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Orlando Weekly Fall Guide 2021: Get out of the house
The days are growing shorter and the nights are growing longer — it’s the perfect time to take in the plethora of arts and seasonal events happening right here in the City Beautiful. This year’s Fall Guide covers arts, seasonal and Halloween happenings from now through Nov. 16, which is when our Holiday Guide appears…
A Donkey Kong land is likely coming to Universal Orlando, but first it will open in Japan
Super Nintendo World has been rumored for Orlando for nearly half a decade, and since the beginning, it has included a mini-land themed to Donkey Kong. After years of speculation, Universal finally confirmed this jungle-themed mini-land is happening, but instead of Florida, the first Donkey Kong land will open in Japan. Last week, Universal and…
Orlando YIMBYs are bringing attention to area’s housing crisis
In 2001, when Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood announced details regarding the proposed Baldwin Park mixed-use development, Orlando was already facing a growing housing affordability issue. Two decades later, housing access in the region has become a full-blown crisis. One study found Orlando outpaced high housing cost cities like Portland, San Francisco, and Chicago when income…
Port Canaveral may soon be home to one of the most unique aquariums in the country
With cruising slowly restarting at Port Canaveral, leaders at the Central Florida port are looking ahead at expanding their tourism offerings. After three years of planning, the Port commission unanimously approved a plan to lease a 26-acre waterfront site to be transformed into an aquarium and marine animal rehabilitation center. Led by the East Coast…
Legal Public Notices 10/06 issue
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…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sides with harassers as federal government looks into threats against school officials, teachers
Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled Tuesday that Florida will fight a federal effort to address a spike in threats against educators. DeSantis responded on Twitter to a move Monday by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland ordering the FBI to work with local officials to help address a “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence”…
‘Top Chef’ winner Richard Blais opening Orlando restaurant in former home of Hemingway’s
Former Top Chef winner Richard Blais is opening a tropical themed restaurant in Orlando. According to a press release, the first-ever winner of Top Chef All-Stars is opening his latest restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, a hotel just outside of Walt Disney World. The chef who specializes in New American cuisine said he’s…
Wrongfully convicted former death row inmate is suing Tampa Police officers who allegedly framed him
A man who spent 37 years in prison after the Tampa Police Department falsified evidence against him is now suing four TPD officers and an “expert witness” for damages. Robert DuBoise was just 18 when he was arrested in 1983. Following his arrest, four TPD officers allegedly conspired to falsify evidence against him in order…
Joel Greenberg says he needs sentencing delayed until March to rat out his friends appropriately
Former Seminole County tax collector and current convicted felon Joel Greenberg is asking to delay his sentencing yet again. The reason is that he still needs more time to cooperate with federal investigations into his associates. “The parties expect that Mr. Greenberg will participate in additional proffers, and a continuance would provide Mr. Greenberg with…
Immersive Van Gogh exhibit reveals ‘secret’ location: the Orange County Convention Center
When word of an immersive Vincent van Gogh experience in Orlando first broke, we admit we were intrigued by the whole “secret location” business. Images of warehouse parties and speakeasies past floated through our heads like so many Starry Nights. Now that the location has been revealed to be the Orange County Convention Center, we…
Parents of disabled children in Florida take school masking case to federal appeals court
Parents of children with disabilities went to a federal appeals court Monday after a judge sided with Gov. Ron DeSantis and rejected a challenge to an executive order aimed at preventing Florida school districts from requiring students to wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attorneys for the parents filed a notice that is an initial…
Activist groups demand to see Heritage Foundation’s records regarding Florida’s voter suppression laws
Groups challenging the constitutionality of a new Florida elections law are asking a federal judge to force the conservative Heritage Foundation and its lobbying arm to turn over documents about the development of the law. The Florida State Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause and Disability Rights Florida filed an 18-page motion in federal court…
New Kids on the Block to play Amway Center in 2022
New Kids on the Block are far from kids, and anything but new, but they will be on the block if you happen to live near the Amway Center. The boy band just shared tour dates for their MixTape 2022 tour, and it includes a July stop in Orlando. As part of a three-date jaunt…
Mike Dunn’s Folk Yeah rebrands (and relocates) as Rust + Rebel Music Festival in Orlando
As we’ve been telling you, Folk Yeah — the annual Americana music event curated by Orlando roots rocker Mike Dunn — has been getting bigger and better each time out. Well, this year’s fifth edition is a particularly momentous evolution. For one, it’s changing its very name to the Rust + Rebel Music Festival, adopting the brand that Dunn…
