Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Get ready for another scorcher this weekend! Lots of outdoor events still, so drink lots of water, wear sunscreen, and put on that hat! Have a great one.
Now, in today’s issue:
- Picking a Fight With a Skyscraper
- Brick Convention
- Sip & Thrift
- + 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.
P.P.S. Check out tons of open Orlando area jobs at the Orlando Signal Job Board, right here.
3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
A Gold Dome Picks a Fight With a Skyscraper
For 53 years, Father John Hamatie has opened the doors of St. George Orthodox Church and gazed out at the same Orlando skyline. That view is about to get a lot taller, and his congregation has opinions.
A developer wants to plant a 37-story luxury hotel and residential tower on the lot next door, complete with 221 hotel rooms and 252 high-end residences. Orlando's Appearance Review Board loved it.
The century-old, nationally landmarked church? Considerably less so. Members called it incompatible with the neighborhood, and Hamatie made clear that whatever goes up beside his church had better deserve the address.
The rezoning hits the Municipal Planning Board in June.
(Get the complete dome vs. developer breakdown with Laura Kinsler, right here)
Sun, Sand, and Seriously Good Art
Florida's art scene showed up, and then some.
The Orlando Museum of Art just opened the 12th Florida Prize in Contemporary Art, and this year broke its own rules: twelve artists, including two collaborative duos, made the cut for the first time ever.
The setup is deliciously competitive. OMA's curatorial team scoured the state, hand-picked ten standouts, and one outside juror decided who walked away with $20,000. That winner is, Francisco Masó.
Wander the galleries and one thread quietly ties everything together: language. Coded systems, foreign tongues, inherited rituals, memory. These twelve artists have something to say, with every single one saying it differently.
The exhibit runs through August 23rd, and visitors can vote for their favorite artist all summer for the $5,000 People's Choice Award, with a winner announced at the closing ceremony on August 20.
Check out exhibit details, right here.
Pine Hills' New Affordable Apartments?
Gone Before the Paint Dried
Ten years in the making, Barnett Villas in Pine Hills debuted its 156 affordable apartment units within walking distance of Orange County's Barnett Park. Astonishingly (or maybe not so much), it filled every single one almost overnight.
Orlando-based Banyan Development Group co-founder Jeff Kiss survived a decade of financing headaches and a string of last-minute move-in delays to finally cut the ribbon.
Mayor Jerry Demings wasn't surprised by the instant sellout, pointing to the county's massive, well-documented need for affordable housing.
The numbers back him up. Orlando ties with Las Vegas for the worst shortage of affordable rentals for low-income residents in the entire country, per the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
(Learn a ton more about why 156 units vanished before the ribbon was cut with Molly Duerig, right here)
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Florida Vintage Fest
Source: Florida Vintage Fest
📍Great Southern Box Company. 2105 N Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32804. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, June 6th, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
This Saturday, the Great Southern Box Co Food Hall is the place to be.
Indoors and outdoors, your favorite men's and women's vintage vendors are setting up shop, bringing the kind of finds you'll still be talking about next month.
With 11 food options, live music, drinks, and free parking, there's no reason to stay home.
Come out. Dig in. Find something great.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Brick Convention: LEGO Fan Event
Source: Brick Convention
📍Central Florida Fairgrounds. 4603 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32808. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, June 6th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, June 7th, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.
There's something magical about a room full of LEGO® bricks, and in 2026, the Brick Convention is bringing that magic back to Orlando, bigger than ever.
Billed as the Greatest LEGO® Fan Event on Earth, this all-new event features more than double the LEGO displays, packed with hands-on activities for builders of every age and skill level.
Best of all, a portion of every ticket sold is donated to Creations for Charity, putting brand-new LEGO sets in the hands of underprivileged children worldwide.
👉 Get more info, right here
Sip & Thrift
Source: À La Cart - City
📍À La Cart - City. 1274 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, June 6th, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Sip & Thrift Is Back.
OMG Events and À La Cart City are bringing Sip & Thrift back this Saturday, and after the last one, it was never a question of if, just when.
Over 20 vendors. Vintage finds from $2 to $60. Food from Brick & Butter, Red Panda Noodle, and Phat Ash Bakes. DJ Xandr on the ones and twos. And absolutely free to get in.
👉 Get the full details
Stories in Stone: A Walking Tour of the Maitland Art Center
Source: Art & History Museums of Maitland
📍Art & History Museums of Maitland. 231 West Packwood Ave. Maitland, FL 32751. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, June 6th, 10 a.m.
Step inside the Maitland Art Center and prepare for something wonderfully weird.
This one-hour walking tour reveals J. André Smith's 1930s artistic playground, a fantasy campus called "Espero" (hope) blending Mayan temples, Christian symbols, and East Asian flair.
Over 2,500 hand-carved sculptures cover every surface.
You'll discover why creative legends like Milton Avery and Doris Lee flocked here to make art in one of Florida's most imaginative hideaways.
And here’s the best part, this experience is a no brainer for 6 bucks!
👉 Check It Out
THIS WEEKENDS HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-day
Pineapple Weekend Festival | Fri, Sat, Sun | Lake Nona | More
SIX | Fri, Sat, Sun | City District | More
Orlando Seafood Festival | Sat & Sun | Milk District | More
Friday
June Movie Night | 8:30 pm | Leu Gardens | More
Opening Reception: Megan Hernandez | 6:00 pm | Milk District | More
RnB LIVE 3rd Fridays | 9:00 pm | West | More
Shawn Mullins with Cat Ridgeway | 6 & 9:00 pm | City District | More
Corbyn Besson and Soulidified: The Pop'n Out Tour | 7:00 pm | Lake Buena Vista | More
Ashes to Omens | 6:30 pm | Sanford | More
Hee Haw 2: Still Pickin' and A'Grinnin | 8:00 pm | Winter Park | More
Eight-Hand Jig - Pegasus PlayLab 2026 | 7:00 pm | UCF | More
Can You Dig It? An After Hours Jazz Event | 6:30 pm | Maitland | More
Live Hart | 6:00 pm | Kissimmee | More
The Art Show | 6:00 pm | Casselberry | More
Saturday
10th Annual CommUNITY Rainbow Run & Festival | 7:30 am | City District | More
Dezerland Park-a-Palooza | 11:00 am | I-Drive | More
Amazing Silent Discos - Orlando Science Center - Throwback Party | 7:00 pm | City District | More
Peter and the Wolf Ballet | 7:00 pm | City District | More
Ringmaster RED Party | 8:00 pm | Lake Buena Vista | More
Orlando Pirates vs. Iowa Barnstormers | 4:00 pm | City District | More
Charlie Puth: Whatever's Clever! World Tour | 7:30 pm | City District | More
Sunday
Paint With All the Colors of Pride | 12:00 pm | Kissimmee | More
Tasting with Master Sommelier George Miliotes: Introduction to Blind Tasting | 1:00 pm | City District | More
Central Florida Sounds of Freedom Band and Guard Presents: Resilience | 3:00 pm | City District | More
Sword II in Orlando | 7:00 pm | Winter Park | More
Orlando Museum of Art Highlights Tour | 1:00 pm | Lake Formosa | More
Sanford Cars and Coffee | 9:00 am | Sanford | More
CTE Sundays at Eden | 6:00 pm | City District | More
Yoga at the brewery | 10:30am | Ivanhoe Village | More
Summer Ceviche | 5:30 pm | Winter Park | More
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