I say 3.5 but would round up to 4 stars because of the swag you get! have ran this race 3 or maybe…read more4 years in a row. It is always well organized with a great turn out of runners. They offer 2 miles, 10k and distance dare that includes both. Parking can get tricky so arrive early if you dont want to be circling around for a bit. There is steeet parking and garages to choose from. My biggest con is the route, go over a lot of cobblestone. For runners this can be tricky, especially among crowded areas. I saw a couple people trip and yep....so did I. The uneven roads also are a watch out if you already have a weak ankle/knee from a prior injury....yes me again! The views are great! Pass beautiful houses and nice lakes but the roads could use improvement. There also are two water stations that I can remember of available. The best part of the 10k is you are tremendously rewarded....and not just with a medal! You get your medal, beer glass, towel and so many goodies from vendors. They had breakfast sandwhiches, smoothies, massages, bananas, strawberries, coffee and so much more! Runners of all speeds run the race. If you have never ran a 10k or are nervous to run one this would be the perfect one, get off that couch and get to jogging!

I completed the Distance Dare for the Winter Park Road Race, in which you run the 2 mile race…read morefollowed by the 10k. I am not the speediest of runners, but I'm typically solidly in the middle of the pack. For me, completing the 2 miler and making it to the start of the 10k was a little tight time wise, but doable. It may have been because I was towards the back of the 2 miler starting group, which out me a minute or two behind the clock start of the race. The courses both run through beautiful Winter Park, which provides a great backdrop for a morning run! Bits of the course were a tiny but crowded and there is cobblestone and uneven ground so it's important to watch you footing! Runners who completed the 10k received a medal and completing the Distance Dare also qualified runners for a second medal! I always enjoy some extra bling! The post-race area had a great energy but was a tad crowded, lines for the free beer included with the race were very long, but that wasn't a big deal to me as it was still so early in the morning! Participants receive a free stemless wineglass which was a nice extra piece if swag. Runners can pay extra for access to a VIP area with extra food and some seating, which is something I'd consider in the future. Fun run!

Would Never Go To A Park Without Them Again! Kunal Is The Best!!…read more Our Crew - 9 people. Ages 5, 12, 14, 44, 45, 48, 48, 69, & 70. With those age ranges, i was thinking it would not be so easy to navigate everyone's wishes, but our guide Kunal (or K as we called him) did just that. I would also like to point out that it is also difficult to join in on a vacation of 9 people and get along with them all, and that is exactly what Kunal did. Everyone loved him. He had a calming affect on both the kids and the adults. We are still texting him pictures he took with us! The Process - Shay from World Class handled all of my 30 annoying questions asking her about how things work. Their service was recommended by a friend of mine, but i was still skeptical if the extra cost was worth it knowing I had such a large party. Once I agreed to pull the trigger, Shay sent me an excel spreadsheet with all of the rides listed from each park. We chose which rides were a "cant miss for us" , and others that we would have interest if there was still time available. I then gave Shay my login for my Disney account so they can organize each of our fast passes. Magic Kingdom - Kunal got us in prior to the park opening to the public. We were 12th or so in line for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.Once they completed their test runs, we were all on the 2nd train out together! We rode 10 rides or so and were done around 2:30pm, giving us plenty of time to relax back in the pool at the hotel. Hollywood Studios - We were at the line early and rode Slinky Dog within 10 minutes of us entering the park. We were done at this park by 1pm after 8 rides/shows. Toy Story Mania was super fun. Universal Studios/Islands of Adventures - Kunal got us in the park 45 minutes prior to it opening. It was almost weird walking around the park by ourselves. We did the Minion Show, Transformers, and Mummy ride all prior to 9am. Pretty Crazy. It was tough to time how long we were here, because thunderstorms caused some delays, but we completed almost 20 attractions at both parks and did not stay till closing. Another added benefit - Last year the kids fought over what ride was next and who got to pick it, this year all they asked was "Which ride is next K?" - after every single ride. Never was there an argument over what was next. That is worth its weight in Disney gold... Cost - It is not cheap at $175/hour, but the value you receive well surpasses the price tag. If you can add this splurge, it is a must. The way I look at it, you are literally buying back hours of each day for use doing other things. Verdict - 100000% I would use them again. I can not speak for their other guides, but just request Kunal and you will be as happy as can be. We joked that the longest lines we waited on in 3 days were for popcorn and dole whip. I do not think we waited more than 10 minutes for any ride in 4 parks. Insane. And we are hooked.

