Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Come on in, folks, and gather around. Today’s another jam-packed issue heading into a lovely weekend.
Now, in today’s issue:
- Bringing the Band
- Spring Fever
- Ice Cream Stroll
- + 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 ⏲️
Happy 250th, America. CFCArts Brought the Band.
What's the best way to celebrate 250 years of America? How about 400 musicians, 300 singers, and a comedy troupe with some very bold historical opinions?
Central Florida Community Arts (CFCArts) is marking the U.S. semi-quincentennial with four productions that are anything but a standard history lesson.
This weekend kicks off with Betsy Ross & Friends, imagining Eleanor Roosevelt doing standup and Paul Revere as an Amazon driver.
May brings Road Trip: USA, where 300 singers tour the country's greatest hits, without anyone leaving Florida, followed by 400 musicians joining forces for American Maestro: The Music of John Williams.
June closes things out with American Evolution, a musical joyride from the Harlem Renaissance straight to Woodstock.
Four shows. One remarkable community. Two hundred and fifty years worth celebrating.
Claribel's People
Some people have a dog. Some have a cat. At Special Hearts Farm, one man's best friend weighs several hundred pounds, has four legs, and wants nothing to do with strangers, unless you're him. On tough days, he heads straight to a seven-year-old miniature zebu named Claribel, and she always knows exactly what he needs.
That magic is the whole idea behind the Winter Garden nonprofit, where adults with disabilities show up every morning genuinely excited to work. One farmer credits the farm with helping him tackle ADHD, anxiety, and depression by learning to socialize and step outside himself.
And things are looking up, literally. Special Hearts is expanding from five acres to a 19-acre forever home on Avalon Road, fueled in part by Orange County's Community Development Block Grant program, which distributed $3.5 million across 20 local nonprofits.
🔥 Check out this wonderful clip about Special Hearts Farm, right here.
Come for the Café, Stay for the Comeback
Downtown Orlando is officially in its redemption era. The city is turning Church Street into a "festival street," think sprawling café sidewalks, open-air events, and an actual reason to show up on a Tuesday.
City commissioners are expected to approve the second phase of the project, a $728,000 stretch running from the Central Florida Rail Corridor to Orange Avenue, with shovels hitting the ground this summer.
It's part of a 14-project blitz to breathe new life into a downtown that's seen better days.
The catch is, officials need to keep existing merchants alive through construction disruptions long enough to enjoy the party.
(Learn a lot more about downtown Orlando's big comeback plan with Mike Valente, right here)
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Florida Film Festival 2026
Source: Florida Film Festival / Enzian Theater
📍Enzian Theater. 1300 S Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, April 10th through Sunday, April 19th. 8 p.m. - Midnight on various nights.
Some film festivals hand you a badge and send you to a multiplex. The Florida Film Festival hands you a handcrafted cocktail and introduces you to the person who made the movie you're about to watch.
Now in its 35th year, this Oscar®-qualifying event screens 160+ films: narratives, documentaries, shorts, and animation, across 10 days at Maitland's beloved Enzian Theater.
Filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions, and lively gatherings at the Eden Bar make it one of America's most distinctive cinema experiences since 1992.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Spring Fever in the Garden
Source: Bloom & Grow Garden Society
📍Downtown Winter Garden. 320 Windford Ct, Winter Garden, FL 34787. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, April 11th (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and Sunday April 12th (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Spring Fever in the Garden is back, and Plant Street is ready to party!
This weekend, Downtown Winter Garden hosts its 24th annual celebration courtesy of the Bloom & Grow Garden Society.
Expect live jazz, breakdancers, a Kid Zone where a stilt-walking balloon artist roams free, and a Saturday chalk art showdown in front of City Hall with cash prizes on the line.
Don't forget to swing by Butterfly Park and say hello to Flora, our beloved copper Monarch.
👉 Get more info, right here
Maitland Jazz & Blues Festival
Source: City of Maitland
📍Maitland City Hall. 1776 Independence Ln, Maitland, FL 32751. Map to this location.
🕐 Friday, April 10th, 6 p.m. -10 p.m., Saturday, April 11th, 2 p.m. -10 p.m.
Downtown Maitland is about to get loud in the best way possible.
The 2026 Maitland Jazz and Blues Festival is rolling in with 12 live acts, food trucks, craft beer, artisan vendors, and a $5 Kid Zone, all under the open Florida sky.
Jazz ensembles, blues bands, good food, zero cover charge.
Grab a blanket, claim your patch of grass, and come ready to have a good time.
👉 Get the full details
Mount Dora Ice Cream Stroll and Pup Walk
Source: Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce
📍Mount Dora Area Chamber of Commerce. 341 Alexander St, Mt Dora, FL 32757. Map to this location.
🕐 Sunday, April 12th, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Imagine a self-guided ice cream tour where 25 local businesses each serve a different scoop, pulled from three beloved creameries: Mystic Ice Cream, Scoops on 5th, and Waffles & Cream.
That's exactly what's happening in downtown Mount Dora this weekend.
No map. No rules. Just you, 25 flavors, and a historic district begging to be explored one cone at a time.
Oh, and dogs are officially invited this year. DogTuff's got treats waiting for them too.
👉 Check it out, right here
THIS WEEKENDS HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-Day
Orlando Family Stage: Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo | Sat & Sun | Loch Haven | More
Big Jay Oakerson @ the Funny Bone | Fri & Sat | I-Drive | More
Friday
🔥 Biergarten Fridays | 5 p.m. | Casselberry | More
Mommy & Me Bedazzling | 6 p.m. | Baldwin Park | More
Cheers To Change 2026 | 6 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Endoxa Booking Presents: They Are Gutting A Body Of Water | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More
What the Constitution Means to Me | 7 p.m. | City District | More
Rotten Resurrection, Spine Eater, Toxic Intent, Chin-Check | 7 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Runway in Bloom Fashion Show and Cocktail Party | 7 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Saturday
🔥 Exotic Car Festival | Fri, Sat, Sun | Celebration | More
🔥 Life in the Fast Lane: The Music of the Eagles and Friends | 8 p.m. | Altamonte | More
Jazz & Blues Concert | 7 p.m. | Leu Gardens | More
Holi Color Throw | 6 p.m. | Avalon Park | More
Absolutely Avalon | 5 p.m. | Avalon Park | More
Brunch in the Park | 1 p.m. | City District | More
Storyteller Summit | 11 a.m. | Oviedo | More
Orlando Kite Festival | 10 a.m. | City District | More
Yo, Ho, Ho! Let's Go! Theatre for the Very Young | 10 a.m. | City District | More
Ben Train | 12 p.m. | I-Drive | More
UCF Animation Showcase | 1 p.m. | Downtown | More
What, Like it's Hard? Women in Production Breaking the Mold | 4 p.m. | City District | More
Mac Sabbath | 6 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Sunday
Tea in Bloom: A Morning Tea | 10:30 a.m. | Mills 50 | More
Market of the Beast FL Presents: The Beast's Garage Sale | 11 a.m. | Winter Park | More
Orlando Pirates Game 2 | 4 p.m. | Downtown | More
American Patchwork Quartet | 5 p.m. | Downtown | More
Gillian Carter, Skeletizer, Girth Brooks | 6 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band | 8 p.m. | I-Drive | More
Demetri Martin | 8 p.m. | Milk 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
