Just eight months after the Florida Film Festival became the first major movie fest to be held in the Southeast United States during the COVID pandemic, the event is returning to its traditional April timeslot. The festival will again be held at just one location, Maitland’s Enzian Theater, because its pre-COVID partner, Regal Winter Park…
Mad Cow Theatre this week announced that their 2nd annual Women’s Voices Play Festival is a go for this year, and not only are they looking for scripts from local playwrights, but they’re also looking for readers to help evaluate the field. Applications for scripts can be submitted online until April 30. Organizers are seeking scripts…
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, March 26th, 2021 @ 4:00 PM Nathan…
Local theater company CFCArts will be staging their next production — Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella — inside a mall that could use a little Cinderella-style makeover action — Fashion Square — in April. A unique space that would benefit from more foot traffic, the Fashion Square Mall’s abandoned Express storefront will become an ad hoc performing-arts theater — there’s a…
Do you hear the faint sounds of expletives uttered in an unmistakable British accent echoing around Icon Park today? It’s because celebrity chef and lamb sauce enthusiast Gordon Ramsay has plans to open a new restaurant in Orlando this year. As reported by the Orlando Business Journal, Ramsay’s restaurant concept Fish & Chips is apparently coming…
A move has begun to revamp Florida’s less-than-decade-old online unemployment system, which couldn’t handle the influx of claims as businesses shut down last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee on Monday approved a measure (SB 1948) tied to a request by Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Dane Eagle…
Part of a House plan to combat impacts of rising sea levels drew bipartisan support Monday in what is expected to be a short trip through Senate committees. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved a bill (SB 1954) that includes spending up to $100 million a year on projects to address flooding…
It’s been a rough year for public school teachers during this pandemic, no doubt. Our fingers are crossed — crossed so hard, in fact, that they resemble a spaghetti-pretzel hybrid — that ramped-up vaccine efforts locally give them some peace of mind, at the very least. And the Orlando Philharmonic is teaming up with the Frontyard Festival to offer…
Getting out in nature has been one of the few consistently available activities during the coronavirus pandemic, but not all of Orange County’s parks and trails have been open to the general public. Folks who wished to tube at Kelly Park’s Rock Springs Run were out of luck all last summer, as the Parks Department…
Beloved Chicago hot dog and Italian beef purveyor Portillo’s has put their Orlando location on hold. The chain has already opened two Central Florida locations in Brandon and Tampa (and planned to open a third this month) but their shop at Lake Buena Vista’s Village at O-Town West has been pushed back. Speaking to Orlando…
The much-anticipated Winter Park omakase Soseki has announced a couple weeks worth of soft opening engagements starting later this week. Announced last autumn, Soseki is the latest resto concept from the Taglish Collective, teaming Taglish’s Mike Collantes with Kaizen Izakaya’s Denni Cha. The 10-seat restaurant will keep things intentionally small and intimate. The daily menu, Cha…
The state of Florida has taken a bit of a lackadaisical approach to dealing with the deadly, global pandemic that derailed much of the last year. As other states went into full shutdowns and other countries virtually eradicated the virus, the Sunshine State came at the problem with the urgency of a “Life Is Good”…
It can be hard to keep the sprawling maze of Wu-Tang Clan members and affiliates in your head. Going beyond the name U-God is guaranteed to earn blank stares in any conversation outside the earshot of white rap nerds and line cooks (but we repeat ourselves). So, Aaron Barnes-Burpo of Crestview, Florida had to think…
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. Our friends at Bungalower are hosting a White Castle-themed event this Friday night: While the new White Castle restaurant is still being built in Orlando, the tiny bite-sized…
Orlando gig promoters the Modern Music Movement are teaming with outré cinema purveyors Uncomfortable Brunch for a one-night only screening of Where Does a Body End?, a doc about monolithic noise-grinders Swans. Where Does a Body End? examines the fraught and fractious non-career of the trailblazing band of New York bludgeoners, spanning decades, stylistic shifts, discarded…
A new report about the effectiveness of partial vaccination among nursing home residents revealed that nearly 400,000 Floridians in assisted living facilities have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine. According to a CDC tracking system, 237,198 people in Florida long-term care facilities have received at least one vaccine dose through a federal…
