Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
Come on in, folks. I’m happy to kick off Monday with another packed issue for your reading enjoyment. Stay cool out there!
In today’s issue: 👇
- 644 Horses
- 50-Year-Old Time Capsule
- The Grove
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? Join over 20K insatiably curious Orlandoans, right here.
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
(GREATER) ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
644 Horses, One Feud, and a Park on Lee Road
Pull up to the light where Lee Road crosses Orange Blossom Trail and you're probably thinking about what's for dinner. You are definitely not thinking about 644 horses.
You should be.
The Ben White Raceway once occupied this exact corner. 120 acres of barns, ovals, and genuine Hall of Famers tucked into Fairview Park, three miles from downtown Orlando.
For several golden decades, it was the single busiest harness racing training ground in the entire country. Admission was free. Thousands of Orlando families rolled out on cool winter mornings just to lean on a fence and watch world-record colts do their thing.
The namesake, Benjamin Franklin White, was a Canadian horseman who won four Hambletonian Stakes in a single decade and became the first northern trainer crazy enough to ship his stable to Florida for the winter, and he picked Orlando.
Then Pompano Park opened in 1964 and a spectacular feud finished the job. Trainer John Simpson, Sr. lost a prized colt after it struck a low track barrier called a hub rail, demanded the rail be torn out for good, got voted down by his fellow horsemen, and reportedly left, taking a third of the horses with him to his own competing facility.
The kicker: half the guys who voted against him eventually defected there anyway. By 2003, the ovals were torn out and Trotters Park took their place.
Somewhere under those soccer fields and Little League diamonds, a world-champion horse is still running. At least in the best version of Orlando's memory.
🔥 Want to dig into the Ben White Raceway history further? Check out my expanded version, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Orlando Cracks Open a 50-Year-Old Time Capsule This Morning
In a few hours, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioners will gather at Lake Eola Park to open a time capsule that has been sealed for half a century, and 1976 is finally about to speak.
Buried by the Kiwanis Club of Orlando during America's Bicentennial, the capsule holds newspapers, photographs, and memorabilia chosen to freeze the city mid-stride: population 116,000, bell-bottoms in fashion, Rocky ruled the box office, and "Silly Love Songs" was inescapable on the radio.
Half a century of waiting ends this morning at Lake Eola Park. The specific contents? Still a surprise. But one thing's certain, whatever's inside has been waiting 50 years for this moment.
The Roundabout That Bounced the Budget
Orange County is rethinking the roundabout, one rubber piece at a time.
Debuting this week at Wyndham Lakes Boulevard and Rodrick Circle, the county's first modular roundabout swaps traditional concrete and asphalt for prefabricated rubber pieces fitted directly onto the existing road.
The end result? Three weeks of construction and a $550,000 price tag, compared to the $1.2 to $1.5 million and up to 24 months a conventional roundabout typically demands.
Neighbors say the intersection already feels safer, and county traffic engineering manager Humberto Castillero has his eyes on bigger ambitions, countywide expansion, if the roundabout holds up once school-year traffic kicks back in.
(Learn a ton more about this rubbery road trick with Sarah Winkelmann, right here)
Empty Shelves, Full Potential
Parramore has waited long enough for a real grocery store. The wait is almost over.
Parramore Market, a community micro-grocery at on Westmoreland Drive, is bringing free fresh produce and affordable staples to a neighborhood that's been running on empty.
A $100,000 OBT NEXT grant got the doors nearly ready to open. The wrinkle is, the shelves still need stocking.
That's where you come in. You can donate through The Desire Foundation's campaign, right here. Their goal is $50,000 to make sure day one looks less like an empty warehouse and more like an actual grocery store worth celebrating.
(Stock up on everything you need to know about Parramore Market with Zach Van Dyke, right here)
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🍽️ Dietary Lead Lifespace | Longwood (Village on the Green)
Keep the kitchen humming at a top-tier senior living community. Managing meal service, mentoring your crew, and making sure every plate hits the table at the right temp, the right portion, and the right diet. Food service leadership that actually feeds the soul.
💰 $16.50–$22.67/hour | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🚚 Sr. Hub Supervisor Central Transport | Orlando Area
Take the night shift reins at one of the country's most tech-forward LTL carriers and keep 30 drivers and dock workers loading, rolling, and crushing KPIs on a tight schedule. Nearly 90 years of freight expertise behind you. Now it's your turn to lead the floor.
