Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Alright, fam. Stick with me here. Tis the Halloween season. Lots of related events and happenings all over town. For those who enjoy it, ENJOY! For those who want to wake up on Nov 1st so it’s all over (according to a previous poll in the newsletter), it’s only 9 days left. You can do it! 😀
Now, in today’s issue:
- Breathe In, Stroll Out
- Eolaween
- Mount Dora Craft Fair
- + lots of weekend recs
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Let’s do this!
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
P.P.S. Check out tons of open Orlando area jobs at the Orlando Signal Job Board, right here.
3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
Breathe In, Stroll Out
Mark your calendar: tomorrow (Friday), Central Florida gets something genuinely worth showing up for.
Tucker Ranch Holistic Health & Wellness Park and Botanical Garden throws open its gates at 9:30 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m.
Spread across 25.6 acres inside the 209-acre Tucker Ranch Nature Preserve, the park packs in a botanical garden, exercise trails, a labyrinth, a boardwalk pavilion hovering over water, a demonstration kitchen, and a 5,000-square-foot event venue.
A historic arch, the property’s original entrance, was saved and repositioned as a grand gateway into the garden.
Broke ground August 23rd, 2024. Finished on time. Finished on budget.
Peak Hours, Peak Charges
Orlando utility customers, meet DemandLevel, OUC’s new pricing structure hitting bills in November.
Here’s the deal: your per-kilowatt-hour rate drops 12.5%, but a new monthly charge of $5, $10, or $15 shows up based on your single busiest 15-minute window of electricity use.
Run your dishwasher, dryer, and AC simultaneously on a Tuesday afternoon? That’s going to cost you.
Think of it like rush-hour pricing, the more grid congestion you create at peak moments, the more you pay for it.
The good news? OUC projects 50% of customers will actually save money. The trick: don’t run everything at once.
(Learn more on what DemandLevel means for your wallet with Lisa Bell & Robert Breuer, right here)
$862 Million in Tourist Money Just Found a Home in Orange County
Orange County isn't shy about spending tourist dollars, and Monday's commission vote made that crystal clear.
In a 6-1 decision, the board committed $862 million in tourist development tax funds to 13 projects over the next decade.
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts walked away with the biggest prize: $350 million earmarked for its expansion. A new UCF soccer stadium and track facility grabbed $46 million.
Not everyone was popping champagne, though. Workers and union representatives showed up to remind commissioners that the people keeping these venues alive. The chefs, the stagehands, the service workers hadn't exactly been swimming in raises or benefits. Their message was simple: spend the money, sure, but don't forget who's holding the place together.
(Learn more about how Orange County is spending tourist dollars with Joe Mario Pedersen, right here)
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Eolaween
Source: Orlando Downtown Development Board
📍East Lawn at Lake Eola, 512 East Washington Street, Orlando 32801. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, October 24th, 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Halloween comes alive at Lake Eola’s East Lawn by the Eola House, where families can enjoy trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating, inflatables, face painting, character meet-and-greets, and hay boat rides on the lake itself.
Browse the Fall Market, grab food from local vendors, and unwind in the Quiet Zone.
Then, as darkness falls, settle onto the lawn for an outdoor screening of Haunted Mansion at 7:30 p.m.
Costumes encouraged. Admission is free!
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
4Roots Harvest Festival
Source: 4Roots
📍4Roots Farm. 1101 John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32804. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, October 24th, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The 4th Annual Harvest Festival at 4Roots Farm is pulling out all the stops: live music, local food, a farmers market, pumpkin patch, crafts, and a Kids’ Zone packed with bounce houses and face painting.
But let’s be honest: the real draw is the costume contests. Kids, groups, and pets battle it out at 10:30, 11:00, and 11:30 a.m. for gift bags loaded with Packing District goodies.
Dress up. Show out. Win stuff.
👉 Get more info, right here
Mount Dora Craft Fair
Source: Mount Dora Craft Fair
📍Downtown Mount Dora. 101 S. 510 N Baker St, Mt Dora, FL 32757. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday & Sunday, October 24th & 25th, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Where Main Street Becomes a Gallery
Sunshine Artist Magazine crowned the Mount Dora Craft Festival the #1 All Time Favorite Classic/Contemporary Craft Festival in America. It has held its spot in the top five every year since!
Over 350 of the country’s best exhibitors take over downtown, bringing fine art, handcrafted goods, live music, festival food, beer, wine, and cocktails along for the ride.
👉 Check It Out
21st annual Central Florida Veg Fest
Source: Central Florida Veg Fest
📍Festival Park. 2911 E Robinson St, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, October 24th, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Central Florida Veg Fest returns to Festival Park for its 21st year of good food and good vibes. Free admission, no alcohol, no smoke, and no prior plant-based commitment required.
With over 200 vendors, live cooking demos, speakers, an Animal Haven, kids’ activities, and acoustic music, there’s enough happening to fill an entire day.
Whether you’re a lifelong vegan or just veg-curious, this beloved festival has spent two decades proving that good food brings everyone to the table.
👉 Get the full details
THIS WEEKENDS HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Heaven and Earth, Prepare to Shake: Bach Festival Society of Winter Park Presents Berlioz Requiem at Steinmetz Hall.
Over 200 voices. Ninety musicians. Four brass ensembles echoing throughout the hall, and the only performance of this work in the United States in 2026.
The Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra, led by John V. Sinclair with tenor Jonathan Boyd, unleash Berlioz’s rarely performed Requiem in one breathtaking, apocalyptic sonic event.
This Sunday, October 25th | 3:00 p.m. | Steinmetz Hall
This one won’t come around again.
Tap/Click here for more info & grab tix
Multi-day
Gators, Ghosts & Goblins Halloween Event | Sat & Sun | OBT | More
Fall in love with Park Avenue at Pumpkin Patch on Park | Fri, Sat, Sun | Winter Park | More
Halloween Light Shows on City Hall | Fri & Sat | Winter Garden | More
Graveyard Smash Weekend | Fri, Sat, Sun | Lake Nona | More
Steeln' Peaches | 7:00 pm | Fri & Sat | More
Friday
Cigano Swing | 8:00 pm | Winter Park | More
Claire Vandiver | 7:00 pm | Mills 50 | More
FLAGMAN with Special Guests The Dark Arctic, Pinkish, and Hutch | 7:00 pm | Mills 50 | More
Flaw | 6:30 pm | Sanford | More
Ordinary Boys | 8:00 pm | Sanford | More
Loofy | 10:00 pm | I-Drive | More
Saturday
Operazzi Bash | 6:00 pm | City District | More
Backyard Biodiversity Day Native Plant Sale | 9:00 am | Winter Park | More
Lecture: The Three Marjorie(y)s and How They Changed Florida | 1:30 pm | Loch Haven Park | More
International Vegan Food Festival - Halloween Bash | 2:00 pm | City District | More
Halloween Costume Contest & Party | 7:30 pm | Longwood | More
Orlando City SC vs. New York City FC | 7:30 pm | City District | More
Sunday
🔥 Pup Paw-ty & Costume Contest | 1:00 pm | Mills 50 | More
🔥 Berlioz Requiem | 3:00 pm | City District | More
🔥 Season of the Witch: Astrology & Pole Choreography Workshop | 12:30 pm | Winter Garden | More
🔥 Books, Beef and Bucks 2026 | 9:30 am | Winter Springs | More
Barktoberfest | 12:00 pm | City District | More
Hobbyists at Boba Garden | 7:00 pm | Winter Springs | More
Tres Calles. Una Gran Fiesta. | 12:00 pm | City District | More
🎭 Have an event to share?Submit it here.
THANKS!
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We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
