This festival turned out to be a lot better than I expected. My biggest worry was that after 2…read morehours I'd want to leave but I'm happy to say that that was not the case. My friend and I bought the online tickets for beer tasting which with a service fee came out to $28.50 or something in that area. This was for the orange wristband so our time for beer sampling was from 4 to 7pm. We arrived at 3 p.m. and already the entrance was out of the Kevin Bacon shirts, so we had to make our way to the the actual Kevin Bacon booth to get one from the pile there; but that was not a big deal, and the people there were very nice so we didn't mind the booth visit. Pros: In my opinion; there was a good variety of bacon snacks ranging from $2 - 5, but there were other things to choose from as well including burgers, an incredible grilled cheese with bacon jam served up by the restaurant: "hammered lamb". That was my absolute most favorite thing there. It was nice that the majority of the booths there were offering some kind of free tid bit, be it a magnet, key chain, and there was even one offering a smores kit if you threw marshmallows into the hole; so even if you don't buy the drinking ticket, nor actually buy any beer, you'd still walk away with free goodies. Sonny's set up a tent to give seminars on how to BBQ different types of meats. They put out several seats and then gave samples after each lecture. Cons: I still think that $28.50 is steep for a beer sampling ticket. I just keep thinking that I could've gone to total wine, and gotten 2 six packs of different types of beers and done my own home sampling and it still would've been cheaper. If I go again, I wont buy the beer sampling ticket, I'll just buy an individual beer, those started at $4 a piece. The map given to you at the entrance said that the Sonny's tent was supposed to have an offering of smoked wings but we didn't see that at all which is a shame because beer and wings go hand in hand; just couldn't get over that. While the Sonny's "How to BBQ" seminar was a great idea, especially when it was followed by a tasting; I think they left out a lot of key points that I thought were common sense when making any kind of smoked meat. The one in particular that bothered me was the fact that they neglected to remove the membrane attached to the bones on the ribs, but this was nothing compared to it being one of the toughest ribs I've ever tried to eat. I had always understood that a decent rack of ribs had proper smoke time, and the meat should fall off the bone. It had good flavor, but that was about it. So I'm still trying to figure out how they were trying to teach others to BBQ, if they themselves flunked out on basic things? Overall I'd go again for sure because I did have a really good time, and the beer sampling was cool, if not expensive in my view. I personally would buy an individual beer next time, and hopefully the seminar will give tips and advice that lead to a good BBQ end product.

I've rounded this up to 4 stars, but in my mind the 2017 event is more like a 3.5, mainly because…read morethe Bacon part of the festival wasn't as extensively showcased as in previous years! Case in point - where were the stalls for 4 Rivers Smokehouse or Miller's Ale House, Omaha Steakhouse, Ruth's Chris Steak House or The Hammered Lamb or even Whole Foods Market? Yeah, there were some good food trucks, but I wanted more local variety rather than just Sonny's BBQ dominating the food experience! The cooking demos were great, but I really missed the variety of local food this year. The beer on the other hand - the selection there was excellent, the pours were generous and it was a lovely way to while away a sunny Central FL October day by the beautiful Cranes Roost Park lake. Parking at Altamonte was a breeze, and my friends reported the same near the Uptown Altamonte area too. Vendors were giving out great freebies - the sunglasses and the beer cozies came in super handy as did the recyclables bags. Also cost was really good - the Be. er sampling tickets was $25 advance and $35 day of event I'll be back again next year, but fingers crossed there will be more local food choices! Yelp 164/2017

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

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.

I love coming to Cranes Roost Park! I'm here at least once a week and often take the one loop…read moremultiple times around the park. I started to also come every last Saturday of the month at 10am in front of the amphitheater to join a really fun, free, HIIT fitness class. It's great! There's always something to do around the park!

Went for a walk and enjoyed the solitude. It was a beautiful day and this is a well maintained…read moreclean park. There are number of people walking at various ages. There were couples on a picnic and people napping. I loved the outdoor using coming from the speakers. Until next time.

Cool and creative…read morecrafts The spring art festival at Lake Lily park is a whole bunch of very creative arts, crafts and displays placed in a the very lovely setting of a large and wonderful park. Dozens of booths containing lots of very original and cool stuff ranging from paintings, photots, carvings, clothes, jewelry, lawn sculptures and of courses lots of food. Most of the items on display were very distinctive and included a whole bunch of stuff I've never seen before in an arts and craft fair. The food was pretty much what you would expect from a fair but the Kettle Korn was really good. You get to walk around lovely Lake Lily Park as you wander around the fair and get to see some very inquisitive ducks, turtles and other critters.. They seemed as interested in me as I was in them. The prices of the items varied tremendously, from the very cheap to the quite expensive. Quite literally something for everyone. Cool and creative arts and crafts in a beautiful park filled with friendly critters. A great way to spend some time and money.

