Cover Stories
Orlando Spring Guide 2022: Festivals
Every year our Summer Guide gets the lion’s share of our outdoorsy recommendations, but the truth is, spring is the best season to get outside. Whether it’s strolling around an art fair while getting to show off a cool-weather fit or taking a walk without being covered in sweat, spring temperatures make everything easier. Here’s…
Orlando Spring Guide 2022: Fresh Air
Every year our Summer Guide gets the lion’s share of our outdoorsy picks and recommendations, but the truth is, spring is the best season to get outside. If you’re ready to take a walk through our gorgeous nature preserves without being eaten by insects and slathered in sweat, here’s a list of our favorite hikes.…
SeaWorld gets rejected by Cedar Fair, but the future of the chain still seems bright
After a two-year delay, SeaWorld is now welcoming riders on its two highly anticipated new Florida roller coasters. Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa rises from the remains of the former racing wooden coaster, Gwazi. At SeaWorld Orlando, the bright orange tracked Ice Breaker now brings a new level of excitement to a previously quiet…
Orlando chefs, bakers and restaurateurs named James Beard Award semifinalists
The past two years have been tumultuous ones for the James Beard Foundation, specifically its awards program. For one, they were canceled in 2020 and 2021, in part because of the pandemic, but more so out of a need to overhaul the program after several internal rebukes and a New York Times report that revealed…
Legal Public Notices 2/23/22 issue
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,…
Funk Fest Orlando promises Mary J Blige and No Limit Soldiers at the Fairgrounds this summer
Orlando Funk Fest will return to Orlando’s Central Florida Fairgrounds for the first time in a couple of years with a stacked lineup of R&B and rap hitmakers. Confirmed to perform so far are Mary J. Blige, Jazmine Sullivan, Carl Thomas, Raheem DeVaughn, and a No Limit Reunion promising that Master P, Mystikal, Silk the…
Discotheque moves from Barbarella to Elixir in March with guest DJ Eli Escobar on the decks
When we interviewed Discothèque organizer Nick Whitney about his Discothèque club night’s homebase of Barbarella moving imminently, Whitney was reflective but confident that he would find a new home in short order. That wasn’t idle talk, as this week brings the announcement of the first post-Barbarella Discothèque at downtown nightclub Elixir next month. In keeping with the night’s…
Hard Mountain Dew is available in Florida, starting today
The state that arguably most deserves an alcoholic version of Mountain Dew more than anywhere else on the planet, will thankfully be one of the first to taste it. Today, parent company PepsiCo announced that its latest concoction, Hard MTN Dew, is now available in Florida, Tennessee and Iowa. The new 100-calorie spiked seltzer contains…
K. Michelle, Jacquees to play Soul Fest in March after two-year hiatus
Appreciate the gift of soul with K Michelle and Jacquees at the Central Florida Soul Fest on March 26. After a two-year wait, Soul Fest will take over the Central Florida Fairgrounds with a lineup that features classic artists like Frankie Beverly and Maze and fresher faces like CeCe Teneal. Former 106 & Park host…
Garth Brooks to play intimate concert at Camping World Stadium the night before his Orlando show
Garth Brooks is giving 250 thrifty fans the chance to see him perform up close the night before his massive show at Camping World Stadium on March 26. The “High Friends in Low Places” giveaway will randomly select concertgoers with tickets in the stadium’s upper bowl to watch the concert’s soundcheck from in front of…
Big Time Rush plays UCF’s Addition Financial Arena in July
It’s been years since Big Time Rush graced a stage, but fans of the Nickelodeon boy band have been thinking about them worldwide since they announced two reunion shows last year. That promise got quite a bit bigger this week, as BTR announced its summer Forever Tour with 41 dates across the U.S., including Orlando. The…
Orlando photographer John Deeb exhibits large-scale work outdoors at Winter Park Tennis Center on Friday
Orlando photographer John Deeb debuts an exhibition of newer work this week, not at a local gallery or museum, but in the great outdoors of Winter Park. This pop-up exhibition will be hosted by the Winter Park Tennis Center, consisting of 55 photo prints, most measuring in at around 8 feet high. Deeb has shot…
Orlando indie duo Sales announce North American tour kicking off in September at the Abbey
Orlando indie duo Sales have been a little quiet of late, but now the floodgates are open with an announcement of online sales (ahem) going live for a lengthy fall North American tour that kicks off in their home city. The duo of Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih made the tour reveal in a low-key Twitter post…
