Even as the tourism industry braces from a downturn, there remain optimists who see a future for the industry. Stephen E. Dinehart IV served on the creative team at Universal Orlando Resort as an attraction designer bringing games to life for such geek culture icons as Super Nintendo World, and after soaking in the geek…
Figurehead and Jim Faherty had a long run as driving forces in the Orlando underground starting in the mid-1980s, and this weekend there’s going to be a celebration to mark 35 years of Faherty and Figurehead’s work to make Orlando stranger and a prime destination for like-minded touring weirdos. Dubbed “Figurehead:35 Years of Spiking Your…
If you’re looking for a fun activity this weekend, paws what you’re doing and set your calendar for Saturday. That’s when the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is holding its annual “Paws in the Park” fundraiser, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Lake Eola Park. Ever want to dress your pet up just because?…
Nonprofit mental health advocacy group Peer Support Space will be launching the first-ever Peer Respite in Central Florida on Saturday, Feb. 1, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event will also mark the organization’s first anniversary. As “respite” is defined as a break from hardship, the Peer Respite is just that. Described by Peer Support Space…
If you were looking to spend your Valentine’s Day surrounded by mystical artwork, look no further than the Art & History Museums Maitland. The A&H opens its spring 2020 exhibition, The Exotic Realms of Jules André Smith, on Friday, Feb. 14, in the Maitland Art Center Gallery. The exhibition explores Smith’s artistry through a range…
Bachata kings Aventura are heading out on their North American Immortal tour in February — their first U.S. run in nearly a decade —and this week added a handful of additional dates, including an arena show here in Orlando. The bachata innovators released a greatest hits collection last year, Lo Mejor De Aventura, that was the best-selling…
As the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread, Disney joined other theme park operators in China in the unprecedented move of closing both Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland until further notice, in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading. This past weekend was the Lunar New Year, a holiday in China that sees hundreds…
International Drive’s latest addition might not yet be as recognizable a name as Ripley’s or Madame Tussauds, but the Museum of Illusions is quickly becoming the hottest midway attraction in the world. Slated to open at Icon Park this summer, the Museum of Illusions mixes mind-bending experiences like the vortex tunnel and upside-down room that…
Tired of cleaning guacamole off your living room couch at 11 p.m. on Sunday, when you’d rather be in bed? Maybe it’s time to enjoy the Super Bowl out of the house this year. This Sunday, Feb. 2, at 6 p.m., the Kansas City Chiefs will go head-to-head with the San Francisco 49ers in Super…
Known as a horny retirement spot, a golf cart enthusiast’s playpen, and scene of the Ron-and-Don show (Trump and DeSantis, that is), the Villages now has another feather to add to its cap: It’s the area where more women buy houses than men at a ratio higher than anywhere else in the country. SmartAssets did a study using…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage – Store 8138, 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando FL. 32810 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando , FL. 32810 (407) 489-3742, February 20th, 2020 @…
Orlando lost one of its very kindest people on Monday, with the passing of LGBTQ advocate Terry DeCarlo. As executive director of the LGBT+ Center Orlando, DeCarlo helped scores of Pulse victims and their families, both in the immediate hours after the shooting and years later. Before the tragedy on June 12, 2016, DeCarlo announced he…
The company behind 4 Rivers Smokehouse and the Coop has opened two new outposts at the Walt Disney Resort. One is a second location for the Coop, and the other is a new concept called the Grill by 4 Rivers. Both spots, which the company calls “concession venues,” are open now at the Arena, inside the ESPN Wide…
It’s called the “penny challenge” or the “outlet challenge,” a moronic new fad on TikTok that willfully damages electrical outlets and electrical systems. For the challenge, TikTok users film themselves partially plugging in a phone charger so that there is a little space between the charge port and the outlet. In that tiny crevasse, the…
The Florida Senate on Tuesday unveiled an education-budget proposal that includes $500 million for teacher salary increases and no funding for bonus programs, a departure from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ more-ambitious teacher pay plan. DeSantis has made a top priority of two initiatives that would set a $47,500 minimum salary for public school teachers and create…
Bar Louie may have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but fear not; all four Orlando locations, including the popular UCF spot, are staying open. In an effort to “reorganize their assets,” Bar Louie closed 38 underperforming locations nationwide and announced on Monday that they would be selling the chain to its lenders. However, Bar Louie…
