Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
Today is Labor Day, and I considered taking the day off. But here I am, laboring for you. 🤣 Thankfully, I love putting this thing together. For those who get today off, enjoy your day!
In today’s issue: 👇
- Grab a Bag, Save a Lake
- Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede
- Amalfi
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? Join over 20K insatiably curious Orlandoans, right here.
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
(GREATER) ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
Orlando's Dolly Parton Story
Dolly Parton died on August 25th at 80, and grief rolled through Central Florida that week with something the national obits didn't capture: a barn. Nashville mourned a songwriter. Pigeon Forge mourned a neighbor. Longtime Orlandoans mourned an institution that never got a farewell tour.
In June 2003, Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show opened at 8251 Vineland Avenue on a 13-acre parcel near Interstate 4. For four and a half years, roughly 1,200 guests a night ate rotisserie chicken with their bare hands while 32 horses thundered close enough to throw grit on your shoes. No silverware. No alcohol. Gloriously unsubtle, and it worked.
Then, on January 7th, 2008, management told staff the site had been sold and the show was done, not at season's end, but that afternoon. The arena sat empty for nearly five years before Simon Property Group bought the parcel in October 2012 for $16 million, demolished the building, and opened what is now Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets.
The dinner theater lasted less than five years. But Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has quietly outlasted all of it. Five Central Florida counties still mail one free book monthly to enrolled children under five, and the Rotary Club of College Park handed out its 50,000th book in 2025.
The program has now surpassed 300 million books worldwide, and nothing about August 25th changed the mailing schedule.
🎶 This is the short version. The full story has everything: a $16 million plot twist, a themed Allegiant flight, and the quiet legacy that outlasted all of it. Dive into the whole thing, right here.
📗 "How did you write a whole novel with two kids in the house?"
How do you write a whole novel with two kids in the house? Where did the dragons come from? Is Silas based on somebody? What happens in book two?
Orlando author Elle Kish is coming to the inaugural Orlando Signal Book Club to talk about Traveler of Heart, her debut. We'll interview her live, then hand the questions over to you.
Your ticket covers a signed paperback (free pickup or have it shipped), a drink at Sideward that covers much more than beer, and the evening itself.
📖 Books go out shortly after grabbing your seat, so every week you wait is a week less to read.
Wednesday, October 21st, 6:30pm. Sideward Brewing, Milk District.
Tap/click here to get all the deets!
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Grab a Bag, Save a Lake
Gloves on. Bags ready. Good vibes only.
There's nothing quite like the feeling of looking at a stretch of shoreline and knowing it's cleaner because you were there.
Keep Orlando Beautiful has built an entire movement around that feeling, mobilizing thousands of Orlando residents to roll up their sleeves and restore streets, neighborhoods, waterways, and green spaces across the city.
This month, the 2026 Orlando Lakes Clean Up series gives you five chances to get in on the action:
- September 15th - Lake Sunset Neighborhood, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
- September 18th - Lake Eola, 9–11 a.m.
- September 19th - Lake Fran, 8:30–10:30 a.m. (kayaks welcome!)
- September 24th - Colonel Joe Kittinger Park, 9–11 a.m.
- September 26th - Audubon Park Garden District, 9–11 a.m.
Show up, make new friends, pick up some trash, and leave feeling like an absolute hero. Your city will thank you, and honestly, so will we.
📣 Can the FULL list of cleanup opportunities, right here.
Every Empty Seat Has a Kid's Name on It
There's a moment just before the lights go down, kids shuffling into rows, programs in hand, whispering about what they're about to see. Not every child gets that moment. Not because they didn't want it. Simply because the money wasn't there.
That's what Orlando Family Stage's No Empty Seat Fund was built to fix.
Since 2008, the organization has worked to put underserved students and families in professional theatre seats, free.
Now, during its centennial season, the theatre has set a specific target: $125,000 to fill 5,000 seats. That's $25 a seat.
One child. One story. One night that might change everything.
👉 If you’re inclined, you can help fill a seat, right here!
Broccoli: 1, Chips: 0
Every September, Hunger Action Month shines a light on a reality many Central Florida families know well, living in neighborhoods where a bag of chips is easier to find than a head of broccoli.
That's exactly what 4Roots built Meet the Need to address.
Launched in 2020 during COVID-19, the program goes beyond typical food assistance by putting fresh, locally sourced produce directly into underserved communities through distributions, partnerships with local organizations, and a Mobile Market that accepts SNAP/EBT and Fresh Access Bucks.
Because access to nutritious food isn't a privilege. it's the foundation every healthy community is built on.
🥦 Learn lots more about Meet the Need, right here!
👉 Partner With Orlando Signal 👈
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
🏠 Housing Director Providence Sober Living | Orlando
Lead housing programs that transform lives, managing LIHTC and Section 8 compliance while building landlord partnerships and supporting individuals on their path to stability and independence.
💰 $40K-$60K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🛗 Part-Time Administrative Assistant and Receptionist Orlando Elevator Service | Orlando (Mornings only)
Anchor the front office of a local elevator company with charm and organization, handling calls, leads, and customer service from 8 to noon every weekday.
