Cover Story
Our 2019 picks for the best things to see and hear in Central Florida’s best season
Fall Arts Guide 2019
Throwback ’90s to bring three Bollywood singing icons to Orlando in November
Bollywood-loving ’90s kids will have the chance to relive their heyday next month at an arena-sized Throwback ’90s event featuring three legendary playback singers. The heavy trio of Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik appeared onstage together for a song this summer on the reality show Superstar Singer, and the chemistry must have been still there because the…
Eighties freestyle star Lisa Lisa to play Orlando during Pride Week
In one of the more exciting musical announcements for Pride Week, freestyle chanteuse Lisa Lisa will be playing Stonewall in Parramore. Lisa Lisa came to fame fronting her Cult Jam in the 1980s, releasing freestyle hit singles like “I Wonder If I Take You Home” and “Lost in Emotion.” She struck out on her own…
Teen Divorce, Saeros, Degreaser and more great live music in Orlando this week
Teen Divorce Jacksonville indie-rockers play a midweek gig at Will’s with locals Boston Marriage, Chalet Girl and the Flag Boi.! 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, at Will’s Pub, $8-$10 Saeros Pop-leaning local shoegazers lay down heavy atmospheres at Will’s Pub with Charlene Joan, Harbour Drive, and No Handouts. 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, at Will’s Pub, $8-$10…
Resurgent pop singer Banks announces to wrap up her tour in Orlando and Miami this month
Pop singer Banks has returned from a two-year hiatus with a new album, III, and a North American tour that’s set to wrap up this month with a pair of Florida shows, one in Orlando! Banks became a familiar name to fans of the more adventurous end of the pop music spectrum as the touring…
Parental-consent abortion bill re-filed in Florida House
After the idea passed the House in April but stalled in the Senate, a Republican lawmaker Tuesday began a renewed attempt to require parental consent before minors can have abortions in Florida. Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, filed a parental-consent bill for consideration during the 2020 legislative session, which starts in January. State law currently…
Legal Public Notices 10/2 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage – Store 1335, 1101 Marshall Farms Rd. Ocoee FL. 34761 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1101 Marshall Farms Rd. Ocoee FL. 34761 (407) 516-7221, October 21 st ,…
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is open but Disney isn’t finished updating Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios saw its highly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge open just over a month ago. The new land rounded out the final significant piece of a multi-year expansion of the television and film-based theme park. Just because the last of the park’s confirmed new lands is now open, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t…
Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott seek answers over ‘offensive’ museum art
Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are not in any way professional art critics, so it’s almost understandable that both of them are extremely mad about a piece of art hanging in a college campus museum thousands of miles away from their home state. This morning, the duo sent a letter to the Chairman…
Orlando state Rep. Bruce Antone introduces bill requiring dogs to stay outside at restaurants
Most four-legged patrons of pet-friendly restaurants would have to remain outside, under a bill proposed this week by state Rep. Bruce Antone, D-Orlando. His proposal, HB 243, filed for consideration during the 2020 legislative session, would prohibit household pets from “traveling through or remaining in indoor portions” of public food establishments “in order to protect…
Ugly Orange to bring local indie rock sounds to Rollins’ Cornell Fine Art Museum
Local indie promoters Ugly Orange are set to stage an eclectic evening of art-rock at Rollins College’s tony Cornell Fine Arts Museum next week. And the whole is free. The lineup – a mix of adventurous local sounds old and new – features Acoqui, Tidepools and Greyson Charnock (Someday River). So if you’ve been meaning to…
Orange County Brewers hosting grand re-opening at new Lake Mary location on Saturday
Orange County Brewers may have made better sense as the name of a full-service craft brewery when they were located in downtown Orlando, but no one will mind drinking their “Orange County” again this weekend in Seminole County. OCB will host their all-day grand re-opening in Lake Mary this Saturday, at 1117 International Parkway, from noon…
New bill would extend existing law beyond schools and construction sites, requiring drivers to put down phones everywhere
An author of a new law that toughened the state’s texting-while-driving ban wants to require motorists to go fully “hands-free” if they are using wireless phones. Rep. Emily Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, filed a bill Monday for the 2020 legislative session that would make it illegal for people to operate vehicles while “manually holding or otherwise…