Spooky Empire returns to Orlando this October
After a few years away in Tampa, Spooky Empire is returning to Orlando this month. The horror-themed answer to MegaCon hasn’t been held since 2019, thanks to a virus much scarier than any demon or immortal killer. The relaunch will encourage guests to mask up, though that’s not much of a problem for the costume-heavy…
Video shows black bear roaming near Orlando’s Mall at Millenia
An Orlando Reddit user captured video of a black bear roaming a residential neighborhood near Mall at Millenia on Sunday night. According to Redditor ChewyReloaded, the bear was roaming the Tuscany Townhomes neighborhood and heading toward the community pool. “Size is hard to tell through zoomed in phone camera but we estimated it to be…
Alligator attacks Central Florida woman who fell into a canal
Authorities in St. Petersburg say a woman in her 50s was attacked by an alligator after falling into an area canal on Monday. According to a release from the St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, the unidentified homeless woman was resting along the seawall near Bartlett Park when she fell into the canal and disturbed the alligator.…
Florida-based marijuana retailer is now the largest in the nation
Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana operator, is now the nation’s biggest cannabis retailer, after closing on a $2.1 billion deal to acquire former competitor Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. The transaction marks a major development in Florida, where Harvest held one of 22 licenses to cultivate, process and sell medical marijuana to a growing…
Florida judge rules against parents of children with disabilities in school mask case again
Rejecting arguments by parents of children with disabilities, a federal judge has refused to reconsider a decision that backed Gov. Ron DeSantis in a battle about student mask requirements in schools. U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore released a 34-page decision on Sept. 15 that denied a request for a preliminary injunction against an executive…
Recreational marijuana amendment filed in Florida again
After the Florida Supreme Court struck down an earlier version, a political committee has filed a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana use. The proposal, by the committee Sensible Florida, would allow people 21 or older to grow and use marijuana, with a cap of 18 plants per household, according to a copy…
Florida approved for more than $1B in food stamps for kids, after being the last state to apply
After weeks of pressuring Gov. Ron DeSantis to apply for a one-time pandemic food-stamp program, this week Florida became the last state to apply and get approval for more than a billion dollars in Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) federal funding. The program was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April to aid those…
The McRib will soon return to McDonalds and a divided nation rejoices
Like a particularly resilient — though also delicious — villain in a slasher film, the McRib is returning to McDonald’s menus … right around Halloween. The McRib comes back to McDonald’s on Monday, Nov. 1, for the dreaded “limited time only.” The unexpected re-emergence of the paradoxically boneless sandwich is in observance of its 40th anniversary. The McRib debuted…
Watch the first-ever run of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary fireworks show ‘Disney Enchantment’
Walt Disney World unveiled its hotly anticipated 50th anniversary fireworks display last night. Called “Disney Enchantment,” the celebratory show replaces the long-running and beloved “Happily Ever After” show in the Magic Kingdom. Though initial fan reviews appear to be mixed, at least when holding it up to the nighttime show they’ve come to love, “Enchantment”…
Will’s Pub kicks off spooky season with scripted show ‘The Family Ghouls’ this Saturday
Witches, grab your brooms! Zombies, open your crypts! Vampires, sharpen your teeth! Spooky season is upon us, and Orlando’s Pangolin are ready to haunt your world with a live scripted Halloween Punk Rock Spooktacular. The Family Ghouls is a night of guaranteed thrills and chills, taking place this Saturday, Oct. 2, at Orlando’s own PBR graveyard,…
Florida lawmakers look to exempt churches from future emergency orders
Two Republican lawmakers are seeking to shield religious services from being shut down because of state emergency orders. Rep. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, on Thursday filed a proposal (HB 215) for the 2022 legislative session seeking to put into law that an emergency order “may not expressly prohibit a religious institution from conducting regular…
Federal appeals court to hear transgender Florida youth’s bathroom case
A full federal appeals court will hear arguments in February in a battle about whether a transgender male student should have been allowed to use boys’ bathrooms at a St. Johns County high school. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to consider the long-running case during the week of Feb. 21 in…
Disney World’s long-awaited 50th anniversary celebration kicks off today. Here’s everything announced for the 18-month-long event
After days of festivities, Walt Disney World officially launched its 50th-anniversary celebration this morning with a ceremony at the Magic Kingdom. The half-century anniversary will be observed for the next eighteen months. During that time, the park will see new thrill rides open, its most ambitious hotel yet welcome its first guests, and unique entertainment…
Orlando Mixtape returns with a ’90s benefit concert for youth literacy
