expanding child tax credits to more low-income Americans. The Associated Press reports GOP leaders agreed to increase the per-child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000.…
Trump will likely spend the holidays at Mar-a-Lago, again
President Donald Trump will have spent about a month and a half at Mar-a-Lago through 2017. The final count: 45. (Go figure.) Earlier today, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert to pilots of “VIP movement” in Palm Beach from Friday, Dec. 22, to Jan. 1. Advisories of this nature, which are issued to warn…
Undercover video shows Florida dairy farm workers using blowtorches on cows
Another undercover video of animal rights violations at an Okeechobee County dairy farm has surfaced. The shocking footage, produced by Miami Beach-based Animal Recovery Mission, or ARM, shows employees of McArthur Dairy using a blowtorch and a sharpened steel rod, among other abuses, on the animals. McArthur Dairy is one of Florida’s longest-running and largest…
More than 600 skimmers were found at Florida gas stations in 2017
Always pay inside, folks. A new report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shows that more than 600 card skimmers have been found at pumps across the state so far this year. In total, 613 were reported this year, which is about three times as many found in 2016 when only 219…
Flogging Molly is coming to Orlando this March
Flogging Molly have announced a March tour with the stated goal of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all month long (their words, not ours) and Orlando will host one of those stops. The band will be gearing up for their surreal “Salty Dog” cruise and celebrating their most recent album Life is Good. Flogging Molly plays…
Floridians should brace for stronger hurricanes, says former FEMA head
Many Hurricane Irma evacuees say they’re apprehensive of packing up and leaving their homes again because forecast models failed to match the final track of the September storm. That is worrisome for Craig Fugate, a former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, including during the state’s devastating…
A man was stranded on the Lake Eola fountain last night after stealing a swan boat
The Orlando Police Department says a man was rescued last night after he stole a swan boat at Lake Eola and then marooned himself on the fountain. At around 3:30 a.m., the man, whose identity has yet to be released, successfully made it to the Linton E. Allen Memorial fountain on the stolen swan. However, things…
Katy Perry invades the home of the Orlando Magic to show ’em how to “Swish Swish” … bish
It’s strange listening to Katy Perry after hearing “Roar” so much last year. As one of the official songs of the Hillary Clinton campaign, it served as an anthem for traditionally marginalized groups forced into silence to roar their truths to the world. One Donald Trump presidency and a #metoo movement later, the Grammy award-winning…
Grandma Party returns to Stardust with the best in locally made crafts and gifts
After a decade and a half, Stardust Video & Coffee’s Grandma Party Bazaar is an Orlando holiday tradition. With handmade crafts from local artisans, live music from area bands, raffles, giveaways and food, it’s basically a holiday encapsulation of the essence of Orlando. It’s our favorite opportunity to grab something unique for that hard-to-buy-for person…
Moody crooner Georgio “the Dove” Valentino stops into the Falcon one last time before retirement
South Florida native Georgio Valentino’s search for kindred musical spirits ended up bringing him to the Low Countries of Europe. Along with his band, La Société des Mélancoliques, Valentino fuses his love of moody soundtracks and experimental rock into a body of work that revels in moody soundscapes, cryptic lyrics and gothic-jazz groove. Valentino recently…
Browse through stacks on stacks of independent mags at Orlando Zine Fest this weekend
At the risk of compromising journalistic integrity, we can opine that last year’s Orlando Zine Fest was an absolute blast – a well-attended showcase of local DIY print creativity. But we can say with absolute objective certainty that this year’s fest builds on last year’s success exponentially and puts OZF in the big leagues of…
Gods and Monsters throws “Life Day” party for hard core Star Wars fans and cosplayers
Gods & Monsters has yet to find an occasion they won’t throw a party for, and the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi is no exception. Come dressed as a holiday version of your favorite character to enter the cosplay contest, or just try to make it through the yes-it’s-really-that-bad Star Wars Holiday Special.…
Get Santa-faced downtown during the 12 Bars of Christmas Pub Crawl
Help raise money for a good cause at the 12 Bars of Christmas Pub Crawl. Bring $20 or a similarly priced unwrapped toy to donate to HOPE Helps and get four free drink tickets and admission to 12 different nightspots in the central downtown area. Check in at Hooch in Wall Street Plaza. Holiday attire…