Depending on where you heard about the recent development involving Orlando cornerstone venue Will’s Pub, you were either freaked out by the Orlando Sentinel’s misleading headline (“Will’s Pub lives on with new owner of Orlando landmark bar”) or soberly notified by our more compendious one (“Mills 50 mainstay Will’s Pub property sold to new owner,…
Thornton Park isn’t hurting for sushi. The centrally located neighborhood with the lamentably smug slogan of “Downtown for grownups” already has at least one spot for high-grade raw fish within its borders, the curse-breaking South Eola space Oudom Thai & Sushi, and being so close to the core of Orlando provides many more options for…
Since being added in 1993, Disney’s Carousel of Progress’s last scene has promised a future where families gather around the voice-activated kitchen appliances and play video games together via virtual reality headsets. Now, nearly three decades later, that scene is finally being realized in houses across the globe. Virtual reality is quickly becoming a cornerstone…
A controversial proposal dealing with vacation rentals underwent a major overhaul on Thursday, after the bill sponsor stripped out a provision that would have blocked local governments’ ability to license and inspect the properties. The fight about oversight of short-term rentals has escalated in the Legislature as the popularity of vacation properties advertised on platforms…
Erase your memories of the White Castle ghost kitchen debacle of 2021 by indulging in the conceptual brain-twister that is eating those internet-breaking sliders while simultaneously watching a stoner comedy centered around a slapstick quest for those selfsame tiny burgers. (Starring a future member of the Obama administration, as a surreal sidebar). Bungalower is teaming…
MX Tacos announced on Monday that it has expanded its regular menu and will be offering new allergen-free options and substitutions. The vegan menu will include birria tacos; cactus, vegan chorizo, or vegan cheese quesadillas; sweet potato mole, and a pumpkin pesto sikil pak dip. The gluten-free menu will include pumpkin pesto sikil pak with beef,…
A new study shows a positive link between theme parks and property values, and it could have an important impact on Central Florida. The Lucrative Landmark Report looks at three-bedroom homes near various global landmarks compared to ones in a 10-20 mile radius. It found proximity to landmarks has a net positive on nearby residential…
The state of Florida officially loosened the age requirements to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. All full or part-time residents age 60 or older are now eligible to receive the vaccine. The new requirements place those 60 and up in the same boat as the state’s first-responders, healthcare workers, educators, childcare workers and immunocompromized…
Disney has confirmed that it will soon offer MagicBand capabilities via smartphones. The service will roll out on Apple devices first but should be available on multiple smart devices soon after. It will include all MagicBand capabilities, such as theme park admission and in-resort purchases. MagicBands were first introduced in 2013 as part of a…
In this, the third year of Orlando Taco Week, diners can chomp their way through Central Florida indulging in delicious $5 taco treats for two weeks straight. And those two weeks happen to encompass a trio of significant dates: 4/20, May the 4th, and the ultimate taco day, Cinco de Mayo! The promotion launches on…
COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Seminole County are set to get a big boost with U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy’s, D-Winter Park, announcement Friday that True Health’s community health clinics network will join the federal Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program. The federal program was designed by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control…
A UCF student journalism project has chronicled the life and legacy of Brevard County civil rights martyrs Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore. The Moore Project was a collaboration between WUCF public television and the Nicholson School of Communication and Media at UCF. The married couple were teachers and heavily involved in the civil rights movement…
A day after Gov. Ron DeSantis unilaterally canceled what he termed “unprecedented” COVID-19-related fines imposed by counties around Florida, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings came out swinging during a news briefing Thursday. Starting off his remarks with a surprisingly direct response, Demings took aim at DeSantis by name, with an actual “here we go” preface.…
Preacher Lawson grew up moving around a lot. Life on the road must have suited Lawson, because once he gained control of where he landed, he decided to be a stand-up comedian. “Growing up switching schools all of the time you had to learn how to adapt,” Lawson said of his childhood. “Everywhere I’d go…
Take a walk, with a couple drinks, on the wild side next weekend when Busch Gardens opens its new Giraffe Bar. The new bar is located at the Serengeti Overlook and features panoramic indoor and outdoor views of the expansive Serengeti Plain. Guests can preview Giraffe Bar during a soft opening on March 19 before…
