Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Oh lordy. Can we fast-forward to November already? This heat is putting a damper on my exercise regimen. This impeccable physique doesn’t maintain itself. 🤣
Now, in today’s issue:
- 20 Tiny Fairy Doors
- Summer Fun Days
- The Outsiders
- + lots of weekend recs
Did a neighbor forward this to you? Subscribe here.
Let’s roll!
- Philip
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 ⏲️
Your County Is Trying to Warn You, But You Have to Actually Sign Up First
Central Florida counties offer free emergency alerts for hurricanes, chemical spills, and boil-water notices. But most residents haven't bothered registering.
Orange County's OCFL Alert reaches a whopping (← sarcasm) 7% of its 1.4 million residents. Osceola's Alert Osceola? A barely-there 5%. Seminole County is the star pupil at nearly 48%, and those residents say the alerts actually make them feel safer.
Alerts can even be pinpointed to your specific neighborhood rather than blasting the whole county.
Do yourself a favor and sign up now: Alert Seminole, OCFL Alert, and Alert Osceola, before the next storm makes you wish you had.
(Learn more about your county's free emergency alert system with Sarah Winkelmann, right here)
20 Tiny Fairy Doors
Harry P. Leu Gardens has a tiny problem this summer: fairies have moved in, and they brought doors.
This summer, 20 miniature doors, each handcrafted by a different fairy, are hiding across the garden's 50 gorgeous acres, and it's your job to find them all.
Grab a map at the entrance for clues and charming backstories on each tiny resident, then get hunting.
Each door opens into its own little world: secret gardens, whispering woods, sparkling imagination, though you'll have to settle for peeking. Entry is strictly fairy-only. 😀
The exhibit runs through September 7th, included with regular admission.
👉 Check out the exhibit and map, right here.
Road Trip! OMA Is Taking You Across 250 Years of America
Pack your bags, figuratively.
Through November 8th, the Orlando Museum of Art's USA 250: 250 Years on the Road to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness turns two and a half centuries of American history into an actual road trip: five walls, five geographic regions, one wild counterclockwise ride across the nation.
Curated by Katherine Page, the show raids OMA's permanent collection for everything from Hudson River School paintings to Great Depression photography and Bicentennial Pop Art prints.
The highlight? Mateo Blanco's stunning hand-woven Arhuaco Flag (2025), a meditation on freedom, resilience, and why every American story matters.
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Summer Fun Days @ Bok Tower Gardens (free entry)
Source: Bok Tower Gardens
📍Bok Tower Gardens. 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33853. Map to this location.
🕐 Friday, July 31st, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m..
Wawa Summer Fun Days is back for its fourth consecutive summer, and that means free admission to Bok Tower Gardens every last Thursday and Friday through August.
That's eight days of pure garden magic, on the house, thanks to Wawa's ongoing partnership that kicked off back in 2021.
Just remember: snag your tickets early, capacity is limited, and each registration covers up to four visitors. Don't miss out!
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
2026 Clermont Summer Family Food Fest
Source: VibeEngine Productions
📍Historic Downtown Clermont. 670 W Montrose St, Clermont, FL 34711. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, August 1st, 4-8 p.m.
Good food. Live music. Free admission. And yes, dogs are welcome.
Downtown Clermont is throwing the summer bash your family didn't know it needed. Cruise through rows of food trucks, snag some handcrafted goods from local vendors, let the kids go wild on games, and let the music pull you in.
It's the kind of night that turns into a core memory before you even finish your first plate.
👉 Get more info, right here
Rejuvenation Orchestra. Sam Rivers Legacy:
Public Rehearsal
Source: Timucua Arts Foundation
📍Timucua Arts Foundation. 2000 S Summerlin Ave, Orlando, FL 32806. Map to this location.
🕐 Sunday, August 2nd, 7:30 p.m.
Doug Mathews spent 25 years laying down the low end for jazz legend Sam Rivers, close enough to watch genius work in real time. When Sam's 100th birthday arrived, Doug answered the only way a bassist could: with horns.
The Rejuvenation Orchestra, original RivBea veterans plus hungry young talent, rehearses publicly every first Sunday at the white house.
Tickets are pay-what-you-like. Bring a bottle to share.
👉 Check It Out
The Outsiders
Source: PaperMap Theater & Co.
📍Paper Map Theater & Co.. 2 N Summerlin Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.
🕐 Friday (7 p.m.) through Sunday (2 p.m.), July 31st through August 2nd.
In S.E. Hinton's classic, your zip code tells people everything they think they need to know about you. Christopher Sergel's stage adaptation drops us into that divided world, Greasers versus Socs, where rivalry turns to tragedy and Ponyboy Curtis is left sorting through the wreckage.
No tidy lessons. No easy redemption. Just the honest, sometimes brutal work of growing up.
PaperMap Theater & Co., founded in Orlando's Thornton Park, is built around exactly that kind of honesty, treating young artists as collaborators and measuring growth not in curtain calls, but in intentional work over time.
👉 Get the full details
THIS WEEKENDS HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-day
Circus & Sips Weekend | Fri, Sat, Sun | Lake Nona | More
Into The Woods: Starring Jodi Benson | Fri, Sat, Sun | City District | More
Orlando Outdoor Market | Sat & Sun | West Colonial | More
Friday
🔥 Beam me up, Babe! | 6:00 pm | City District | More
Healthy Family Meals: Reimagining Spaghetti Night | 10:00 am | Packing District | More
Pressed Flower Bookmark Workshop | 6:30 pm | Clermont | More
Fire Fridays #1 Caribbean Party | 10:00 pm | I-Drive | More
The Briefs, The Sleevens, Vicious Dreams, Sick Dogs | 7:00 pm | Mills 50 | More
Red NOT Chili Peppers | 7:00 pm | Lake Buena Vista | More
Urban Kiz Matching The Music Series w/Matrix of Movement | 7:00 pm | Oviedo | More
Saturday
Watercolor Floral Initial Cards | 2:00 pm | Leu Gardens | More
Smooth Sessions at Blue Bamboo with Phillip "Doc" Martin | 7:00 pm | Winter Park | More
Tai Chi in the Garden | 10:20 am | Winter Park | More
History Alive: Florida Lifestyle | 10:00 am | City District | More
OCLS Code with Rodocodo | 2:30 pm | Winter Garden | More
Reggae Fest At The Vanguard | 9:00 pm | City District | More
Glow and Know | 2:00 pm | West Colonial | More
Smooth Sessions Presents Philip “Doc” Martin | 7:00 pm | Winter Park | More
Sunday
Tommy Oeffling in Orlando | 7:00 pm | Mills 50 | More
Des Bishop | 5:00 pm | I-Drive | More
America: Together in Harmony | 3:00 pm | Winter Park | More
The Four C Notes | 3:00 pm | Loch Haven | More
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THANKS!
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We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
