There’s no question that films have the power to influence public opinion. Just ask SeaWorld. The aquatic zoo and theme park is still facing backlash from Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s 2013 documentary Blackfish, which raised serious questions about the well-being of captive orcas and their trainers. Despite protests of bias by SeaWorld supporters, the park has since…
New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest days of the year at Walt Disney World, and the resort is constantly finding ways to ensure guests return. This year will see a number of brand-new events to compliment the usual in-park offerings. For the first time in years, guests will be able to ring in…
Can’t get your kid to sleep? Let the Disney stars give it a go. With the timer ticking down toward launch of the Disney+ streaming service, which is expected to start in November, and the release of a new trailer for Frozen 2, there’s a lot for Disney devotees to be hyped up about. Young…
Fancy yourself a super sleuth? Then grab your thinking cap because this is one event that you won’t want to miss. Described as a “Cluedo-style, crime-solving adventure game,” this city-wide whodunit transports players to 1960s London to solve the double murder of the world-famous Kray twins. Held on Nov. 2 and played via a self-guided…
The Orlando Story Club quarterly event, put on by the Downtown Arts District, will be themed “Spooked!” on Wednesday. Once again, ten stories will be told, but no one yet knows who will tell them. Hosted by Orlandoans Danielle Ziss and Bobby Wesley, Orlando Story Club gives patrons the chance to tell a personal story, if…
The Pauses have just announced the details for the final installment of their themed love letters to each year of the halcyon 1990s, and with the promise of a Blair Witch Project-themed photobooth, and DJs Smilin’ Dan and our own Jason Ferguson spinning the historically accurate hits all night, the “1999” party just might be…
The infamous Hobo Johnson is heading out on tour with his Lovemakers in October to hype new, mordantly-titled album The Fall of Hobo Johnson (out last week) and his only show in Florida is right here in the City Beautiful. The viral-video-star-turned-major-label-artist (The Fall is released through Reprise Records) is reportedly also workshopping a rock opera about…
Despite Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge recently opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the demand for the two-year-old Avatar-themed Pandora land at Animal Kingdom has yet to dissipate. A new nighttime show, Rivers of Lights, at the animal-focused theme park was designed to draw people away from Pandora and to the opposite end of the park, but…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage – Store 1631, 5753 Hoffner Ave, Orlando, FL 32822. Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 5753 Hoffner Ave Orlando, FL 32822, 407-212-5890 on October 15, 2019 @ 11:30…
This week brings a Bahamas relief benefit concert to Will’s Pub headlined by rootsy locals Bob Green and the Whiskey Conspiracy. All proceeds from the show go to Hope Town Fire and Rescue, to aid in their efforts towards “relief, cleanup and rebuilding of Hope Town and Elbow Cay.” The lineup includes: Bob Green & the…
Florida is finally getting the restaurant it deserves — Rex Baron. Although it won’t be stationed in Orlando, it’s located just a day trip away, at the Town Center in Boca Raton, at 6000 Glades Road. The 8,200-square-foot concept is the world’s second “Vigilante Post” dreamed up by the Rex Gryphon Restaurant Group. The experiential…
Vegans and vegetarians are about to become the happiest people on Earth, at the “Happiest Place on Earth,” because Disney is adding many more plant-based options to their theme park and resort menus. Quick-service locations at Walt Disney World Resort will be the first to offer some of the 400-plus new options, starting on Oct.…
Ready for a harsh reality? Old people are having sex. With a rise in STDs nationwide, Florida is seeing some of the highest numbers of syphilis infections thanks, in part, to the greatest generation. According to a CDC report in 2018, men aged 65 years or older saw a 16.7% increase in syphilis diagnosis. This…
It should now be painfully obvious that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — a granola-brained man who once fawningly compared President Trump to a Game of Thrones character that committed genocide — doesn’t think soliciting a foreign government to interfere with an upcoming election is an impeachable offense. The Republican senator was questioned Monday by reporters,…
Kenny Chesney, Country’s puka shell-wearing Kenny, will bring his new “‘Chillaxification” tour to Tampa next year. Part of a 20-stop North America stadium tour, the Ches’ only Florida date will be at Raymond James Stadium May 9, and will include acts like Florida Georgia Line, Old Dominion and Michael Franti & Spearhead. Tickets go on…
