I enjoyed the festive lights on the ball dropped, the music, the food and the t-shirt.read more

This is a once a year event. It takes place on New Years Eve…read more I had to list this on yelp... so others will hopefully partake in this awesome New Year's area tradition! THIS IS A MUST... forget the neighbourhood block party. Do this first, as the block party will still be going on when you come back! THIS IS A FREE EVENT! This is based on the NYC ball drop with a twist, they drop the ball at 9pm so you can be in bed by 10! This is put on by a bunch of local business owners and residents that have to work the following morning. Great music mix by IPOD, Great food, Great strangers... you couldn't ask for a better venue. Also there were the traditional fire works (shot out of a dumpster) and singing the New Year in! It is recommended that you bring as dish to share, Dogs, Burgers, water provided... BYOB&C (that's a chair folks) Plenty of parking. There was even a 50/50 raffle and you could buy a tee-shirt to commemorate the event. (I did, as no one back home is going to believe this!) Here's the print to the article that was in the paper You gotta love Lake County Posted: 28 Dec 2011 07:36 AM PST Here's an option for New Year's Eve that transcends the traditional Times Square dropping of the ball. It is a distinctly Lake County event. You have to love this place. This email comes from Douglas Koskey, one of the organizers of the Astatula "Blue Collar Ball Drop." "I am writing to you to announce a most unusual event that will be taking place in the little ole town of Astatula, Florida on New Years Eve. It is the "Blue Collar Ball Drop", a family friendly event that you and your friends are invited to attend. "Conceived by a group of Astatula locals, the people of this sleepy little Blue Collar burg wanted a New Year's celebration that folks could attend without disturbing the sleep patterns of hard-working types that had to report to work someplace the next day. So they pushed the clock forward three hours and celebrated their own ball drop at 9:00pm! "Three years ago, a ball made of dixie-cups and Christmas lights was attempted to be dropped from the Astatula City hall flag pole. The ball jammed at the top in the wind and at 9 pm, one local resident gave the extension cord a hard tug and the ball crashed to the ground. Last year, a ball was constructed of one of those plastic contraptions that expand and lock into a much bigger ball, then it was loaded with several strings of lights again. This time, it was hauled to the top of a rented scissor-lift in front of the Race Car Diner by a truck-winch and lowered at 9pm. This went much more smoothly, however the ball sagged under the weight of the lights and it looked more like a pear than a ball! "This year, ring-leader and Astatula Mayor Jake Farley has constructed a 7 foot diameter ball made of welded rods that rivals the infamous Times Square Ball. Loaded with hundreds of LED lights and a mirror ball inside the outer ball, this one will certainly hold it's shape and will be lowered from a crane that is ten stories tall! "You will be able to see it from the Howey bridge across Little Lake Harris" says brother Arlie. "Celebrations start at 6pm on New Years Eve. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs will be served and attendees are asked to bring a covered dish. Music will be provided all the way up to the countdown and other surprises are planned as well. Anyone interested in dropping in is welcome and this is a Family-Friendly event. For the all-nighter crowd, this could be your pre-party! "It is absolutely free, just drop on in for the "Blue Collar Ball Drop" located one mile south of the Astatula City Limits on County Road 561 at the field in between Farley's Frigeration and Petrotech."

THIS was the event of the year! Yelp's VIP Sky Lounge provided the perfect view for seeing and…read morebeing seen. And boy oh boy, there was non-stop fashion on the runway to be seen as well as in the crowds. The models and guests were dressed beyond the nines all the way to the 15s. Thank goodness the runway show gave me some ideas how to spruce up my wardrobe. There were so many shops from Park Avenue that have some seriously forward and beautiful pieces. I'm already married and don't wear dresses, but the wedding dresses from The Collection blew me away and might make me rethink all that. Simply stunning gowns, especially the salmon colored final dress. I got chills when I saw it. So, I'm young at heart but not that young. And I only see myself in Current's awesome forward clothing and trends. But I will say that I rethought this after John Craig presented some of their pieces. It is NOT older stodgy clothes at all! They've got some very stylish and forward fashion. Now I've got two stores to shop in. Million thanks to all the vendors showcasing their products, food, and drinks at the event. Luma on Park knocked it out with their amazing Linen cocktail and champagne. Carmel Kitchen and Hawkers provided amazing noshes, some of which I had to retaste several times to be sure they were as delicious as my first bite. Boca/Abo/Park Social were there representing their new restaurant on Park Avenue across from Panera. I can't wait to check out their local food creations, oysters, and cocktails, respectively. They sampled some bourbon macarons that were freaking delicious. Final props to Yelp for yet again introducing me to businesses and places that I would not have thought about if it weren't for this event.

