We've been coming to this event for over 20 years. For 2026 they had 101 vendors of food and…read moredrinks, we did not make it to all of them but we gave it our best effort. Some of the vendors give out coupons for free appetizers drinks and discounts. They have live music a dance floor and entertainers throughout the event. They also have several auctions where you can win stuff. Someone won over $7,000 worth of alcohol. They also have silent auctions and wine Giveaways. The money for this event is used to help to feed hungry children around the world.

An excellent event for a good cause…read more I will say that it's a wee-bit awkward on one's conscience to be stuffing yourself to end hunger. However, everyone involved is doing a lot and going a long way for a good cause. I suppose that wealthier folks than myself are more used to that sort of arrangement. This was my 3rd time attending and my wife's 1st. The other two times I'd gone as a relative's +1, but this time we both got to go together. We were both dressed accordingly and many others were as well, but there were a lot of people in jeans or very casual clothing. As Brent pointed out, there are many of Central Florida's movers and shakers at this event. As well as many local culinary stars! Chit-chatting with the Petrakis' isn't something you just regularly do, but you can do it here. My wife was raving to them about the shrimp cup they had and they insisted she have a couple more. We love their locations (still looking to try the Polite Pig in Disney Springs) and they are very sweet people. Come hungry because you will leave stuffed. Come early! We had the full 6pm tickets, so we got a bit of a jump on things. We tried food by: (I'm sure I'll miss a few, but this is looking at the list) 4Rivers, The Coop, Benihana, Cala Bella @ Shingle Creek, Ace Café, Canvas, Capital Grille, Chroma, Cress, Eddie V's, 11 @ Reunion, Florida Nitro, FreshPoint, H&H, Marlow's Tavern, Marriott, Paddlefish, Plancha, Primo, Raglan Road, Ravenous Pig, Savor, Seasons 52, STK, Tommy Bahama, W, and Yak & Yeti Highlights were the shrimp mentioned above, the 4R sample, the Capital tenderloin, and Marlow's pork belly. That last one surprised me because I'm not a Marlow's fan, but that pork belly was GOLD. We tried every single drink station. Some were better than others. Some were much more generous than others. Cooper's Hawk (we are wine club members) won the night for generous pours. They flat gave you a full glass of wine. Everywhere else was a sample. Not Cooper's Hawk. There were full bottles of Acqua Panna and S. Pellegrino waters (still or sparkling respectively) and that was very nice. The hit and longest line of the entire night, food or beverage, was Tito's Handmade Vodka. That place was 100+ people deep for 3+ hours. No joke. It was tasty and everyone we ran into that we knew was holding a Tito's cup. It was packed and they were hustling all night. My personal favorite of the entire night was NOT an adult beverage. I loved Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company. They had a blood orange juice that was insanely good. Like off the charts delicious. We had beer, we had wine, we had milk, we had root beer, we had hard cider, we had coffee/tea, we had it all. That juice was the best. They have a few events to raise extra money for the charities. They have a silent auction (WAY WAY WAY out of my league $$-wise), a giving tree (you pay $50 to pull down a leaf with a gift card in it which is $25-$300 in value... ours was a wimpy $25 for Subway, but it's for charity!), a wine toss (3 rings for $15 like at a fair, but if your ring lands on a wine bottle, you win that bottle), and wine cellar key. The wine cellar key is insane. It's a raffle of like 150 bottles of wine. If you have the winning key, you get $2,500+ worth of wine bottles. We didn't win that, either. It's a great time and a good cause. If you ever have a chance to come, you SHOULD!

I know I signed up for the food truck event but instead ended up coming to the Festival of the…read moreMasters because a friend of a friend was competing in the sidewalk chalk art event. All of the entries were amazing and we were talking about how it's amazing to think that there are so many people out there who have true artistic talent. There were a couple that stood out for me such as: "Steam Punk" and "The Thai Mermaid" They were just really different and made you think about what drove them to do these artworks. I wish the artists had stuck around towards the end though. The weather was perfect and the smell of food coming from all directions combined to make it quite the enjoyable (and hungry) evening. If you enjoy art and photography, this is a fun little event to go to.