Disney’s critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs are finally here
Guests at Animal Kingdom can finally get a glimpse of these two adorable and critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs, the first baby tigers ever born at Disney World. Brother and sister Jeda and Anala were actually born last August, but made their big debut Wednesday, Dec. 13, as they’re “slowly being introduced into their habitat”…
Just a reminder that Florida residents have until Dec. 31 to sign up for Obamacare
Right now, despite Donald Trump’s attempts to completely destroy Obamacare (and anything else Obama ever did), record numbers of people are still signing up for 2018 coverage under the Affordable Healthcare Act and for Florida residents, there’s plenty of time left. Even though the Trump administration compressed the normal three-month enrollment period into just 45…
New venue Celine opening in downtown Orlando on New Year’s Eve
The group behind local craft cocktail lounge Mather’s Social Gathering are working on a new concept right next door called Celine Orlando. The new three-story venue is located in the former Vain (and even more former Lyrica) space at 22. S. Magnolia Ave. in downtown Orlando and features a main-floor dance area, a second-floor lounge,…
Family of man shot by officers sues Orlando Police Department for $5.5 million
The family of Eric Provost, who was killed last year during a police-involved shooting, has filed suit against the two officers involved. According to the lawsuit, which cites excessive force and wrongful death, the family is asking for $5.5 million for the incident dating back to January 2016, when officers responded to an emergency call placed…
Natalia Tena, aka Nymphadora Tonks, will join Universal’s Celebration of Harry Potter
Natalia Tena, who played shapeshifting witch Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter series, is joining the roster of celebrity guests at this year’s “A Celebration of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Orlando. Tena joins an already robust list of Potter alumni attending this year’s festivities, including Stanislav Yanevski (Viktor Krum), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), and…
State agrees to spend $1 million on Central Florida’s coast-to-coast trail
Gov. Rick Scott and the state Cabinet agreed to spend $1.08 million Wednesday for land that will help link to an ambitious bicycle and pedestrian trail planned to stretch across Central Florida, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The deal to acquire 35.2 acres to help complete the Shingle Creek Regional Trail…
Florida Is Loud Fest takes over Mills Avenue all weekend
Though organizer and performer – Ad Nauseum, Flying Limbs, etc. – Glen Ritchey would have been easily forgiven for passing on the opportunity to run a three-day underground festival pretty much by himself again, here we are with the second edition of Florida Is Loud upon us. The lineup for the big Saturday show at…
Central Florida Jobs With Justice to honor our own Monivette Cordeiro at annual Art of Solidarity Awards Dinner
A commemoration of those who have selflessly dedicated themselves to helping improve the world around them (including Orlando Weekly reporter Monivette Cordeiro), this is Central Florida’s way of honoring its most effective grass-roots leaders. Presented by Central Florida Jobs With Justice, this year’s awards dinner is titled “The Art of Solidarity,” and with the voice…
Disney will buy 21st Century Fox assets in landmark $52.4 billion merger
Official details are now coming in on the massive buyout of the majority of 21st Century Fox by Disney. The deal, valued at $52.4 billion, is a stock deal with Disney valuing Fox shares at roughly $40 per share, or approximately $8 more than they closed on Wednesday. As predicted, Disney CEO Bob Iger has…
Orlando airport relief center for Hurricane Maria evacuees will close this month
The disaster relief center set up at Orlando International Airport in October to help Hurricane Maria evacuees will be closing on Dec. 29. Since the center’s opening on Oct. 3, thousands of people from Puerto Rico and, to a lesser extent, the U.S. Virgin Islands, have flown to Florida because of deplorable living conditions left…
Florida lawmaker proposes bill that would make it easier for felons to regain rights
On Dec. 6, state Rep. Cord Byrd, R-Neptune Beach, proposed a measure that, if passed, would make it easier for felons who have served their time and paid their probationary fines to have their rights reinstated by petitioning a judge. Those rights include the ability to vote in elections and own a firearm, as well…
Florida Gov. Rick Scott issues executive order on reporting sexual harassment