New York rapper and underground royalty Homeboy Sandman has announced a select few North America shows in November, and Orlando will be the only spot to see him in Florida. Sandman will be touring behind new album Dusty, and one of his collaborators from the album, Detroit heavyweight Quelle Chris, is coming along for the tour.…
Like breathing and eating, sleeping is a necessary function for basic human survival, but that hasn’t stopped the City of Ocala from criminalizing people with literally nowhere to lay down. Last week, homeless advocate groups including the Southern Legal Counsel, attorney Andy Pozzuto, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a lawsuit in…
With last July on record as the hottest month in Central Florida ever, and Florida likely to feel the effects sooner, Orlando is a fitting host to the second-annual Climate Correction conference. The one-day expo will open to the public on Thursday, Oct. 3 and will feature panels with researchers and speakers who will discuss…
The Florida Supreme Court has scheduled February arguments for proposed constitutional amendments that would ban assault weapons and legalize recreational marijuana. The court set a Feb. 4 date for arguments for each of the ballot initiatives. The court has limited authority over proposed constitutional amendments; its power is restricted to deciding whether the measures fairly…
State regulators next week will take up proposed rules that could help set the stage for an expansion of underground power lines in hurricane-weary Florida. Such an expansion received widespread support from lawmakers during the spring legislative session, but the Florida Public Service Commission is responsible for carrying out details of a new “storm protection”…
The sun has set on another local brewery. In a sign that Orlando may have reached market saturation, Ocean Sun Brewing announced that their very last Primrose Porters and Bumby Blonde Ales would be poured Saturday, Sept. 28. Ocean Sun’s closing comes on the heels of Red Cypress Brewery’s closure in Winter Springs this past…
CupcakKe, the celebrated 22-year-old rapper who has delighted fans of all ages with her unique brand of over-the-top sexuality, claimed she is retiring from the business – just hours before she was scheduled to perform at the Social in Orlando. The rapper had just played in Columbia, South Carolina, the fifth stop of her 23-city tour,…
As of last Wednesday, the usual cloud of smoke inside the Hideaway Bar has disappeared for good. The Miami Dolphins-loving, Andrew Spear artwork-covered dive bar – famed for its cheeseburgers and single pool table – no longer allows smoking or vaping inside or on the front patio overlooking Virginia Avenue. “We really cleaned up and…
Update, Monday 9 p.m. | CNN and other national news outlets are reporting the school resource officer who arrested the children has been fired by the Orlando Police Department. At a Monday afternoon press conference, State Attorney Aramis Ayala announced she is declining to prosecute two young children, ages 6 and 8, following their arrests…
After her dog got into a camel’s pen at a Louisiana truck stop petting zoo, a Florida woman was forced to bite the testicles of the 600-pound animal after it decided to sit on her. Authorities with the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office told The Advocate that the testicle-biting incident began last Wednesday, Sept. 13, at…
Traveling usually comes with challenges, but several thousand British tourists could never have expected to be stranded abroad because of their travel firm going under. The sudden collapse of Thomas Cook, a 178- year-old British travel firm, put a damper on the travel plans of their customers visiting from overseas. Late Sunday night, the company ceased all…
From a new aquarium to a new cruise terminal for Carnival and two updated terminals for Disney, Port Canaveral has some big projects in the works, but the Central Florida port is already ranking high for many cruisers. Earlier this year, Port Canaveral was named in Global Traveler magazine’s annual readers’ survey as the “Best Cruise Port”…
Tony! Toni! Toné! founding member and fearsome solo artist Raphael Saadiq has announced an extensive North American tour set for early next year to promote his comeback album Jimmy Lee. And one of only two chances for Floridian fans to hear Saadiq’s challenging new work live will be in the City Beautiful. Jimmy Lee is Saadiq’s…
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 on Friday announced what is known as a “request for information” that is a first step in contracting for the back-office services. The announcement…
The state has hired part-time workers to help abate the growing hepatitis A public health emergency, Department of Health Secretary Scott Rivkees told lawmakers on Wednesday. Rivkees told the House Health Quality Subcommittee that his department has used $3 million in funds from county health departments to hire additional workers. Rivkees, who is also the…
In what has become an annual tradition ahead of the end of the financial year at Walt Disney World, the resort recently saw a wave of layoffs and cutbacks. And, as usual, the reductions have been met with outrage by Disney fans, who turn to online petitions and similar campaigns to show their disapproval. Though…
