This festival turned out to be a lot better than I expected. My biggest worry was that after 2…read morehours I'd want to leave but I'm happy to say that that was not the case. My friend and I bought the online tickets for beer tasting which with a service fee came out to $28.50 or something in that area. This was for the orange wristband so our time for beer sampling was from 4 to 7pm. We arrived at 3 p.m. and already the entrance was out of the Kevin Bacon shirts, so we had to make our way to the the actual Kevin Bacon booth to get one from the pile there; but that was not a big deal, and the people there were very nice so we didn't mind the booth visit. Pros: In my opinion; there was a good variety of bacon snacks ranging from $2 - 5, but there were other things to choose from as well including burgers, an incredible grilled cheese with bacon jam served up by the restaurant: "hammered lamb". That was my absolute most favorite thing there. It was nice that the majority of the booths there were offering some kind of free tid bit, be it a magnet, key chain, and there was even one offering a smores kit if you threw marshmallows into the hole; so even if you don't buy the drinking ticket, nor actually buy any beer, you'd still walk away with free goodies. Sonny's set up a tent to give seminars on how to BBQ different types of meats. They put out several seats and then gave samples after each lecture. Cons: I still think that $28.50 is steep for a beer sampling ticket. I just keep thinking that I could've gone to total wine, and gotten 2 six packs of different types of beers and done my own home sampling and it still would've been cheaper. If I go again, I wont buy the beer sampling ticket, I'll just buy an individual beer, those started at $4 a piece. The map given to you at the entrance said that the Sonny's tent was supposed to have an offering of smoked wings but we didn't see that at all which is a shame because beer and wings go hand in hand; just couldn't get over that. While the Sonny's "How to BBQ" seminar was a great idea, especially when it was followed by a tasting; I think they left out a lot of key points that I thought were common sense when making any kind of smoked meat. The one in particular that bothered me was the fact that they neglected to remove the membrane attached to the bones on the ribs, but this was nothing compared to it being one of the toughest ribs I've ever tried to eat. I had always understood that a decent rack of ribs had proper smoke time, and the meat should fall off the bone. It had good flavor, but that was about it. So I'm still trying to figure out how they were trying to teach others to BBQ, if they themselves flunked out on basic things? Overall I'd go again for sure because I did have a really good time, and the beer sampling was cool, if not expensive in my view. I personally would buy an individual beer next time, and hopefully the seminar will give tips and advice that lead to a good BBQ end product.

I've rounded this up to 4 stars, but in my mind the 2017 event is more like a 3.5, mainly because…read morethe Bacon part of the festival wasn't as extensively showcased as in previous years! Case in point - where were the stalls for 4 Rivers Smokehouse or Miller's Ale House, Omaha Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris Steak House or The Hammered Lamb or even Whole Foods Market? Yeah, there were some good food trucks, but I wanted more local variety rather than just Sonny's BBQ dominating the food experience! The cooking demos were great, but I really missed the variety of local food this year. The beer on the other hand - the selection there was excellent, the pours were generous and it was a lovely way to while away a sunny Central FL October day by the beautiful Cranes Roost Park lake. Parking at Altamonte was a breeze, and my friends reported the same near the Uptown Altamonte area too. Vendors were giving out great freebies - the sunglasses and the beer cozies came in super handy as did the recyclables bags. Also cost was really good - the Be. er sampling tickets was $25 advance and $35 day of event I'll be back again next year, but fingers crossed there will be more local food choices! Yelp 164/2017

We purchased tickets for A Petrified Forest as last minute plans on Halloween night not sure what…read moreto expect and we were really blown away. Parking is free and and so is the short tram or bus ride to the event. The experience begins on the ride as you're greeted by the bus driver; (Ours was named Splatter and his energy set the mood for the night) and his assistants who may give you a fright as they give you the lore/theme of the houses and their names. The premise of this event changes every year, and after our experience we are excited to see what they cook up next year. In the front yard of the event there are many food trucks to choose from, some with themed menu options, a few shops with an array of goods, and a DJ playing some Halloween classics. This area is a relatively small but we never felt crowded, and we're able to find seats at tables to eat, despite it being Halloween Night where we expected a peak number of visitors. The smaller area also guarantees that you'll have many encounters throughout the night with the scare actors who roam this open space. Screams from guests filled the air sporadically all throughout the night. The houses were extremely impressive. There were 3 free houses included in your ticket and 2 experiences where you pay for an extra ticket. These tickets also work as fast passes to the houses. We found that the lines went by quickly. The houses are not so much houses as they are trails through the wooded area in the event lot which added a lot more to the fear factor than your typical indoor haunted houses. Every scene was filled with props and scares. It was obvious how much effort was put into the designs of the sets. This year's premise to put it simply was an abandoned mall and the houses reflected that. What really made this night for us were the employees. This experience was very interactive and the scare actors all had great attitudes. They were in character but when we had questions about the event they answered us seriously and it showed. We got the impression that they enjoyed their work, and that helped keep spirits high all night

This time I gave it a go to try some treats along with walk the 3 trails. My favorite trail was the…read morecousin's cafe of course. The treats I tried this time was the Puffy vampire brownie and the mini donuts with strawberry and blueberry drizzle. The donuts were a bit dry but the glaze was delicious. The mango and passion fruit lemonade was delicious.

