Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Tomorrow evening kicks off the Christmas season, perhaps unofficially, in Orlando with the Lake Eola tree lighting. I have it on good authority it’s the right amount of crowded, but not too crowded to have a great time, and apparently they’ve upgraded their light game throughout the park. More details in the first article below!
Now, in today’s issue:
- KrampusFest 2025
- The Big Moment Awaits
- Magic Studio Holiday Spectacular
- + lots of weekend recs
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Let’s roll!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
Quick heads up: OS Dinner Club seats close Monday evening.
We're doing round two in Ivanhoe Village on December 10th at 6:30 PM. Take the brief quiz, get matched with five people based on your vibe, meet at a mystery restaurant (revealed that morning).
It's $16 to reserve your spot, you cover your meal, and we handle the rest.
If you've been thinking about it, now's the time.
3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
Downtown Orlando Glows for the Holidays, But the Big Moment Awaits
By late November, downtown Orlando has transformed into a seasonal spectacle.
Lights now shimmer along Lake Eola's trees and pathways, though the centerpiece Christmas tree remains dark until its Friday (Dec. 5th) lighting ceremony with Mayor Buddy Dyer.
The dazzling display required months of preparation. Crews began wrapping roughly 350 to 400 trees in mid-September, then returned in November to install decorations from seven semi-trailers. Teams of 20-25 people spent three to four days running power and testing displays to ensure everything sparkles just right.
This year's installation is the most expansive yet, extending beyond the lake to nearby downtown parks and buildings for maximum holiday cheer.
(Learn lots more about this Downtown holiday light orchestration with Bryanna Howard, right here)
Lawmaker Re-files Bill to Help Schools Respond When Autistic Students Disappear
Orlando state representative, Anna Eskamani, has brought back H.B. 423, a bill that helps schools handle one of parenting's scariest moments, when a child with autism slips away from campus.
The legislation asks K-12 public schools to build a playbook before crisis hits. Each school would create a SAFE team mixing administrators and law enforcement to jump into action, alert parents right away, and keep their game plan fresh.
Advocates who've lived through these nerve-wracking episodes stress that having a solid plan beats making split-second calls while panicked. The stakes are real: kids on the spectrum face 160 times higher drowning risk since water often catches their attention.
Schools would also keep handy profiles of students who wander frequently, helping searchers know exactly where to look.
🔎 Have a look inside the full bill, right here.
(Learn more about this Student Elopement bill with Danielle Prieur, right here)
Bye-Bye Old Sentinel Building, Hello Billion-Dollar Makeover
That awkward 20-acre site where the Orlando Sentinel used to churn out headlines? It's about to get very interesting. At Tuesday's State of Downtown event, developer Richard Perez revealed that London's Heatherwick Studios, the creative minds behind NYC’s Little Island and Google's sleek California digs, will reimagine the prime downtown real estate.
Mayor Buddy Dyer called the dormant property downtown's missing puzzle piece, betting its redevelopment will energize the entire city center. Don't hold your breath, though, the full build-out could take 20 years.
The Sentinel called the spot home for 69 years before leaving in 2020. Demolition of the old building may kick off next year, clearing the way for something fresh.
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
KrampusFest 2025
Source: Milk District
📍The Milk District. 425 North Bumby Avenue Orlando, FL, 32803. Map to this location.
🕐 Sunday, December 7th, 2 p.m. - 9 p.m.
The Milk District flips the holiday script this Sunday when KrampusFest takes over The Plaza Live from 2 to 9 p.m.
This free festival spotlights St. Nick's furry, fanged counterpart with live bands, 150+ local vendors, festive food and drinks, costume contests, and a Krampusnauf parade.
Early hours welcome families, but after 6 p.m., the 18+ crowd takes over. It's where spooky meets merry, and holiday misfits feel right at home.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Light Up the Holidays Altamonte
Source: City of Altamonte Springs
📍Cranes Roost Park. 274 Cranes Roost Blvd, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, December 6th, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
On Saturday, Light Up the Holidays transforms an ordinary Saturday evening into something worth remembering.
Thousands of lights illuminate Cranes Roost Park while fireworks paint the sky at 6:30 p.m. (weather permitting).
Visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, ride the Santa Train, enjoy live entertainment, and grab seasonal treats from local vendors.
Admission is free, just bring appetite and wonder. It's the kind of night that properly kicks off the season.
👉 Get more info, right here
The Magic Studio Holiday Spectacular
Source: Nathan Coe Marsh Productions, LLC
📍The Magic Studio. 7220 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819. Map to this location.
🕐 Friday, December 5th, 8:15 p.m.
There's a working television studio in Orlando's I-Drive district that transforms after dark. The Magic Studio is a 180-seat theater hidden inside a production facility normally closed to the public.
Nationally touring magicians perform 60-70 minute shows without intermission, sleight-of-hand at arm's length, illusions with nowhere to hide.
No grand lobbies or velvet curtains. Just the raw infrastructure of broadcast production and skilled performers working inches away, offering something increasingly rare: a chance to be genuinely surprised.
👉 Get the full details
Winter on the Avenue
Source: Winter Park Chamber of Commerce.
📍Central Park. 251 S Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Map to this location.
🕐 Friday, December 5th, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Winter Park's beloved Winter On The Avenue returns tomorrow (Friday) starting at 5 p.m. in Central Park.
Mayor Sheila DeCiccio leads the tree lighting while Rabbi Dovid Dubov of Chabad Orlando conducts a menorah ceremony. Park Avenue transforms into a pedestrian plaza featuring the Belles & Bows carolers, stilt-walking elves, and the Bubble Bus.
Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at 6:30 p.m. via Winter Park Fire-Rescue. Enjoy s'mores, snow slides, children's choirs, and Popcorn Flicks presented by Enzian Theater.
Free admission includes access to the Morse Museum.
👉 Check it out, right here
MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-Day
Krampus Haunt | Fri, Sat, Sun | Kissimmee | More
Friday - 5th
Lunch & Learn: The Legacy of Cypress Gardens | 12 p.m. | Downtown | More
An Intimate Evening with David Foster & Katharine McPhee | 8 p.m. | Downtown | More
City of Edgewood Santa Fly-In | 6 p.m. | Edgewood | More
Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
King Guys Cool Yule Band | 7:30 p.m. | Wadeview Park | More
India: La Más Que Canta with special guest Luis Figueroa | 8 p.m. | I-Drive | More
Broadway Rave | 8 p.m. | Downtown | More
Goldpine | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Attack of the Beast Creatures (aka Hell Island) | 11:59 p.m. | Maitland | More
Saturday - 6th
🔥 K-Pop Christmas at A La Cart SoDo | 12 p.m. | SoDo | More
🔥 Family Fun Day – Crafts with Elves | 12 p.m. | OBT | More
🔥 Santa's Coming To Kelly's! | 1 p.m. | SoDo/CFW | More
11th Annual Light Up SoDo | 2 p.m. | SoDo | More
Southern Hill Farms presents: Christmas on the Farm | 11 a.m. | Clermont | More
Nona Christmas Fiesta | 11 a.m. | Lake Nona | More
Orlando Vintage Flea | 11:30 a.m. | Downtown | More
OUC Orlando Half Marathon Weekend | 7:15 a.m. | Downtown | More
Free Winter Family Day at A&H + Winter Wonderland Family Art Workshop | 10 a.m. | Maitland | More
Holiday Movie at Lake Eola Park - Frozen | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
Michael Bublé Christmas Tribute | 7 p.m. | Clermont | More
Sunday - 7th
🔥 A Special Visit With Caring Santa | 9 a.m. | OBT | More
Community Art Activity with Laura Buitrago | 12 p.m. | Downtown | More
Art Journaling | 11 a.m. | Maitland | More
How the Market Stole Christmas | 12 p.m. | Kissimmee | More
Sunshine State Planners | 1:30 p.m. | Downtown | More
Tea Blending Workshop | 1:30 p.m. | Downtown | More
Film Screening: “999 - The Forgotten Girls” | 2 p.m. | Winter Park | More
The Nutcracker Presented by the Central Florida Ballet | 2 p.m. | Downtown | More
Double Header: UCF MBB vs Towson and UCF WBB vs Delaware State | 4 p.m. | UCF | More
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THANKS!
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We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