Orlando, are you ready to rock? On a large, say, festival-size scale? Look, the answer might be no, but while we dither about vaccination rates and the acceptable size of large gatherings, British metal icons Judas Priest are pushing forward with plans to hold the Warlando Festival — you guessed it — here in Orlando.…
If your weird uncle spent the last week ranting about potato genitalia, you might want to shield them from this story: An Orlando-area frog might be the face of Cadbury this Easter. Betty the Australian Tree Frog is a top 10 finalist to be this year’s Cadbury Bunny. Cadbury’s annual contest asks pet owners to…
The neighborhood of Parramore is still uniquely underserved when it comes to groceries. The historic community on the west side of Orlando has done for itself for years, with activists building and maintaining a garden in a formerly trash-filled vacant lot over the last decade. That crucial source of neighborhood pride and fresh veggies just…
Downtown Tampa’s Gasparilla Music Festival is officially rescheduled for October in Curtis Hixon Park. Exact dates are to be announced, but it’ll include a third day, Friday, to go along with Saturday and Sunday concerts. Executive director David Cox told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that should the current trajectory continue, the GMF team — which…
A House panel Thursday backed a bill that would prevent doctors from performing abortions that women seek because of tests showing that fetuses will have disabilities. The Republican-controlled House Professions & Public Health Subcommittee voted 11-7 to approve the measure (HB 1221), sponsored by Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach. The only lawmaker who crossed party…
If you wanted to do a cartoonish spit take with your morning coffee today, the Orlando Sentinel’s news that longtime Orlando venue Will’s Pub has been sold would more than suffice as a trigger. Now, let’s be absolutely clear from the outset, this doesn’t mean that Will’s Pub owner and figurehead Will Walker is shutting down…
Orlando doesn’t want for Indian restaurants. Anyone looking to sit-down and tear into some saag paneer or vindaloo will find a wealth of options. But outside the buffets and linen tablecloth eateries, there’s a noticeable lack of the subcontinent’s down-market cousins. That changed this week with the opening of Honest Restaurant, an international chain that…
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, widely expected to run against Gov. Ron DeSantis next year, called it a “hunch.” But she spurred speculation this week when she floated the idea that DeSantis was sidelined in the fall by COVID-19 —- a claim his office rejects. After a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Fried acknowledged having no proof for…
It’s effectively been a half-century since the novel coronavirus upended the lives of anyone who was in front of a stage multiple nights a week. Why not lean into that handy time displacement and hit the town to the sounds of rockabilly and western swing? The Oak Hill Drifters have been plugging away at their…
Broadway is coming to the great outdoors of the Dr. Phillips Center’s Frontyard Festival and, appropriately, it’ll be for a night of music dedicated to Disney’s stage smashes. For one weekend only — March 20-21 — the Frontyard Festival will host an original musical production, The Music of Disney on Broadway, packed to the brim with stars of Disney…
Nearly two months into the administration of President Joe Biden, those immediate $2,000 $1,400 checks are very nearly on the way. The House of Representatives approved the Biden-supported American Rescue Act on Wednesday, which includes $1.9 trillion in spending to help combat the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and a crucial third stimulus check for…
If you need another floral friend to help get you through the (hopefully) last stretch of the pandemic, Harry P. Leu Gardens has got your number. Their big annual plant sale is going down this weekend. From 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14, Leu Gardens will play host to over 40 vendors,…
The coronavirus pandemic continues to slam up against the United States’ technocratic, libertarian impulses to produce absolutely wild results. In the latest example of a business looking toward the future to keep their business open in the pandemic-filled present, Marlins Park has announced a plan to disinfect its stadium via drone. Marlins Park plans to…
As Florida has spent the past year combating COVID-19, the state House is considering a proposal that would restrict local government orders involving public-health emergencies —- a measure that backs the power of Gov. Ron DeSantis. In a 12-6 vote along party lines Tuesday, the House Pandemics & Public Emergencies Committee approved a bill (HB…
With backing from Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Florida Senate committee on Wednesday approved a wide-ranging proposal to revamp vote-by-mail laws, including banning the use of drop boxes and taking aim at a practice known as “ballot harvesting.” The bill (SB 90) comes amid efforts in various parts of the country by Republicans to place new…
