Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Fall is an amazing time to get outside and partake in some Orlando fun, and today’s edition rises to the occasion. I’ll see you out there!
Now, in today’s issue:
- There’s an App for That
- Fall Fiesta in the Park
- Maker Faire
- + 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 ⏲️
There’s an App for That (The App Is for Alligators)
The state has roughly 1.3 million wild gators. Let’s say they’re not great at announcing themselves, either. Two recent attacks, one fatal in Winter Garden, one that cost an 11-year-old his hand in Marion County, made that point with unfortunate clarity. One Miami tech company has had enough of the suspense.
Enter Croc Alarm, a system that uses active sonar and artificial intelligence to sniff out alligators and crocodiles hiding beneath the water’s surface, blasting a warning to your phone before you become a headline. The color coding is refreshingly straightforward: green means all clear, yellow means hold on, red means back away now.
Rest assured, the company isn’t rushing it out the door. They want to be sure it actually works before unleashing it on the public, which, given the alternative, seems like a reasonable bar. Field testing comes first, with a potential launch eyed for next year.
(Get the full buzz on the startup trying to out-sneak Florida’s alligators with Tylisa Hampton, right here)
$25K Helps the Orlando Magic Dreamers Roll
Every weekend, players travel from across the region to practice with the Orlando Magic Dreamers, a wheelchair basketball program where the competition is fierce and the good times aren’t far behind.
The sport is more physical than most people expect, but that’s half the draw. Stick with it long enough and the payoff is a custom-fitted sports wheelchair, which is as exciting as it sounds, and at $2,000 to $5,000, as pricey as it sounds.
As members of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association, the Dreamers travel the Southeast chasing a spot at the NWBA National Championships. Those road trips add up fast, which is why a $25,000 donation from the Magic Youth Foundation made a real difference, keeping travel, tournaments, and equipment costs from sitting on the bench.
(Go deeper on how the Orlando Magic Dreamers are staying in the game with Brandon Green, right here)
One ZIP Code, One Mission
West Orlando’s 32805 ZIP code sends children to kindergarten unprepared at an alarming rate, just 26% tested “ready” last fall, barely half the statewide average. Nemours Children’s Health is on the case.
Launched last year through the hospital’s Ginsburg Institute, the K-Ready WORKS! program is now embedded in 40 neighborhood preschools, training teachers in early literacy, screening for developmental delays, and stocking classrooms with books and educational materials.
The problem runs deep. Most preschool teachers lack formal education degrees and earn near-minimum wage, many were never taught how to teach. Nemours is determined to change that.
(Go deeper on what it really takes to get kids classroom-ready with Michael Cuglietta, right here)
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
55th Annual Fall Fiesta in the Park
Source: City of Orlando & Cox Media Group
📍Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday & Sunday, November 7th & 8th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Some events come and go. Fall Fiesta in the Park has been showing up for 55 years. Mark this one down as one of my favorites of the year, along with the one in spring.
Back at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando, this Central Florida staple brings hundreds of artist, crafter, and food booths, live entertainment, and family-friendly fun to one of the city's most scenic backdrops, all weekend long.
Sunshine Artist Magazine even ranked it #14 in the Top 200 Arts and Craft Festivals in the country in 2024.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Central Florida Food Fest
Source: Central Florida Food Fest
📍Bonnet Springs Park. 600 Bonnet Spgs Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33815. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, November 7th, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Up for a little adventure? Some drives are absolutely worth it, so let’s stretch a little on this one.
Central Florida Food Fest in Lakeland is back with exclusive dishes and drink pairings from local restaurants, live music, entertainment, and photo ops around every corner.
Every ticket comes with a welcome drink, and the whole thing supports a worthy cause.
Good food, great vibes, and you’ll feel good about it, too.