Starting today, drivers can be pulled over for holding a cell phone near schools and construction areas
Starting today, Oct. 1, Florida motorists can be stopped for holding a wireless device in a designated school crossing, school zone or active work zone. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Highway Patrol are advising drivers they are looking to make early examples of lawbreakers. “Failing to pay attention…
Fairvilla gets ready for costume season with a Glitter & Gore party
Halloween is one season when Fairvilla really shines, particularly for those looking for a costume that’s more corporeal than phantasmic. This week, Fairvilla invites everyone over for sexy time. Enjoy complimentary cocktails while participating in games, raffles, a costume contest and more. Then you can wander the store and come up with your own ideas…
Orlando Public Library lets you get drunk in the library at their annual Booktoberfest
Normally, you have to pre-game pretty heavily if you want to enjoy the library with a nice buzz on … we, uh, hear. But OCLS’ annual Booktoberfest celebration lets you cut out the middleman and just get drunk right in the stacks. Fittingly, this year’s theme is The Wizard of Oz, as you’ll be over…
Florida prison officials request $90 million to address ‘exceptionally high turnover rates’
Two months after Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed 18-year-olds to work as correctional officers in an effort to alleviate worker shortages, prison officials continue to wrangle over how to fix “critically low” staffing levels at state facilities. Heading into the 2020 legislative session, Florida Department of Corrections officials are asking lawmakers for nearly $90 million to…
Carnival Cruise Line plans major Florida terminal upgrades, Cousteau partnership, private ports-of-call, and even drone shows
Carnival Cruise Line had a busy September, with a non-stop rollout of announcements regarding its future. Despite its push for more eco-friendly liquefied natural gas-powered ships and numerous environmental initiatives, the South Florida-based cruise company was hit a flurry of negative press earlier this year, when a U.S. District Judge published a 205-page report outlining…
New stroller and wheelchair rental policy at Walt Disney World has some mobility-impaired guests worried
With very little notice, Disney has changed a significant policy that is sure to affect thousands of guests. Beginning Oct. 1, guests will no longer be able to have third-party deliveries dropped off at their hotel bell service. Guest previously were able to have strollers, electric wheelchairs, and other mobility devices delivered to Front Desk…
I-4 Ultimate construction to pause after falling beam kills construction worker in downtown Orlando
Update, 7:30 p.m. | A 7 p.m. update from the Florida Department of Transportation says FDOT met with I-4 Ultimate contractor, SGL Constructors, “to discuss plans, protocols and safety measures.” Construction crews will return to their job sites and field offices Tuesday for assessment of safety plans, procedures, and job site safety, with crews returning to…
Popular ‘Brick-or-Treat’ Halloween event returns to LegoLand Florida
LegoLand Florida has announced the return of their annual Halloween event, Brick-or-Treat, which starts this Saturday and runs every weekend through October. Included with park admission, activities include a Halloween-themed trail, scavenger hunts, meet-and-greets with Halloween exclusive LEGO characters (Lord Vampyre, Rockin’ Frankenstein and more) and a “Tale of Pirates’ Cove Fireworks Spectacular,” which will…
Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association ‘deeply offended’ by Orlando attorney John Morgan’s ‘slave wages’ comparison
The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association president is “deeply offended” by comments made by Orlando attorney and political advocate John Morgan, who referred to the state’s minimum hourly pay rate as “slave wages.” Morgan made the comments at a Tiger Bay Club gathering in Tampa on Friday, where he noted the state’s $8.46 minimum wage requires people to…
Orlando rapper Skyxxx releases major label debut single on Warner Records
Local rapper Skyxxx has hit the big time with the release last week of his debut single and music video “Hotboy” on major label Warner Records. The Orlando-based MC has been on the grind since 2013 with “Bangk,” following time spent honing his craft battle-rapping and time with local collective Swamp Posse. His 2018 independent…
Nine county school boards are challenging Florida’s charter school ruling
Nine county school boards are going to the Florida Supreme Court in a battle about the constitutionality of a controversial 2017 law that sought to bolster charter schools. The school boards filed a notice Friday that is an initial step in asking the Supreme Court to take up the case. The move came after the…
After Florida reports first vaping-related death, Gov. DeSantis waiting to see if products are legit or bootleg
