Not still if they are still open this year. My entire family has enjoyed hand picking and…read moreselecting their own strawberries for 20 years

I truly love Pappy's and i love that it's closer than Southern Hill. But this new season has been…read morerough. We went back for the first time since Ian after seeing they would be open at 10 on a Thursday. When we arrived at 10:02, it was to see that the parking lot was full with people already leaving with berries. There were rows and rows of no berries ready and we left with about 5. I definitely understand that things won't be perfect but the communication is what needs to be better. It's just not the same.

So not a massively great 1st impression. My ticket said 6-10pm for event time, and so I got there…read moreat 6:30. But I had General Admission tickets and entry for that was from 7pm onwards so had to wait 30 mins!! I wish the tickets had the correct time printed on them. Luckily the rain had stopped but if I had known then would have come a bit later.   The location was great for this event - the always excellent Orchid Ballroom and so the food was spread out over 3 floors.   Ramblings and thoughts on the vendors for 2018 are as follows:   * Publix Aprons - The UnRav (fresh pasta with rock Shrimp). Tried this twice - the first time it was piping hot and silky, not so great when it got cold. * Hunger Street Tacos - Watermelon in Mezcal (brilliant!) also tried their octopus crudo which packed an unexpected punch but I didn't like as much as the Watermelon * Urbain 40 Tuna Tatiki was a miss for me. Too chunky and the tuna taste was dull. Acidity was too mild/ non-existent for me. * Publix Aprons Mahi Mahi Ceviche ditto as above. * All 3 items at The Stubborn Mule too were either too salty or bland for me and yet I thought their table showed the most thought (there was a chicken mojo with rice and beans for the meat lovers, a roasted balsamic vinegar cauliflower for the vegetarian and a lemon coconut cheesecake for dessert). * DeVine Wine & Grill's ahi tuna was meh when compared to some others served at the event. * I skipped Artisan Tables Kiebelsa sandwich as it was beef + Pork. (I don't eat Beef). * The Shrimp ceviche served by Ceviche restaurant may not also have the best showcase of their namesake item. * Orlando Meats had lovely tasting pork rillettes and donuts. Some of their toast pieces, on which the rillettes were showcased, got burnt to a crisp, and then the burnt flavor wasn't that great. * Castle Hills crudo was my fave of the night - bright, flavorful, wonderful acidity. I want to go back and try other things on their menu. * Best desserts - hands down The Glass Knife! So good! Each bite was a gorgeously rich hit of sugar. They had x4 and it was hard for me to pick my fave - they were all that good!   *  Tartine's menu was a revelation! French meets the South But not New Orleans! Restaurant most excited to go back and try. They had a Escargot pastry that was the most exciting bite of the night for me! Overall, I am pleased that I went and checked out this event, as have discovered some new restaurants (Tartine and Castle Hill, I am looking at you) to go and try. Also apart from wait-time issue, this is one event its okay to go GA rather than paying the extra VIP cost, as the food and goodies were still in plenty Yelp 115/2018

4 stars for a solid yearly Orlando Weekly event…read more For the last several years, Orlando Weekly has worked with several restaurants around the area to put together something called "Bite 30." It entails each restaurant offering a menu of pre-selected items for $30 for an entire month (usually in June). This month long event culminates with an event called "Bite Night." I have attended Bite Night for the last 3 years. While I won't go into specifics on previous years, I will generally say that the first year I attended was fantastic and the second year was pretty bad (overcrowded, food ran out, etc.). This review will focus on my 2017 experience. My wife and I arrived at the Bite Night event, which takes place at the Orchid Garden located at the intersection of Church and South, and stood in line to go inside. There is a 6pm VIP time to enter and a 7pm general admission time to enter. I would recommend getting there pretty early because the lines to get in can can be pretty long. Once we got inside (we went in to Garden entrance), we were greeted with some Orlando Weekly swag and a huge open area full of people, food vendor booths, and bars. Unlike last year (and some other Orlando Weekly events), this event had plenty of places serving alcohol and wasn't too crowded. Overselling has been a problem with Orlando Weekly events, so I commend them for selling just the right amount this time. My wife and I walked around to the various restaurant tables, which included places like Nova, Maxines on Shine (the meatball welllington was my favorite non-dessert item), Season's 52 (their chocolate dessert was my favorite item), and many more. The event was split up into the Garden room area (2 floors with about 10 vendors throughout) and the Ballroom area (about 10 vendors upstairs and 3-4 downstairs). In the Garden area, a set of ladies with electric light-up instruments (mostly violins) played various modern songs! They show up at various Orlando Weekly events and are always fun. During the event, a silent auction for various items was held in the lower Ballroom area. Around 9pm, a live auction was held where you raise up a sign with a pre-assigned number (don't forget to get yours beforehand) to bid. Bidding in an environment like this is a little frustrating, but super fun at the same time. We didn't win, but we enjoyed participating. Overall, Bite Night at the Orchid Garden presented by Orlando Weekly is a fun event that lets you eat and drink with some of Orlando's best restaurants and foodies in general. While a little chaotic, this event ranks as one of the better (non-alcohol centered) Orlando Weekly events each year and is worth checking out.

