Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Based on the poll from last Monday, it seems like you’re all on board with the idea of me exploring Orlando’s neighborhoods and creating “Local Guides” for each one! A whopping 97% of you voted “Heck, yeah!” Sounds like I better start digging and typing my fingers off!
Now onto today’s Orlando Signal (weekend fun) issue:
- Curious George Saved
- Anthology: Elemental
- Orchid Fever & Havana Heat
- + lots of weekend recs
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Let’s roll!
- Philip
3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
160 Restaurants, 20 Years, One Delicious Celebration
This one’s for you, food lovers! Wait, I think that’s nearly all of us. Anyway…
Visit Orlando's Magical Dining kicks off tomorrow (Friday) August 15th through September 30th with a jaw-dropping 160 restaurants, the biggest lineup ever!
This 20th anniversary bash welcomes 24 exciting newcomers alongside 15 Michelin Guide superstars, all serving up incredible three-course, prix fixe experiences for just $40 or $60.
But here's the sweet part: every delicious bite gives back! Last year alone, diners helped raise over $350,000 for local nonprofits.
Fresh faces like Mills 50’s Kaya, Winter Park's trendy Bar Kada and Grappolo Cucina Italiana join the party, while Michelin darlings AVA MediterrAegean and BACAN return to dazzle.
It's Orlando's tastiest way to support amazing causes like the REED Charitable Foundation this year!
🔥 Check out the full Magical Dining roster + menus, right here!
Maitland's Cult Cinema Prepares for Its First-Ever All-Night Marathon
Tim Anderson, programming mastermind behind Maitland's beloved Enzian Theater, is orchestrating his most ambitious experiment yet for his 50th birthday.
"The Great All-Nighter" on August 16th will feature eight-and-a-half hours of carefully curated films starting at midnight, a first for the historic venue.
Anderson, known for his monthly Freaky Fridays program screening cinematic oddities, promises personally meaningful rarities from his childhood that exist in shadowy spaces between mainstream recognition and cult obsession.
Apparently, “No titles revealed. No spoilers allowed” until showtime.
This marathon represents Enzian's commitment to genuine surprise in an entertainment landscape where mystery has become increasingly rare.
🎥 Curious? Check out this “Great All-Nighter,” right here.
The Bicycle Escape That Saved Curious George
Picture two figures pedaling frantically through Paris streets in 1940, their bicycle laden with belongings as Nazi forces advance. Tucked among their possessions: the handwritten manuscript of Curious George.
This extraordinary escape belongs to Margret Rey and her husband Hans "H.A." Rey, whose desperate flight from occupied Europe gifted the world generations of beloved monkey adventures.
The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center in Maitland celebrates Margret's often-overlooked contributions through "Margret Rey and the Making of Curious George" through August 22nd.
While H.A.'s name alone appeared on early publications, Margret was his creative equal, a talented artist whose partnership birthed an entertainment empire spanning books, TV, films, and games that continues enchanting children worldwide.
❤️🔥 Get more details about visiting this wonderful exhibit right here.
(Learn more about Margret Rey and Hans Rey with Matthew J. Palm, right here)
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Anthology: Elemental
Image courtesy of Creative City Project
📍Renaissance Theatre Company, 415 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.
🕐 Fri & Sat, Aug 15th-16th, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. shows. Sun, Aug 17th, 5 p.m. show
Literary masterpieces come alive through verse, jazz rhythms, and handcrafted libations.
Step into Anthology: Elemental, where ten gifted performers breathe soul into literature while an acclaimed mixologist weaves liquid poetry into custom cocktails.
This 75-minute odyssey with Play The Moment explores earth, water, air, fire, and spirit through passionate performances paired with artisanal beverages and the Thomas Milovac Trio's sultry jazz. Includes four 3 oz. tastings.
Ages 21+. Mocktail option available.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Through the Portals Market
Image courtesy of Once Upon a Magic Market
📍Kissimmee Civic Center. 201 E Dakin Ave, Kissimmee, FL 34741. Map to this location.
