Excellent venue for an Independence Day celebration and fireworks display. I like how they closed…read moreBroad Street and set it up with all kinds of vendors, especially military oriented, and veteran service vendors. They did a lovely job closing out the roundabout at the end of the street and making it into a beer garden and stage for a live band to perform on. There was a roll of the food trucks set up, which my wife and I really enjoyed it. Also a lovely touch for the kiddies, there were some amusement rides set up for them. Lovely viewing site Lakeside for the fireworks display at 9 PM. They did a fabulous job. Looking forward to attending this event again next year.

5 stars because WOW!…read more I didn't know exactly what to expect going in and I was blown away! The Abbey played a perfect backdrop to an intimate look into a dancer's life. Robert Hill, Orlando Ballet's amazing director, was on hand to talk to the audience (all of us with wine glasses in hand) and to call out 3 dancers to make immediate, instant choreography for music they hadn't heard before. We really got to see an inside look at the process of the choreographer as well as the dancers in learning the routines. The dancers also performed small vignettes from other shows including the upcoming Vampire's Ball (which I'll definitely be attending!). Finally, there was audience Q&A where we learned that many of the dancers have to take other jobs to support themselves (one gets up at 4am to work at Starbucks before heading to the studio to rehearse all day). Hearing from these athletes was so wonderful and made me feel so much more connected to the company. At the end of the evening many of the dancers stayed to indulge us creepy fans. We had some great conversations and I left feeling excited to work out my budget so I can become a season ticket holder. This is an arts org that elevates Orlando and I'm happy to support it! (And these wine events are an added benefit!)

After a rather rough day at work, I discovered it was raining excessively all throughout the drive…read morehome to Jazzercise. From Jazzercise, I had to speed change and then dart back out, drive through traffic to get to the Abbey, but you know what; It was totally worth every single second. Nothing beats an evening filled with music, dance, humor and a glass of Feudo Zirtari Syrah, so drinkable, so delicious. Not only did we enjoy a wonderful show but we were also able to get a whole new perspective on what a dancer has to go through to really pursue what they love, some of them taking on multiple jobs and do additional exercise apart from all the hours they dedicate at the barre. These dancers work very hard to put on a good show, and their hard work and dedication shines through when they perform. Wonderful!

5 stars because Orlando Soup is a great way help different community projects in Orlando. For a…read moredonation of $10 you receive bread, salad and a bowl of soup. How it works, you listen to 4 different presentations about things happening in and around the Orlando area and how hey will use the funds for their projects if the win the final vote. That evening we had the pleasure of listening to 4 great projects: - Game changer: helping kids break out of their shells through gaming and educational curriculum - the dinner party project:bringing people from Orlando from different backgrounds around the dinner table for great conversations - source codeb46 foundation: building children self confidence through software coding and story telling - explore theater and dance company: allowing community members to participate in the creative production process. The presentations were not very long giving us the audience a chance to ask questions on what they will do with the donation. It was very moving to see how every presenter was passionate about their project. After listening to the presentation we cast a vote on the project we think can benefit from the donation. Basically, a percentage of your $10.00 will go to the project that gets the most votes. This was an overall very inspiring evening and would urge people of Orlando to attend Orlando Soup so they can find out what is going on in our community.

This is what community is about and why I adore Orlando so much…read more Ask yourself: What project could you do with $500-800 to make your community better? That is what these presenters answer while you sit back and decide where your donation for the evening should go! How cool? That's right. For a donation of $10, attendees receive soup, salad and bread and then choose where most of their donation goes! So this is not a profit maker for Orlando SOUP, the profits go to feeding everyone during the event and then to the ideas! Even the planning team for the event is donating their time. How cool? What a beautiful concept. I am so happy I got to attend an Orlando SOUP night last evening. It was the 3rd installment of the fabulous series that is based off the successful Detroit SOUP: a micro-granting dinner celebrating and supporting creative community improvement projects for the city. Before dinner is served, attendees will listen to four short community project proposals covering a range of topics such as art, urban agriculture, social justice, social entrepreneurship, education, technology, and more. What is a city improvement project? We last night it consisted of: - Buy Local Orlando: Food Edition - guide that promotes local farmers, local markets, etc. I like the idea of having a highly concentrated guide but in reality, I use Yelp for this - but love the idea and that people want to push local love. - Portable urban food forest (P.U.F.F.) - to assist with the fast traffic along Corrine Dr. in Audubon Park, it's proven that visual distractions automatically make people drive slower. The idea was to fill the back of a trailer bed with a green sanctuary, compost bin, bird feeder, etc. Then, park it in a spot that would be visually appealing and a smart spot to help with a blind spot when exiting one of the shopping centers. ACE Day (achieve a college education day) - To help assist with getting 500 5th graders a chance to tour UCF as their field trip for an interactive day of fun with students, faculty, and campus life. Currently, the higher education trips are non-existent and they go to the local prison during their "field trip" to see where they shouldn't end up. So sad. Ride around the town: Fixit Orlando - With the new bike share program, this group would like to add a self-repair bike station at lake eola. It was so cool to see how everyone presented as they only had 4 minutes and were not allowed to use technology. Some had passionate stories, some had amazing creative visuals. Really inspiring overall. During dinner, attendees cast a vote for their favorite project and, at the end of the night, the project that receives the most votes is funded by a % from each attendees' donation. Winners will appear at future SOUP dinners to report their project's progress. I did appreciate hearing updates from the two previous Orlando SOUP winners. So happy to see so much positive, local, movements happening. Props to everyone who organizes this, presents their ideas, and attends. Such a fabulous cause! Props.