The Dragon Parade and Lunar Festival is an annual event that is a fun cultural event and it is a…read moreworthwhile event to check out and just gives us one more reason to feel lucky that we live in Orlando, Florida. As I have said, this is an annual event so if you missed this year's, there is always next year. I would definitely recommend checking this out.

A great cultural event in the heart of the Mills50 District. This is an annual event during the…read moreChinese Lunar New Year. The parade goes down Thornton Ave, and you will want to ensure you arrive to the area early as parking gets chaotic fast. There are several businesses that allow parking at their lots during the event, so be sure to check the event guide or the Facebook page for more info and correct businesses, so you don't get towed. The parade starts about 11:15 a.m. and is about 30-40 minutes long. They have several different groups that participate and many of them throw out candy or goodies while they go. There is also a Kung Fu group that stops to do demos every little bit. It's really neat to watch. At the end of the parade, you'll want to head to the 'market' area to see some of the vendors that participate. There are a few food vendors and some merch vendors. There is also a stage with demos and speaking times on the program. You can see a fair number of our state / local reps if you attend! Overall: A A fun annual cultural event that you should absolutely come out and see! Check out the market after. Arrive early for parking.

This is a great festival but the parking is a bit of a guddle! That is Scottish for a mess. This…read moreevent is a great experience for exploring your heritage, eating, shopping, meeting clans, and watching the games. Music, lots of music in many forms. I went on Saturday the 17th because they were predicting inclement weather on the 18th. A lot of other people had the same idea and the parking was frustrating. I spent at least 30 minutes driving around to find a spot in the designated lots. My favorites were the Scottish popular music bands, the pipe & drum bands, the border collies herding goats and the men and women boulder carrying contests. I am going next year but trying to get there early.

Lots to do and experience here! Music is awesome, the energy and vibe created here by patrons &…read morevendors proves to be a wonderful environment full of fun. You will encounter random areas that teach you how to lasso, learn history, etc. The feats of strength were fun to behold, loved that you kinda roam around & find new things to see. The schedule is hard to find online, and does not include everything happening. Agree on other reviews in terms of parking & alcohol lines, it needs work but this event is great & worth it! Free parking in 2 locations! Does it take 30 minutes? Yes, but its free and nice of this festival to even offer it. Keep in kind: Alcohol is sold in tickets, go to a ticket booth first, then go to the actual ordering line. I was 100 people deep but moved fast & took 10 min. Such a great day, would come back for sure.

Such a fun afternoon listening to local live music. This is held right beside the Mennello Museum…read moreof Art in Loch Haven Park. This such a picturesque park with the view of Lake Formosa. They had food trucks that included pizza, ice cream and other things to eat. Also, don't forget to bring a chair or you will have to sit on the ground. This was my fifth year going and look forward to next year.

Very nice chill festival in Orlando. It's in the grassy area of Mennello Art museum right where…read morethere is a water view. They have fun chill music. Everyone is sitting in their chairs with blankets and family and friends all around. It's seriously one of those Saturday perfect day kind of hang out. We had fun listening to the music and playing with the dogs since it was super dog friendly also. There were indie vendors maybe about 20-30 as well as local food and drink vendors. It's a cool way to spend a Day for a few hours and admission is free, as well as parking(which is across the street.) The parking garage next door is a fee of $5, so just walk across the street