In the midst of a scandal jolting the Florida Senate, Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday ordered state agency heads to adopt a sexual harassment policy that requires training for workers and spells out procedures for reporting and investigating complaints. Scott issued an executive order detailing the steps agency heads must immediately take to address the…
Big dumb panda picks Auburn to beat UCF in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Yang Yang, a 20-year-old male giant panda at Zoo Atlanta, has decided that the University of Central Florida will lose to Auburn in the 50th Anniversary Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. What does this big dumb panda know about college football, you ask? Well, I’ll have you know that Yang Yang completes his annual ritual of picking game…
Activists are fasting outside Marco Rubio’s Orlando office for immigrant protections
Bundled in hoodies, knit beanies and blankets to ward off a chilly blast, activists huddled in lawn chairs outside U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s office Wednesday in downtown Orlando as they fasted for immigrant protections. Five activists have been on a hunger strike since Tuesday morning outside Rubio’s office. Their nonviolent protest aims to persuade the…
Here’s the inside of the Millennium Falcon ride at Disney’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
“We’re home.” #starwars #galaxysedge – Learn more this Saturday at Star Wars: Galactic Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. pic.twitter.com/wGe1rUzpwH — Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) December 13, 2017 Well, there it is. This morning Disney gave us a glimpse of the inside of the Millennium Falcon flight simulator ride coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and it does appear…
JD McPherson and Charley Crockett prove that revivalism can still be fresh AF
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND JD McPherson and Charley Crockett, The Social, Dec. 11 Of all the American roots neo-traditionalists, hotshot Okie JD McPherson is without a doubt one of this generation’s most distinctive. He’s retro, but he ain’t cute. There’s a big difference. Although he rocks the stuff your grandparents got down to, he does it…
Pro-Trump singer Joy Villa wants to run for congress in Florida
Singer-songwriter Joy Villa announced on Fox & Friends earlier today that she’s launching an exploratory committee for a congressional bid in Florida. She added that although she will run as a political outsider, she plans to campaign as a member of the GOP. “I’m looking everywhere from Jacksonville all the way down to Miami,” she told…
Florida congresswoman calling for investigation into sexual misconduct allegations by Trump
Florida Congresswoman Lois Frankel and more than 50 other Democratic congresswoman are now calling for an investigation into the 17-and-counting allegations of sexual misconduct by President Donald Trump. Frankel and 56 other members of the Democratic Women’s Working Group sent a letter Monday to the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, asking…
Florida Power & Light will charge customers $176 million to clean up their own environmental damage
State regulators Tuesday approved a controversial proposal by Florida Power & Light to collect at least $176.4 million from customers for a project dealing with a saltwater plume that moved from an FPL plant into nearby groundwater. Representatives of consumers and business and environmental groups fought the proposal, contending that customers should not have to…
Drop in Florida’s citrus forecast spurs more calls for relief
Florida agriculture leaders say the latest projected decline in citrus production underscores a dire need for federal disaster relief after Hurricane Irma. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated Tuesday that Florida will grow enough oranges to fill a decades-low 46 million 90-pound boxes, 8 percent less than in a November estimate. Meanwhile, grapefruit production held…
31 free shows happening in Orlando this week
Wednesday, Dec. 13 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. The Daniel Heitz Band 10:30 pm at Tanqueray’s, 100 S. Orange Ave. Thursday, Dec. 14 Thursday Jazz Jams 8 pm…
Orlando International Airport releases ‘Star Wars’ parody video
The Force is strong with Orlando Intergalactic Airport. #TheLastJedi pic.twitter.com/EWWZx2VXVv — Orlando International Airport (@MCO) December 12, 2017 The Orlando International Airport Twitter account has been arguably one of the only good things on Twitter in 2017, and their latest Star Wars parody video is a good example of this. The video, which was released…
History in a Glass comes to a close with a boozy look at the history of ‘The City Beautiful’
The History Center wraps up the season with their final History in a Glass event this week. (We hope it returns in 2018.) Learn how Orlando came to be known as the City Beautiful while sipping three different cocktails inspired by the name. 6-9 pm Thursday; Orange County Regional History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd.;…