A constitutional amendment that would increase Florida’s minimum wage has submitted more than 700,000 petition signatures to the state of Florida. Florida For A Fair Wage, an initiative chaired and bankrolled by Orlando-based attorney John Morgan, has submitted 705,920 valid signatures as of Wednesday. If passed, the amendment will increase the state’s minimum wage to…
What do they want? Climate policy change! When do they want it? Hopefully by 2050, if legislation allows. Outside the Orlando City Hall, protesters gathered to participate in the global climate strike on Sept. 20. Through scorching sun, humidity and fits of rain, activists and speakers relentlessly chanted their demands for 100-percent clean energy by…
The Central Florida community will come together to hold the vigil on Friday night at the Walt Disney Amphitheater in Lake Eola Park to commemorate the second anniversary of the devastating storm that claimed 4,645 lives in Puerto Rico. With the destruction from Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and six currently active storms circling around North…
According to a new study, the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area is, at the very least, “thicc.” The study, conducted by financial site 24/7 Wall St., found that the area has an adult obesity rate of 35.3%, which is the highest in the state of Florida, and significantly higher than the national average of 30%. The…
In a case stemming from the death of a woman who smoked for more than 30 years, a South Florida appeals court Wednesday overturned a $7.1 million verdict against cigarette maker Philip Morris USA and ordered a new trial. Michael Gentile filed the wrongful-death lawsuit on May 12, 2015 against Philip Morris after his wife,…
Notes plastered all over the windows of Bread & Co. Artisan Bakery on Fairbanks Avenue in Winter Park suggest an uncertain future for the French-Korean patisserie. “Due to our store renovation, we are temporarily closed,” read the signs. A peep through the windows revealed furnishings in slight disarray, but nothing to suggest renovations were imminent.…
Update, Dec. 31, 2019: The complaint against Orange County Commission District 5 candidate Anjali Vaya was dismissed as “legally insufficient” by the Florida Elections Commission on Oct. 15, according to a Nov. 12 letter. Vaya said in a statement, “the political battle over the county’s nonpartisan elections shouldn’t be used as a weapon against good people seeking…
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office released a video of deputy Jason Hess rescuing a woman who had walked into a retention pond. The woman is an Orlando resident whose daughter said this isn’t her first disappearing act. It is, however, the first time she has reported it. The woman, whose name has not been released, has gone missing…
Swedish metal battalion In Flames – mainstays of a celebrated Gothenburg metal scene that includes Dark Tranquility and At the Gates – this week announced a North American tour kicking off in November. And one of only chances for Florida’s metal faithful to check out the band will be here in Orlando The band will be touring behind new…
Two state lawmakers don’t want insured diabetics to pay more than $100 a month in out-of-pocket costs for insulin. Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, and Rep. Nicholas Duran, D-Miami, have filed bills (HB 109 and SB 116) that would require individual and group health-insurance policies and health maintenance organizations to cap customers’ monthly cost-sharing obligations for…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND The Coathangers, Las Nubes and Glove, Soundbar, Sept. 17 Atlanta punkers the Coathangers have been making noise for over a dozen years, but it’s only been in the last handful that they’ve shown more than just scrap and attitude. Oh, they’re a decent garage-punk act, but they were more immediate splash than…
It’s been seven years since then-Gov. Rick Scott attended the Orlando opening of the first of more than 160 Wawa convenience stores in Florida, after wooing the convenience store chain with offers to name Florida town. Now Gov. Ron DeSantis appears to have found his convenience store, singing the praises this week of Texas-based Buc-ee’s stores. “I don’t…
Today, which just so happens to be international “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” Legoland Florida announced new details for their upcoming pirate-themed hotel. Opening April 17, 2020, the new five story “Pirate Island Hotel” will feature pirate-themed Lego models, in-room treasure hunts and plenty of Lego character experiences. The Winter Haven theme park says the…
As expected, Tropical Storm Jerry is now a Category 1 hurricane, according to Thursday’s 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center. Packing 75 mph winds, the eye of the storm is currently located about 490 miles east of the Leeward Islands moving 16 mph west northwest. A Tropical Storm watch is now in effect…
