Weekend Top 6 Picks for Octover 27 and 28, 2018

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Saturday October 28, 2018 

9am to 3pm Adults: $19.50. Seniors 60+: $15.95. Children 3-12 years: $13.75. Children 2 and under: Free. Annual Pass Holder: Free. Zoo Boo Bash. Sanford Zoo 3755 W Seminole Blvd, Sanford, FL 3277. The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens invites children and
adults alike to trick-or-treat throughout the park while learning about
the myths and realities of endangered animals. Kids are encouraged to
wear costumes and bring goody bags. Events include costume contests,
face painting and more. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Event included in general zoo
admission. At the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 3755 W.
Seminole Blvd. 407-323-4450. centralfloridazoo.org

10am to 6pm Free. 13th annual Central Florida Veg Fest. Festival Park, 2911 E Robinson St, Orlando, FL 32803. The Orlando Weekly has again signed
on as an Earth Sponsor of Central Florida Veg Fest! The Central Florida
Veg Fest Info Guide will be printed as a pull-out in the middle of the
Orlando Weekly on October 24, 2018 and circulated to over 277,000
readers. The event will also have several promotional ads in the Weekly.

8am to 10pm Free. 10th anniversary “Halloween Block Party”. Liam Fitzpatrick’s Restaurant and Irish Pub at Colonial Town Plaza located at 951 Market Promenade Ave., Suite 1115, Lake Mary, FL. North Orlando’s block party and nightlife destination is at it again as
Liam Fitzpatrick’s Restaurant and Irish Pub joins together with Colonial
Town Park plaza neighbors Graffiti Junction, Dexter’s of Lake Mary,
Duffy’s Sports Grill, and Cantina and Corona Cigar Company to
welcome the 10th anniversary “Halloween Block Party” on Saturday,
October 27, 2017 starting at 8pm. The eek-citing event is free and open
to the public, and all guests (21 & up) are invited to drink, dance
and dress in their Halloween best outside Liam Fitzpatrick’s and around
the festive plaza, while enjoying two live DJ’s spinning throughout the
night, tasty brews and bites and the area’s biggest costume contest
awarding $1000 in cash prizes for the winners.

For
the 10th anniversary, Liam’s Halloween Block Party will support Orlando
City Youth Soccer, who will be on site collecting donations and
receiving 100% of proceeds from a specialty Halloween shot all night.
Orlando City Youth Soccer is the preeminent youth club in Central
Florida, whose core values are player development, parental guidance,
coaches education and community outreach.

Sunday October 28, 2018

10am to Noon Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

11am to 4pm Free. Puppet Slam. 707 E Washington St, Orlando, FL 32801. Live puppetry performances happening sporadically during the Bazaar Botanica Art Market.

10pm to Midnight Free but get a coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for October 20 and 21, 2018

Posted on by Thor

Saturday October 20, 2018

9am to 3pm Adults: $19.50. Seniors 60+: $15.95. Children 3-12 years: $13.75. Children 2 and under: Free. Zoo Boo Bash. Sanford Zoo 3755 W Seminole Blvd Sanford FL.

Trick-or-treat at the wildest place in town during our annual Zoo Boo Bash!
It’s a safe, fun, and not-too-scary event for young and old alike.
Bring your treat bag and wear your costume for a wild time! Be sure to
stop by the Welcome Station to see a full list of Zoo Boo Bash
activities.
This event is included in general Zoo admission.

Additional fees may apply for certain activities.

Annual Pass Holder black out date: All annual pass holders will need to pay $5 Special Event Admission per person named on their card to gain entry to the event.

6pm to Midnight $15. Year round. Mortem Manor Haunted Attraction. Old Town, Kissimmee 5770 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway | Kissimmee, FL 34746. The Old Town Halloween in Kissimmee is now open year-round Wednesday
through Sunday at 6 p.m. Freak out with live actors in two floors of the
haunted house ($15), and a new “buried alive” experience ($5). 5770 W.
Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway. 407-396-4888. mortemmanor.com

10am to 5pm Free. Winter Springs ARToberFEST. There will be over 100 art vendors at Winter Springs Town Center,
Blumberg Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Guests can also enjoy
German brats and beer while dancing to live German bands all weekend.
407-278-4871 or wsfota.org