Two more FEMA COVID-19 vaccination sites will open in partnership with Orange County locally, beginning Thursday of this week. On March 11-13, a pop-up FEMA vaccine site is opening up at Barnett Park — which is also still doing COVID-19 testing through the end of March — and then from March 14-17 another site will open at South…
Former Winter Park city commissioner Phil Anderson won that city’s mayoral race on Tuesday. Unofficial results have Anderson winning 53 percent of the vote to main competitor Sarah Sprinkel’s 46 percent. The real estate equity fund executive ran on a platform that included fixing the tiny city’s congestion issues and opposing development that would mar…
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody explained her intention to sue the Biden administration over its immigration policies during a Tuesday appearance on the very serious political program Fox and Friends. Citing a failure on the part of the Biden White House to deport enough immigrants to her satisfaction, Moody claimed that her “frustration has boiled…
The city of Orlando’s most famous attraction is built around a fully pedestrianized Main Street. But that sort of idyllic stroll remains as much a fantasy as Cinderella’s castle in the city proper, which once again ranked as the most dangerous place for pedestrians in the United States. A new report from the safe streets…
A controversial Senate proposal that would cut state-backed Bright Futures scholarships for students in degree programs that don’t “lead directly to employment” has been put on hold and is expected to undergo changes. Sponsored by Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, the bill (SB 86) would require the State Board of Education and the state university system’s…
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 Bike Week ‘shenanigans’ have officially commenced! Folks, please be safe and be smarter than this guy.” Those are the words of the Daytona Beach Police Chief after…
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday proposed sweeping changes to the state’s clemency process by doing away with a minimum five-year wait before felons can seek to have their civil rights, including the right to vote, restored. Wednesday morning, he and his Cabinet approved those changes. DeSantis’ plan allows felons who have paid all court-ordered fines,…
Meet Sven! Sven (A433215) is a 3-year-old neutered boy who was surrendered by his previous family because their living situation would not allow a dog. According to the family, Sven is housebroken, leash-trained, knows basic commands, and is friendly with men, women, children and other dogs. He is ready to go home the same day…
If you go out, respect everyone’s distance, for all our sakes. DJ Charlie Chase on the SOO Show: There’s probably no deeper serial dive into hip-hop history and culture in the city than DJ Rome’s The Sound of Orlando Show; the knowledgeable guest list frequently reads like a who’s who of OGs in the national…
Last month I shared some encouraging signs of recovery at Orlando’s attractions, and those small shoots have become full-blown blossoms ahead of spring’s arrival. Construction on Universal’s Epic Universe has officially resumed, Walt Disney World’s theme park reservations are booked solid with spring breakers, and all signs are pointing toward a blockbuster summer travel season.…
Premieres Wednesday: Dealer — France is the setting for a found-footage drama series in which a drug dealer conscripts a music-video director to help him become a rapper. Boy, these remakes of Pygmalion are getting edgier and edgier. (Netflix) Last Chance U Basketball — The popular reality sports series gets a hoops-centric spin-off, with eight…
The very nondescript Crystal Lake Plaza on Curry Ford Road has established itself as a bazaar for bon vivants of sorts, and not just because of “The Beef People” at Winn-Dixie. Over the past few years, Theo’s Kitchen, Roque Pub, Papa Llama and JJ’s Fresh have all burrowed themselves into the plaza’s aging (and affordable)…
Selections of the week: Wednesday, March 10Phantasmagoria The local Victorian horror-performance troupe takes over the library’s virtual stage for a St. Patrick’s-themed event delving into “the Irish side of haunted poetry, tales of terror, ghostly legends, folklore and more.” 9 p.m., free. Orange County Library System, ocls.info Thursday, March 11Front Porch Series: Oak Hill DriftersLocal…
Most nights in the pre-pandemic world, one could sip a coffee or a beer and enjoy a muffin at Austin’s Coffee in Winter Park while listening to poets, comedians or musicians hone their chops on stage. The walls are lined with paintings from local artists, available for purchase. For the past 18 years, the coffee…
Our weekly food news roundup
Over the past handful of years, I’ve watched local band the Welzeins evolve into one of the best all-out rock bands in Orlando’s current class. You can see what I mean on their hot-revving new record, Feast, the trio’s first full-length album since their eponymous 2014 record when they were just a two-piece. Freshly released…
Also: Be a friend to your asshole friend and tell her she’s an asshole