What a great event, and a great time to be Elite! This wasn't my first fashion rodeo, but I thought…read morethe crew that put this show on did a great job mixing entertainment, fashion and charity together. As an Elite Yelper I got treated to VIP access that got me free food & drink which was all amazing and from local Orlando restaurants, plus I got to hang with Andi and the other incredibly nice Yelpers in our own Sky Lounge! My only critique if I'm even allowed to mention anything from such a wonderful night, was the longer than normal intermission. This is a fashion show! Not a night out at the theater! Keep the energy going! An extra perk was getting to meet Laura Diaz from XL 106.7 who couldn't have been nicer and even took pictures with me. Speaking of pictures Snap Studio Booth was on hand with an amazing great portable photo booth that took stellar pictures!! Check them out! Thanks Andi! Another night of feeling cooler than you are thanks to Yelp!

So awesome! I have been waiting forever for this event to happen here in Orlando. Some other NBA…read moreteams were doing it and it looked awesome. I did help brainstorm this event 2 years back with the Magic so to see it come to fruition and attend, it was a great treat. It was a fabulous price for a pregame event in addition to lower level tickets to the game. We arrived at 4:30pm and headed to an event room near Jernigan's. We received a goodie back upon arrival along with a drink ticket. There was a bar inside the room along with a nice little food spread from Levy restaurants. I really enjoyed the chicken parm sliders. While we were waiting for the presentation part of the event, we were able to score photos with some Magic dancers, Community Ambassador Bo Outlaw and Magic MC Megan Clementi. Everyone was super nice. When the presentation part arrived we learned verbiage, rules, regulations, and all types of fun things about basketball and the NBA. While I knew a ton of the info, it was really nice to hear it from industry professionals including a female sports reporter. The highlight was hearing from an NBA ref and getting some one on one time and hearing their side of things, it was a cool insight into their life. Of course then Big Baby (Glen Davis) strutted in and he was so pleasantly awesome. He was fun, charming and super nice. Everything was interactive and we could ask questions at any time. After wards we were able to go enjoy the game with everyone and at the end of the game, we scored a photo on the court. =) Overall I had a fabulous time and can't wait for the next one. The only thing I really didn't appreciate was that some females brought their boyfriends/husbands/kids. I don't understand why they couldn't meet them after and just enjoy this female specific event. So that was a bit off setting but what can ya do?

This was a great program! I had thought I knew everything about basketball, but I was definitely…read morewrong since I left the event with more knowledge than I showed up with. We received a goodie bag when we checked in which was really nice, along with our drink and raffle ticket. We were able to mingle with other attendees of the event and get our picture taken with Bo Outlaw. They had some great food items set out for us and a small bar in the corner. The event was very casual, so you felt free to laugh, ask questions, get up to use the restroom, grab another drink, etc. rather than feeling like you needed to stay seated the whole time during the presentation. The speakers were wonderful! They all had great personalities and some good jokes to throw into their presentation. Everything was very informative and well put together. I learned a lot. Not to mention Big Baby Glen Davis showed up as a surprise guest speaker where we got to ask him questions. It's always nice to hear from a player's perspective and get to know more about them. We paid $45 for the event which included the drink , food and raffle ticket, the presentation and a lower level ticket to the game. It's was a great price and the seats for the game were great! I had a fabulous time and would definitely attend another one of these events.

Completed a 12 week course. Instructor Joe is Super knowledgeable, friendly, pushes you to be your…read morebest. Learned a lot these past 3 months! Practiced live auditions at the last class. Key take away is practice live in front of more people to shake off the nerves. Not only did I learn how to act but left with new friends. It was a pleasure taking this course with Joe. Look forward to where the next path will take me.

