As the city swaps their red roses for green clovers, Orlando Style is looking back on the month of February and sharing all the most exciting events to have happened—just in case you missed it!
On February 9th, pet lovers from all over Central Florida gathered at beautiful Lake Eola to support Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando’s mission to educate, shelter, place, and heal pets and their families with compassionate, responsible care. 2019 Paws in the Park was a community wide fundraising event providing support for the more than 7,000 homeless pets who will be cared for at Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando’s two shelters this year. The event is Orlando’s oldest and largest pet walk and featured multiple activities for pets as well as shopping, food trucks and entertainment.
Also on February 9th, The Sam Flax Wall Project returned for its highly anticipated, 4th annual event. The day long, iconic celebration featured 11 hand-selected artists completely repainting the Sam Flax building with more new murals and wall space than ever! Guests of the festivities got a chance to meet local artists while enjoying a day of art, food vendors, music, raffle prizes, interactive art stations and more!
Bringing the heat since 2009, the Orlando Chili Cook-off is one of the city’s most mouthwatering festivals! On February 16th, Chili-lovers and chili cooks alike were invited to downtown Orlando for a day of fun, food, music and friendly competition. Guests enjoyed a beautiful day at Festival Park sampling from 100+ chili booths crafted by local restaurants and nationwide chefs. Since 2010, the event has raised more than $150,000 for Special Olympics Florida. In addition to great food and beverages, attendees also experienced live music, games, vendors, a DJ station, and a Kids Zone.
On February 16th, the city spent the day making “Pour Decisions” at the Orlando Wine Festival in Orange County History Center Park! In addition to over 70 wines from all over the world, this year’s festivities also featured a local vendor market, hand picked food trucks, a build-a-sangria bar, a sparkling wine bubble bar, immersive photo experiences, a local vendor market, music by DJ Darren, and a VIP lounge with unlimited samplings.
People from all walks of life were invited to celebrate the beauty of Black History Month at Orlando Fashion Square Mall with a free, dynamic showcase of the Art, Culture and Business Community. On February 17th, the 4th Annual Black History Month Arts Inspired Festival featured music and cultural presentations, an art walk through Africa, a step show, and a fashion show all presented in the middle of a Business Expo.
From gourmet blends to off-menu specialties and even beer pairings, Orlando came together on February 22nd to pay tribute to America’s sweetheart—the Hamburger! The first annual Orlando Burger Week kicked off on the 22nd and continues for 10 days until March 3rd. The idea behind Burger Week is to get people to embrace the food, culture and Orlando-love while getting them out to eat, drink, and try new places! Each restaurateur and Chef will prepare a unique take on the burger that will be available for just $5.
The 2019 Kickoff to Soccer was off to a running start with the fifth annual Purple Pride 5K presented by Orlando Health, SunPass, Publix, JetBlue, and Academy Sports + Outdoors. This year’s annual running of Orlando City fans took place on February 23rd at Orlando City Stadium. Over 1,000 participating runners received a race t-shirt, a commemorative finishers medal, and one ticket to the Orlando City Home Opener on Saturday, March 2nd against NYCFC. A post-race celebration took place within the West Lot of the stadium with activities including a race DJ, complimentary runner refreshments, interactive games for the entire family and tasty food trucks.
One of the largest food events in the Central Florida area returned as Orlando foodies and wine lovers experienced a unique local cuisine paired with wines from around the globe. Located in the heart of downtown Orlando at Lake Eola, the 11th Annual Downtown Food & Wine Fest took place February 23rd-24th and featured the city’s finest cuisine from 40 premier Orlando restaurants. In addition to live music entertainment, guests enjoyed pairing their mouth-watering spreads with international and domestic wines.