Sunday October 21, 2018

11pm to 8pm $15. Festival Calle Orange. Spanning 10 blocks near 4000 S.
Orange Ave. Central Florida’s largest Hispanic festival celebrates its 20th
anniversary of bringing together people of many nationalities, religions
and backgrounds to enjoy food, music and dancing in the streets. This
celebration of culture includes four stages with numerous bands,
sampling, souvenirs, food vendors and much more. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. $15
admission; kids 10 and under are free.  calleorange.com

Noon to 9pm Florida Harmonica Championships. Beach side Tavern 690 East 3rd Avenue New Smyrna Beach. This 13th annual championship brings
harmonica players to Beach side Tavern competing for the “best in show”
trophy. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 690 E. 3rd. Ave. 386-314-5718. floridaharmonicachampionships.com

10pm to Midnight. Free but get a coffee. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee, 929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL. Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Relay for Life

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Marilyn Wattman–Feldman suggested I go to the Sanford Zoo to sketch the Relay for Life. My wife Terry arrived before me and I looked for her in the crowd. Tents were set up in the area in front of the zoo entrance where the zip lines are set up. There was a makeshift stage set up and I noticed a llama wearing a diamond studded tiara. A radio personality asked all the cancer survivors to come forward and stand in front of the stage. A large group of survivors, all dressed in purple T-shirts stood in front of the stage. There were young and old alike, people from all walks of life.

The Relay was an all night fundraising walk. The first lap was for the survivors lead by Clarissa the llama. The announcer didn’t realize Clarissa was a llama. “It wasn’t in my script!,” he shouted and he laughed. I saw Marilyn among the survivors as she did the first lap. Children were selling wristbands with passion. Terry and I got some bratwurst for dinner and we watched the girls make up new chants as they tried to sell the wristbands.

For $5 you could go on an evening tour of the zoo with a zoo guide. Marilyn said that the animals were more active at night. Guests were given flashlights with red gels which wouldn’t disturb the animals as much. We saw kangaroos, gators, a porcupine and some monkeys but most animals were either very well hidden or they were backstage asleep. After the tour, Terry left and I started searching for a sketch. I settled on this young zoo employee selling stuffed snakes and letting people know about the zoo tour. The snakes were cheap, like $3, and she sold quite a few. As I started putting in color, the lights all went out. I thought there had been a power failure, but someone finally explained that there was going to be an hour of silent remembrance for friends and family who had died to cancer. Paper bags with candles inside were placed all around the relay track. Some bags had photos of loved ones and many had loving tributes. Even the girls selling bracelets quieted down. It was a solemn, quiet time. The lights all flickered on, and the carnival-like atmosphere resumed. I splashed colors on my dark sketch, losing the gorilla and rhino in the dark of the night.

ZOOm Air Adventures

Posted on by Thor

03-07-10ZipLines
As I was sketching at the Lazy Gator bar, Dina Peterson told me about the Sanford Zoo which as a Zip line course set up. I had seen the course set up a few months ago when I went to the zoo for a party hosted by one of Terry’s clients. I realized that this was something I should sketch and possibly experience. Dina and a group of friend were going to do the course Saturday or Sunday and I figured I should sketch before they all showed up. I went to the zoo two hours early to give myself a chance to get a sketch under my belt before people arrived. It was a beautiful day and I walked the course for a while trying to decide where to look. People were in constant motion as they progressed over the ropes wires and suspended logs. I finally set my chair down and leaned back against a tree and got started. Where I was seated, people would actually tight wire walk right above me. One young boy shouted out, “Hey look I am over the artist.” I shouted up, “Don’t fall now.”
A children’s birthday party was going on at a picnic table behind me. Ten year old boys chased each other around. One boy stopped right in front of me and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was sketching and he pointed at the page and said, “you drew that?” I pointed up to the platforms in the tree and than he looked up and back at the page again then ran off.
A woman and her husband were struggling to get across the wire line above me. He went first and she followed. She started shouting out, “Stop shaking the wire you are going to make me fall. That isn’t funny.” He said, “I’m just heavy, I can’t help it.” She shouted back, “I’ll shake the f*#^%* wire when you are over the pavement then we will see how funny this is!” She wasn’t a happy camper.
The course takes quite some time to complete. People who were just starting the course when I started sketching were not back on the ground until several hours later. I am betting that this is a good work out. An older husband and wife team came up to me after they had finished. She said, “I kind of wish I had worn hiking boots or shoes with a real solid soul. It was a real challenge at first, but after a while you get over the fear and it is fun.”
The friends I was waiting for never showed up, I must have heard the date wrong. But I got a decent sketch so I returned home satisfied. Who knows someday I might find myself in the treetops.