The Orlando Mixtape series of benefit concerts hasn’t been around long enough to remember the ’90s on its own, but that won’t stop the literacy-supporting charity gig from throwing back to the age of irony and alt-rock feeding frenzies. Orlando Mixtape: ’90s Edition will feature a night of ’90s hits played by Anti-Idol, a supergroup…
Tropicana Field to become winter wonderland during Enchant St. Pete
While Orlando will no doubt have its fair share of winter attractions and glittering theme parks come December, Enchant St. Pete is definitely worth a drive. The Christmas-themed maze of light installations will take over Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg from Nov. 26 to Jan. 2. The event will feature a chance to meet Santa…
Walt Disney World announces opening date for immersive, ‘Star Wars’-themed Galaxy Starcruiser resort
Walt Disney World announced an opening date for their hotly anticipated immersive Star Wars resort, Galaxy Starcruiser. The interactive hotel, meant to bring guests into the galaxy far, far away for days at a time, will open to the public on March 1. Disney announced the concrete date during a news conference on Thursday, just…
Visit Florida asks for $75 million, increased lifespan to bring tourists back to state
Florida’s tourism-marketing agency will ask lawmakers to maintain increased funding and extend its life, as the state ramps up efforts to attract international visitors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit Florida Chairman Danny Gaekwad told members of the Enterprise Florida Board of Directors on Wednesday that Visit Florida will request at least $75 million for tourism…
Advance peek at new hip-house single by Orlando MC Swamburger
Swamburger, long one of Orlando’s most devout prophets of true hip-hop, is about to go off script a bit with an upcoming single steeped in house flavor. On “All Hail Open Doors,” he goes back to his Chicago roots and pairs his signature raps with luxuriously jazzy house beats and the supple singing of Scarlet Monk…
Someone wrote a song about the Florida man who trapped an alligator in a trash can
“You do things different down south, straight into the trash can’s mouth,” sings Jonathan Mann, who felt inspired enough to write a song about a recent viral video of a Florida man capturing an alligator with a trash can. The slightly over 2-minute feel-good jingle is mostly about the whole gator thing, but it also…
Parents of disabled children ask judge to reconsider ruling on Florida’s mask mandate ban
Parents of children with disabilities on Wednesday asked a federal judge to reconsider a decision rejecting their request to block Gov. Ron DeSantis’ efforts to prevent school mask requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge K. Michael Moore this month denied a request for a preliminary injunction against an executive order that DeSantis issued July 30.…
Florida state senator seeks to undercut paltry minimum wage increase with proposed ‘training wage’
With Florida’s minimum wage increasing Thursday to $10 an hour —- and eventually to $15 an hour —- a Senate Republican has filed a proposal that would allow employers to pay a lower “training” wage. Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, on Wednesday filed the proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 382) for consideration during the legislative session…
Watch Walt Disney’s initial announcement of Walt Disney World ahead of the park’s 50th anniversary
Walt Disney World is nearing the 50th anniversary of its opening. But before the “Most Magical Place On Earth” could open, reshaping Central Florida in its image, Walt himself had to tell the world his plans. In 1965, Disney did just that. He shared the details of his “Florida project” and announced the park in…
Automat-style Brooklyn Dumpling Shop to open location in Orlando
The automat-style restaurant fell out of favor at the end of space age futurism, but continued pushes for seamless food delivery and the ongoing pandemic have made the dial-it-up vending system desirable yet again. The first of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop’s automat Chinese restaurants opened earlier this year and it’s already expanding out of state. Florida…
Anti-Ron DeSantis ad compares Florida’s COVID-19 response to ‘The Purge’
In a new attack ad from the anti-Ron DeSantis PAC Remove Ron, the state’s response to COVID-19 is compared to The Purge series of horror movies. For the unfamiliar, The Purge movies center around a society that has created a single day where all laws are suspended. This day is celebrated with a bacchanal of bloody…
Orlando man traps alligator using only a trash can in viral video
A recent video shows a poor alligator getting swallowed by a trash can. The now viral video was first posted to Instagram on Sept. 28 by Orlando resident and Army veteran Abdul Gene Malik, who added “I got kids to protect lol…. Army strong shit.” The video presumably shows Malik wearing socks and Adidas slides…
Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac rejects anti-vax label, remains unvaccinated against COVID-19
Orlando Magic star Jonathan Isaac was already a compelling story this season. His return from a terrible ACL injury last season made him a player to watch. Unfortunately, all of that has been overshadowed by his reluctance to take coronavirus vaccine. Isaac railed against what he viewed as shoddy journalism during this week’s Magic media…
Orange County School Board fires employee who refused to mask up
The Orange County School Board convened to another room full of hot-under-the-collar anti-maskers on Tuesday. The temperature of the room wasn’t helped at all by one of the items on the agenda, a consideration of whether to terminate an employee who refused to follow the district’s mask guidelines. The tense crowd, barely discouraged by the…