Sip for a good cause at Quantum Leap’s Mills 50 Artist Series fundraiser
Support public art projects in the Mills 50 District by attending this fundraiser at Quantum Leap Winery. Local artists have decorated wine bottles, which they’re auctioning off tonight to raise money for the Main Street program’s beautification efforts. Bid on the perfect gift for your favorite wino while partaking of vino and light bites. 6-9…
Southern Craft, now open around the corner from Southern Nights, serves damn good cocktails
Essay question: At this new cocktail bar around the corner from Southern Nights, the drinks come strong – and the people, what few were there, were friendly. (They haven’t been open long.) But if the first pour of the night is an indication of anything – it was frothy – it’s that you shouldn’t order…
The best Orlando concert picks this week
Giraffage San Francisco’s Charlie Yin rolls into the Social with an arsenal of shimmering synth-dance groovers as part of his “Too Real” tour with Wingtip and Sweater Beats. 10 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Social, $15-$20 Sarah Cahill Pianist Cahill makes her Orlando debut at Timucua with the program “Lou Harrison and His Circle,”…
Orlando-made edibles sure to warm the cockles of your friends’ and family’s hearts
Local Gift Guide 2017
ICYMI: A Pulse first responder presses charges against OPD and the city of Orlando, Buddy Dyer announces new solar farm, and more
A Pulse first responder and former police officer is suing OPD and the city of Orlando: Gerry Realin, who was among the members of the crew that removed 49 dead bodies from the Pulse nightclub following the mass shooting, filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Orlando and Orlando Police Department on Friday morning.…
Breaking scene developments at the Firestone complex with Blackstar, Odd Jobs and the Vanguard
You heard about Blackstar here when it was the kinda, sorta ad hoc venue for the big secret Ho99o9 show this past summer. What wasn’t known then was that it would be the tip of an iceberg, one that’s now poised to loom large over downtown and beyond, even. Blackstar, a trial concept then, is…
Whether you like your holiday sentimental or snarky, Central Florida’s stages are overflowing with Christmas shows
According to our Commander-in-Chief, there’s currently a War on Christmas. If that’s true, somebody should have warned Central Florida’s stages, because this season’s overflowing slate of Christmas shows must make them all sitting ducks for attack. As a secular Jew, I did my patriotic duty and attended a few local Xmas extravaganzas, prepared to fend…
The Fringe Lottery, Arcadian Broad to the Orlando Ballet, plus more performing arts news
The lottery for the 2018 Orlando Fringe was held at Orlando Shakes last Monday night, with over three dozen festival hopefuls in attendance to watch Patty Sheehan randomly select productions. Local favorites including Margaret Nolan, David Lee and Michael Wanzie made the cut, as did returning international acts T.J. Dawe and Rob Gee. But with…
Opening in Orlando: Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Wonder Wheel and more
THIS WEEK: Star Wars: The Last Jedi This world is divided into two types of people: people who love Porgs, and monsters. So, go Porgs! PORGS! PORGS! PORGS! Oh, and I guess we find out what’s up with Luke Skywalker and stuff. But PORGS! (PG-13) Wonder Wheel Woody Allen’s latest has Justin Timberlake as a 1950s…
Savage Love: ‘Neurodiverse’
As a 36-year-old straight woman with autism, I am often misidentified as lesbian because my social signaling must read as masculine. I am not bothered by this. However, it is annoying when someone who should know better thinks I would hide it if I were LGBTQ. I’m very direct and honest – sometimes to my…
Gimme Shelter: Meet Xena
Are you looking for a new furry friend? Meet Xena! Xena (A388731) did a great job raising her five Manx kittens and they’ve all found wonderful forever homes. Now it’s her turn to find that kind of love. She’s still young and playful and would make a great companion for someone who has time to…
A new Coco Thai comes to I-Drive, vegan restaurant FEAST falls through, plus more in Orlando foodie news
OPENINGS: The first of several planned locations of Coco Thai has opened in between the former Wet ‘n Wild and Twistee Treat on I-Drive … Tamale & Company Take Out celebrates its grand opening Saturday, Dec. 16, in Altamonte Springs. The quick-service joint will serve much of the same Mexican street fare it does from…
Selections: Our picks for the best things to do this week in Orlando
Friday, Dec. 15 The Art of Solidarity ART A commemoration of those who have selflessly dedicated themselves to helping improve the world around them (including Orlando Weekly reporter Monivette Cordeiro), this is Central Florida’s way of honoring its most effective grass-roots leaders. Presented by Central Florida Jobs With Justice, this year’s awards dinner is titled…