Chris Rock plays Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center this summer on ‘Ego Death’ tour
Megastar comedian Chris Rock is heading out on his first tour in five years. And Orlando is one of two Florida cities lucky enough to land a date. Rock’s “Ego Death” tour will bring him to the Dr. Phillips Center on July 27. His only other dates in Florida are a two-night stand in Hollywood…
Nashville’s Soccer Mommy rolls into Orlando in March as part of rescheduled North American dates
Nashville indie-pop artist Soccer Mommy is getting in the van this spring, not to drop the kids off at the practice field, but to finally tour her newest album. And Orlando is one of the stops on this circuit. Sophie Allison’s Soccer Mommy project released the highly touted Color Theory album in 2020, earning her…
Paddleboarders pass near massive hammerhead shark in drone video off Florida beach
Flying over the beach is never a good idea if you’re uncomfortable about the presence of sharks in the ocean. That’s where they all are, and the vantage offered by a birds-eye-view of your average Florida beach will reveal that in short order. Take, for example, this recently shot drone video that shows a massive,…
Florida Senate prepares to hear 15-week abortion ban proposal
After the House passed the measure last week, a bill that would prevent abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy is poised to go to the full Senate. The Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday voted 13-6 to approve the bill (HB 5), which is similar to a Mississippi law that is being reviewed by the U.S.…
Joe Biden promised he’d ramp up COVID-19 test production. So, where are the tests?
This story originally appeared at ProPublica. When President Joe Biden was campaigning for office, he said that to beat the coronavirus, the U.S. needed the testing equivalent of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s War Production Board. That board had sweeping powers to shift the country’s economy to support the war effort, and it ultimately oversaw a…
Osceola County Fair forced to close early after weekend brawl at student night
“ MUST WATCH FIGHT !!“ OSCEOLA COUNTY FAIR RIOT pic.twitter.com/VB40rXbvz0 — YUNG $KUM (@josephmcavey) February 19, 2022 On Friday night, the Osceola County Fair closed early following a brawl near the gates of the fairgrounds. Video from the fair shows crowds running from an unruly scene as police try to separate several young people. It…
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Helicopter crashes into ocean near swimmers at Florida beach [VIDEO]
This afternoon at 1:10 p.m., MBPD received a call of a helicopter crash in the ocean near 10 Street. Police and @MiamiBeachFire responded to the scene along with several partner agencies. Two occupants have been transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/heSIqnQtle — Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) February 19, 2022 Miami Beach…
Orlando Museum of Art pulls out of planned downtown expansion
The Orlando Museum of Art has called off their plans to expand into a downtown luxury apartment tower. OMA announced the planned expansion last year, with breathtaking renderings of a downtown campus inside a 33-story tower. While officials with the museum are being quiet with the details, they have shared that this campus plan has…
Residents of several Florida apartment buildings find voter registrations switched to Republican Party using questionable signatures
Signatures of some voters in apartment buildings and high-rise towers in South Florida whose registration was changed to Republican appeared noticeably different than on paperwork those same voters signed earlier, according to a new review of voting records. The signature comparisons, performed this week in Miami as journalists from the University of Florida College of…
Orlando City SC shares first look at new sunshine-inspired uniforms
Orlando City SC is in the midst of its second or third sea change. The MLS team was recently acquired by the similarly purple-prone Wilf family after nine years with Flávio Augusto da Silva in the executive suite. The Wilfs are taking the opportunity to refresh the franchise with the first major shift away from the…
Carnival parades through downtown Orlando for a 35th year this Memorial Day weekend
After following Covid protocols and staying at home for two years, the Orlando Carnival Downtown festival is ready to make its comeback. The three-day fest will take place on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29, offering a chance to embrace Caribbean culture through art, music and food. Outside the musical performances and markets, guests can try…
Anime Festival Orlando returns to the Wyndham Orlando Resort in June
