While tourism leaders in Orlando continue to pull back on new investments amidst the pandemic, government officials in Miami are giving millions in tax subsidies to help attract new hospitality jobs. The county commissioners approved a resolution Nov. 13 to provide a $112.5 million mixed-use resort development proposed for the parking lot at Zoo Miami.…
Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar is hosting their annual vegan-friendly Thanksgiving dinner, on Thursday, Nov. 26. But this year, out of necessity and safety, it’s going to be a strictly to-go style affair. On offer – in vegan and non-vegan variations – is turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, rolls and butter, housemade cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole.…
Dance promoters Insomniac on Wednesday announced the lineup for the virtual event they will put putting on this weekend instead of the in-person EDC Orlando, called off this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The EDC Orlando Virtual Rave-A-Thon is happening on the mobile device screen of your choice this Friday and Saturday, and it…
Marco Rubio, a sentient dancing inflatable tube man masquerading as a U.S. Senator, has inserted himself into Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff elections over the last week, and this morning he attempted to drum up controversy by criticizing Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock for quoting Jesus. On Wednesday morning, the Florida Republican tweeted a clip of Warnock,…
CityArts in Downtown Orlando is opening its newest group exhibition, Themers and Dreamers, this week. The work showcased is from a group of Imagineers and creative staff from Disney and Universal Studios, many of whom have been furloughed or laid off their jobs due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The multimedia collection of pieces, many of…
Years worth of jokes and boasts about visiting Disney whilst tripping – we’re thinking especially of a Simpsons episode where Lisa Simpson had a bad trip on a ride that seems suspiciously like It’s A Small World – went drastically wrong when a South Florida man on acid tackled a Disney security guard at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.…
South Beach restaurant chain Lime Fresh Mexican Grill made a welcome return to Orlando this week, with the opening of a location in Lake Nona. Lime Fresh, a purveyor of more health-conscious Mexican food, opened the doors to its storefront at Nona Place Shopping Center on Tuesday with a new look and some new menu…
The Historic Downtown Sanford area will allow open containers of alcohol on the streets of the bustling downtown area for the first time ever for one night in November. The “Shop Small – Live Large” event set for Saturday, Nov. 28, will now also be “Open Container Saturday.” The area of downtown between 1st and…
It was an eventful Saturday night in Orlando as Orange County’s coronavirus “strike teams” visited a number of local bars last weekend and found many not in compliance with the county’s COVID-19 protocols. Eleven downtown and UCF-area establishments were found to be not enforcing safety protocols or precautionary measures. “Our strike teams found no masks,…
The city of Orlando on Monday announced the next steps in the ambitious plan for the “Under-I” urban park to be built beneath I-4 bridge decks in downtown Orlando. When completed, Under-I – or the “Bridge District” – will be a 9.75-acre multi-use community gathering space featuring “sports courts, performance spaces, play areas, vendor opportunities and local heritage experiences.”…
The Orange County Clerk of Courts is offering a free Zoom webinar in December to assist local residents in navigating the increasingly complex web of legal and financial issues around eviction during the coronavirus pandemic. The Legal Matters Forum Series: Evictions Update During COVID-19 will provide up-to-date information about what exactly is happening with evictions locally…
Disney Springs resto Morimoto Asia will be getting in the seasonal spirit with their third annual 12 Beers of Christmas event in December. Hosted by the Iron Chef himself, guests will be treated to holiday-themed craft beers from local breweries and “gourmet pan-Asian light bites.” The 12 Beers of Christmas takes place on Sunday, Dec. 6. There are…
In what can only be seen as a major blow to the return of North America’s cruise industry, the first cruise in the Caribbean since March ended abruptly after multiple passengers tested positive for COVID-19, despite stringent safety protocols. Just after noon on Wednesday, as many passengers were getting ready to enjoy lunch on the…