If I could give 0 stars, I would. If you value your time and money, avoid this class…read more BUYER BEWARE: This is marketed as a commercial acting class, but most of what is taught is basic acting and improv. If you are looking for focused commercial training that you can actually apply to auditions and bookings from day one, this is not it. This entire situation could have been avoided if The Studio Orlando had: * Responded to emails in a timely manner * Taken a paying student's concerns seriously * Had ownership step in when issues were beyond the office manager's control Here's what happened: I enrolled in early August and immediately noticed the class was not aligned with what was advertised and what I was looking for in a class. I still gave it two full classes to be fair. Unfortunately, that only confirmed my concerns. The instructor, Ashleigh, may have acting experience, but it did not translate into effective teaching. She frequently strayed from the curriculum, appeared unprepared, and gave very little useful feedback. At the end of the second class, she introduced an improv game and openly admitted she didn't know the rules. Two students attempted to demonstrate it (incorrectly), the exercise went completely off track, and rather than clarify or correct it, she made a few comments and then changed topics without acknowledging what had just happened. In the first class, we were shown two personality slate examples--one correct and one clearly incorrect--but both were taught as acceptable. The following week, that same incorrect slate was shown again with an obvious edit to shorten it, and the instructor still did not recognize it as wrong. This reinforced incorrect industry practices, which is unacceptable in a class claiming to be professional commercial training. I raised these concerns respectfully and provided video evidence when asked. In return, communication from The Studio became delayed, then dismissive, and ultimately nonexistent. It has now been nearly two months with no resolution, response, or accountability. Who this class may or may not be for: * If you're a beginner, you may not recognize the issues and might find it useful. * If you're an experienced actor seeking specific commercial techniques, this class will be a waste of your time. You will spend most of it on improv and general acting fundamentals rather than commercial-specific material. Since raising my concerns in early August, I have been patient, respectful, and cooperative. In return, I have received delayed responses, dismissiveness, and eventually complete silence--even after submitting the proof they requested. Shame on me for signing up for a class from a studio based in Orlando. I'll now be training with AHC+RLC in Los Angeles, where classes are taught by casting professionals, not other auditioning actors. If you need an online class, there are definitely better options out there. This is my personal experience, and others may have a different one, but I hope this review helps future students make an informed decision before spending their time and money.

Having heard of this festival a few years ago we finally were able to make it and were incredibly…read moreexcited. It didn't hurt that it was the weekend of my dear husband's birthday and our passion is to ride our bikes. Off we went to ride hard and ride long. The town is warm and welcoming to all of the cyclists who come out en masse like locusts. The organization of this Festival is amazing. There are various official rides on Saturday and Sunday, including the two hardest and daunting. On Saturday the century ride (yes that's 100 miles of biking in one day) and Sunday the 40 mile "Assault on Sugarloaf" - Sugarloaf being the only mountain in Florida and a wicked climb at that (read: unholy realm of torture). Aside from those two gruelling events there are rides that range from fun rides for families to longer rides for the rest. All rides are clearly marked on the roads, and they all start ON TIME. So don't be late. The description of many of these routes include the words "rolling hills' for this is one of the few areas in Florida that actually has them. By rolling hills they actually mean "little pockets of hell", and I must say even the knowledge of the incredible rush of doing 35 miles per hour uninterrupted downhill can help the brain through them. OK, maybe a little, but I still think they are misleading us with the words "rolling" and "hills" (pain and hell is more like it) - but its a rush once you finish that LAST one and ride in. Yea, I rock. Just call me Superwoman. Vendors are available all three days with toys for us roadies. Some kind of expensive, some have great prices. Also with the vendors there are masseuses available, food for the riders, and all different kinds of support. Refuelling, paramedics, etc. Speaking of support, after hitting a 28 mile ride on Sunday I rolled in with blood all over my right side. I had hit gravel on mile 8 and wiped out completely. Sitting with a glass of Gatorade given to me by the AMAZING volunteers, I was on the phone telling my daughter of the experience. After about a minute no less than 3 people came up to me (volunteers) telling me that the paramedics had been called.. ?!?! HUH? Wow. I was just sitting there, and they were ON top of it. Now that is caring! I wish I had gotten their names, but one lady especially, with grey hair, a retired nurse took care of me and fussed over me like I was her child. Bless her! So awesome. The paramedic rocked too. I now have a nice trio of trophies from the ride, a messed up elbow, knee/shin, and most interesting, a bruise and road rash the size of a melon on my right hip/leg. The only reason the event didn't get 5 stars was because I spoke to a previous volunteer. I wiped out on a right turn (where there were clear markings) and there was a mess of dirt/gravel all in the right lane and part of the left forcing the cyclists to turn into the left lane. The wrong side of the road. I fell trying to ride around it but also trying not to ride on the left hand side. The gentleman was behind me and saw it happen, he told me that when he volunteered in the past , they drove out with the paint to mark the road they also had brooms to clear out things like this. I am sure this was an oversight, but had I been riding faster it could have been worse. All in all though, you aren't a real roadie without a battle scar or two. Now I have mine! Next year: I ATTACK harder! Dare I attack the Sugarloaf??????