💰 $17-$18/hour | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🎭 Assistant Stage Manager Virgin Voyages / Playbill | Orlando (Shipboard)
Call shows, manage Scarlet Night, and keep the entertainment magic alive on Virgin Voyages' iconic Lady Ships as part of a crew that takes production quality as seriously as the adventure itself.
💰 Competitive salary | 👉 Learn More & Apply
📈 Digital Marketing Director Gravitational Marketing | Orlando Area (Primarily remote)
Lead a digital marketing team, own PPC strategy, and actually stay hands-on with client accounts at a certified Best Place to Work agency built on a culture of fun, growth, and measurable results.
💰 Competitive salary + 5 weeks PTO + 3% automatic 401k | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🏗️ Inside Sales Rep United Rentals | Orlando
Quote equipment rentals, build customer relationships, and help grow the branch at the world's largest equipment rental company, a 2026 Glassdoor Best Place to Work.
💰 Competitive salary + full benefits | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Jobs added constantly!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - End of the road edition
Late September Key West is relaxed, warm, and just the right amount of untamed. Snorkel the coral reefs at John Pennekamp, kayak through the mangroves at sunset, or rent a sailboat and just... go. The Dry Tortugas are a ferry ride away if you're feeling adventurous. Fort Jefferson sitting alone out in the Gulf is genuinely one of the most surreal things you'll see in Florida. Come back to Duval Street when the sun goes down and let the night take care of itself. This is the island at its most authentic.
Orlando (SFB - Sanford) → Key West (EYW) for 206 bucks* (non-stop!), round-trip Thursday through Sunday, early-September. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Early morning Cathedral of St. Luke
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍City District
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Amalfi
📍12001 Avalon Lake Dr Ste A, Orlando, FL 32828. Map to this location.
Amalfi (Insta) opened its doors on March 21st with a straightforward mission: cook honest Italian food in Orlando's Avalon Park. Not an approximation, the real thing.
Every pasta is made fresh in-house daily. From the Pappardelle al Pomodoro & Burrata to the Gnocchi al Tartufo Nero. Seafood, pinsa, and house-made arancini round out a menu rooted in coastal family tradition.
Warm, unhurried, and genuinely welcoming, this is Italian cooking without the pretense.
👉 Check out the menu, right here 👈
Source: Amalfi
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
🌺 Free Day at Leu Gardens
📅 Monday, September 7th
📍 Harry P. Leu Gardens, 1920 N Forest Ave
Explore 50 acres of stunning gardens completely free on the first Monday of the month, presented by Orlando Health. No excuse not to stop and smell the roses!
👉 Garden for Free
🎷 Labor Day Jazz Festival
📅 Monday, September 7th | 3pm
📍 Timucua Arts Foundation
Chicago's legendary Labor Day Jazz Festival comes to Orlando with four bands, a cookout, craft beer, and Award-Winning saxophonist Eric Alexander headlining from 7 to 9pm.
👉 Jazz All Day
👩⚕️ Food as Medicine: An Evening with Dr. Anupama Saigal
📅 Tuesday, September 8th | 6-8pm
📍 Center for Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition Theatre, Winter Park
Watch a fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist step into the kitchen and cook a three-course plant-forward tasting menu while sharing the science of food as medicine.
👉 Doctor's Orders
🎸 Selwyn Birchwood
📅 Tuesday, September 8th
📍 Judson's Live, Dr. Phillips Center
Orlando's own blues warrior brings his blazing "Electric Swamp Funkin' Blues" back to the stage with a smoldering mix of deep blues, psychedelic rock, and Southern soul.
👉 Swamp Funk
🎭 Spotlight Cabaret: Patrece Bloomfield
📅 Wednesday & Thursday, September 9th-10th | 7:30pm
📍 Winter Park Playhouse
Patrece Bloomfield returns with "Looking Back and Moving Forward," an exciting evening of Classical, Jazz, and Broadway with pianist Dr. Terrance L. Lane.
👉 Stage Magic
💃 ROSALÍA
📅 Wednesday, September 9th | 8:30pm
📍 Kia Center
Grammy-winning Spanish icon blends flamenco, pop, R&B, and electronic music in a fearless, visually stunning performance you will not forget.
👉 MALAMENTE
🎬 Popcorn Flicks: Shrek 2
📅 Thursday, September 10th | 8pm
📍 Central Park Main Stage, Winter Park
Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and Puss in Boots take on the Fairy Godmother in the ultimate happily-ever-after adventure, totally free under the stars!
👉 Far Far Away
🎵 The Mavericks and Friends
📅 Thursday, September 10th | 8pm
📍 The Plaza Live
The legendary Mavericks bring their irresistible mix of country, rock, and Latin heat to one of Orlando's best intimate venues.
👉 Dancing All Night
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
THANKS!
✅ Want to connect with 20K+ curious Orlandoans for your business?, start a conversation here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