MegaCon Orlando made a big announcement today that should make Dunderheads explode with joy. Five cast members from the popular The Office show are scheduled to appear at the Orange County Convention Center. The cast members are Brian Baumgartner (“Kevin Malone”), Leslie Baker (“Stanley Hudson”), Creed Bratton (who plays, well, “Creed Bratton”), Kate Flannery (“Meredith Palmer”) and…
After similar proposals were vetoed twice in recent years, House leaders are again trying to slap a warning on lottery tickets, while also seeking to declare the lottery off-limits if Florida allows sports gambling. The House Gaming Control Subcommittee on Monday voted 14-1 to support a proposal (HB 991) that would require the words “Play…
Go ahead and add Disturbed to your never-ending list of concerts to attend this summer, because the hard rock legends are headlining the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre on July 23. Disturbed will embark on a massive U.S. tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album The Sickness. Expect classics from the album like “Violence…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Black Flag at Ace Cafe, Jan. 25 The immeasurably seminal Black Flag are a band so steeped in legend, drama and rift that a deep, complicated shadow always follows the name. But I’ll leave that big, spring-loaded box of rancor for the punks to unpack. For the purpose of this review, suffice…
The Lake House Apartments, a nine-story high rise going up across Lake Ivanhoe in Ivanhoe Village, will house a restaurant very much in keeping with the development’s luxury brand. The Pinery, a 150-seat “upscale” restaurant, will celebrate “Florida fresh cuisine,” says Carol Holladay of Full Circle Hospitality, the restaurant’s operating partner. Holladay, who currently serves…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. Is Orlando Getting Yet Another Cool Coaster? Sea World is still putting the finishing touches on the new Ice Breaker coaster set to open later this year. New…
Orlando Story Club, a regular night of spoken word stories based on a common theme, is always a unique experience thanks to the fact that the storytellers are all randomly selected. But Orlando Story Club throws out the random element this week during a collaboration with the Central Florida Composers Forum (aka CF2). Each reader…
When I was an elementary school kid in Minnesota, it was the end of Michael Jordan’s reign as the first swingman to fully dominate the basketball mindset. Instead of being an unstoppable behemoth center, or a forward who can ball handle and shoot, but still have enough size to tussle with the big fellas –…
Al Cardenas, a former chairman of the Florida Republican Party and regular Trump critic, responded to today’s 5-4 ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court – which makes it harder for poor, legal immigrants to receive green cards – by saying he wouldn’t have been allowed to stay in America. The ruling, which was originally pushed by…
SeaWorld Orlando still has plenty of work to do on Ice Breaker, its new coaster set to debut later this year, but the park is already developing plans for another big project. Permits filed with Orange County confirm a large project is in the works for the park’s Bayside Pathway, with rumors pointing to another…
While Florida Republicans are on their way to further limit women’s healthcare, a Central Florida pastor who also serves as the Trump administration’s spiritual advisor is arguing that it’s somehow fine for God to terminate a pregnancy as long as it’s “satanic.” Apopka preacher Paula White, the Special Adviser to the White House Faith and…
Agit-grindcore godfathers Napalm Death have announced a string of North American tour dates kicking off in April and Orlando will have the pleasure of hosting these cult heroes. Even better, the band are putting the finishing touches on a new album, and are poised to release a 7″ single with a Sonic Youth cover on…
In coordination with the upcoming Super Bowl, a 10-day competition called the “Python Bowl” was held in Miami to remove invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, and to raise awareness of the threat they hold over Everglades restoration. Over 750 participants wrangled 80 snakes, and 550 participated in hands-on, optional safe-capture training. The results were…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. Chicken Fire Brings Nashville To Town & More Delish Stuff A taste of Nashville is heating up the very cool, A’ La Cart, which features area food trucks…
In a surprise move, the Orlando Wine Festival is moving from its downtown home, where it took place for the past two years, to a new “iconic” home on International Drive. Noting the new venue’s larger size, the Orlando Wine Festival will take place at Icon Park (previously known as I-Drive 360). The new site…
