Only weeks after the Mooby’s pop-up restaurant inspired by his Jay and Silent Bob films took over Tin Roof on International Drive, filmmaker Kevin Smith himself is appearing live at the Dr. Phillips Center’s socially distanced Frontyard Festival for an evening blending stand-up storytelling with behind-the-scenes Q&A. Orlando Weekly was lucky enough to get a…
At the same time in 2019 that coronavirus was spreading across Wuhan, a bacterial infection was jumping from puppies to humans in Florida. The Campylobacter outbreak would stretch across seventeen states. Fifty-six positive cases were found, with sixteen percent of the cases resulting in hospitalization. Campylobacter infections are a common cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare disorder…
The Still Serving Facebook group is crossing over into real life with a job fair they’re putting on next week dubbed “Interviews and Brews.” Taking place at Rockpit Brewing on Monday, May 17 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m., “Interviews and Brews” will connect job seekers and local businesses (mostly of the service industry-variety) in a speed-dating-esque…
Orlando Opera is poised to present their new production of As One, a transgender coming-of-age story told through song later this month. As part of the premiere, there will be a community panel dubbed “Together As One” held on Thursday, May 13, hosted by Opera Orlando board member and activist Chevalier Lovett, to raise awareness and…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices ALL ABOARD STORAGE NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Personal property of the following tenants will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder to satisfy a rental lien in accordance with Florida Statutes, Sections: A83.801 – 83.809. All units are assumed to contain general household goods unless otherwise indicated. Viewing of…
After the governor of Florida effectively ended all local mask mandates throughout the state, University of Central Florida announced that they will be dropping their on-campus masking requirements next month. The school plans to end all masking and social distancing requirements for students and faculty on its campus starting June 23. They will continue to…
Manchester Orchestra are no strangers to Orlando stages. The Atlanta band have been playing regularly in successively bigger venues since the very start of their career in the early 2000s. So it seems appropriate that the band returns to live shows with a Wednesday set at the Frontyard Festival in downtown Orlando. The band will…
In the name of charity, Savoy Orlando has turned over their bar to a gathering of celebs once a year for nearly a decade and 2021 won’t be any different. On May 11, the Ivanhoe Village institution will allow a menagerie of pageant winners, politicians, theater standouts and drag queens to get behind the stick…
The Orlando Museum of Art plans to open a second campus downtown. Quickly approaching its hundredth year, the venerable art institution will take a space in a planned luxury apartments tower between Pine and Church Streets along Lake Avenue. The 33-story building will feature housing, but also a penthouse club, convention center, dog park and…
Saying the state is blowing up “tired old narratives,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a measure designed to lead to a major expansion of school vouchers. DeSantis, during a ceremony at St. John the Apostle Catholic School in Hialeah, said the bill (HB 7045) will help provide educational choices to families who might otherwise…
It’s Gordon Ramsay’s world and we’re just living in it. Not only is Ramsay opening Fish & Chips in Icon Park this summer, but the spinoff touring show based on one of his two million reality shows — MasterChef in this case — MasterChef Live will be chopping it up in Orlando this October. Combining past contestants…
At last the co-headlining tour from Latin-pop sensations Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias has been rescheduled — it’s now kicking off this fall — and the previously-confirmed Orlando date survived the shuffle. This tour will, improbably, mark the first time that Martin and Iglesias have shared stages for an extended run of shows. The tour kicks off in…
Update 05-13-2021 with details and comments regarding the new partnership. Central Florida wasn’t hit as hard by the coronavirus pandemic as many other tourist destinations, but the region definitely suffered. Tourism in the area tumbled by more than half, taking many hospitality and service jobs built around the industry down with it. As the area…
Here’s something you might have missed if the last year atrophied your ability to keep up with restaurant news: Tiger Woods runs a chain of hybrid restaurant/bar/putt-putt courses called PopStroke. The combination already has storefronts in Port St. Lucie and Fort Myers and it’s expanding to Orlando. The mini-golf chain announced its Orlando location as…