Disney Tours VIP is an amazing company. Our extended family of 13 used their services for 4 of our…read more6 days in Orlando during high season this past summer, and I can't even imagine visiting Disney's theme parks or Universal without them. Our group consisted of 3 6-yr olds, 2 11-yr olds, 1 13-yr old, and 7 adults ranging in age from 38 to 70. It is absolutely not conceivable that we could have enjoyed our trip even 1/2 as much without the services of this remarkable company. Our tour guides all 4 days were Gabby and Kristen, and they quite literally and immediately became part of our family. You would think that with our group covering such a large range of ages and interests, that there would have been pulling in different directions while seeing the parks. And you would be wrong. Everyone just wanted to always be with Gabby and Kristen, as they guided us onto every ride and attraction that everyone wanted to see, no lines, no waits for our VIP seating in the shows - I still don't understand how they do it. This is an absolutely awesome company. From you first phone contact to the day you sadly say good-bye to your guide, this is a 1st class, one of a kind, experience. I feel as though I'm so enthusiastic about this company, someone might think I've got a connection to them other than as a customer. I am simply a most satisfied customer. If a Disney World experience with no waits in line, VIP show seats, no rushing around, and all reservations made for you, is what you want, use this company. I strongly recommend Disney Tours VIP.

The Uptown Art Expo in Altamonte Springs is one of my favorite art festivals in the area, and…read morehere's why: (1) many of the artists featured are the same incredible talent you'll see at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, and (2) the festival consistently showcases some of the best local bands around. This event is free to attend, which is a huge plus. While parking is limited in the immediate Cranes Roost area, there's plenty of parking at the Altamonte Springs Mall lot. If you arrive early enough, it's just a short walk to the festival location. The expo offers a wide range of art, including blown glass, sculptures, jewelry, oil paintings, watercolors, wood carvings, photography, drawings, pastels, leather work, 3D printing, and more. Some of the standout artists this year included Jeff & Dayana, who showcased their stunning butterfly art--these butterflies from Papua New Guinea are truly unique and difficult to acquire. I also loved Fauna Toys--the wooden toys and puzzles reminded me of the ones my dad used to make for me. Lily Links' custom chainmail work was mind-blowing. She had a gelatin square encased in chainmail, which took her 90 hours to make. It was so cool, and her silver and aluminum necklace for $60 was an amazing deal. There was even a moonshine and rum tasting area, which definitely made me consider a future purchase. The food vendors were plentiful, offering a variety of diverse and delicious options--something for everyone! One downside, though, were the drink prices. At $8 for a beer and $9+ for mixed drinks, it felt a bit steep. However, the VIP concert tickets were very reasonably priced. General VIP tickets were only $16.50, which gave you access to seating anywhere in the coliseum area. For just $4 more, you could sit closer to the stage in a fold-up chair. Either way, it was a great deal to see some amazing local bands up close. Just make sure to buy your tickets in advance because prices go up on the day of the show. If you don't want to buy VIP tickets, you can still enjoy the concert from the general seating area on the left side of the stage, though the view can be a bit obstructed. The bands this year were incredible: Skin Deep (one of the best bands in Orlando), Night Snake (a fantastic Whitesnake tribute), Absolute Queen (playing all the greatest Queen hits), and Slippery When Wet (a Bon Jovi tribute band that never disappoints). All in all, the Uptown Art Expo is a perfect way to spend the day with family and friends. You can enjoy exceptional art, great food, drinks, and some of the best live music in the area. If you haven't experienced the Art Expo yet, I highly recommend marking it on your calendar for next year!