As the travel industry tries to claw its way out of the COVID-induced recession, each sector within the industry must find the balance between providing a welcoming, easy experience for guests and meeting health protocols the best way possible. Airlines have seen tens of thousands laid off and year-over-year traffic is down 65%, while the…
With crowded tourist areas no longer offering the appeal they once did, companies are looking at new boutique vacation options that appeal to adventurous travelers. In 2021 one company will take brave travelers to new depths with public tours of the Titanic wreckage. OceanGate Expeditions is offering six expeditions this coming summer. Each trip will…
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. Florida Sen. Rick Scott is self-quarantining after coming in contact with someone who is COVID-positive. – LINK The good news is that a vaccine doesn’t seem to far off.…
Florida Sen. Rick Scott announced over the weekend that he would be “quarantining immediately” after being in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Scott posted on his Twitter Saturday that he had been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday night. Scott was tested for COVID on Saturday morning…
Local soul troubadour Eugene Snowden will finally be making his long-delayed headlining appearance at the Dr. Phillips Center AMP’d Series in December! It’s been a year of ups and downs for Snowden. On the one hand, he released a new single and music video and finished his new album, Only the Real Thing. On the…
Originally scheduled for April, Florida poet Ariel Francisco’s book release party here in Orlando – with a musical twist – is back on for Tuesday night. Pairing Francisco reading from his Miami-suffused newish book on Burrow Press, A Sinking Ship Is Still A Ship, with voice/piano pieces by local composers from Central Florida Composers Forum – including Bob Walker Jr, Rebekah Todia, Keith…
A COVID-19 vaccine might not be ready just yet, but Orange County is already taking steps to have ready the necessary cold storage space that will be needed when the time comes. As first reported by the Orlando Business Journal, Orange County government has spent $67,000 on a freezer, refrigerator, and ultra-cold freezer that will potentially be able…
A wedding reception in rural Maine attended by 55 guests was epidemiologically linked to 177 COVID-19 cases between Aug. 7 and Sept. 14, including seven hospitalizations and seven deaths, according to a new report issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Secondary and subsequent contacts following the wedding reception, researchers believe, led…
Restaurant-goers haven’t had a whole lot to celebrate this year, so this should come as some much-welcome news. John and Juliana Calloway, the high priest and priestess of Orlando’s taco scene, will expand their Black Rooster Taqueria concept to what some call the Hourglass District (and others the Curry Ford West Main Street District!) this…
Open enrollment for Obamacare is in full swing in Florida, even as the U.S. Supreme Court listened to oral arguments this week on whether the law is constitutional. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Affordable Care Act, even though pandemic-related job losses are driving more people to sign up for its coverage. Islara Souto…
If cute nutcracker figurines feature heavily on your holiday shopping list, or you’re looking to pregame the upcoming annual production of The Nutcracker at the Dr. Phillips Center, the Orlando Ballet School is opening a pop-up shop this weekend worth your time. The first-ever “Nutcracker Boutique” will be open for business at Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre…
In Florida, where President Donald Trump gained crucial support among Latino voters, his campaign ran a YouTube ad in Spanish making the explosive — and false — claim that Venezuela’s ruling clique was backing Democratic nominee Joe Biden. [ Leer en español ] This story was co-published with Noticias Telemundo. YouTube showed the ad more than 100,000 times…
The upcoming Frontyard Festival – an ambitious outdoor mega-event set for the lawn in front of the Dr. Phillips Center over the course of months – just announced its first four big headliners. And there is going to be some top-tier national talent setting foot on this new Downtown Orlando stage. On Dec. 5 (which is very, very…
Orange County government will reopen the CARES Act portal for individual and family assistance for yet another round of applications next week, in a measure of good news for Orange County residents. The portal will reopen on Monday, Nov. 16, at 8 a.m., and accept 15,000 applications total before closing again. Applicants are eligible for…
