Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Happy birthday to Orlando Signal Jr! My little fella exits his teen years tomorrow. Fun fact: besides Luna (hehe), he helps field, gather, and format event submissions for you all.
Now onto today’s Orlando Signal (weekend fun) issue:
- Fifth Planet
- Orlando Indie Bazaar
- Songs of the Hispanic Diaspora II
- + lots of weekend recs
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Let’s roll!
- Philip
3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
Small Homes, Big Impact: Orange County Program Draws Hundreds in Debut Year
Orange County's Ready, Set, Orange program is making waves, drawing over 400 eager applicants in its first year!
This clever initiative lets property owners build accessory dwelling units….think tiny homes that cozy up alongside primary residences. The program's already celebrating its first completed unit, with two more rolling toward the finish line.
Housing experts are buzzing about these compact dwellings as perfect solutions for the region's affordability crunch.
The program's secret sauce? It demolishes the three housing headaches that usually kill innovation: cost, complexity, and uncertainty. With 160 participants currently navigating permits, the fan-favorite "Clementine" 1br, 1ba design is stealing hearts among eight available layouts.
Who knew solving housing challenges could be this streamlined and exciting?
🔥 Check out Ready, Set, Orange program details and floor-plans, right here.
(Learn all about Ready, Set, Orange’s progress with Sarah Winkelmann, right here)
When Less Becomes More: Theater On The Edge Strips Away Everything but Raw Human Truth
Theater On The Edge serves up David Auburn's delightful "Fifth Planet" through August 31st!
This charming one-act follows two mismatched astronomers, one starry-eyed amateur, one seasoned pro, as their rocky relationship unfolds over a year of hilltop encounters under the cosmos.
🔥 TOTE's clever "Performed Stage Reading" ditches the boring script-reading format! Fully memorized performances let actors dive deep into character while keeping that cozy, intimate vibe. Auburn's episodic tale sparkles through quick scenes (some are just 30-second) capturing different nights on the same scenic hilltop.
After 60 minutes of celestial drama, stick around for a lively 30-minute chat with the cast, because the best stargazing always includes great conversation!
👉 Check out Fifth Planet, right here.
Orlando's Secret Sauce: 150 Years of Bold Moves and Big Wins
From orange trees to flying taxis, Orlando just doesn't know how to quit reinventing itself! Mayor Buddy Dyer's 2025 State of the City this past Tuesday was basically a victory lap for a city that's been crushing it for 150 years straight.
Here's the mic-drop moment: Orlando spends $406 million keeping residents safe while only collecting $360 million in property taxes.
Crime? Down everywhere: violent offenses dropped 14%, homicides slashed over 50%. Their "Orlando Unlocked" housing plan is tackling shortages like a boss, while they're literally preparing for flying cars and delivery drones.
Even going green pays off: energy upgrades are saving $2.5 million yearly and funding their shiny new police headquarters. Hit that 100% clean energy goal three years early? Of course they did. Orlando doesn't just adapt, it absolutely slays the reinvention game.
There’s a ton more progress shared on Tuesday. 👇
Catch the full State of the City here, or read the transcript here.
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Orlando Indie Bazaar
Source: Orlando Indie Bazaar
📍Hilton Orlando Altamonte Springs, 350 Northlake Blvd, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, August 24th, 11 a.m.
When summer sidewalks sizzle, savvy locals retreat to this sprawling indoor marketplace that costs nothing to explore.
This climate-controlled treasure hunt features curated boutiques brimming with vintage finds and handcrafted masterpieces.
Local artisans display everything from ceramics to upcycled jewelry, while verdant plants cascade from stalls and artisanal coffee aromas beckon visitors deeper.
More than retail therapy, this air-conditioned oasis transforms beating the heat into pure adventure.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
PHANTASMAGORIA! A Duet Storytelling Eve
Source: Calliope Street and Phantasmagoria
📍Oviedo Mall. 1670 Oviedo Mall Blvd., Oviedo, FL 32765. Map to this location.
🕐 Friday, August 22nd, 7 p.m.
PHANTASMAGORIA, hailed as "one of the most unique theater troupes in the country," transforms Edgar Allan Poe's haunting tales into visceral theatrical nightmares in "Poe, Through The Tales Darkly."