March 2025. This event goes on Friday Saturday and Sunday…read more But they only have the art show on Saturday and Sunday. They have 3 days of music that's what we come for. Friday night was u Ultimate Queen tribute band and they were pretty good. You can sit on the left for free or you can pay $15 to sit in the bleachers in the front of the band Saturday was the art show so we came early and looked at all the art and crafts very unique stuff. We bought a few small items and some warm caramel pecans that were delicious. The second night was a Whitesnake and Bon Jovi tribute band both were awesome! We lucked out this year with having good weather and a breeze not too hot. Sunday is going to bring rain so if you go get out there early. Plenty of parking in the mall parking lot over by Dillard's. Also make sure you check out the chalk art and the Butterfly Man! These people are so talented.

We go every year. And every year it's getting more packed…read moreso make sure you get there very early I got there at 10:30 a.m. and was having a hard time finding a spot for free. I do have parking for 10 and $20 but I did find a spot and a neighborhood. I love this art show so much beautiful stuff that I can't afford. But I like talking to the artist and finding out where they're from. It was a beautiful day in Winter Park saw a few friends and enjoyed looking through all the shops.

This was my first Arts festival in Winter park and I had such a great time, it was so well…read moreorganized. There were so many Artists, almost impossible not to find someone or something that you liked! I purchased two items, a painting and ceramic bowl, I love them both! Lots of food and drinks, love performances, also, kids and pet friendly so the whole family could come and have a great time.

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.

We like it for the pickleball courts but this park has a baseball field, basketball court and…read moreskatepark. The pickleball court gets packed in the evenings but during early morning times on the weekend it's not so busy.

Cool skatepark in the Candyland Sports Complex. It looks like it is bike friendly, as well. It is…read moredefinitely a cool spot. Not huge, but it is a great spot for the community.

The Seminole County South Rotary Club hosts a two-day Art, Craft & Wine Festival event at the…read moreCranes Roost Park in Altamonte Springs and it serves as a fundraiser for them with events like a Wine Stroll (For 2016, Tickets: $25 in advanced, $30 day of ) and a Chili Cook-off It's a free event, and while I didn't participate in either the Wine Stroll or the Chili Cook-off, I did have a lovely leisurely 2.5+ hr stroll checking out the over 150+ artists and crafters who were showcasing unique items, crafts, decorative products and arts. Some stalls were standouts - there was a local woodworker with really lovely and affordable furniture pieces, a stall which had antique spoons turned into functional jewelry pieces like rings, etc and another stall with artworks made from flip-flops. For the last one, it was so artfully done, I didn't realize the material used for the artworks were flip-flops at first! The amphitheater had live music, and it was a nice variety and lovely to hear in the background while wandering thru the stalls. Food vendor wise, there were only a couple of option and I couldn't help thinking they should have partnered with the Daily City Food Trucks events so a better variety of options could have been available. Also at night, not all vendors had access to electricity and so some of them were open, but I couldn't really check out what they were selling all that well. I had tons of fun browsing thru the stalls and so would definitely come and check this festival again next year, if in the area. Note: #377 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

Favorite Winter Park 5K for the tree hugger in all of you. Love the dirt road trail at the Genius…read moreDrive Nature Preserve. Beautiful shady canopy of trees, peacocks calling out along the way, and a tree to take home at the end. This is a timed 5K that does not return to the starting line, you have to walk about 1.5 miles back to the start (partially along Aloma), or take a free shuttle bus back to Showalter Field. Great everytime!