Florida lawmakers gathered at the state capitol on Wednesday to discuss relief efforts for the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian’s massive destruction to the island nation. The lawmakers are calling for the U.S. government to ease visa requirements, allow Bahamian children to temporarily enroll in Florida schools and provide medical assistance for elderly and sick residents.…
Officers with the North Port Police Department in Sarasota County are now leaving behind yard signs in front of homes they’ve successfully executed a drug raid, reading “This drug house closed for business.” “Drug dealers, it’s a ‘sign’ of things to come. The North Port Community is putting you on notice,” said the department in…
Orlando’s most 7-Eleven-adjacent bar is getting a makeover and a new menu. The new MamaJuana Latin Bistro and Rum Bar, located in the old Vinyl Arts Bar (and briefly Vinyl Rum and Tapas Lounge) location at 75 E. Colonial Drive, will hold a grand opening on Saturday at 6 p.m., with free samples served until 8 p.m.…
Elected officials, authorities and corporate spokespeople gathered excitedly today in Lake Nona for the launch of Central Florida’s first autonomous bus route. And wow, are the buses super-slow. Check out this video from our writer Seth Kubersky of one of the buses pulling up to a stop sign, and imagine yourself driving behind it: Did…
Ace Cafe gives you the chance to party like it’s 1999 this weekend. No, not for yet another Prince tribute night; this time it’s a throwback to the heyday of nü-metal with Puddle of Mudd’s Muddfest. It’s like Korn’s Family Values Tour, but, you know, it exists. Joining the headliners are fellow ragers Saliva, Saving…
Have you already binged your way through Ken Burns’ latest docuseries, Country Music? If so, you might be in the mood for a good ol’ barn dance. The German-American Society, known for their Oktoberfest blowouts, hosts a party with classic country cover band Giddy Up Go. Not only do you get the option to fill…
Yacht Rock: The meme that doesn’t die; it just sails on. This weekend, Iron Cow takes a turn at celebrating Dockers, boat shoes and easy listening with a party devoted to the soft rock stylings of the ’70s and ’80s. Carlos DeSoto, Patrick Moreno, Derek Engstrom and more DJs provide the tunes. You provide the…
Update, 6:45 p.m. Wednesday: Amanda Dukes of WESH is reporting the man is climbing down is at the halfway point of the tower. She said they are not turning the camera on him, “as they don’t know what will happen,” but the base of the tower is clearly visible in the background. Unnerving news from…
It didn’t take very long for someone to swoop into the recently closed Noodles and Rice Café space in Mills 50. Hoi Nguyen, one of the men who brought King Bao and Poke Hana to the district, will bring Chi-Kin, a Korean fried chicken concept, to 813 N. Mills Ave. In addition to KFC wings…
The Milk District invites everyone to check out the constellation of bars, shops and eateries that make up the district at this year’s Milky Way pub crawl. Purchase a $10 ticket and get a free drink sample at nearly 20 different spots throughout the neighborhood, including Sportstown, the Bull & Bush, Pom Pom’s and the…
For Season Three, Stranger Things brought in a new costume designer, Amy Parris, and some might say she’s getting to have all the fun. We appreciated the exquisite realism of Season One’s wardrobing – right down to the way you could tell which characters wore hand-me-downs and which got new school clothes each year –…
Tropical Storm Jerry, which is now the tenth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed Wednesday morning. Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center expect the storm to form into a Category 1 hurricane by Thursday night or early Friday, as it moves closer to the northern Leeward Islands. According to the agency’s 5 a.m.…
To catch a glimpse of a Florida panther roaming the Sunshine State’s wild terrain is an unlikely experience; fewer than 200 adult panthers currently survive. But National Geographic conservation photographer Carlton Ward Jr. has captured monumental moments and photographed rare sightings of this endangered species by setting up camera traps during his latest National Geographic…
Someone is getting a little richer at Cupcakke’s show at the Social. That’s right, the Chicago rapper sucks, “ducks,” is sex-positive – and she’s bringing her microphone deep-throating to her fans, aka “Slurpers,” along with some cash. Cupcakke announced via her Twitter that during her $10K Tour, the self-proclaimed “Old Town Hoe” will be giving…
Seven years ago, New York-based Bang on a Can’s Found Sound Nation and the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs collaborated to create a music program called OneBeat. Every fall, young musicians from all over the world come together to write and produce original music. After a month of blending their creative…
