I went here to see Carrie. I really like the theater and the surrounding areas. The theater looks…read morevery nice, the staff is friendly and the seats were very comfortable. The surrounding areas are very nice and are perfect for taking pictures. Parking is a bit challenging, but 5 minutes away from the theater were plenty.

What a great time today at the Annie Russell Theatre in Winter Park at Rollins College to see The…read more39 Steps! Since I can't afford a Renaissance or Eras ticket short of parting with a major organ, blowing 20 bucks to see college theatre will just have to do. Myself and about 50 or so senior citizens sat back to appreciate the chutzpah it takes to get up on a stage and PERFORM. This is a very charming theatre with decent-sized bathrooms. You can purchase concessions at the intermission for $2 each (did someone say Airheads?!?). There is also a shuttle operated by Rollins students that runs from the Truist Parking lot to the theatre and back for those that need it. I highly recommend checking out this lovely theatre and thanks to everyone on-site today who made the experience so much fun.

It's hard to believe the Maitland Jazz and blues Festival has been going on for 20 years now, where…read moredoes the time go?! We stopped in to check this event out last Saturday and it was a blast. Two days and 12 bands. Unfortunately we were only able to catch the last two bands. There was also two stages which helped with breaking up the crowds. This is in a busy part of Maitland, although parking is available in several locations, it can be tricky finding it since many of the main entrances to the park are blocked. It's free entry to the event. If you plan on staying all day be sure to bring a chair or a blanket to sit on. Also know that pets were not allowed at the event and you could not bring your own drinks or coolers in. There are a lot of food trucks on site along with several other vendors selling goods, jewelry & such, plus several areas for sampling their food/product. If you're not in the mood for any of that you could always opt for Boku sushi, or Kelly's Homemade Ice cream which are also great options. If we planned better we could have spent an entire day here it looked like it was a great time for the community. If you're in the area when this event takes place next year, I recommend checking it out.

Jazz and blues at the park! What more do I need to say? Wonderful event with local and traveling…read morejazz and blues bands playing original tracks and obviously playing some classics. The afternoon was perfect. They had beer stands, food stands/trucks and even a small little artisan market to buy Florida made items. The park is beautiful and was able to host two stages to eliminate down time between bands, and it has plenty of trees to set up your chairs to enjoy the music in the shade. Was definitely kid friendly with a small playground area to keep them entertained. The bands were spectacular which made for such an entertaining and relaxing afternoon. Can't wait for next year's lineup.

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.

Otronicon 2017. It…read moretakes place inside the Orlando Science Center. There is parking right in front, on Princeton Street, in the big parking garage. For 2017, the price to park was $5. The fair brings many technology schools, which set place in the main floor, with their displays, software, students, alumni and faculty. I was able to go into many virtual reality worlds, which is the hot things now, and I can say that the technology is pretty cool. On the floor above, there was a medical application exhibit, for kids who are inclined towards healthcare. And then on the top floor, you find the graphic designers and artists who use electronic medium. On the top floor also, you could find other interactive equipment used by the military. You could fly a helicopter, drive a tank, fly a plane, etc. My favorite, and main reason for going, was the Indie Game Showcase. I love animation, I love video games although I don't play, I love graphics and I love basic human ingenuity. Talking to all these developers and creators was amazing, as well as trying out their games. The bottom floor was part of the permanent exhibit, no technology there. Overall, I liked the expo, although I did not see ground braking technology. It is more like a massive school fair where kids checkout future schools. But it was fun, although I would have given more emphasis to the game developers. My opinion. Oh! Yes, before I forget. They also had tournaments (meh) and workshops, but I didn't attend any of those, though I feel I should have...

Otronicon 2016 was SO fun! I got to take my husband and little toddler, and clearly a 1.5-year-old…read moredoesn't care about fun tech gadgets the way a 36-year-old does. He did enjoy the revamped KidsTown, and there were some things he could watch and interact with around the event. I kinda wish we had gotten a sitter just so I could have enjoyed it a lot more but it was still a lot of fun! I'm constantly blown away by the creativity and the genius behind a lot of the showcases from Full Sail University, University of Central Florida, and other colleges and high schools. Gives me hope for the future. Anyway, I've added a few pictures so you can see how much my man-child enjoyed himself! While it's a kid-friendly event, I definitely think I'll wait until he's a little older to bring him back!

The City of Altamonte Springs puts on their Independence Day Celebration and fireworks show every…read moreyear on the 3rd of July and the call it Red Hot & Boom. We love that they pick the 3rd because it opens an opportunity to see another show on the 4th, thanks for that! After last years celebration, we were very saddened to hear that 2023 was going to be their last year putting this event on. I guess the public outcry was so great that they decided Red Hot & Boom must go on, and we are so glad it did. In my opinion, it's the best fireworks display in the central Florida region, I can say that because I've been to all the big events several times over the course of my 24 years living in the area. Who else has two identical displays going off simultaneously,with and extended finale, one on the west side and the other on the east side of Cranes Roost Park. Nobody else does this but The City of Altamonte Springs, so Thank You for continuing this tradition!!! As always, there is plenty of food, beer, and merchant vendors on site. There was at least 65 Porto John's available with hand sanitizer stations. There was five bands who kept us entertained all the way up to the moment before the fireworks were launched. Great job City of Altamonte Springs and a big Thank You to all of the sponsors for keeping this show going, us little people truly appreciate it!

Red Hot & Boom in Altamonte Springs on July 3rd, 2022 was seriously the best fireworks celebration…read morein a long time. This was super organized. It is free to get in and free to park. There is tons of space to sit all around Cranes Roost Park. Bring your chairs and blankets. I'd say bring those chairs so you are most comfortable. The sponsors really did a good job including the local radio station bringing some great entertainment and pop singers. It was very fun filled. The fireworks were in so many directions and they were huge and eye popping and had some energetic music with it. This was a blast and really made for a perfect independence celebration. This will definitely be a must do every year now. After seeing these fireworks, other fireworks are very difficult to beat.

I did not even know what this place was despite passing it all the time!…read more I attended a Thursday Night Hang with friends to watch our friend play on stage. When we entered they were so grateful that we were there. I was happy to be supporting the arts in addition to supporting a non-profit. They have snacks and drinks for sale and there is seating available for you to listen and vibe with the musicians. After the first set, musicians can sign up to play on stage which I thought was really cool. There are so many talented musicians in central Florida! I hope more people know about these events to support the arts. We had a really good time!

Great place to see local bands, grab a drink, and connect with other music lovers. Has a real sense…read moreof community about it that sets it apart from other venues. Really enjoyed our first visit to see some improvisational jazz. With the new location it sounds like they have some big plans to upgrade the space and expand their offerings. Looking forward to coming back soon!

What an absolutely fun event here in Maitland! I found this event by accident on purpose. I…read moreregularly search "free things to do near me" & try to do a new event every weekend to shake things up with my friend lol. He's never done a movie in the park, so the actually movie is what sold him on the event. The city of Maitland did such a great job! There was free, fresh popcorn, sodas for $1, & they had a raffle for 4 free tickets to the Orlando Science Museum (we didn't win). There was a dj, plenty of space to sit, & they were able to shut off the park lights during the movie l, but they left the lights on in the trees which created a surreal atmosphere. It was my first time seeing Back to the Future, and I'm glad that it was so memorable! Can't wait to do this again!

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!!!!