Pennsylvania filet mignon sandwich chain Nick Filet will open its first location outside of Pennsylvania on Friday. Orlandoans who see a nice cut of steak and just wish it was on a bun are in luck, as that pilot franchise is landing in our fair city. The first Florida location is going where new expansions…
For a while now, Sanford watering hole Tuffy’s Bottle Shop has been on a gradual but concentrated campaign to become a player in the metro’s live music scene. The latest pieces to fall into place there have been major and have set the literal and figurative stage for them to become a contender. First, they…
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday formally received bills that are expected to lead to an expansion of school vouchers and boost efforts to combat sea-level rise and flooding. DeSantis has until May 25 to act on the measures, which were passed during the legislative session that ended last month. The vouchers bill (HB 7045), in…
Through a partnership with sponsor Stella Artois, Bite30, the city-wide promotion featuring 30+ local restaurants serving $30 prix fixe three-course experiences, will raise money for the James Beard Foundation’s “Open for Good” Fund to help independent restaurants weather the crisis caused by the pandemic. While Bite30 restaurants who carry the special bottle will retain all…
In a show of force, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political committee raised nearly $14 million in April as he prepares for a re-election campaign next year —- and as speculation builds about a possible bid for president in 2024. The committee Friends of Ron DeSantis raised $13.979 million in April and had about $31.6 million in…
A Florida fisherman had to pack it up early after a large alligator chased him from his spot last weekend. A recent video posted to YouTube on Saturday, May 8, by user Chum Dumpster shows a fisherman scampering down a narrow path while a prehistoric predator chases him down. “Oh Jesus Christ, you got to…
After getting caught last week in an easily disprovable lie about a fake “Fox News exclusive,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will now give a real exclusive, but to a much, much worse television network. On Wednesday, May 12, DeSantis, who seems to be eyeing a presidential run in 2024, will join former Trump Administration spokesman…
Winter Park’s regional superchain Foxtail Coffee Co. is getting even bigger. The company just announced two more locations in Mount Dora, bringing the total number of pending Foxtail spots in the area up to seven. The two Mount Dora spots for the wildly successful coffee roasters will be open before the year is out, according…
Given the agreeable weather and lakeside views of much of Orlando, it’s really a wonder we don’t have rooftop bars the way Tampa has strip clubs. However, a long-empty spot in Ivanhoe Village will get us one step closer to being rife with roofs. The Orlando Business Journal reports that the owners of the space…
Though his operation started in a humble, gas station outpost, Chuck Cobb made an impact that reverberated throughout the entire Orlando food scene. The late chef behind Git-N-Messy, who passed away following a motorcycle accident last month, made many friends and admirers as his rib-sticking food caught on throughout the city. It’s those same folks…
Publix Pharmacy locations throughout Florida are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to walk-in patients, starting today. The company announced that it would start accepting people who are seeking the vaccine without an appointment, offering them the choice of either the Moderna vaccine or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Both are subject to availability. The Moderna vaccine requires…
Just a day after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a constitutional challenge Saturday to a measure that would limit contributions to political committees backing ballot initiatives. The ACLU argued in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Tallahassee that the bill (SB 1890) “burdens and chills”…
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed 15 bills, including measures that will help upgrade Florida’s much-maligned unemployment system, regulate the sale of electronic cigarettes and limit contributions to political committees supporting ballot initiatives. Lawmakers passed the bills during the legislative session that ended last week, and DeSantis’ office announced the signings about 5:30 p.m. Friday…
Chicago goths Wingtips are headed south this fall to play some hometown dates — they’ve got deep local roots, after all — and they’ll be playing Orlando as part of that southward migration. The duo of Vincent Segretario and Hannah Avalon have played the Falcon and Stonewall in years past, but this time they’re heading Mills 50 way to fill up Will’s…
