Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
Oh, Fall. How I’ve missed you so. Fall festivals out the ear. Walking farmers’ markets again without risking heatstroke. Pumpkin spice goodies everywhere. I’m here for all of it. Enjoy the heck out of the weekend, y’all.
Now, in today’s issue:
- Walking the Walk
- Plantmania
- Viva La FRIDA Festival
- + lots of weekend recs
Did a friend forward this to you? Subscribe here.
Let’s roll!
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 ⏲️
How One Youth Theater Walks the Walk
At CFCArts Youth Theatre in Winter Park, rehearsals are just the beginning. These kids take their characters' values seriously enough to live them out in real life.
For every production, CFCArts matches its cast with a local nonprofit that fits the show's story.
Performing in Disney's Moana Jr., the cast grabbed gloves and joined Keep Orlando Beautiful for a lake clean-up last week, because Moana loves the water and respectful relationship with the natural world around her.
Performing A Christmas Carol the Musical, fifteen cast members headed to United Against Poverty to clean and stock shelves for a program that lets families personally select food and household essentials. Scrooge learned his lesson the hard way; these kids are skipping straight to the good part.
The Addition Financial Foundation says CFCArts is teaching young people the joy of giving back, and honestly, it shows. (← see what I did there?)
🔥 Catch these amazing kids performing in their upcoming shows, right here.
Wine Country Gets a Market
Every Saturday morning, something worth waking up for is happening at Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards in Clermont.
The winery, a Central Florida landmark for over 30 years, has launched a weekly farmers market, running Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Free admission gets you access to 25-plus local vendors: sourdough bakers, fifth-generation cattle ranchers, gourmet mushroom farmers, artisan cheese purveyors, cold-pressed juice, local honey, fresh pasta, and cheesecake bites, among others.
Live entertainment kicks off at 11:00 a.m. Wine tastings run $5.
Bring a lawn chair. The vineyards are the backdrop. The vibe is unhurried.
Anybody Want a Mall?
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is shooing out its last stragglers at Colonial Promenade Shopping Center, a 180,000-square-foot strip mall on East Colonial Drive that, in better days, held a Sam Ash, a library branch, a Sweet Tomatoes, and a cinema.
All long gone. GOAA recently terminated the lease for beauty shop Emporium 7, and handed its only surviving tenant, a 40-year-old Aerus Electrolux, a 30-day notice.
The plan? Redevelopment. Imminent redevelopment, according to GOAA.
The issue? No developer has actually signed on yet. 🧐
So the plaza sits empty, dressed up with nowhere to go.
(Dive deeper into the plaza nobody wants, but everybody's watching, with Christie Zizo, right here)
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Plantmania
Source: Plantmania Expo
📍Central Florida Fairgrounds - Main Exhibit Hall. 4603 W Colonial Dr, Orlando, FL 32808. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, September 26th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 27th, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Plantmania Expo is coming to Orlando, and it's exactly what plant lovers have been waiting for.
This indoor market-style event brings together growers from around the world, offering rare, exotic, and popular houseplants alongside plant-inspired crafts and free educational sessions covering everything from Styling Houseplants to Pest ID and Tissue Culture Acclimation.
Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting out, this is your kind of afternoon. Grab your tickets now.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Southern Hill Farms’ Fall Festival
Source: Southern Hill Farms
📍Southern Hills Farms. 16651 Schofield Road, Clermont, FL 34714. Map to this location.
🕐 Opening Saturday, September 26th through November 22nd
Southern Hill Farms' 11th Annual Fall Festival kicks off this Saturday, running select Thursdays and every Friday through Sunday until November 22nd.
Think corn mazes, a petting zoo, wagon rides, live music, flower fields, and a Fun Zone that lives up to its name.
Ages 2 and under get in free. Oh, and save room for the apple cider donuts, they're the stuff of legend.
Tickets available online. They won't sell them at the gate.
👉 Get more info, right here
Melrose Film Festival
Source: Orange County Library System
📍Melrose Center at Orlando Public Library. 101 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, September 26th, 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Short films don't always get the spotlight they deserve. This Saturday, that changes.
The 2026 Melrose Film Festival celebrates visual storytelling through five categories, AI Shorts, Animated Films, Documentaries, Micro Short Films, and Short Films, featuring the work of imaginative filmmakers from around the world.
Tight narratives. Specific visions. No filler. And best of all? Admission is completely free.
👉 Check It Out
Mount Dora Viva La FRIDA Festival
Source: Mount Dora Center for the Arts
📍Donnelly Park. 1001 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, September 26th, 11 a.m. & 7 p.m.
Now in its fourth year, Mount Dora Center for the Arts' Viva La FRIDA Festival brings the bold, unapologetic spirit of Frida Kahlo to the heart of historic Mount Dora.
Expect live music, dancing, artisan vendors, fabulous food, and a free kids' art zone.
The real showstopper is a costume competition where attendees dress as Frida herself, flowers, unibrow, and all, competing for prizes while the crowd plays judge.
👉 Get the full details
THIS WEEKENDS HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-day
🔥 Dinosaur Dance Party & Baby Rave | Sat & Sun | Loch Haven Park | More
Great Scott Farms Fall Festival | Sat & Sun | Mount Dora | More
Footloose: The Musical | Fri, Sat, Sun | Winter Garden | More
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! | Fri, Sat, Sun | Maitland | More
Friday
Rockpit Brewing: Day of Dolly | 5:00 pm | SoDo | More
Orlando Ballet: Uncorked | 7:00 pm | Lake Formosa | More
Elevation Rhythm - Washed Tour | 7:00 pm | I-Drive | More
The Toxicity of Our City Nü Metal Night featuring Deserted Will | 7:00 am | City District | More
Santiago Cruz - Sigo En Pie Tour | 6:30 & 9 pm | City District | More
Poetry Coffeehouse Night | 6:30 pm | Maitland | More
Silvana Estrada | 8:00 pm | Delaney Park | More
Flying Horse Big Band Concert | 8:00 pm | UCF | More
Saturday
🔥 OWOC Community Health Fair | 9:00 am | Conway | More
🔥 Walk To End Lupus Now | 10:00 am | City District | More
Textile and Quilt Art Forum | Several Times | City District | More
Collective Corner Presents: Forks Forever, a Twilight Inspired Market | 12:00 pm | West | More
The Botanical Wreath: Dried Flower Wreath Making Workshop | 10:00 am | College Park | More
Pride: The Rhythm of the Chosen Hearts | 7:30 pm | City District | More
U.S. Men's National Soccer Team v Peru | 4:30 pm | City District | More
Sunday
Moa Kai Anniversary Luau | 5 & 6 pm | E Colonial | More
Flights of Puccini | 5 & 7:30 pm | City District | More
Conway Community Market & Blessing Bags Donation Drive! | 10:00 am | Conway | More
Teacher Wonder Days at WonderWorks Orlando | 10:00 am | I-Drive | More
Bates Road Bridge Run | 11:30 am | Winter Park | More
Young Writers Workshop | 2:00 pm | Maitland | 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