Avalon Park - Orlando celebrated their annual Xmas Fest Avalon Aglow in downtown Avalon. Tons of…read morevendors were set up with their many items to sell along with a bouncy play area for kids, music on two stages, Christmas lights, music, food. At the end, the fireworks glowed in the sky above the lake. It was a great event. They also started with a parade around 3 Pm. Fireworks finished the night at 9 PM for 20 minutes and these fireworks were definitely worth it. Plenty of food and drinks in restaurants, Marketplace at Avalon(their food hall) and food trucks. We had warm drinks from the The Bakery, the Colombian cafe there that is awesome. Great fun for all! Very dog friendly! Bring your chairs and blankets for the fireworks!

I have never been more terrified. This maze starts off with you going into a smoky hall and it…read morenever ends! I have never scream cried that much in my life. Truly a great find and one of the best horror house/mazes I've ever been in! Definitely one for the books and my friends all agree. Make sure you go with a small group, four is perfect! I would not go in alone unless you are one brave soul.. There are two trails, reasonably priced and long too!

Genuine Haunted Maze made by people from the community. It's affordable, if you're looking for a…read moregood scare, check this out.

Beautiful area for photos! There's local shops and restaurants in the area you have to try as well!read more

Beautiful park in the heart of Park Ave in Winter Park. There is a lovely walkway that has vines…read morecovering it as well as a fountain and tons of rose bushes. This is a great spot for photos or just to hang out. This area is right by the train station so if you want to take the SunRail you get off right by the rose garden. There is also a large grassy area and more fountains, lots of area to hang out and enjoy the outdoors.

We went to Green Acres Farm or Oviedo a couple of months ago. It is a small farm where you can pet…read moresome of the animals. My 2 year old loved it and recently saw some pics of the experience and told me she wants to go again. I also enjoyed it a lot as I got to pick up some chickens and pet them. Fed a cow, chickens and goats. Saw bunnies, chicks, turkeys and pigs. While the experience was about an hour for us, they do let you know that it might be a bit more or less depending on engagement with the animals. Visit requires a donation, but they don't ask for a specific amount. You have to contact them via facebook and schedule the visit. It was pretty easy for us to schedule it. Owner is very responsive and was so awesome with my little girl when we visited. Definitely want to visit again!

Great farm tour and we were able to feed some animals too! Great tour guide who was very…read moreinformative!

Today was the 1st Annual Homespun Chic Marketplace. This is a great event that bring independent…read moreartisans and designers from around Central Florida offering handcrafted wares. Fueled by the "Buy Handmade" movement, the marketplace is at the backbone of a growing craft culture, seeking to prove to Americans that high quality, everyday items are easily available at places other than the mall. This marketplace also offers shoppers an easy way to give back to the community. A portion of this year's event sales are being donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida. Bees Knees Sweet Treats, The Daily City and Yelp were all tables upon the entrance of the event. The weather was not the best but everyone stuck it out because there was a great amount of people that came out and most of the event was inside anyway. It was awesome to see this beautiful array of homemade goods from jewelry, all natural cleaning products and hand bags to wall murals. There were 20 Vendors and included the following: http://www.appleandivy.com/ over 25 different silk designs that are featured on 24 different products including neckties, bow ties, cuff links, bow headbands, flower headwraps, flower headbands, flower hair clips, bow hair clips, square pendant necklace, circle pendant necklaces, bracelets, ponytail holders, hair pins and earrings. http://www.bluewhaleboutique.com/ http://www.tracybdesigns.com/ http://www.snugglebugcollection.com/ http://www.etsy.com/shop/twofloridagirls http://www.aflavoredlife.com/ Aprons http://www.tdsfp.com/ Photographer http://www.etsy.com/shop/indobaytextiles http://www.etsy.com/shop/babysisterdesign http://www.etsy.com/shop/mccaligiuri Personalized Correspondence Stationery, Note Pads, Tags and More! http://www.etsy.com/shop/mrsjonessoapbox Providing simple, healthy solutions for one of life's less glamorous jobs. http://www.etsy.com/shop/kbainsley Really awesome event with a great turnout, can't wait to see it next year.

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.