More like dumb collector, amirite, Seminole County? Boy, it’s been a rough go for the county tax office. In 2016, Seminole County finally ditched the outdated and oddly profitable stylings of longtime tax collector Ray Valdes – who had faced claims of using a gay slur, running a technologically retrograde operation, and allowing his family to…
One Florida Bank is being sued by Seacoast Bank following the mass resignation of 12 commercial banking executives just hours after Christmas, on Dec. 26. The at-will employees, who began working at the newly established One Florida Bank the very next day, did not give any prior notice. Florida follows the at-will employment law, which…
Federal agents have apprehended suspects whom school officials say scammed $206,000 from the Sumter County School Board. Investigators say the criminal fraud involved hackers duping a school official into entering school board banking info on a fake website. This latest hacking follows recent network attacks, from the frivolous, like a recent prank against Leesburg and…
Last year, a unique entity came to the rescue of a woman being hassled by a man on Orange Avenue. Disguised as the Easter Bunny, the brave defender neutralized his opponent with a hailstorm of haymakers, and his heroic throwing of paws was captured on video. Naturally, the courage and anonymity sparked local and national…
THIS LITTLE UNDERGROUND Black Lips and the Wildtones at the Social, Jan. 23 Ever since their notorious early years of high mischief in the 2000s, the world has become conditioned to expect splashy offstage headlines from Atlanta punk troublemakers the Black Lips. But the latest major shake-up in their brash and storied career is their…
A generation ago, Disney released a string of four iconic films that ignited a second Golden Age of hand-drawn animation, providing the Mouse House with decades of fodder for theme parks and live-action remakes. This quartet of classic cartoons likewise launched the transformation of Times Square into Walt Disney World’s New York outpost, as each…
DIX Developments has plans to build a 120-unit, “moderately high rent” micro-apartments in downtown Orlando’s Thornton Park. “I think Orlando, let’s be realistic,” says CEO James Dicks, “it’s about five to seven years away from being a 24-7 downtown.” By this prediction, the housing developer means that in less than a decade, people’s entire lives will…
The unemployment rate in Florida dropped to 3.0 percent in December, the lowest mark since the current estimating process started in 1976, according to numbers released Friday by the state Department of Economic Opportunity. The December rate, lower than the national mark of 3.5 percent, represented an estimated 311,000 Floridians out of work from a…
Damo Suzuki, legendary frontman of outsider German rock icons Can, will be playing his first tour of the United States in over a decade, and he will be holding court in both Orlando and Miami! Originally Suzuki was set to play Miami in October of last year, but logistical issues pulled the plug on that.…
Florida lawmakers are fast-tracking legislation that would allow service members and veterans to receive college credits for their military training, with the goal of saving time and money. House and Senate proposals were approved Thursday in their final committees and are now able to get votes in the full House and Senate as early as…
Super Nintendo Land is coming to Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe, said Comcast executives on an earnings call Thursday. This ends years of rumors about what would join the newest park, to be located just north of the Orange County Convention Center. It’s expected to open in 2023. Concept art from the call and from Super…
We’ve gone on and on about “Melrose in the Mix,” the excellent live recording series at the downtown public library. But in case you haven’t checked it out yet, you’ll get a chance to see what you’ve been missing tonight when it makes its debut on WUCF TV at 8:30 pm with the amazing Terri Binion…
SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival is making a return Feb. 7 through May 3, along with a new music lineup and a few new menu options. Guests can send their tastebuds on a journey featuring Asian, Latin, European, Polynesian and North Atlantic flavors for the third year in a row. But it’s the first time that guests can…
When it comes to sexual education, the Boomers had to make do with scare-mongering hygiene films, while Millennials learned everything they ever wanted to know before hitting puberty, thanks to the internet. For us GenXers in between, Dr. Ruth Westheimer was our grandmotherly guru of “Good Sex” dispensing erotic advice on the airwaves like a…
“This is not a drill!” And with that, former Pink Floyd conceptualist and bassist Roger Waters announced the dates for his summer North American tour of the same name. Expect Waters’ usual flair for the dramatic, with the show being “in the round,” and no doubt “in the moment,” as Waters promises a very political…
A giant poo has plopped down right in the middle of Lake Eola Park. Inflatable poo, that is. It’s a marketing stunt by the poop-positive toilet spray brand Poo-pourri. They’re promoting their product by encouraging customers to, um, let go – both physically and mentally – with their “Let That Sh*t Go” event, taking place…