Sweat out the toxicity in your life at the Orlando Color Run. Pre-race dance parties, free gear and photo ops will have you seeing red, blue, pink and yellow while pumping out some endorphins. Inspired by Disney’s World of Color, paint parties, mud runs and festivals throughout the world such as Holi, Color Run is…
If you want a précis on the state of raw Floridian punk in 2019, you can’t take a more vital pulse than the ones racing wildly on Thursday. It’s a stacked bill that features a trio of South Floridian worthies – Devalued, Rhino, Spur – along with Gainesville berserkers Carajo, and locals Problem Pack, Deathilepsy…
Duke Energy Florida said Monday it expects to see a reduction in customers’ monthly electric bills in 2020 because of factors such as lower fuel costs for power plants. For residential customers who use 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month – a common benchmark in the utility industry – bills would be reduced $4.69…
Bamboozled. That’s the sentiment Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson expressed after testimony Monday from a panel of experts who appeared before a Senate committee exploring issues related to mass violence and white nationalism. The panel included two university criminology researchers, a sheriff, a former police chief and the head of the Florida Department of Law…
Hepatitis A is striking Florida in a more deadly fashion than in other states, and the situation is getting so bad that Florida is offering free socks and bus passes to encourage homeless people to get vaccinated. Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, who doubles as secretary of the state Department of Health, told a Senate…
There is no leisure without labor. Much of human history is determined by the push and pull of social segmentation, defining who is responsible for the labor and who gets to spend their life in leisure. Several of the artworks included in two exhibitions opening at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum this week, African American…
1989 Film Festival: Dead Poets Society Robin Williams plays an English teacher at an upper-class boarding school who inspires his students to read poetry. Monday, 11 am; Orlando Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd.; free; 407-835-7323; ocls.info. 3 From Hell Rob Zombie’s follow-up to House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects, shown as an…
I spent last Thursday night standing outside an over-capacity theater, peering through a net-covered garage door to get a sideways glimpse of a show I’d already seen several times before. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t add up to an evening worth writing home (or a newspaper column) about, but I couldn’t have wished for a more fitting…
Opening this week: Ad Astra Brad Pitt travels into space to track down his renegade father, whose experiments may threaten the underpinnings of life itself. Visit orlandoweekly.com to find out if our Cameron Meier liked the film better when it was called Heart of Darkness or Interstellar. (PG-13) Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice…
The Florida Department of Education has no idea which teachers carry guns: The Florida Department of Education was unable to confirm last week an independent Wall Street Journal survey that found seven of the state’s 67 school districts have approved or would consider arming classroom teachers under a controversial school “guardian” program. A new school…
Goths don’t surf: the Growlers keep tryin’ hard, fool
There are star bakers behind the perfect, and I mean perfect, rolls that go into making Le Ky Patisserie’s banh mis. Just a few steps away, Tamale Co. fashions some of the finest steamed bundles in the city. Vegans seem to go gaga over Leguminati’s hearty crunchwraps; and what can be said about Foxtail Coffee…
Foster Care Total Punk party serving as both the tour kick-off for Golden Pelicans and the album release affair for lethal New Yorkers Foster Care. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at Will’s Pub, $7 Shawn James Weathered troubadour James brings his “The Dark & the Light” tour to downtown Orlando. Local support includes Luke Wagner…
OPENINGS: Grilled Cheezus, a grilled cheese concept (duh) by former Saddle Up bartender Sam Phillips and her fiancé, Damon Jerden (also a managing partner at Downtown Pourhouse), will open this fall at 400 Pittman St. near the Marriott Downtown Orlando … The Orlando outpost of Melbourne Seafood Station should start serving their signature seafood boils…
Downton Abbey is arguably the best episodic television drama in history. If screen entertainment were an exact science, that would make the new film version the greatest movie ever. It would also make the 2012 cinematic adaptation of Les Miserables a masterpiece. And we all know how that turned out. Alas, cinema is not a…
My son has always liked handcuffs and tying people up as a form of play. He is 12 now, and the delight he finds in cuffing has not faded along with his love of Legos. He lobbied hard to be allowed to buy a hefty pair of handcuffs. We cautioned him strongly about consent –…
Florida reclaims its position as the epicenter of pro wrestling