Like a mythical beast rising from a stormy sea, a recent video shows a truly gigantic alligator stomping across a Florida golf course through the rainy weather from Tropical Storm Eta. The now viral video was originally posted to Facebook by the Valencia Golf and Country Club in Naples, Florida, and shows a big, beefy,…
The Weeknd will perform at the Super Bowl LV halftime show at Raymond James Stadium on Feb. 7, 2021, the NFL, Pepsi and Roc Nation just announced. The Weeknd has a long history of touring in Central Florida, having played Tampa’s Straz Center before hitting Amalie Arena twice. He’s dreamed of this opportunity for a…
The holidays are somehow nearing and even though the weather isn’t changing, downtown Orlando’s Courtesy Bar will soon be transformed into the “Miracle on Orange” Christmas-themed cocktail pop-up later this month. Miracle on Orange takes over the downtown craft cocktail bar from Nov. 24-Dec. 25 offering a specialized menu of boozy holiday libations, with decorations and flourishes…
Central Florida commuter rail system Sunrail announced on Wednesday afternoon that service will be suspended on Thursday in preparation for possible effects of Hurricane Eta. Any further service disruptions or changes due to Eta will be posted to Sunrail’s social media. Service will be suspended tomorrow, 11/12, for storm preparations. For service updates please follow…
If the popularity of Winter Park Biscuit Co.’s pop-ups are any indication, East End Market is about to become an epicenter for plant-based eats. That’s because the vegan diner by chef/cookbook author Mary Westfall and A Day to Remember guitarist Neil Westfall is poised to open inside the Audubon Park food hall, and ravenous vegans…
Pointing to the “erratic nature” of the storm as it threatened a large part of Florida’s west coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday expanded a state of emergency and asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration as Tropical Storm Eta prepared to make landfall Thursday. Tropical-storm and storm-surge warnings and a hurricane watch…
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. I can’t remember the last time we were playing Christmas music while reporting on a hurricane and preparing for a pandemic-filled holiday season. But since that’s our reality,…
“How American conservatism dies is the most important story, by far, of this moment,” Matthew Sheffield, a co-founder of the right-wing media-criticism site NewsBusters, wrote in a mea culpa Twitter thread on Friday night. “Conventional media will never tell this story because their business is built on the lie that [Donald] Trump is an aberration…
Plus restaurant openings and events in our weekly food news roundup
Only this show could lure me out of the house to share air with strangers
Why is this film fest different from all others?
Premieres Wednesday: Eater’s Guide to the World – Anthony Bourdain may be long gone, but there’s no end in sight to the genre of the foodie travelogue. Witness this seven-episode trip around the culinary globe, narrated by none other than … Maya Rudolph. And here you thought she only ate Mike Pence for breakfast. (Relax,…
¶ A history of violence For last week’s cover story, we wrote about the 1920 Ocoee Election Day Massacre, the largest incident of racist voting-day violence in U.S. history, and it happened right here in our backyard (“100 years ago in Ocoee, Black residents were murdered and driven off the land they owned, yet few…
Where do I go from here? My parents voted for Trump in 2016 and again in 2020. I’m a lesbian. My partner and I have been together for nearly 20 years. My parents have always been supportive; we have a great relationship. But I can’t reconcile their vote for this piece of trash. They’re not…
Meet Jimmy! Jimmy (A457039) is a sweet 5-year-old boy searching for his forever family. Jimmy is fearful around other animals, but with patience he warms up to people when given the opportunity. We believe Jimmy will do much better once he is with a new family that can take the time to give him the…
In what still seems like a frankly unbelievable development at this point in 2020, legendary British DJ Paul Oakenfold is indeed playing Orlando this Saturday. As part of a two-show, bi-coastal swing – also taking in the Dreamstate drive-in rave in San Bernardino, California – Oakenfold is headlining Ace Cafe’s new outdoor concert field in…
Nov. 11Fountain FeaturesThe Enzian’s new outdoor screening series at the Eden Bar kicks off with Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. 7 p.m., SOLD OUT. The Enzian, 1300 South Orlando Ave., Maitland,, enzian.org Nov. 12Front Porch Concerts: Per Danielsson QuartetThe Plaza Live is holding a series of outdoors, weekly “weekend warm-up” shows starring a stellar cast of local…