🕐 Sunday, Aug 17th, 12-6 p.m.
The frontier is won... now step through mystical portals into epic realms of adventure!
Join for a FREE indoor marketplace beyond imagination. Venture through gateways to enchanted kingdoms where dragons soar and magic thrives.
Discover: 60+ vendors, gourmet food trucks, immersive photo experiences, live DJ entertainment, treasure raffles, and mystical characters for all ages.
$0 entry, $0 parking, fully indoors. Your adventure awaits!
👉 Get more info, right here
Battle of The Bands
Image courtesy of The Plaza Live
📍The Plaza Live. 425 N Bumby Ave, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, August 16th, 2 p.m.
Get ready for musical mayhem!
Shure presents the 100th Anniversary Battle of the Bands – an electrifying confrontation at The Plaza Live. Orlando's hidden gems will clash across rock/indie, jazz/blues, and pop/electronic categories.
Victory brings a $1,000 prize plus exclusive Shure premium microphone package. The stakes are high, talent is fierce – musical history awaits!
👉 Get the full details
Orchid Fever & Havana Heat
Image courtesy of Bok Tower Gardens
📍Bok Tower Gardens. 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33853. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, August 16, 9am-3pm
Orchid Fever & Havana Heat transforms into a tropical paradise where exotic blooms meet Cuban soul.
From 9 a.m.-1 p.m., dive into orchid lectures, Arriba El Son's infectious rhythms, authentic Cuban flavors, and five specialty vendors offering rare botanical treasures. Afternoon Loteria games on the cafe terrace (2-3 p.m.) complete this sensory journey.
Featured speakers: Bret Ullery (Dendrobium Orchids, 10-10:45 a.m.) and Keith Emig (Orchids 101, 11-11:45 a.m.)
👉 Check it out, right here
MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-Day
🔥The Mix & Mingle Tour | Fri & Sat | I-Drive | More
Nate Bargatze: Big Dumb Eyes World Tour | Sat & Sun | Downtown | More
Blair Crimmins & the Hookers | Fri & Sat | Downtown | More
Friday - 15th
Daylite Festival at SOBOX! | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Packing District | More
Ordinary Boys – The Tribute to The Smiths & Morrissey | 6 p.m. | Downtown | More
Caskey: Black Sheep 5 Tour | 6 p.m. | Downtown | More
De La Rose | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
International Guitar Festival: Yves Nadeau Tribute to Larry Coryell | 7:30 p.m. | Wadeview Park | More
Dimas Sanchez Afro Latin Jazz Group | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Saturday - 16th
Magik and Mythk Festival (indoor Renaissance Faire) | 11 a.m. | Kissimmee | More
Margarita Festival | 11 a.m. | I-Drive | More
Second Bee-Day Celebration | 12 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Draw Lab | 1 p.m. | Winter Park | More
TayTay Dance Party | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
Primitive Warfare, Ara Subversor, Ejecutador, Chasmal Mire | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Level Up, Codd Dubz at The Vanguard | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
Orlando City SC vs. Sporting Kansas City | 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More
International Guitar Festival: Christie Lenée | 7:30 p.m. | Wadeview Park | More
Groove Royalty | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Skeletizer, Hutch, Torchmouth, and Blunder Club | 8 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Sunday - 17th
Camp Collective at The Acre Orlando | 11 a.m. | College Park | More
K92.3 All Star Jam | 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More
Orlando Jazz Orchestra Octet | 3 p.m. | Winter Park | More
The Tribute to ABBA | 5 p.m. | Kissimmee | More
The Champagne Orchestra | 5 & 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More
Joey Belladonna's Tribute to Dio, Black Sabbath, and Rainbow | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Clementine with Walking Blue, Lady Heroine, and Default Friends | 8 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
THANKS!
🧠 Interested in reaching smart readers like you? Grow with us right here.
We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