Floridians wouldn’t be able to know the birthdates or some family details of legislators and state Cabinet members, under a Senate proposal that advanced along party lines Tuesday. The Ethics and Elections Committee voted 4-3 to support the proposal (SB 832), filed by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. It seeks to create a public-records exemption to…
An effort to impose a 12.5-cent-per-gallon tax on water bottled from Florida’s springs was tabled Tuesday before facing the possibility of being defeated in a split Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee. Bill sponsor Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, said after the meeting that “clearly there was a lot of pressure from special interests” against the bill. “The…
A Senate panel on Wednesday split along party lines as Republicans pushed through a bill that would require teenage girls to get consent from their parents before having abortions. The Senate bill (SB 404) cleared the Rules Committee in a 9-7 vote on the 47th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade…
Florida would tighten tobacco and vaping regulations as smoking, chewing tobacco and using electronic cigarettes would be off limits for anyone under age 21, under a bill that started moving forward Tuesday in the Senate. Members of the Senate Health Policy Committee unanimously approved a measure (SB 810) that would make it illegal for people…
Did you find yourself lost during this fall’s Ewan McGregor-starring supernatural thriller Doctor Sleep? Maybe it’s time to reacquaint yourself with The Shining, Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 prequel, starring Jack Nicholson as a recovering alcoholic writer stuck in a haunted hotel with only a weird kid and a battered wife for company. Grab a pitcher or…
Spit right in the mouth of Old Man Winter and let him know how you feel about him blowing his load too early and not giving us a proper spell of cold weather. At least, that seems to be the intent of Wall Street Plaza’s annual Snow Ball, a night where the courtyard is covered…
Fans of scotch whisky get a night of indulgence at M Bar’s Scotch Soiree this week. Ticketholders get to try blends and single malts from more than 25 different distilleries, including Compass Box, Highland Park, Macallan and Glenlivet. Spring for the limited VIP ticket to get in early for “the Macallan Experience,” featuring a pour…
The Thornton Park District is taking over Lake Eola Park’s amphitheater area for the inaugural Hullabaloo, a beach-themed party featuring ’90s alternative bands Sugar Ray and Eve 6 performing alongside a host of local bands. Attendees also get to see professional wakeboarders demonstrate tricks on a portable pool setup. Bars and venues in Thornton Park…
Going all the way back to Mother Maybelle Carter, country music has historically fostered singular empowered women who created a niche unto themselves. Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris and K.D. Lang all obviously come to mind, but also deserving a spot in that company is the powerful dark horse of Lucinda Williams. A rich…
Emerging fresh from the mind of Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw, Disney’s Aladdin comes to the Dr. Phillips Center this week. But the cast is also offering a fresh cabaret spin by presenting “Songs From a Whole New World” for a good cause. By teaming up with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, company members…
You’ve got to hand it to diabolical Swedish hard-rock upstarts Lucifer. A lot of Euro rockers would be content to just do a brief East Coast tour of the U.S. and call it a day. But this outfit tacked on a clutch of tour dates in the South, always a test of a band’s mettle.…
The 2020 NFL Pro Bowl is coming to Orlando for its fourth consecutive year because apparently we haven’t learned our lesson. In football, it’s kind of the show you love to hate. To be fair, the event draws millions of viewers every year still and can make for a fun day of football-related experiences for…
Pro Bowl Weekend is an excuse for plenty of pop-up parties around town, but none grab more attention than the name Twerktopia. An all-out celebration of the dance style popularized by the New Orleans bounce scene – and almost murdered single-handedly by Miley Cyrus in 2013 – Twerktopia brings dancers, party lovers and spectators to…
It’s been two years since Iliza Shlesinger last performed here in Orlando, back in February 2018, and those have been, by all accounts, the best years of her life, on both a personal and professional level. Her first book, Girl Logic: The Genius and the Absurdity, had just been published In November 2017 (one of…
Southern Culture on the Skids brings their Americana garage band flair back to Will’s Pub this week. You’d think that performing live for three decades would take a toll, but these rockabillies have stood their ground with an effortless edge that continues to fire up crowds across the nation. Best known for their 1995 single…
