Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!
I’m tired! Last night I ventured out and met up with an exceptional group of OS readers at the OS Dinner Club after-gathering. Ya’ll kept me up way past my bed time, but it was 1000% worth it.
Happy early Halloween to you all! We’re ready for all the little savages 🤣 taking to the streets tomorrow evening liberating our candy stockpile. Be safe everyone.
- Reviving PlayFest
- Week of the Family
- Great Scott!
- + 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.
3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
Orlando's Got a New History Podcast, and It's Serving Up the City's Best Stories
Love podcasts?
The City of Orlando just entered the podcast game with Orlando History Makers, a weekly series that gets up close and personal with the power players shaping Central Florida.
Hosted by Commissioner Robert F. Stuart, this isn't your typical government snooze-fest. We're talking real talk, the kind of candid conversations that reveal what actually makes Orlando tick, from bold decisions to behind-the-scenes moments that never make the news.
First up? Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer spills on his journey to the top and the projects keeping the city buzzing.
New episodes drop weekly, so grab your headphones and get the inside scoop on the stories that built your city.
I listened to the first episode (28 minutes) and it was quite fascinating.
New Plays, New Voices: Orlando Shakes Revives PlayFest After Two-Year Break
After a two-year hiatus, Orlando Shakes PlayFest is back and better than ever at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center this weekend, November 1st & 2nd, serving up new exciting staged readings where audiences get to play critic and help shape tomorrow's hit plays.
This year's eclectic lineup delivers everything from Phanésia's deliciously dark true-crime thriller Dead Girl's Quinceañera to Miranda Rose Hall's heartfelt friendship drama The Sandwich Ministry, set during a once-in-a-century storm.
The festival has launched more than 182 original works, with over 20 graduating to full MainStage productions.
🎟️ Snag individual tickets for $16 and see all the PlayFest shows this weekend, right here.
Winter Park's Art-Meets-Business Gambit Takes Shape
Rollins College broke ground last Friday on an ambitious downtown Winter Park project that's anything but stuffy.
The Innovation Triangle pairs a sparkling new 31,000-square-foot Rollins Museum of Art with a leadership institute at New England and Interlachen avenues, joining forces with the existing Alfond Inn as the triangle's third point.
Picture business students sharpening their skills through art analysis while the museum feeds data-driven research to budding entrepreneurs. The facility, triple the current museum's size, will host blockbuster exhibitions while keeping admission free.
The $50.4 million project, entirely funded by philanthropy, opens spring 2028, turning Winter Park into a magnet for art lovers and innovators alike.
⁉️ What’s the Innovation Triangle? Learn more, right here.
(Learn lots more about this exciting new museum with Matthew J. Palm, right here)
WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Orange County Week of the Family
Source: Orange County
📍Cypress Grove Park. 290 Holden Ave, Orlando, FL 32839. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday, November 1st, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Every November, Orange County transforms ordinary days into an extraordinary celebration of family.
The Week of the Family, spanning the first to second Saturday of November, weaves together education, wellness, wholesome activities, and community service to strengthen families countywide. This year's Mayor's Family Fun Day takes center stage.
Mayor Jerry Demings headlines this free celebration featuring entertainment, inflatables, games, pony rides, and more.
👉 Check It Out
TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead Market
Source: La Bodega
📍Great Southern Box Co. 2105 N Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32804. Map to this location.
🕐 Sunday, November 2nd, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
This Day of the Dead, you’re invited to something extraordinary. Gather around a glowing community altar honoring loved ones, browse local vendors' handcrafted treasures, and watch children's faces transform into colorful Calaveras.
Savor authentic food, let little ones decorate sugar skulls, and capture memories at our photo backdrop. This is where life and remembrance dance together.
Bring your family and friends for an afternoon too meaningful to miss.
👉 Get more info, right here
City of Orlando 54th Annual Fall Fiesta
Source: City of Orlando
📍Lake Eola Park. 512 East Washington Street, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday & Sunday, November 1st & 2nd, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
For 54 years, Fall Fiesta in the Park has turned downtown Orlando into an autumn celebration like no other.