Another late review!…read more Festival of the Masters is an event that is held at Downtown Disney where art from various locations are displayed around the West Side and Marketplace. There are chalk artists drawing in front of World of Disney as well as along the marina at West Side. There are also art and crafts kiosks set up around West Side displaying different types of art. This passed year in 2013 there was also food trucks scattered around for the event which was a pretty festive touch! If you're into art I would highly suggest popping by for this event!

During our trip in December 2024, we stopped by this tribute store and enjoyed the holiday theming…read more Loved the little areas for photos, and even a nice selection of souvenirs to pick up as well. Especially loved seeing items for Hanukkah as there isn't much throughout the parks. Definitely return here if we do another holiday trip to Universal Studios Orlando.

This tribute store has been around for a few years now and one of the coolest things about this…read moreplace is the constant changing of the design and theme as well as the storyline behind it. This year for Halloween horror nights, it's based around entering a comic book (which they sell) and living in the stories being told. The themeing is phenomenal and each room has different shirts and art as well as trinkets they are selling all centered around the story and the horror nights event of the year! They always have a wide variety of themed snacks, this year they have cakes based around stranger things and smores that are red and themed after Chucky the doll! I love how friendly everyone is when it comes to the team members working here and they helped me find everything I was looking for while I was here! I tried the chucky s'more and it was heavenly! Little pricey at $7 for the size but you are paying the theme park premium so it's understandable. Can't wait to see next tribute store theme!

THIS was the event of the year! Yelp's VIP Sky Lounge provided the perfect view for seeing and…read morebeing seen. And boy oh boy, there was non-stop fashion on the runway to be seen as well as in the crowds. The models and guests were dressed beyond the nines all the way to the 15s. Thank goodness the runway show gave me some ideas how to spruce up my wardrobe. There were so many shops from Park Avenue that have some seriously forward and beautiful pieces. I'm already married and don't wear dresses, but the wedding dresses from The Collection blew me away and might make me rethink all that. Simply stunning gowns, especially the salmon colored final dress. I got chills when I saw it. So, I'm young at heart but not that young. And I only see myself in Current's awesome forward clothing and trends. But I will say that I rethought this after John Craig presented some of their pieces. It is NOT older stodgy clothes at all! They've got some very stylish and forward fashion. Now I've got two stores to shop in. Million thanks to all the vendors showcasing their products, food, and drinks at the event. Luma on Park knocked it out with their amazing Linen cocktail and champagne. Carmel Kitchen and Hawkers provided amazing noshes, some of which I had to retaste several times to be sure they were as delicious as my first bite. Boca/Abo/Park Social were there representing their new restaurant on Park Avenue across from Panera. I can't wait to check out their local food creations, oysters, and cocktails, respectively. They sampled some bourbon macarons that were freaking delicious. Final props to Yelp for yet again introducing me to businesses and places that I would not have thought about if it weren't for this event.

What a great event, and a great time to be Elite! This wasn't my first fashion rodeo, but I thought…read morethe crew that put this show on did a great job mixing entertainment, fashion and charity together. As an Elite Yelper I got treated to VIP access that got me free food & drink which was all amazing and from local Orlando restaurants, plus I got to hang with Andi and the other incredibly nice Yelpers in our own Sky Lounge! My only critique if I'm even allowed to mention anything from such a wonderful night, was the longer than normal intermission. This is a fashion show! Not a night out at the theater! Keep the energy going! An extra perk was getting to meet Laura Diaz from XL 106.7 who couldn't have been nicer and even took pictures with me. Speaking of pictures Snap Studio Booth was on hand with an amazing great portable photo booth that took stellar pictures!! Check them out! Thanks Andi! Another night of feeling cooler than you are thanks to Yelp!