I've been wanting to go to this festival for over 6 years and counting, and there was never quite…read morethe right time. So this year we decided to make the commitment and so come October 9th, we hit the road with great enthusiasm. This event totally exceeded our expectations, there is just something really powerful about descending upon a place where hundreds of fellow riders converge. You feel like you belong and the anticipation of long, enjoyable rides is simply overwhelming. So we wake up really early and ride the 2 and half miles from our hotel to the center of town and as any fellow rider can attest, there is a very cool feeling about riding in a place where you have never been before. Everything looks and feels different and you simply have no idea of what lies ahead but can't wait to travel the miles on your own power to find out. We arrive in the middle of town with a few minutes to spare before our 50 mile ride to the Yalaha Bakery out in Yalaha, Florida. The scene of hundreds of cyclists on super cool bikes, we are ready to join them and ride out to some place we've never been before. The rides were simply flawless, clearly marked and easy to follow on beautiful country roads and rolling hills with a couple of challenging hills to tackle, life got better by the mile. The organizers and volunteers are simply the best, great demeanor and always, always, always willing to help and inform. The residents of Lake and Orange County are the most respectful, patient and courteous motorists I have ever encountered. There are over 10 rides that cover distances from 100 miles to just a couple of miles, so everyone can find a ride to match their abilities and desires. This festival is simply a must for any bicycle enthusiast and must be done many many many times over. As for me... I am a fan and will definitely return every year.

For only being the second year, the festival was good. There were a lot of good tattoo artists from…read moreall over Florida working on their human canvases in the building by the entrance. There were even artists that were on the reality show, "Ink Master". You can view their portfolios while watching them in action. There were maybe 10 cars on display, ranging from classics to modern hot rods. There were 4 sleek H-D motorcycles to show. Of course they hold the bigger musical acts until later on in the night, so I did not see them all, but the music was nice and loud enough to hear through the whole site. There were awesome booths that carried an array of merchandise. Pipes, e liquids, clothing merchandise were being sold as well as cold beer, cocktails, and food.

Amazing caricatures. Maria's personality exudes from each piece she draws…read more I was introduced to Maria's fabulous work when I came across her at Tu Tu Tango and was blown away. Since then I think she has drawn me about 10 times and each time is more awesome than the last. My favorite was when she took a photo of my puppy off my phone and drew her and I together.. it's proudly displayed on my fridge =) She has so much personality and her passion for drawing, art, Orlando and various community non-profits she supports is inspirational. Check out her site or at various upcoming events all across Central Florida!

The Annual Blues B-Q is a pretty neat event. There is no entry free or tickets to buy…read more The smell of wonderful bar-b-que, funnel cakes and other food stuffs filled the air from numerous vendors. The prices were very reasonable. Unfortunately, I didn't get to taste any of it primarily because I refused to stand in those extremely long lines. There were a few other vendors with non-food items along with sponsors handing out a variety of information. The Blues music performance was very entertaining. The stage was easy to see and the large screen in the center only made it better. It appeared to be standing room only - I believe that most, if not all, of the people sitting had brought their own chairs/seats. Overall it was a good time.

So this was my first visit to the Blues B-Q in Orlando. I thought it was a great event for the…read morefamily and friends to get out and enjoy some music. I have to say that I was impressed with the interaction amongst the people. They seemed to be really enjoying themselves and the music. Also the layout was okay, they had the vendors around the edges so it was accessible to all. The down part was that the lines were so long that the waits had to be at least 30 min. I didn't try any of the food, just because I didn't have an appetite. They had your typical vendors of bbq with sides and also a stand that had fish with homemade lemonade with others. What really set the event off for me was when Denise LaSalle performed and tore the house down. Apparently she is a blues legend and just got accepted to into the Hall Of Fame for her music, so it was a treat to see her. She had did some songs that I didn't know, but I will listen to her music after seeing her. She has a few moments on stage where she was talking about some of her past relationships and saying things that are meant for the bedroom ( I would go into detail but I don't think Yelp would like that too much). All in all I would like to become a regular at this event in Orlando because it reminds me of the events back home in the DMV.