💰 $65,000–$80,000 + up to 10% bonus | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🔧 Central Services Manager Sunbelt Rentals | Orlando
Be the command center behind the country's fastest-growing equipment rental operation, managing dispatch, coaching service techs, and keeping construction sites across the region fully stocked and running without a hitch.
💰 $74,501–$102,439/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Over 100 added last week!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Pacific Coast and perfect weather edition
Let’s talk about my hometown for a moment. Los Angeles is a lot, but in the best possible way. World-class tacos from a truck in East LA, perfect beaches (and weather), and every neighborhood: Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Culver City, feels like its own city with its own agenda. The people-watching is unmatched, the farmer's markets are absurdly good, and there's this feeling that anything could happen today. In LA, it usually does.
Orlando (MCO) → Los Angeles (LAX) for 279 bucks*, round-trip Thursday through Sunday, early-August. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
TASTY NEWS 🧑🍳
Orlando Area Eateries Coming & Going
1️⃣ SOFT OPENED: 50's Diner - Sip, Bite, and Bop Back
International Drive just got a healthy dose of poodle skirts and jukebox energy. A new 50's-style diner (Facebook) has soft-opened, serving up burgers, pizza, pasta, fajitas, and milkshakes, with all pizza made fresh in-house. Pull up a booth, order a shake, and let the nostalgia wash over you.
2️⃣ THIS FALL: Daje Pinsa - Rome Called. Orlando Answered.
Roman flatbreads are coming to Orlando, and they're worth the hype. Roman flatbreads are coming to Orlando, and they're worth the hype. Daje Pinsa (Insta) hits South Orange Avenue this fall, slinging crispy, cloud-light pinsa made from a 72-hour fermented blend of wheat, rice, and soy flours. Think truffle-kissed prosciutto, classic Margherita, and four-cheese dreams.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Thornton Park Art
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍Thornton Park
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
The Grove Bar + Kitchen
📍480 N. Orlando Ave. C-134, Winter Park, FL 32789. Map to this location.
Chef Mario Pagan learned to cook in Coconut Grove under Norman Van Aken, and decades later, that Florida love story has a new address.
The Grove Bar + Kitchen (Insta) in Winter Park is his homecoming: seasonal New American dishes rooted in the Sunshine State, cocktails crafted by beverage director Amy Mejia, and a room warm enough to make you lose track of time.
Pompano ceviche. Brisket lasagna. Dulce de leche ice cream. Go hungry. Stay late.
👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈
Source: The Grove Bar + Kitchen. Corn Flaked Crusted Brioche French Toast!
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🎸 Joe Jackson + Band: Hope and Fury Tour
📅 Monday, June 29th | 7:30pm
📍 Steinmetz Hall, Dr. Phillips Center
Post-punk new wave icon brings hits like "Steppin' Out" and "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" in a sophisticated, musically brilliant performance.
👉 New Wave Night
🍔 Tasty Takeover in The Milk District
📅 Tuesdays | 6:30-10pm
📍 The Milk District – 2424 E Robinson St
Orlando's premier weekly food truck block party featuring diverse culinary offerings behind the shops and bars.
👉 Dine Alfresco
🎺 250th Celebration with The Great American Big Band
📅 Wednesday, July 1st | 7:30-8:30pm
📍 Central Park Main Stage, Winter Park
Bring blankets, snacks, and the whole family for a big band musical journey through America's story celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary.
👉 Swing into History
🧘 Yoga & Beer at Windermere Brewing Co.
📅 Wednesday, July 1st | 6pm
📍 Windermere Brewing Co., 111 W 5th Ave
All-levels outdoor yoga followed by a cold brew for $20. BYOM, rain or shine, good vibes guaranteed.
👉 Flow & Sip
🇺🇸 America's 250th Celebration at Wekiva Island
📅 Thursday, July 2nd | 6-10pm
📍 Wekiva Island
Patriotic waterfront bash with gallery opening, Sounds of America music experience, festive drinks, and gourmet hot dogs by the river.
👉 Red, White & Blue
🎤 Bynx Laughs Summer Series
📅 Thursday, July 2nd | 7-10pm
📍 Bynx Orlando, 420 E Church St
Hosted by viral comedian 407 Kevin, this summer comedy showcase is packed with laughs, good energy, and even better memories.
👉 LOL Live
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
THANKS!
✅ Want to connect with 20K+ curious Orlandoans for your business?, start a conversation here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