Love the park but the sprinklers came on just about noon time…read moreWish they would reset it too turn on when no one is there My mom is in her 70s and got soaked for our mile walk home

5 Stars for one of Orlando's most beloved Main Streets (National award-winning, in fact) that marks…read morethe convergence of Downtown Orlando, Winter Park, and Baldwin Park. Audubon Park is the perfect buffer between Mills 50 (rough around the edges and legit) and Baldwin Park (highly-planned and bougie). It's your granola-making, Birkenstock-clad aunt. You know, the one with the long tunics and butterfly garden, who also keeps beer and kombucha batches brewing at all times. What differentiates this Main Street to the point that it won a National Main Street Award a few years back as America's best Main Street? I'd say it's all about the people and businesses. It's certainly not about the looks. But what this Main Street lacks in curbside appeal (looking at you, Virginia Drive), it makes up for in best-of level businesses. I'm talking best beer bar in the country (or at least known among the best-- Redlight Redlight), best local farmers market (big ups, Monday night Audubon Park Market), best sushi in Central Florida (Kadence, not to be missed), best homemade ice cream (Kelly's), best record shop in town (Park Ave CDs), best indoor market (East End Market), best quintessentially hipster coffee shop in that the baristas will shoot you dirty looks while serving you chai and a salad (Stardust Cafe), etc. I could seriously go on and on about the incredible spots in this little 'hood. Suffice to say, it ain't much to look at, but you're going to want to spend a Saturday hopping from biz to biz for the most epic day date ever.

Went to the art festival and it was amazing!! an activity to repeat, nice setup and organized…read more Can't wait to go back!! All the art was very nice. The ambiance was perfect for a Sunday afternoon

I had a good time here at the park in Apopka. The vibe was nice but wish the music could be better…read more The burger I had was good but the wait has to improve. I will return to try other vendors.

Centered is one of 9 sculptures that are part of See Art Orlando, a permanent contemporary…read morecollection of art that was unveiled by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the See Art Orlando Board of Directors on November 18, 2013. The art project was launched by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and art lover Jennifer Quigley. They hoped that adding public art to downtown Orlando would bring pride, boost the economy, and strengthen the city's cultural core. The art is mainly displayed around Lake Eola. Centered is located on Central Boulevard across from the Waverley. Centered was created by artist CJ Rench and donated to Orlando by Universal Resort Orlando .C.J. Rench is professional sculptor who specializes in large-scale abstract designs. He is a self taught industrial engineer and is a senior project designer in the sporting goods industry, where he was awarded multiple patents for his innovative concepts and designs. Rench began designing and fabricating metal sculpture full-time in 2004. He has since installed over 30 large-scale public works throughout the US. Centered is a 25 foot tall sculpture in the shape of an eye with a yellow kinetic element that spins in the wind. The center of the piece represents the sunny weather of Florida around which gathers family fun, experiences, and memories. I like that the sculpture is in the shape of an eye which has been a powerful symbol in ancient cultures around the world. The Egyptians believed the right eye represented the sun. Many cultures believe in the evil eye and create trinkets and jewelry to ward it off. I see Centered as kind of an anti evil eye keeping a watch of protection on Orlando. It is fun to go on a scavenger hunt to find all of the See Art Orlando installations. With its large scale, it is hard to miss this one.

Centered is a sculpture located at the entrance of Lake Eola Park across from the Waverly and is…read moreclose to the intersection of Lake Avenue and Central Boulevard. Centered is a sculpture by C.J. Rench and was gifted to the City of Orlando, Florida by Univeral Orlando Resort. According to the plaque next to the sculpture, "Centered makes reference to how Orlando is the center of family fun, creating lifetime experience has an endless memories. The yellow form in the center pays tribute to Orlando sunny days." Lake Eola Park is a great place to check out some of the public art that the city of Orlando offers to its community and those who visit the City Beautiful. I would recommend a visit to Lake Eola Park and check out Centered and the other wonderful art that is here. These pieces of public art are an important part of a community, it goes beyond the asphalt and buildings and helps give a community its personality.

A fun and free activity in downtown historic Kissimmee is a self guided mural tour. The murals are…read morepart of The Time For Art is Now public art project funded by Osceola Arts in downtown Kissimmee. The projects mission is to revitalize the downtown area with colorful works of art. This work is different than the other murals in the downtown in that it is not brand new but instead Osceola Arts rehabilitated it. Located on the exterior walls of Lanier's Historic Market Place, this mural was created in early 2000 by artist Tom Copella. Tom began his art career by attending the Art Institute in Pittsburgh. Upon graduating, he moved around a lot finally settling in Kissimmee Florida where he painted numerous murals. Tom passed away unexpectedly in 2021. The large scene depicts a time gone by. It tells the story of a small town city filled with businesses, neighbors, friends, and their pets. Some of the figure are based on real historical people. Tom Copella painted himself and his wife carrying a bucket into the center of the mural. The mural was recently restored by local artist Juliana Davidson and her assistant Casey who have worked on numerous historical murals in the area. Murals are a great way to tell the history of an area. Over thirty years the paint faded on the Lanier mural. Cracks were repaired and paint was added to the figures. Julianna did an outstanding job bringing the mural back to life. I love the charm and exquisite detail, like the shadow of a bird as it flies up the building.

Belle Isle is a smaller community in the Orlando, Florida area. It is not far from the Orlando…read moreairport and is a nicer and more established community with nice homes and just far enough away from everything to give a small community feel to it while being close enough to everything to make it convenient. I have always liked Belle Isle. It has a great vibe and it has a great overall feel to it.