Orlando rep. Anna Eskamani files bill to shift Florida to all-renewable energy by 2040
Two Democratic lawmakers have filed proposals that would require Florida to generate all of its electricity through renewable energy by 2040. Sen. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, filed a Senate version (SB 366) of the proposal Tuesday, after Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, filed the House version (HB 81) last week. The bills are filed for consideration…
Florida files lawsuit against Biden administration over immigration policies
Pointing to what they called a “crisis,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody launched another legal challenge Tuesday to immigration decisions by the Biden administration, while Gov. Ron DeSantis took a series of steps to address people coming into the state illegally. Moody’s office filed a 23-page lawsuit in federal court in Pensacola, accusing the Biden…
Readers react: Freedom to vote and Orlando’s worst intersections
¶ The Freedom to Vote act is essential No matter where we live or our background, Americans want fair elections, where we all have the freedom to vote and make our voices heard on important issues such as providing affordable health care, creating good jobs and ensuring quality education. For months, the American people have…
Orlando director Paul Castaneda on Nine, the Musical, his ‘bucket-list show’
A titan of the arts at the peak of their power is unexpectedly called to task by the numerous women they’ve damaged over the decades, and is finally forced to confront the emotional carnage they caused during the course of their career. It’s a story we’ve heard often these past few years, not only in…
‘The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin’ profiles the late Tennessee pastor and diet guru
Premieres Wednesday, Sept. 29: The Chestnut Man — Can’t get enough Scandinavian crime drama? Gorge yourself on a Danish series about a serial murderer whose calling card is a doll made of chestnuts and sticks. (Mmm … gorge …. Danish … nuts.) (Netflix) No One Gets Out Alive — A Mexican woman moves into a…
Orlando concert picks this week: Future Sound of Breaks: Origin and Thievery Corporation
The dance-music time warp that’s opened up lately in our city will be blown wide open in the clubs this week. FSOB’s Origin: OK, so the Carl Cox show on Friday night over at the legendary old Firestone is sold out. Don’t sweat, beat nuts, because old-school Orlando promoter Future Sound of Breaks is throwing…
Orlando Weekly Fall Guide 2021: Get out of the house and see some … art
A cornucopia of things to see this fall in Orlando’s museums and galleries. Through Sept. 30Out of the VaultA deep dive into the permanent collections of the UCF Gallery. UCF Art Gallery, 12400 Aquarius Agora Drive, gallery.cah.ucf.edu, free. Through Oct. 3American Arts and CraftsAdherents of the Arts and Crafts movement set out to reform the…
Orlando Weekly Fall Guide 2021: Get out of the house and see some … theater
Dive into the 2021-2022 theater season of plays, musicals and one-woman shows. Through Oct. 2Lost in YonkersPulitzer-winning 1991 play from Neil Simon. Annie Russell Theatre, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Ave., Winter Park, rollins.edu, $20. Through Oct. 3Fun HomeAlison Bechdel’s graphic novel turned Tony-winning musical about a family and a funeral home. Theater West End, 115…
Orlando Weekly Fall Guide 2021: Get out of the house and see some … dance, opera, classical music
This fall is full of violins, trills and pirouettes. Through Oct. 10AidaOsceola Arts production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s hit musical, an updated take on the Verdi opera. Osceola Arts, 2411 E. Irlo Bronson Highway, Kissimmee, osceolaarts.org, $28 Sept. 25Brahms & Gottschalk: An Opening Night Mix TapeOrlando Phil opens their season with an evening…
Orlando Weekly Fall Guide 2021: Get out of the house and … drink some beer and smash some pumpkins
Celebrate fall with corn mazes, pumpkin patches, beer festivals and more Oct. 1-2WOBtoberfestDust off your lederhosen and head to Lake Eola Park for chicken dance-offs, stein-hoisting competitions, pretzel-eating contests and Bavarian music. 431 E. Central Blvd., worldofbeer.com, free, menu prices vary. Oct. 2BrütoberfestUnlimited tastings of 80 beers from more than 35 different breweries, plus burgers,…
Corner Pizza Bar now serving downtown, Tabla to open Lake Nona outpost, and Melissa Kelly’s Primo is back with a new look
OPENINGS+CLOSINGS: The Corner Pizza Bar, a sister restaurant to the Italian House, has opened in the old Market on Magnolia space downtown. In addition to their pizzas, calzones and strombolis, they offer a full bar along with 40 beers on tap … The owners of Stasio’s Italian Deli will open Alfo’s Pizza Fritta, a fried…
New Orlando releases: Three breakbeat-steeped singles from Melo-dii and a fried techno grind from Astro Pup
There is definitely something in the water around here lately, and it’s conjuring the once-global spirit of Orlando’s dance music past. Although new, Melo-dii is an intriguing Orlando character whose string of releases are a throwback to the 1990s rave scene — a time, incidentally, when Orlando was a prime-time, world-class player and an era…
Savage Love: ‘You’re not indulging a kinky boyfriend, you’re being terrorized by an abuser’
Dear Dan: I’m worried this may be above your pay grade. LOL. My boyfriend and I have been together for nearly five years. When we first got together, he shared a fetish with me, which has honestly gotten out of hand. I’m not close-minded and I genuinely love pleasing people, and my approach to sex…