Sorry Miami and Tampa, but Orlando won the jackpot as far as K-pop goes. On Tuesday night, South Korean pop giant BTS (the moniker is an acronym of Bangtan Sonyeondan or “Beyond the Scene”) announced a worldwide “Map of the Soul” tour, which makes just one Florida stop at Camping World Stadium on May 14.…
Victims of domestic violence could request that judges temporarily prevent abusers from having contact with pets, under a bill approved Tuesday by a House panel. The bill (HB 241), sponsored by Rep. Sam Killebrew, R-Winter Have, would allow judges to grant exclusive care, custody and control of pets to people who file domestic violence injunctions.…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. The Scooters Are Here!! The Scooters Are Here!! Orlando Weekly Just Now Just in time for this weekend’s Pro Bowl, Lime Scooters have invaded the streets of Orlando. -…
Since its animated debut in 1992, Aladdin has become one of Disney’s most prolific properties, spawning theme-park attractions, cruise-ship shows and just last year a live-action remake. But although the songs and storyline should be familiar to most audience members attending the touring Broadway production playing the Dr. Phillips Center (now through Feb. 9), they…
Gaelic Storm International Celtic music stars play Orlando as part of their “Drink ‘Em Down Tour.” 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at the Plaza Live, $29-$50 Circuit Church Free modular synth and DIY electronics event featuring Bacon Grease, Jade Wii, Jream and Saturn Valley. 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the Nook on Robinson, free Iann…
The marvelous Mira Lehr
When Auguste and Louis Lumière invented cinema in 1895, a journalist (arguably the first film critic) wrote that death would no longer be final. And with death delayed, aging, too, can be hidden from view, if only for the duration of a movie. Sixty-nine years later, British filmmakers Michael Apted and Paul Almond had a…
Treasury Department will investigate Trump’s ‘opportunity zones,’ including some questionable ones in Florida: The Trump administration’s “opportunity zone” program was part of the president’s 2017 tax plan and was designed to give tax incentives to rich people who invest in lower-income areas, but in reality, many of these tax breaks were instead given to our…
Opening this week: 63 Up They started making the septennial installments of the Up documentary series the year I was born, which means I’ve never known a world where I couldn’t periodically check in on the progress of a bunch of Brits to compare their life journeys to mine. (One day soon, this will be…
An American in Paris Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron sing and dance to the music of George and Ira Gershwin in this winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Wednesday, 7 pm; multiple locations; $14; fathomevents.com. Blind Eyes Open A first-of-its-kind Christian documentary that dives deep into the sex trafficking industry in the U.S.…
Amendment 4 passed in Florida at the end of 2018 with 64 percent of the vote, restoring the right to vote for 1.4 million ex-felons. But in May of last year, the state legislature, in implementing the ballot measure, passed a bill that restricts voting rights restoration to felons who pay off all outstanding restitution,…
“Realistically, when has the world not been falling apart?” Jared Swilley of unruly garage rockers the Black Lips reflects back on the band’s two decades, and the general history of humankind, with a sense of defiant optimism only achieved after a lifetime of growing up rough and living fast. “I think we should be more…
“This isn’t first-date lighting,” said the dining comrade, eyeing a young couple – new acquaintances, clearly – breaking bread and relationship ice in Hungry Pants’ bright setting. They were seated next to us, flaws and blemishes brazenly exposed in their hormone-filled glory. “This is marriage lighting.” And we, along with the married couple joining us…
Waiting outside her son’s school in the early weeks of the school year, Samantha was shocked out of the hectic monotony of waiting for her child to emerge from the swirl of kids in the pick-up area. Other Robinswood Middle School students were calling out facetious farewells using the name she gave her child at…
I’m a 30-year-old bi man. I’ve been with my wife for five years, married nine months. A month into our relationship, I let her know that watching partners with other men has always been something I wanted and that sharing this had caused all my previous relationships to collapse. Her reaction was the opposite of…
OPENINGS: V.L.C. Vegan Eatery has opened in Waterford Towers in Oviedo offering a menu of plant-based pan-Asian dishes … Bad As’s Sandwich, the popular Milk District sammie joint, will open its second location in the standalone building once home to Joe’s Pizza and Brooklyn Pizza at 1881 W. Fairbanks Ave. in Winter Park. An opening…
Every morning on Magic 107.7 FM, Leslye Gale discusses the most interesting Orlando Weekly stories of the day on “Chad & Leslye.” Check out Leslye’s picks today. Enjoy This Gorgeous View Before It’s Gone The Split Oak Forest Wildlife & Environmental Area is home to threatened gopher tortoises, scrub jays, sandhill cranes, Sherman’s fox squirrels,…