Florida reported its first vaping-related death last week, but Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking a wait-and-see approach about the possibility of banning vaping. During an appearance Thursday in Mexico Beach, DeSantis said the state continues to work with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on investigating mysterious vaping-associated pulmonary illnesses that public health…
Public invited to funeral for Florida veteran who died with no family
Naples veteran Edward K. Pearson passed away on Aug. 31 at 80 years old. But with no immediate family, there were no mourners expected at his funeral. Now, the public has been invited to attend. Former Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Graham took to Twitter Sunday and made her call to action, asking all Sarasota residents to attend.…
L.A. rockers Kolars prove their live dazzle is even brighter than their image at Will’s Pub
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Kolars, The Sh-Booms and Timothy Eerie, Will’s Pub, Sept. 28 Everyone who’s anyone in the I-4 Corridor knows that local garage-soul syndicate the Sh-Booms are having a banner year. And the fact that this local show was a packed-out happening with even grander stage production than their big album release show back…
After two decades and numerous awards, tonight is the final ‘IllumiNations’ show at Epcot
After two decades, one of Epcot’s most notable changes will take place over the next 36 hours. “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” will have its final performance this evening, and the new, temporary “Epcot Forever” show debuts Tuesday, Oct. 1. The current nighttime show opened as part of the park’s Millennium Celebration in 1999, but after the…
Band of the Week: Nø Handøuts
Welcome to Orlando Weekly’s “Band of the Week.” Every week, we highlight one of our favorite local bands. This week, we’re pleased to bring you Nø Handøuts. Nø Handøuts are playing Oct. 3 at Will’s Pub. Just the facts: When did the band form?Spring 2019. Who’s in the band?CC Buehler – Lead Vocals Natalia Soler…
Fall Arts Guide 2019
The definitive review of everything to see, do, hear, taste and touch this autumn
Nikki Fried calls on Florida’s Republican-dominated cabinet to ‘do our jobs’ and restore felons’ civil rights
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is getting impatient that Florida’s Republican-dominated clemency board isn’t using its power to restore the civil rights of felons who have been released from prison. Fried, the only Democrat on the panel, which includes DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, wants new rules so people who…
Tampa Bay news stations fall for hilariously fake shark fin
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission had to clarify that footage of a gigantic, and obviously fake, shark fin spotted off Tampa Bay beaches this week is indeed a stupid hoax. Earlier this week, local television station WFLA ran a story with the headline “Multiple sightings of ‘enormous’ shark made on Tampa Bay beaches,”…
Big changes are coming for Enzian’s FilmSlam, no matter who owns the brand
Update, Oct. 7, 4 p.m.: The final FilmSlam of the year was held Oct. 6. The Enzian said goodbye to FilmSlam host and programmer Jen Vargas while inviting attendees to return to Enzian next year for more slams. Janie Pope, Enzian’s director of development and public relations, also revealed a new logo. The Enzian event…
Downtown Orlando office building to receive major overhaul, new offices and stores
Developers have announced a new project that will transform the corner of Jefferson St. and Orange Ave. in downtown Orlando. Previously called the Cornerstone Building, the 140,991 square-foot, four-story office building at 150 N. Orange Avenue will be called Fulcrum, according to developers Third & Urban. The AECOM building will feature open office spaces with shared tenant spaces and street-level…
Shelter for migrant children will no longer open in Orlando
The Trump Administration says that Central Florida will not be the site of a planned shelter for unaccompanied children. According to a letter from Rep. Val Demings, the Department of Health and Human Services no longer has plans to open a housing facility for 500 unaccompanied children at a property that is currently a Travelodge…
The Doggfather himself, Snoop Dogg, announces Orlando show in December
West Coast rap godfather Snoop Dogg has announced a North American tour in December to close out the year. And his amazingly-titled “I Wanna Thank Me” tour is ending in Orlando (also the only Florida date as of this writing)! Snoop released 20th album I Wanna Thank Me in August, so expect to hear a…
Eager to reach elderly voters, an embattled Trump visits The Villages next week
After postponing a visit to Florida’s largest retirement community last August, President Donald Trump will now make his first official visit to The Villages next week. The president is expected to visit the community’s Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center on Oct. 3 at 1:30 p.m. Exact details of the visit have not been released,…
Forget impeachment. President Trump needs to resign.