Heads up, otakus. Florida’s favorite anime convention is making its way back to Orlando. The Anime Festival Orlando will take place June 24-26 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort. Anime enthusiasts can celebrate Japanese pop culture and animation while showing off their costumes and meeting some of their favorite creators. This year’s festival will have special…
Florida pest control agency shares skin-crawling photos of 1 million dead mosquitos
Absolutely no one asked for it, but the Lee County Mosquito Control District (LCMCD) wants everyone to know that they currently have 1 million mosquitos corpses on hand. The pest-control agency recently shared photos showing the results from a two-year pest-control project in Lee County. One of the images was a literal bucket filled with…
Paul McCartney announces Orlando stadium show as part of 2022 ‘Got Back’ tour
No maybe about it, we’re amazed to hear that Paul McCartney on Friday announced an Orlando {faints} stadium show as part of his upcoming “Got Back Tour” of U.S. stadiums this spring. The former Beatle and Wings-man will, improbably, headline Camping World Stadium as part of a 13-city North American jaunt that kicks off in late…
1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones speaks in Tampa Bay in March
Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer-prize winning creator of The 1619 Project, will speak in March St. Petersburg at a gala fundraiser for the Woodson Warriors Scholarships Fund, hosted by the Woodson African American Museum of Florida. The scholarship’s mission is to assist African American students attain higher education. Additional funds will also be raised through sales of…
Orlando Museum of Art fires back at claims they are showing fake Basquiat paintings
Orlando Museum of Art’s most-recent exhibit is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The “Heroes & Monsters” exhibit showcasing 25 never-before-seen paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat became the subject of national news when questions arose about the legitimacy of the works. A report in the New York Times questioned, in particular, a piece painted on…
Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill heads to full hearing in House
A controversial House bill that would restrict school instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation advanced with changes Thursday, as critics slammed the measure as being overly broad and discriminatory. The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-7 along party lines to approve the proposal (HB 1557), putting the bill in position to be considered by the…
Let’s hope UCF students attempting to set omelet-flipping world record won’t crack under pressure
There’s one rule when setting an egg-flipping record: You can’t crack under pressure. Not that there’s much pressure on at the omelet flip contest at the University of Central Florida. Flippers will be looking to set a world record on Feb. 23 for the highest egg flip. That record currently does not exist. Zero Egg,…
Vegan restaurant Plantees will take over former laundry space next to Will’s Pub in Mills 50
A new vegan restaurant concept, Plantees, is on track to open in a very familiar former Mills 50 nightlife space in the near future. Plantees, a brand new “100% plant-based” burgers and shakes emporium, is taking over a revamped version of the old “Dirty Laundry” space (1030 N. Mills Ave.) adjoining Will’s Pub on Mills…
Record number of homes in Orlando’s Black neighborhoods bought by investors in 2021, according to report
Last year, outside investors gobbled up houses in metropolitan areas across the country at an alarming rate, an analysis by The Washington Post found — and appeared to target Black-majority neighborhoods. In fact, Orlando was one of the top 10 cities where investors bought the highest shares of homes, according to data from the real…
Fandom fest MegaCon returns to Orlando in May
Orlando-based fandom explosion MegaCon returns to the Orange County Convention Center this spring with a second crack at getting some hobbits into the City Beautiful. The venerable (not just a) comics convention takes over the Convention Center on May 19-22 for four days worth of comics, toys, local artisans, panels, celebrity meet-and-greets and veritable armies…
Judge blocks further releases of Bob Saget death records under Dale Earnhardt-inspired law
A Florida judge temporarily blocked further records of Bob Saget’s death from being released, citing a law passed in the wake of the death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt. Saget died last month at the age of 65 in the Ritz-Carltion hotel in Orlando. The comedian was in the midst of a tour of Florida.…
Florida House passes 15-week abortion ban
Florida House members early Thursday morning passed a bill that would prohibit doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, one of the most hotly debated issues of the 2022 legislative session. The Republican-dominated House approved the measure (HB 5) in a 78-39 vote along almost straight party lines after nearly six hours of…