Presented by the City of Orlando, this beloved tradition draws families to Lake Eola's scenic shores for a weekend of discovery. We’re talking hundreds of artist booths, live entertainment, the AdventHealth for Children Kid's Zone, and diverse food vendors.
Ranked 14th nationally by Sunshine Artist Magazine in 2024, this top-tier festival welcomes everyone with free admission to Central Florida's longest-running community gathering.
👉 Get the full details
Fall Festival at Great Scott Farms
Source: Great Scott Farms
📍Great Scott Farms. 26216 County Road 448A, Mt Dora, FL 32757. Map to this location.
🕐 Saturday & Sunday through November 16th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
How about a fun day-trip this weekend?
Great Scott Farms' Fall Festival delivers everything you crave about autumn, without the fuss.
Navigate the twisting Corn Maze, bounce skyward on the Jumping Pillow, and feel the rush down the Super Slide. Little ones can rule the Castle Playground while families sway gently on Hay Rides through golden fields. And of course, farm tours.
The Pumpkin Patch is where the season truly comes alive, with rows of perfect orange orbs waiting to become memories.
Round up your peeps, adventure and small-town charm are waiting at the farm.
👉 Check it out, right here
MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁
Multi-Day
Boo Orlando! | Fri & Sat | Lake Nona | More
Benji Brown | Fri & Sat | I-Drive | More
Friday - 31st
GSBC Cars & Coffee Trunk Or Treat | 5 p.m. | College Park | More
Wekivia Witches & Warlock | 10 p.m. | Longwood | More
Murder on the Dance Floor | 6 p.m. | I-Drive | More
The Halloween Torture Show | 7 p.m. | I-Drive | More
Midnight Movies: Halloween | 12 a.m. | Maitland | More
Halloween at Old Town | 5 p.m. | Kissimmee | More
Halloween Costume Contest | 6 p.m. | Kissimmee | More
The Allen Asylum | 7 p.m. | Dr. Phillips | More
UCF Knights Mens Soccer vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Men's Soccer | 7 p.m. | UCF | More
Flashback Fright | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
Warren Zeiders: Relapse, Lies, and Betrayal Tour | 7:30 p.m. | UCF | More
Nightmare at the Pointe | 8 p.m. | I-Drive | More
Saturday - 1st
🔥 Main Street Apopka Walking Tour | 10 a.m. | Apopka | More
🔥 Ceiba Bar Takeover Día de Los Muertos | 7 p.m. | Evermore Orlando Resort | More
Orlando Vintage Flea | 11 a.m. | Thornton Park | More
Clermont Saturday Food Truck | 3 p.m. | Clermont | More
Spa After Dark | 1 p.m. | Williamsburg | More
Fall Wine Walk | 2 p.m. | Lake Wales | More
History Alive: Famous Floridians | 10 a.m. | Downtown | More
Ocoee Alliance for Truth and Justice: Dawoud Bey | 1:30 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
French Police | 6 p.m. | Downtown | More
Matchroom: Pero v Thompson | 6 p.m. | I-Drive | More
Pandora's Talk Box, Brass Horse, plus16mm films by Sharon Couzin and Sandra Davis | 7 p.m. | Audubon Park | More
Sunday - 2nd
Central Florida Jewish Film Festival: The Most Precious of Cargoes | 10:30 a.m. | Maitland | More
Kiwi Camera Swap Meet | 11 a.m. | Ivanhoe Village | More
Carmina Burana & Rhapsody in Blue | 3 p.m. | Downtown | More
Fan Appreciation Night - Orlando Pride v Seattle Reign | 5 p.m. | Downtown | More
Sun Room – The Jackknife Tour | 6 p.m. | Downtown | More
Stop.Drop.Rewind, Kings of the Wild Things, Kyle & The 8-Minute Miles | 7 p.m. | Mills 50 | More
Sorry Papi x Paloma Mami: La Muñekita Tour | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
Bald Brothers: Kevonstage and Tony Baker | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More
Psychic Death, M.A.C.E., Chalice | 8 p.m. | Thornton Park | More
Candlelight: From Bach to The Beatles | 8:45 p.m. | Downtown | More
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THANKS!
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We’ll see you on Monday.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