In 1998, after Bill Clinton got a blowjob and lied about it, more than a hundred of the country’s newspapers demanded his resignation. What Clinton did shouldn’t be trivialized. It wasn’t just about sex; it was about the most powerful man in the world exploiting his position over a young intern, and about a president…
New pop megastar Billie Eilish to play Orlando in March 2020
Global pop star and hitmaker Billie Eilish has just announced the dates for her 2020 “Where Do We Go?” tour, and one place she is certainly going is the City Beautiful for a date at the Amway Center in March! Eilish will be touring North America promoting hit album When We All Fall Asleep, Where…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is fundraising to ‘protect’ Trump from impeachment
Gov. Ron DeSantis, on behalf of the Republican Party of Florida, is raising money to back President Donald Trump amid an impeachment inquiry and allegations of trying to pressure Ukraine’s leader to help in the 2020 election. “As governor of Florida, I want the President to know that we have his back in this fight…
Park Avenue to close during October’s annual Winter Park Autumn Art Festival
Park Ave. in Winter Park is just one of three roads that will partially close to accommodate traffic during the Winter Park Autumn Art Festival. Road closures will run from early morning Saturday, Oct. 12, at 3 a.m. through Sunday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m. Park Avenue will be closed between Lyman Ave. and Canton…
To protect Florida’s water, Blue-Green Algae Task Force recommends regulating septic tanks
Members of Florida’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force met Wednesday and agreed that lax oversight of septic tanks is contributing to the state’s unprecedented algae blooms. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection should be teamed with health officials who permit septic tanks, as the state tries to ensure cleaner waterways, the task force says. Expanding oversight…
You can soon be pulled over for holding a phone while driving, plus more Florida laws about to go into effect
Measures to protect police dogs and horses and crack down on hazing and child-like sex dolls are among new laws ready to take effect next week. Also, the state’s ban on texting while driving will expand to prohibit motorists from using handheld wireless devices while driving in designated school crossings, school zones and work zones.…
Florida teacher investigated for quiz referring to Trump as an ‘idiot’
A Florida teacher is now being investigated for giving his students a quiz that referred to President Donald “a very stable genius” Trump as an “idiot.” According to WPTV, the incident occurred at Watson B. Duncan Middle School in Palm Beach Gardens when an unnamed parent reported this multiple choice quiz question to the principal:…
Disney announces new presidents for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Orlando
Ahead of a new Disney CEO expected to replace Bob Iger in December 2021, the Disney corporation announced major theme parks Walt Disney World and Disneyland are each getting new leadership. Rebecca Campbell will become the new president of Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, and Josh D’Amaro will become the new president of Walt Disney World Resort…
The Modern Music Movement’s Opaque series colors Mills 50 with song and spoken word
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Opaque ft. Wheeler Newman, Grumpy’s Underground, Sept. 25 The Modern Music Movement – the Orlando promoter behind events like the Nashville South shows among others – has recently launched a new regular series called Opaque on Wednesdays at intimate Mills Ave. spot Grumpy’s Underground Eatery & Lounge. What distinguishes this one from…
Get tricked and treated at a “choose your own adventure magic show” at the Starlite Room in Ivanhoe Village
In a very last-minute booking, Michael Wanzie let us know he will present Keith Brown: Art of Astonishment in the Starlite Room at the Savoy this weekend. Brown calls his work a “choose your own adventure” magic show, as audience members are allowed to determine the tricks he performs at each show. After his 2016 run…
Jaden Smith announces second Orlando appearance on Friday, after Tyler the Creator show
Pop royalty Jaden Smith is going to have a busy night in Orlando this Friday. Not only is he a special guest on Tyler, the Creator’s “Igor” tour stop at Addition Financial Arena near UCF, but just last night he announced a second appearance later in the evening, at the official “Igor” afterparty at downtown…
Gasparilla Music Festival early bird tickets go on sale today so you’d better act fast
We’ve said it before (and the Creative Loafing Tampa faithful confirmed in this year’s Best of the Bay readers poll), but Gasparilla Music Festival’s early bird ticket is one of the best values in town. Sure, the lineup has yet to be announced for the 2020 fest, but past festival posters prove that there’s literally…
Florida Senate authority calls for ‘coward of Broward’ county sheriff to be reinstated
Delivering a stunning blow to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a special master has recommended the Florida Senate reinstate suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, after finding the governor failed to prove allegations of neglect of duty and incompetence that sparked the law enforcement official’s suspension. After the recommendation, Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, called a special…