Turns out you don’t need a sex trafficking scandal to shed staffers. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis lost plenty of employees during his time in Congress by just being generally terrible to work under. According to a new report from Politico, former staff of DeSantis’ congressional office have formed a support group in the years since…
It seems like we’re really pinning our hopes on things being back to normal by Halloween. Halloween Horror Nights came back to life like Frankenstein earlier this week, with word getting out that they’re holding auditions for the annual fright fest. Now, Disney is announcing a Halloween celebration of its own after the park closes.…
“What’s in a name?” Readers [and writers, full disclosure] of a certain age will be pleasantly surprised by the announcement this week that downtown Orlando’s Independent Bar has changed its name back to the iconic Barbarella moniker. If they’re anything like us, the news will have them lost in a nostalgic haze for at least an…
A Cocoa man led police on a wild chase down I-95 on May 6, spanning two counties using two separate, stolen cop cars. The chase began in Brevard County after Cocoa officers responded to a report of a disturbance at a local motel. Police stopped 33-year-old Xavier Javern Cummings, but during the course of their…
Though an order from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis effectively stripped Orange County’s ability to enforce a mask mandate, mayor Jerry Demings is urging residents to keep masking up. During a news conference about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on May 6, Demings asked that locals continue to seek the COVID-19 vaccine and wear a mask in…
Hold tight Beliebers, because Justin Bieber is Orlando-bound next spring. As part of Bieber’s rescheduled Justice 2022 world tour, Bieber will be hitting the Amway Center on April 11, one of four Florida dates along with Jacksonville (April 7), Tampa (April 9) and Miami (April 13). Bieber is touring behind latest album Justice, which came…
Death-metal supergroup Gruesome are playing some summer dates in erstwhile death metal capitol Florida and, yeah, they’re playing Orlando. With a lineup that has boasted former features members of heavies like Exhumed, Possessed and Malevolent Creation, Gruesome did in old-fashioned blood-soaked metal that calls to mind greats like Death and Autopsy. We witnessed their last…
Local theme parks Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando are both phasing out temperature checks as part of their respective COVID-19 safety protocols over the next few days. Universal Orlando is acting first, ending temperature checks across the board on Thursday [hey that’s today!]. Universal will also ease up on physical distancing requirements at the…
Altamonte Springs’ annual July 4 shindig Red Hot & Boom has been canceled by organizers for a second year. An update posted to an official Altamonte Springs Facebook account broke the bad but understandable news about the decision to postpone this year’s freedom blowout: The City of Altamonte Springs and XL 1067 have made the…
As much as we might hate it, tourism is the lifeblood of Orlando. Walt Disney’s decision to build a castle in the swamp morphed Orlando from a military town of 50,000 to the car-choked mess it is today. Even if they’re clogging our arteries, a situation where they are completely gone would be disastrous. Related…
Gov. Ron DeSantis expects late this month to reinstate a requirement that people in the unemployment system submit weekly “work search” updates. Referring to some businesses saying they are unable to find new employees as they regroup from the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis said Wednesday unemployment claimants will likely have to start showing how they looked…
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed an elections overhaul that was one of the most-contentious issues of the 2021 legislative session, as opponents threatened lawsuits and argued the measure would disenfranchise voters. DeSantis, who will be on the ballot in 2022 as he seeks a second term as governor, signed the bill (SB 90) on…
On May 16, Sunday FunDay is going to be supersized, as the City District turns our streets into Gotham with a tech-driven, GPS-guided, superhero-themed scavenger hunt. Thousands of dollars in prizes are up for grabs, and teams may have from two to six people, at a cost of $70 per team. That’s less than $20…
In response to the workforce shortage in bars and restaurants induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Orlando Weekly has partnered with OrlandoJobs.com and City District have partnered to offer free booth space and job listings to bars and restaurants in OrlandoJobs.com’s HIREpalooza Virtual Career Fair. “Our food and beverage industry was hit so hard by the…
