Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the lovely moms out there. Mothering isn’t easy, and we see you! 😀
Now, in today’s issue:
- Orlando Celebrates Mom
- Spring Open House
- A World of Flavors
- + 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 ⏲️
Orange County Is Putting Down Roots. Hundreds of Them
On Arbor Day, Orange County leaders got their hands dirty, pressing a young live oak into the earth at Great Oaks Village, Florida's oldest and largest foster care group home, and kicking off something bigger: "OC Loves Trees."
The countywide initiative will plant hundreds of native trees across Orange County, backed by an updated Arbor Ordinance that keeps developers honest, preserve mature trees, replant more than you remove, or fund public plantings elsewhere.
County leaders say the payoff is real: more shade, cleaner air, lower energy bills, and neighborhoods that actually feel like places worth living in.
An Urban Forest Master Plan is in the works to make sure the green spreads equitably. And the kids at Great Oaks Village? They named the ceremonial oak "The Demings Oak," after Mayor Jerry L. Demings, proof that the best things really do start small.
🌴 Check out this quick clip about the OC Loves Tree program, right here.
From the Streets to a Set of Keys
Less than a year in, Orlando's 407 Connect is already doing what most housing programs only promise, it's getting people off the streets and through their own front doors.
Backed by $3 million over three years, the program parks specially designed buses — think 21 private sleeping pods, not cots, in the city's most vulnerable corners, pairing overnight shelter with serious case management and real move-in funding.
The outcomes? An elderly couple went from eight years of motel living to permanent housing in just 40 days. A young woman is now chasing a marine biology degree.
Mayor Buddy Dyer calls it sustained investment meeting real results. The goal: 400-plus people housed by year three.
🚍 Learn more about 407 Connect’s initiative, right here.
Bottomless Brunches to Michelin Stars: Orlando Celebrates Mom
Orlando knows how to celebrate Mom.
This Sunday, the city's restaurant scene delivers everything from Michelin-starred tasting menus to bottomless mimosas and hands-on pizza-making classes.
Ômo by Jônt and Soseki are serving up multi-course experiences for moms who deserve nothing less than extraordinary.
AVA MediterrAegean brings Greek-inspired brunch vibes plus an on-site flower cart, because why not leave with blooms AND a full belly?
Bulla Gastrobar is keeping the party going with bottomless MOM-osas and a $20 gift card so Mom can come back for more.
Budget-friendly? Friendly's is handing out free scoops to Fan Club members, because every mom deserves dessert.
🤰Get the FULL, glorious lineup from Amy Drew Thompson, right here.
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
73rd ANNUAL PARADE OF HOMES ORLANDO
Source: Parade of Homes Orlando
📍All over Orlando!
🕐 Saturday, May 9th through Sunday, May 17th
If you’re nosey like me, then this is a great, free, event for us!
The Greater Orlando Builders Association swings open doors across Central Florida for the 73rd annual Parade of Homes Orlando.
Self-guided tours through new builds, remodels, and apartment communities. This year's showstopper is Carmel Modern, a 12,790-square-foot Bay Hill estate
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Presented by CFCArts Choir: Road Trip:USA
Source: CFCArts
📍Northland Church. 522 Dog Track Rd, Longwood, FL 32750. Map to this location.
🕐 Thursday (TODAY), May 7th and Friday (tomorrow), May 8th at 7:30 p.m.
America has always told its best stories through song.
Road Trip: USA is the CFCArts Community Choir at their finest. From Broadway's bright lights to the soulful ache of the blues, jazz-soaked back streets, country roads, and rock 'n' roll that rattled a generation.
300 singers and Symphony Orchestra members take you on a coast-to-coast ride through the music that built a nation.
Two nights. Hundreds of voices. One road worth taking.
👉 Get more info, right here
The A & H Museums of Maitland Spring Open House 2026
Source: The Art & History Museums of Maitland
📍The Art & History Museums of Maitland. 231 W Packwood Ave, Maitland, FL 32751. Map to this location.
🕐 Friday, May 8th, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
There's something quietly special about an arts community that invites the public in, free of charge, and means it.
This Friday, the Open House fills the gardens with live fiddle music by Sharon Hartmann, spanning Appalachian, Celtic, and Bluegrass. Open art studios, artist demonstrations, and a student sale featuring ceramics, mixed media, and paintings.
The Chief Curator mans the grill. A cash bar pours. Blankets welcome.
👉 Get the full details
International Food Fest: A World of Flavors
Source: Orlando Tasting Society
📍Clarcona Community Center. 5771 N Apopka Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32818. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, May 2nd, 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Forget the passport, the International Food Fest is the tastiest trip you'll ever take without leaving town.
In just a few steps, you'll go from the smoky, sizzling heat of Korean barbecue to the sun-soaked boldness of Mediterranean cooking to the kind of Latin American sweetness that makes you close your eyes mid-bite. Asia's spice merchants? They showed up too.
One afternoon, across every continent.
👉 Check it out, right here
THIS WEEKENDS HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Friday
Watercolor Hydrangeas | 10 a.m. | Leu Gardens | More
James Hall Trio with Digna Ojito and Shaina LaRoche | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More
Ari Lennox | 8 p.m. | City District | More
Biergarten Friday | 5 p.m. | Casselberry | More
The Mother of All Baby Showers | 6 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Spring Open House | 6:30 p.m. | Maitland | More
World Music Festival: Flamencodanza | 7:30 p.m. | Wadeview Park | More
Orlando Pride vs. North Carolina Courage | 8 p.m. | City District | More
Saturday
4Roots Farmers Market | 9 a.m. | Packing District | More
Orlando Whiskey Riot | 3 p.m. | West | More
Family Studio at Rollins Museum of Art- May | 10 a.m. | Winter Park | More
Bleach 30 Year Anniversary | 7 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Run for the Trees 5k | 7:30 a.m. | Winter Park | More
Young Naturalist Explorers: Wildflowers and the Art of Tataki-Zome | 9:30 a.m. | Winter Park | More
Audubon’s Annual Baby Owl Shower | 10 a.m. | Maitland | More
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus | 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Lulu’s Birthday Celebration: White Cat Party | 11 a.m. | City District | More
ORLando Outpost: Immersive Cantina Experience | 4 p.m. | City District | More
Orlando Pirates Game 3 | 5 & 6 p.m. | City District | More
Deadguy, Novely, Concealer, Movingdigginteeth | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More
World Music Festival: Yotam Ishay Quartet | 7:30 p.m. | Wadeview Park | More
Sunday
Mother’s Day – Free for Caregivers | 12 p.m. | City District | More
Spiritworld, Desmadre, Doomsday | 6 p.m. | Winter Park | More
🎭 Have an event to share?Submit it here.
THANKS!
🧠Interested in reaching smart Orlando readers like you? Grow with us right here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