Florida lawmakers will again weigh teacher salaries and bonuses
Gov. Ron DeSantis has been tight-lipped about the details of his teacher-compensation plan for the upcoming legislative session, but this week he suggested doing away with a controversial bonus program. Yet a number of Republican lawmakers and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran say they want to keep bonuses in teacher-pay discussions during the 2020 session. “Bonuses…
Downtown Arts District’s annual La Maschera fundraiser goes royal at the Abbey
The Downtown Arts District’s annual fundraising party, La Maschera, gets the royal treatment this year. The party features live music and dancing, a silent auction, and the requisite food, beer and wine. Dress up like royalty to enter the costume contest, or just marvel at the sumptuous decor. 7-11 p.m. Friday; The Abbey, 100 S.…
Icon Park gives you the chance to sample world cuisine at the International Food & Drink Festival
Not to be confused with Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, which is surely only coincidentally in the middle of its annual run, Icon Park’s International Food & Drink Festival is a one-day affair. Enjoy live entertainment, music, and food and drink from around the world at this outdoor fest. Free admission and parking give…
Kolars and the Sh-Booms throw a party at Will’s Pub this weekend
Formerly known as He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, Kolars are a duo that offer up an irreverent take on glam and rockabilly. Their live show is anchored by the band’s compulsively watchable drummer, Lauren Brown, whose kit allows her to tap dance on a bass drum while playing everything else standing up, merging dance…
Gods & Monsters’ Vault 5421 throws a Joker tribute party ahead of the new movie
Todd Phillips’ Joker comes out next week, which means we’re going to get a fresh crop of cringey memes about “society” featuring images of Joaquin Phoenix’s take on the classic Batman villain. Before all that happens, though, Vault 5421 is throwing a party honoring the Clown Prince of Crime. Dress up as your favorite complaint…
D.C. rapper Wale brings new material to Celine
Rapper Wale wants to reassure his fans that “Everything Is Fine” during his autumn comeback tour of the same name, a tour that fortuitously happens to be kicking off in Florida. Things have been a little quiet for the D.C. MC of late, but new summertime singles “On Chill” and “BGM” – short for “Black…
Irreverant industrial mainstay Pig makes a rare stop in Orlando at Soundbar
Of all of the standouts from the golden age of industrial, few were as willing to indulge in absurdist excess as much as Raymond Watts’ Pig project. Watts was an early member of KMFDM, penning their breakout 1995 single, “Juke Joint Jezebel.” But his string of albums under the Pig moniker eschewed catchy gospel choruses…
Metrowest’s Central Florida Soul Food Festival offers up plenty of Southern cooking
Feed your soul and savor both comfort food and live entertainment at the two-day festival for foodies who love Southern cuisine. Indulge on greens, beans, potatoes, chicken, fish and so much more – with more than 15 food trucks and vendors offering up their down-home recipes, there’s bound to be something for every palate. There’s…
Enzian partners Grizzly Man with a talk on wild animal behavior this weekend
Humans have a bad habit of anthropomorphizing everything. We see faces in everything from power outlets to automobile grilles, and we often make funny voices to narrate what we think our pets are thinking. But that tendency can be dangerous, especially when it comes to wild animals. Bill McShea, a wildlife ecologist with the Smithsonian…
Casselberry’s Latin Jazz and Art Festival welcomes Tito Puente Jr.
Award-winning musicians Rico Monaco and Tito Puente Jr. are set to perform at the Latin Jazz and Art Festival in Casselberry. The artists recently collaborated on a song, “Hey Tito,” a tribute to the late, great Latin artist and father of Puente Jr., Tito Puente. An exhibition featuring Florida’s most renowned Latin artists titled El…
Dane Cook attempts to stage a comeback at the Dr. Phillips Center
One of comedy’s most prolific stand-ups continues his return to the stage with the nationwide “Tell It Like It Is” tour, his sixth since storming onto the comedy scene in the early 2000s. The polarizing comedian pioneered the use of social media in building his audience, most notably gaining fans using the once-popular networking site…
No lie: Tyler, the Creator brings ‘Igor’ tour to University of Central Florida this week
Young hip-hop firebrand and boundary-pusher Tyler, the Creator is set to wow UCF students and Orlando hip-hop heads at the Addition Arena as part of a tour supporting new album Igor. The new record is a sonically adventurous breakup chronicle that is pushing Tyler to greater and more dramatic performance heights – Paper magazine recently…
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony reunion tour hits Hard Rock Live this week
Nineties survivors and rap-meets-R&B vocal group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony want you to meet them not at the crossroads (or the sky, as it were) but at the Hard Rock Live. The group, best known for 1990s hit singles like “The Crossroads” and “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” blew minds in their time with a potent cross of gangsta…