👉 Get more info, right here
Mount Dora Plant & Garden Fair
Source: Mount Dora Plant and Garden Fair
📍Donnelly Park, 530 N Donnelly St. Mount Dora, FL 32757. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday & Sunday, November 7th & 8th, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
November in Florida means one thing for gardeners: it’s go time. And there’s no better place to celebrate than Donnelly Park in Mount Dora, where the 32nd annual Plant & Garden Fair is bringing the party.
Vendors from across the state roll in loaded with native plants, exotic species, garden art, and supplies, plus experts ready to answer every “will this survive my yard?” question you’ve got.
Volunteers even haul your haul to the car. Come thirsty for plants.
👉 Check It Out
Maker Faire
Source: Maker Faire Orlando
📍Central Florida Expo Center & Fairgrounds. 4603 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32808. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday & Sunday, November 7th & 8th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
When you put a combat robot builder next to a cosplay artist next to a teenager who just rewired a 3D printer, something happens that's hard to name but impossible to miss.
That's the maker spirit, and for its 14th year, Maker Faire Orlando is bringing it back to the Central Florida Fairgrounds.
More than 250 exhibits span science, art, robotics, cosplay, power racing and hands-on workshops where visitors don't just watch, they build.
Come curious. Leave inspired.
👉 Get the full details
THIS WEEKENDS HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Presented By: CFCArts Symphony Orchestra
Music From Middle-Earth at Northland Church.
Twenty-five years after The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring first swept the world away, the magic is back.
More than 300 musicians take the stage to perform highlights from the trilogy’s beloved scores alongside excerpts from the classical works of Wagner, Mahler, and Sibelius that inspired them.
At around 100 minutes, it’s a family-friendly evening of music familiar enough to hum along to, and powerful enough to remind every generation why live orchestra still moves you.
NEXT Thursday, November 12th & Friday, November 13th | 7:30 p.m. | Northland Church
👉 Tap/Click here for more info & grab tix
Multi-day
Orlando Greek Fest | Fri, Sat, Sun | Maitland | More
Jewish Film Festival | Sat & Sun | Maitland | More
EDC Orlando | Fri, Sat, Sun | City District | More
Matilda: The Musical | Fri, Sat, Sun | Dr. Phillips | More
Friday
🔥 Santa's Magical Arrival | 5:30 pm | Millenia | More
Fiel a la Vega | 8:00 pm | City District | More
Lunch & Learn: History Written in Stone – Reading Orlando’s History in Greenwood Cemetery | 12:00 pm | City District | More
UCF Knights Mens Basketball vs. Yale Mens Basketball | 7:00 pm | UCF | More
Movements - Happier Now USA Tour | 7:30 pm | CIty District | More
Alex Amen & Dana and Alden | 8:00 pm | City District | More
Saturday
🔥 Orlando Masonic Lodge NO. 69 Community Event | 1:00 pm | Milk District | More
College Park Jazzfest | 5:00 pm | College Park | More
Kitchen Lithography Printing | 11:00 am | Maitland | More
City of Orlando Veterans Day Parade | 11:00 am | Lake Nona | More
Greensky Bluegrass | 8:00 pm | City District | More
History Alive: Florida Lifestyle | 10:00 am | City District | More
Sunrise Yoga on the Farm: Beginner Friendly Yoga | 8:00 am | College Park | More
Sunday
🔥 SPIRIT: On Tour with A Christmas Carol - World Premiere | 12:30 pm | Ocoee | More
Orlando Japan Festival | 11:00 am | Kissimmee | More
Mennello Museum of American Art Free Family Funday | 12:00 pm | City District | More
Veterans Day Car & Truck Show | 11:00 am | Kissimmee | More
Timucua Indigenous Culture Festival: Chantil Dukart | 7:30 pm | Wadeview Park | More
ESSENCE: A Special Rhythm & Soul Sunday Funday Experience | 7:00 pm | City District | More
UCF Knights Volleyball vs. University of Houston Cougars Women's Volleyball | 1:00 pm | UCF | More
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We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