Publix no longer requires fully vaccinated employees to wear masks
Fully vaccinated Publix employees will no longer be required to mask up while on the job, according to a recently updated FAQ section on their website. The grocery store chain announced that all vaxxed employees, unless otherwise required by their job’s duties or local ordinances, would not have to wear face coverings at work. “As…
Sports Illustrated plans to open their own resort in Orlando
In 2024, Orlando will be the home of the second-ever Sports Illustrated Resort. The first resort is opening up later this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The inaugural resort will offer watersports, horseback riding, golf, sportfishing, hiking, and more. Concept art for the new SI Resort in Orlando shows that the planned resort will…
Op-ed: ‘Defending gender-affirming doctors is our moral imperative’
2021 was the deadliest year on record for transgender Americans. As of December, The Advocate has documented that 50 members of this population have died by violence, surpassing 2020’s record of 44. Today trans people are not only victims of hate-crimes but they are also routinely attacked by elected leaders. More anti-trans bills were passed…
Bob Saget’s family sues Orange County officials to prevent release of death investigation records
The family of late comedian Bob Saget is suing Orange County officials to stop the release of Saget’s death records. The family filed a suit against Sheriff John Mina and the county medical examiner’s office to halt further releases related to their investigation of Saget’s death. The comic passed away in an Orlando Ritz-Cartlton hotel…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis does an about-face on bill punishing school districts over mask mandates
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday appeared to do an about-face on his initial opposition to a House plan that would shift $200 million away from school districts that required students to wear masks last year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is part of a proposed $105 billion state budget that the House is poised…
Orlando Museum of Art’s ‘Heroes and Monsters’ reveals unshown works by modern master Jean-Michel Basquiat
Once upon a time in Hollywood
Orlando concert picks, Feb. 17-23: Supersuckers, E-Turn and Swamburger, Pine Hill Haints, Deke Dickerson & Bloodshot Bill
If you go out, be safe. If you’d rather not, there’s a great, absolutely risk-free broadcast option in here for you. Melrose in the Mix: E-Turn and Swamburger: There is no live experience in the city like the Melrose in the Mix series at downtown’s Orlando Public Library. Unfortunately, COVID has hamstrung these performances as…
Orlando MC Snotnoze Saleem drops new mixtape; Florida Slang release another fresh-faced, folk-laced LP
New doesn’t necessarily mean fresh. Orlando’s Snotnoze Saleem, however, is both. Although he started out as a producer under the name Hyperlink, he’s only recently emerged as a rapper. And it’s a move he’s rather candid about. “I started off just as a producer making beat tapes,” says the accidental MC. “But it turns out…
Adoptable senior cat Hope is a tiny, beautiful golden-gray cloud
Meet Hope! Senior cat Hope (A487163) is 15 years old. Hope is a tiny, beautiful golden-gray cloud: a dilute tiger tortie, just 8 pounds. As you may know, senior cats tend to be overlooked for kittens all the time. Sadly, people have been walking by not acknowledging her. Hope was surrendered to us by her…
Ye’s new Netflix documentary posits he’s a ‘jeen-yus,’ not a psy-cho
Streaming premieres you won’t want to miss. Premieres Wednesday: Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy — Let’s start off the week with some good old-fashioned cray-cray. Straight from Sundance comes a three-part documentary that’s out to show how dear old Ye became a worldwide phenomenon. And not, you know, a dane-jeer-us psychotic. (Netflix) Secrets of Summer —…
Orlando-born Broadway star Davis Gaines celebrates live theater’s return in Orlando Shakes’ ‘The Fantasticks’
Amid the star-studded lineup of international artists who celebrated January’s opening of Steinmetz Hall, perhaps the most emotionally and acoustically satisfying production was Broadway maven Michael Feinstein’s concert featuring a trio of hometown heroes. Joining Jimmy Award-winning ingenue Sofia Victoria Deler and his fellow Edgewater High School alumnus Norm Lewis was Davis Gaines, delivering a…
Chick’nCone to open on Winter Park’s ‘Chicken Strip,’ Bruno Bagel is no more, and more Orlando food news
OPENINGS + CLOSINGS: As part of the multimillion-dollar renovation of Winter Park Village (already underway), Ruth’s Chris Steak House will move from its current location to the space that once housed Pier 1 Imports. The move is expected at the end of September … Across the street, Chick’nCone, the global chain specializing in handheld waffles…