Advocates recommend ways Florida can improve services for people with disabilities
With time running out before state officials offer changes to a Medicaid program that serves people with disabilities, an advocacy group has proposed ways to make the program better, including steering clear of for-profit managed care plans. In a new report, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council recommends that lawmakers provide a big enough boost in…
Telluride and other festivals shape Orlando’s autumn film schedule
For 140 years, the tiny Colorado town of Telluride has been shaping the future. Starting in the 1870s, it did so in gold, silver and copper. And in 1974, after the minerals were exhausted, the city turned to celluloid. But the Telluride Film Festival, which I attended over Labor Day weekend, is not alone in…
Anna Kendrick plays an FBI agent in ‘The Day Shall Come,’ Renee Zellweger plays Judy Garland, and more on screens in Orlando
Opening this week: This is the weekend The Hunt was supposed to open, but boy, doesn’t that seem like a distant memory now? Seven weeks after the movie industry collectively agreed it should become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Oval Office, we’re left with whatever releases Cheeto Hitler allows (or, more likely, whichever ones Sean…
The 1989 Film Festival, Classics at the Ritz, a Movie Under the Stars, and more cinema events in Orlando this week
1989 Film Festival: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Rick Moranis stars as a struggling inventor who accidentally reduces his children to microscopic proportions. Monday, 11 am; Orlando Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd.; free; 407-835-7323; ocls.info. Amazing Grace Free screening of a 1972 Aretha Franklin concert filmed in a church. Sunday, 2 pm; Winter Park…
Deep Purple, Thou, BoscoMujo, and more great live music in Orlando this week
John Vanderslice Celebrated singer-songwriter (with a bite) Vanderslice holds court at a home in the City Beautiful as part of his living-room tour. The definition of intimate. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, at private residence, $20 Deep Purple British heavy-rock legends Purple say their “Long Goodbye” to Orlando this week. Ian Gillan and Steve Morse are…
Comparing Orlando’s Universal Halloween Horror Nights to Hollywood’s is like comparing Major League baseball to a AAA farm team
I’ve been faithfully attending Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando since 1996, watching the event grow from an off-season afterthought to America’s premier theme park haunt. This year’s 1980s-inspired edition is not only the last before creative mastermind Mike Aiello moves up to oversee entertainment at the upcoming Epic Universe expansion, but also among the…
State hires workers to combat hepatitis A emergency, the most obese metro area in Florida, and other news you may have missed
Florida seeking new SunPass contractor after Conduent loses $50 million: Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is seeking to replace its back-office structure, after criticism for more than a year about a troubled project to upgrade the SunPass collection system. The Department of Transportation last week announced it’s looking for vendors with experience in processing complex transactions and…
Take heed, kebab lovers, now there’s great Turkish fare in Orlando 24 hours a day
I do enjoy some good people-watching, and the multiculti mix of patrons energizing the enticing patio of Café 34 Istanbul – Orlando’s first 24-hour Turkish restaurant – adds just as much sizzle to this sultry space as the platters of grilled kebabs. Seeing the buxom sashay past the burqa’d while kiddos gawk at the hairdos…
Savage Love: Crossed Off
I’m a 35-year-old bisexual man in a LTR with a man. My question, however, has to do with my parents. As an adolescent/teen, I was a snoop (as I think most of us are, looking for dad’s porn stash, etc.). I was probably 12 or so when I found evidence of my dad being a…
Meet Skye! She knows basic commands, loves yummy treats, and is free to adopt in Orange County
Meet Skye! Skye (A434641) is 7 years old and she is a part of our senior promotion, which means she is free to adopt! Skye knows basic commands, and is more motivated to perform these duties with the promise of yummy treats, which she will take gently from your hands. This sweet girl is truly…
Chi-Kin to moves into former Noodles & Rice space, Loading Zone Philly Steaks to open downtown, and more Orlando foodie news
OPENINGS: Qreate Coffee + Studio, a shared workspace serving crafty and creative coffee and tea concoctions, has soft-opened in Mills 50 behind the now-shuttered 7-Eleven on Woodward Street next to Ming’s Bistro … Nearby, Chi-Kin, a Korean fried chicken concept by the folks behind King Bao and Poke Hana, will open in the former home…
All-star collective Snarky Puppy bring fusion to Orlando and into the future
The future of fusion is here, and it’s the improbably named Snarky Puppy. More a loose collective of musicians at the top of their respective games than a band, “the Fam” have been delivering the goods for some time now, picking up Grammys and critical kudos, and even curating their own Ground Up music festival.…