It’s hard to think of Universal or SeaWorld as an underdog of anything. None of the big theme parks could be called scrappy at this point, even if they continue to live in the shadow of Walt Disney World. Still, everybody happily making money won’t stop the parks from pouncing if the House of Mouse…
If you think you’ve got the spooky chops for it, Universal Orlando started taking external applications this week for scareactors for Halloween Horror Nights. The theme park is looking for a few good scareactors and stilt-walkers to frighten the living daylights out of unsuspecting park visitors during the annual HHN extravaganza, which starts this year…
Florida congressional representative Matt Gaetz had few friends in Washington before news broke that the Department of Justice was investigating him for possible sex trafficking crimes. That rift between the trollish conservative and his caucus only grew wider as more reports were leaked, with the GOP steadily backing away from the troubled congressman. Back home,…
The Midnight Ramblers’ headlining show set for this Thursday’s iteration of the Plaza Live’s Front Porch Series has been canceled due to inclement weather. Part of the challenge of scheduling events in the spring and summer in Central Florida is, well, you live in Central Florida, where heavy rain can fall at the drop of…
SeaWorld is bringing back their fan-favorite event Viva La Música later this month for weekends full of the holy theme-park trinity of live music, good food and shopping. The Latin music fest will take over sections of the park on Saturdays and Sundays from May 15-23. On the music front, DJs are taking over the…
Do you think Danny Ocean is more of a Thin Mints or a Tagalong man? A Central Florida branch of the Girl Scouts may soon find out. The Girl Scouts of Citrus told Fox 35 that they have 216,000 unsold cookie boxes sitting in a warehouse at a time that’s traditionally the end of the…
Orlando is in the middle of a long, Bo-Berry biscuitless era. The Carolina chicken chain Bojangles (and their signature sweet biscuits) shuttered all eight area locations in 2015. The Gotta Wanna Needa Getta Hava heads won’t do without for much longer, however, as the fast food restaurant is plotting 15 new locations in Central Florida. According to…
The Orlando Magic are hosting a mass vaccination event at their home arena. The team is partnering with AdventHealth and the City of Orlando to provide 2,300 vaccinations on May 13. The site is offering the first dose of the Moderna vaccine to any eligible Floridians who sign up for an appointment through AdventHealth’s portal.…
Former president and current South Florida wedding crasher Donald Trump is still barred from Facebook. A Facebook oversight board ruled on May 5 that Trump’s actions and posts on the day of the riots at the US Capitol violated the terms of the social media platform. Since Trump’s supporters stormed the seat of Congress, more…
The World’s Largest White Castle has barely been open for 24 hours, but it already has another accolade to stack on top of its bigness. White Castle representatives say the outpost on Daryl Carter Parkway annihilated single-day sales records, moving more burgers than any other White Castle restaurant in the chain’s 100-year history. “Our grand…
Meet Marino! This sweet boy has been at our shelter for over 108 days and we are hoping his forever family is looking for him! Marino (A464902) was surrendered by his owner as they could no longer care for him. According to the previous family, he should be in a home with no young children…
All about the women who brought us some of our favorite pop stars
Letters to the Editor
Few Orlando artists can claim as much raw originality as the inimitable Ray Brazen, undeniably one of most interesting figures in the city’s music scene. Although nothing in art’s freak fringes is out of the question for him, his foray into noise music as Egyptian Pile Cure is an especially intriguing turn. And as usual…
This weekend, we have a couple of America-themed events meant for all of us and not just for Karens and Kens. If you go out, respect everyone’s distance, for all our sakes. Rickolus: From his notable work spanning great 2000s band the Julius Airwave on up to the brilliant Hurricane Party, Rickolus is Jacksonville indie…
Plus six more new Orlando restaurants opening soon
Our selections of the best events this week Wednesday, May 5 Frontyard Festival: Big Gigantic Sax and percussion mixes with superlatively programmed electronics courtesy of this Colorado duo who have played Coachella and Lollapalooza … and now the Frontyard Festival. 8 p.m., $39.50-$75. Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., drphillipscenter.org…