As usual, any race planned by Track Shack is well organized and starts on time. The race course…read moreitself was very pretty and goes through Genius Drive, a privately owned, beautiful road with gorgeous views. The whole course is through beautiful Winter Park neighborhoods, so it makes the miles go fast! There's even a lot of support along the race course- one family was even outside their home giving out free OJ and mimosas! The only negative of this race for me is that it is point to point, so you have to wait for a shuttle at the end of the race to take you back to your car, which isn't my favorite. You get a free small tree to take home too!

CHRISTINA RICCI! The…read more34th Annual Florida Film Festival took place from April 11 through April 20, 2025. Over the course of the 10-day festival over 170 films were shown spanning the gamut from international, independent, to current movies. Among the many first-class events held was a special celebrity appearance by the multiple acting award nominee, Christina Ricci. Best known as Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family movie franchise, she's been in such noted films as "Buffalo 66", "The Opposite of Sex", "Black Snake Moan" and "Monster". She's currently starring in the "Yellowjackets" television series which can be seen on multiple streaming platforms. The evening started with the 30th anniversary showing of Ricci's 1995 film "Now and Then". If you haven't had the opportunity to watch this movie, please do. It's similar to "Stand by Me" but instead of a quartet of young boys "Now and Then" showcases the tumultuous summer of a group of young teen girls. Afterwards, Ms. Ricci herself engaged in an approximately one hour Q and A with both moderator and audience participation. The insight she provided her life and film career was certainly informative. And the definite icing on the cake was the opportunity to MEET and GREET Ms. Ricci personally. That being said, I greeted her with a hug and thanked her for the entirety of her film work. Having heard and met her in person just solidifies my opinion she takes the craft of acting quite seriously with a humanity that comes out vividly in the characters she plays. FILM IS ART!

This event was quite a treat; if I could give it a 10 star, I would. Enzian is a nice little…read morehideaway that you would miss if driving by. It's tucked away behind a beautiful and gigantic tree with beautiful shrubs. I almost felt like the girl from The Secret Garden walking into beauty for the 1st time. Attached to Enzian is an outdoor absolutely lovely restaurant called Eden Bar. The front of Enzian is a little blast from the past; it looks like an old original Box office with a riveting old style theater marquis. The lobby has all kinds of old movie posters. To your left, they have a Florida film festival selfie stand. Once checked in, you take a seat anywhere inside the movie theater. The seating is not traditional seating. There's a high top seating, 2-person table seating, and 4-person table seating. There are also 3 levels: lower middle and top. I sat in the middle. Each table had a popcorn and a list of complimentary drinks. The drinks are Ivanhoe joyland IPA, merlo, Pinot, daquiri, water, and soda. Once you figure out what you want to drink, a server will come over and take your order. I ordered a merlo. The merlo was a dry medium to full body wine with moderate acidity with a soft but present tannins. As the previews were showing, the wait staff came around with appetizer plates. The 1st was a fresh mixed greens, small portion salad top with grape size tomatoes and vinegerette salad dressing. The salad was delicious, and the salad dressing was delicious as well but a little punchy to my taste buds. Then then we was served a miniature egg roll, which was flavourful and crunchy also a shrimp tempora, which is my favorite and some mix between a spinach and egg quiche tart. They were also very delicious. So, the previews began. I was giving a sheet with every name of every preview I would be watching. I have to say all the previews were absolutely amazing, and the work by the people who put this Together is riveting. The preview that stuck out the most was Jack has a plan; it's a documentary. It's about a man who has terminal brain cancer for 25 years and then decides to end his own life on his own terms, and his family and friends struggle with his decision. Another one was sirens this one I particularly liked because it talks about females and female rock bands and Lebanon. I'm Lebanese, so I can fully understand some of their pain struggles. There are over 200 previews to list those are just 2 that come run off my head. All in all this rocks! I will come April 8th through the 13th to watch some of the previews I liked. And I 100% will make sure I come to next year's preview. So many talented humans In this! It's absolutely amazing and riveting!!!!