This festival is such a fun experience and the topiary exhibits were absolutely stunning. Walking…read morearound EPCOT and seeing beautiful displays inspired by Lion King and Encanto was such a highlight. Every corner had something new to discover and photograph. The butterfly garden was another unexpected favorite. It was beautiful, peaceful, and filled with so many unique species. Of course, the biggest draw was the food. There were so many festival booths and so many creative dishes to try that it was hard to choose. My favorites: -Canard Confit: pulled duck confit with rosemary-mushroom sauce and herbed polenta corn cake. Rich, flavorful, and had so much depth, I had a ratatouille moment. -Peach Cobbler: cinnamon gelato topped with streusel. The combination of warm spices, creamy gelato, and crunchy topping was incredible. -Jamaican Jerk Chicken: served with pigeon pea rice, roasted sweet plantains, and cinnamon butter. This packed a punch of spice, it was awesome. My fiancé's favorite: caramelized onions on a flaky pastry crust topped with bacon, I personally wasn't very impressed. The lines can get long, and the weather can definitely be challenging, but the variety and quality of the food made it worth it. I'd recommend making a list of must-try dishes ahead of time because it can get overwhelming fast.

We did not go to Epcot knowing it was the flower and garden festival- that was completely on…read moreaccident. That being said, I would strongly recommend checking out Epcot during this festival! All of the flowers and topiaries are BEAUTIFUL! There's tons to see and you could just stare at the topiaries all day. We loved seeing so many characters (my favorite was the lion king one). The other part of this festival was all the food! We loved the poke and frushi...and I think about that frushi even now. We did the whole food challenge and got the dole whip at the end which was so yummy and BIG. Definitely enjoyed this!

I enjoyed the festive lights on the ball dropped, the music, the food and the t-shirt.read more

This is a once a year event. It takes place on New Years Eve…read more I had to list this on yelp... so others will hopefully partake in this awesome New Year's area tradition! THIS IS A MUST... forget the neighbourhood block party. Do this first, as the block party will still be going on when you come back! THIS IS A FREE EVENT! This is based on the NYC ball drop with a twist, they drop the ball at 9pm so you can be in bed by 10! This is put on by a bunch of local business owners and residents that have to work the following morning. Great music mix by IPOD, Great food, Great strangers... you couldn't ask for a better venue. Also there were the traditional fire works (shot out of a dumpster) and singing the New Year in! It is recommended that you bring as dish to share, Dogs, Burgers, water provided... BYOB&C (that's a chair folks) Plenty of parking. There was even a 50/50 raffle and you could buy a tee-shirt to commemorate the event. (I did, as no one back home is going to believe this!) Here's the print to the article that was in the paper You gotta love Lake County Posted: 28 Dec 2011 07:36 AM PST Here's an option for New Year's Eve that transcends the traditional Times Square dropping of the ball. It is a distinctly Lake County event. You have to love this place. This email comes from Douglas Koskey, one of the organizers of the Astatula "Blue Collar Ball Drop." "I am writing to you to announce a most unusual event that will be taking place in the little ole town of Astatula, Florida on New Years Eve. It is the "Blue Collar Ball Drop", a family friendly event that you and your friends are invited to attend. "Conceived by a group of Astatula locals, the people of this sleepy little Blue Collar burg wanted a New Year's celebration that folks could attend without disturbing the sleep patterns of hard-working types that had to report to work someplace the next day. So they pushed the clock forward three hours and celebrated their own ball drop at 9:00pm! "Three years ago, a ball made of dixie-cups and Christmas lights was attempted to be dropped from the Astatula City hall flag pole. The ball jammed at the top in the wind and at 9 pm, one local resident gave the extension cord a hard tug and the ball crashed to the ground. Last year, a ball was constructed of one of those plastic contraptions that expand and lock into a much bigger ball, then it was loaded with several strings of lights again. This time, it was hauled to the top of a rented scissor-lift in front of the Race Car Diner by a truck-winch and lowered at 9pm. This went much more smoothly, however the ball sagged under the weight of the lights and it looked more like a pear than a ball! "This year, ring-leader and Astatula Mayor Jake Farley has constructed a 7 foot diameter ball made of welded rods that rivals the infamous Times Square Ball. Loaded with hundreds of LED lights and a mirror ball inside the outer ball, this one will certainly hold it's shape and will be lowered from a crane that is ten stories tall! "You will be able to see it from the Howey bridge across Little Lake Harris" says brother Arlie. "Celebrations start at 6pm on New Years Eve. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs will be served and attendees are asked to bring a covered dish. Music will be provided all the way up to the countdown and other surprises are planned as well. Anyone interested in dropping in is welcome and this is a Family-Friendly event. For the all-nighter crowd, this could be your pre-party! "It is absolutely free, just drop on in for the "Blue Collar Ball Drop" located one mile south of the Astatula City Limits on County Road 561 at the field in between Farley's Frigeration and Petrotech."