This critically-acclaimed Victorian Horror ensemble doesn't merely recite—they resurrect Poe's psychological landscapes where ravens speak and guilty hearts betray.
The adults-only experience (21+) features spooky drinks. Literature meets atmospheric horror in this unforgettable theatrical journey.
👉 Get more info, right here
Winefest 2025
Source: German American Society of Central Florida
📍German American Society of Central Florida. 381 Orange Ln, Casselberry, FL 32707. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, August 23rd, 5 p.m.
While Germany's beer-soaked Oktoberfest reputation dominates popular perception, the German American Society of Central Florida is uncorking a different side of Deutschland for Orlando wine enthusiasts.
Beyond Munich's famous beer halls lies a sophisticated wine culture spanning two millennia.
This immersive celebration weaves together German cuisine, expertly curated wine tastings, and traditional dancing, inviting locals to raise their glasses and discover elegant Rieslings and Gewürztraminers while toasting "Prost!" to Germany's overlooked vinous legacy.
👉 Get the full details
Songs of the Hispanic Diaspora II
Source: Timucua Arts Foundation
📍Timucua Arts Foundation. 2000 S Summerlin Ave, Orlando, FL 32806. Map to this location.
🕐 Sunday, August 24th, 7:30 p.m.
A deeply personal sonic odyssey that captures the haunting realities of exile and displacement through the rich lyrical traditions of the Spanish-speaking diaspora.
Each melody becomes a vessel for exploring the fragile, almost surreal nature of human belonging, where cultural memory meets the dreamlike impermanence of being uprooted from home, creating an intimate musical dialogue between loss and identity across borders.
👉 Check it out, right here
MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-Day
MVP Back-2-Back Live Boxing Events | Fri & Sat | Lake Buena Vista | More
Illume: A Transformative Art Workshop for Breast Cancer Survivors | Fri, Sat, Sun | Mills 50 | More
Sisaundra Lewis | Fri & Sat | Downtown | More
The Music Man in Concert | Fri, Sat, Sun | Downtown | More
Friday - 22nd
Rage Against The DJ | 7 p.m. | Lake Nona | More
Zachariah Porter | 6 p.m. | Milk District | More
Food Trucks Heaven Summer Farewell Fest | 6:30 p.m. | Kissimmee | More
Impending Doom, With Blood Comes Cleaning | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Underwater Dreams: Robin Johnson's Opening Night | 7 p.m. | Milk District | More
International Guitar Festival: Clive Carroll | 7:30 p.m. | Wadeview Park | More
The Longshot at the Abbey | 8 p.m. | Downtown | More
Morgan Joyce Hart | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More
NOTD | 10 p.m. | I-Drive | More
Saturday - 23rd
Ella & The Bossa Beat | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Labubu Bash! | 11 a.m. | Lake Fairview | More
Against All Odds // Anniversary Beer Festival | 1 p.m. | Longwood | More
Science Night Live | 8 p.m. | Downtown | More
Florida Kids and Family Expo 2025 - The 10th Annual! | Sat & Sun | I-Drive | More
Kitchen Lithography Printing | 11 a.m. | Maitland | More
International Guitar Festival: Chris Schoelen | 4:00 p.m. | Wadeview Park | More
Bridal Ball: Vow Renewal Ceremony & Celebration | 5 p.m. | Kissimmee | More
Funding Love Fest | 5:30 p.m. | Ivanhoe Village | More
Sunday - 24th
Summer Flower Workshop @ Foxtail Coffee Longwood | 12 p.m. | Longwood | More
Pop-Up Market at Celery City Craft | 4 p.m. | Sanford | More
Summer Bloom: Outdoor Yoga + Bloom Bar | 9 a.m. | Thornton Park | More
Messiah Choral Society's Annual Sing-Along | 2 p.m. | Winter Park | More
BIG3: Summer In The City | 2 p.m. | UCF | More
The Bridge Theatre: A Million Dreams | 2:30 p.m. | Downtown | More
Maitland Jazz Band: Honoring the Legacy of Big Band Music | 3 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Ryan Devlin Quartet | 5 & 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More
UCF Knights Womens Soccer vs. LSU Tigers Women's Soccer | 7 p.m. | UCF | More
The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Tour With Playboi Carti And Mike Dean | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
🎭 Have an event to share?
Submit yours here.
THANKS!
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We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