We purchased tickets for A Petrified Forest as last minute plans on Halloween night not sure what…read moreto expect and we were really blown away. Parking is free and and so is the short tram or bus ride to the event. The experience begins on the ride as you're greeted by the bus driver; (Ours was named Splatter and his energy set the mood for the night) and his assistants who may give you a fright as they give you the lore/theme of the houses and their names. The premise of this event changes every year, and after our experience we are excited to see what they cook up next year. In the front yard of the event there are many food trucks to choose from, some with themed menu options, a few shops with an array of goods, and a DJ playing some Halloween classics. This area is a relatively small but we never felt crowded, and we're able to find seats at tables to eat, despite it being Halloween Night where we expected a peak number of visitors. The smaller area also guarantees that you'll have many encounters throughout the night with the scare actors who roam this open space. Screams from guests filled the air sporadically all throughout the night. The houses were extremely impressive. There were 3 free houses included in your ticket and 2 experiences where you pay for an extra ticket. These tickets also work as fast passes to the houses. We found that the lines went by quickly. The houses are not so much houses as they are trails through the wooded area in the event lot which added a lot more to the fear factor than your typical indoor haunted houses. Every scene was filled with props and scares. It was obvious how much effort was put into the designs of the sets. This year's premise to put it simply was an abandoned mall and the houses reflected that. What really made this night for us were the employees. This experience was very interactive and the scare actors all had great attitudes. They were in character but when we had questions about the event they answered us seriously and it showed. We got the impression that they enjoyed their work, and that helped keep spirits high all night

This time I gave it a go to try some treats along with walk the 3 trails. My favorite trail was the…read morecousin's cafe of course. The treats I tried this time was the Puffy vampire brownie and the mini donuts with strawberry and blueberry drizzle. The donuts were a bit dry but the glaze was delicious. The mango and passion fruit lemonade was delicious.

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!

One hundred years…read more The Seminole County Centennial Festival is a celebration of the century that Seminole Country has been in existence. The emphasis is on agriculture, education, history, transportation and quality of life. Lot of arts and crafts, historic displays, dancing, music, plants and of course food. The police were there showing off their cool toys like a helicopter and armored car and had some guys walking around with full body armor. Cool stuff to look at up close. All the towns of the country were represented and many had very cool displays from their historical societies. Fascinating people to talk to, they know a whole lot about the history of their towns. A huge kids area was being well used by the little ones and quite a few food trucks were around so people could stuff their faces while looking at the cool stuff. Much of the fair seemed to center around agriculture and lots of plants and farming stuff was for sale. A great place to learn about the weird looking and exotic plants in the region. The fair wasn't as large as I though it would be, certainly much smaller than the huge fairs of this type in the north east. It was interesting and educational and considering it was free, a great way to spend the afternoon.

This is quite a fancy art show, one of the best around, really. With top artists from all over the…read morecountry, you'll find some truly amazing pieces from both established and up-and-coming creators. The entire park transforms into a massive outdoor gallery, filled with hundreds of works being judged and awarded throughout the weekend. I'll admit, some of the art is a little pricey for me, but if you've got some disposable income and consider yourself a true art connoisseur, it's definitely worth it. Even if you're not buying, it's an incredible way to spend an afternoon, walking the park, chatting with artists, and soaking in all the creativity. It's inspiring and gives you plenty of ideas for what you might want to collect or create in the future.

My daughter lives in Winter Park and during a visit with her we visited the Winter Park Autumn Art…read moreFestival. The festival is held in the beautiful 11 acre Central Park along Park Avenue in the heart of downtown Winter Park. The park has a stately oak canopy, fountains, and sculptures which makes it the perfect backdrop for an art festival. There is also a number of restaurants and shops only steps away. The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce hosts the ANNUAL festival on the second weekend in October each year. It is the only juried fine arts festival made up only of Florida artists. Art displayed and for sale includes paintings, ceramics, metal, prints, textiles, photography, and ceramics to name just a few mediums. This year 186 artists were chosen to display their works. The festival is quite large and you can easily spend a couple of hours checking everything out. I especially loved the nature photography featuring Florida's native flora and fauna. If there is one drawback to the festival it is the lack of parking. I ended up parking in a business lot and they charged me $20. Go early if you have any hope of finding street parking. Once you leave your car plan on spending a few hours enjoying all the delights downtown Winter Park has to offer.