The International Festival of the arts is a definite favorite of mine. Well there are plenty of…read morefestivals that happen throughout the year at Epcot, this one is one I hate missing and always try to make it a point to go to at least once during the season. I love how they celebrate all of the different countries holiday traditions. This includes of course the different food and drink kiosks. But it also includes entertainers from each of the different countries that highlight the different traditions they hold. Some of my personal favorites are meeting with Father Christmas in the UK pavilion, and the Japan pavilion showcasing their traditional dolls and how they bring in the new year. Overall: A++ I've got has plenty of festivals throughout the year, but this is one you should definitely make sure to go to and experience all the different countries holiday traditions!

A great place for a sweet treat to escape the Florida heat. The cookies this year are amazing and…read moretheir Hot Cocoa by Joffreys with the Whipped Cream Vodka is FIRE! Super strong so make sure to share (not kid friendly).

The festival was waaay better than I was expecting. After being let down by Bacchus Bash and…read moreDowntown Food & Wine Fest I wasn't expecting too much from this festival. I had purchased a discounted admission pass and had convinced 2 friends to go with me. I'm sooo glad I went. We paid $23 and at the door they were charging $46 and, to our surprise, all food and drinks were included in our pass. I loved that we didn't have to pay additional $$$ to buy "tickets" to buy food and drink. This was a complete free for all after paying admission price. There were tables and tables of food and drink from restaurants in West /South Orlando which I am not too familiar with. There were several chain restaurants like Tommy Bahamas as well as some local businesses like 4Rivers and San Jose Mexican Restaurant. The array of food was pretty impressive. My friends were even more excited when they saw that Disney's food truck, Fantasy Fare, was sitting at the end , and part of the lineup of food. There were also some local businesses with tables there. Representatives with West Oaks Mall were there letting visitors spin the wheel to win chances for gift cards. A DJ was playing music in the central part of the festival. When we were leaving there was an impromptu group of people dancing to the Cha Cha Turn to the left, Turn to the Right song (you KNOW what i'm talking about...).... Like Andrea H. mentioned, there needs to be more non-alcoholic drink options, more trash cans and more access to public restrooms. Also, the address on the voucher for the festival was rather confusing as it led us to the offices for the West Orange Chamber of Commerce. They may want to list the address for the actual festival to avoid the frustration and confusion that I had. Overall, great festival and I'll make sure to check it out again next year!

I was fortunate to get a great deal on tickets for this event and it was so worth it. There were…read moretons of restaurants with food options. I walked away stuffed and didn't even try half! The highlight of the night for me was Disney's food truck, Fantasy Fare. I had been wanting to try the corn dog. Sooo good! Two small recommendations to the planners of this event. There needs to more more non-alcoholic drink options. We only saw one place with cokes. And there needs to be more trash cans for the amount of food there was. Overall, a great even and I'll definitely be back next year!