Audubon Park Garden District throws events all year and this is one of the larger ones and is…read morebecoming an annual treat! Yesterday I attended the 2nd annual BASTILLE DAY where French wine, live entertainment and games took center stage. The day's festivities began with a performance by Cirque du Soleil's musical director's band, the Benoit Glazer Quintet. What a treat! This was inside Stardust coffee and everyone was just so intrigued with the beautiful music. I spent the first 3 hours in Stardust listening to some amazing local artists, it was nice. After enjoying the lovely music I sucked it up that it was SO HOT outside and ventured out to see all the fun going throughout the streets. First stop, O'stromboli Italian Eatery for $2 pizza slices (i was craving one alllll day) and free cannolis! Why do I hear a story from Rose drafting in my head like I'm on the golden girls or something. The next stop was a opp to try fencing set up in front of The R. Nichols Shop. I did not partake but I watched a little and headed into the shop for the first time, so cute! I love events like this that make you walk and explore amazing local streets. We continued across the street and checked out the awesome homemade goodies of Bela Donna (http://www.etsy.com/shop/beladonna), KarieSue Creations (http://www.yelp.com/biz/kariesue-creations-winter-park), Clothes from Ensemble Pieces (http://www.etsy.com/shop/ensemblepieces) and Other Peoples Property (http://www.yelp.com/biz/other-peoples-property-orlando)! There were so many goodies to peruse through and purchase =) Got me a new piece of hair jewelry from KarieSue! Gorgeous. I also had to purchase some YUMMO Bee's Knees Sweet Treats to satisfy my tastebuds! They were delicious as usual! Tried a new orange flavor with fresh, local honey and it was delightful! Possibly my new favorite! Their raspberry, blackberry and oreo cheesecake are a MUST though =) Overall, the day was hot but so worth the sweat. So great to see what our neighborhood offers and hang out with a ton of great people! Fun Times!

Audubon Park puts on some great events so when I saw the Bastille Day event coming up I put it on…read morethe calendar. It was a pretty rainy day so I was worried, but I checked their Facebook page and saw that the event was still on so we headed out to Audubon Park. The event this year was held at a church. There were a few vendors outside (mostly vintage stuff). There was a man with speakers set up but no music. They had croquet set up along one side of the building. The breezeway through the church had a guillotine set up for photos, pin the hat on napoleon, and some french art. On the other side of the building they had two food trucks set up with crepes and cupcakes. Overall, a but underwhelming. I felt like I was missing things, but we walked all around and that seemed to be it. A map of event activities would have been helpful. They were supposed to be showing the movie Charade (one of my daughter's favorites) but we saw no sign of that. There was supposed to be baguette fencing, didn't see that either. We spent about twenty minutes and left (we did play a game of croquet). I spent more time driving then we were actually there. So, a bit of a bummer. The event looks like it was fun in the past and has to potential to be really good. I will give it another try next year.

Nancy and I have been attending the Winter Garden Music Festival for a few years now and really…read morelove it. It's free entry into the event, with plenty of free parking and a shuttle available. This year in 2026 the event seemed to be much larger with more attendees than years prior. There was seven different stages (some larger than others) 6 outdoor and one indoor. There was 30 plus music acts from a wide variety of genres. There was food and drink vendors everywhere you turn pricing was reasonable for a festival. Personal coolers and outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. I recommend wearing nice comfortable walking shoes and bringing sun protection. Although there is plenty of shade there are areas that are in full sun. You might also want to bring your fold-up chair so you can take a break and relax to watch the bands. There is some public seating but it's limited. It's a one day event held annually around February. The event begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 10:00 p.m. Be sure to get there early so you can take in all the excitement and get a good spot in front of your favorite bands. See you at the big party there in 2027!

What an excellent annual event!! We've been to the event a few times and this year I went solo…read morecause the husband had to work. I parked in a nearby garage for a decent price. There was a line outside waiting to get in as I was about fifteen minutes early. Once the does opened the line moved super fast. They quickly scanned QR codes for the tickets and had two guards checking IDs for wrist bands. As soon as you walked in they had a step and repeat to take pictures with which was super fun! There was also a bar right there, which was handy! There were food and merch vendors in a variety of spots. Some were in the Orchid Room and others at Church Street Ballroom. The venue itself is gorgeous. I love all the glad window designs and the historic vibe of the buildings. The food vendors were all excellent. A few of my personal faves were Foxtail Coffee, La Femme de Frumage (I probably butchered that spelling??), and Dixie Dharma - that vegan taco was WHAT?? SO GOOD. Overall: A Great event with good execution. It grows each year so I'm looking forward to seeing what's to come!

Last year's I rated a marginal Four star. This year deserves four and a half easily. The issue I…read morementioned from last year regarding the bar situation was more than taken care of this year. There were more locations to get drinks, and some of them had low tables full of pre-made Mimosa's and Bloody Mary's that you could just walk by and grab. I was sad that Jimmy Hula's ran out of food before we got a chance to get over there, but the foods we did get to try were all outstanding, especially Kiki's Belgium Waffles. Those were definitely worth waiting in line for. Timber Creek was there handing out samples of many types of liquor all made right here in Florida. Their representative was full of information about each type, the Apple Pie flavored Rum was amazing!! Like last year, there was some great live entertainment. The group I was with had a blast dancing to Raspberry Pie. They're a groovy 70's themed band who played tons of familiar disco hits as well as original tunes. Great event this year, definitely worth the price paid. Looking forward to next year's. Thank you Orlando Weekly!!