How many of you were sure to soak up every last drop of summer over the past couple months? From celebrating our nation’s independence to sipping wine and enjoying live music entertainment, there was so much to do in and around The City Beautiful in both July and August. Here are all the highlights, just in case you missed it!
Each Saturday afternoon during the month of July, Lakeridge Winery held its famous Music Series, featuring live music on the outdoor stage, and inside the winery at their upstairs Wine & Cheese Bar. The musicians selected were all fantastic performers, hand-picked from the wealth of talent located throughout Central Florida. Lakeridge wine, beer, soft drinks and a variety of food were available for purchase throughout the festivities, along with complimentary Winery tours and tasting.
When the sun goes down, the park comes alive! Electric Ocean at SeaWorld Orlando transformed the theme park into an immersive undersea world that glows, entertains and excites. Families enjoyed a unique dance party at Club Sea Glow, featuring puppeteers, special acts and interactive entertainers. Special food and drink offerings enticed guests to snack the night away under the stars. The evenings ended with a fireworks finale that included synchronized water effects, breathtaking pyrotechnic displays and a laser show. The exciting spectacle was included with theme park admission throughout the months of July and August.
Orlando kicked off their 4th of July celebrations with a bang—or rather, a BOOM! On July 3rd, the city of Altamonte Springs and XL 106.7 partnered up to host Red Hot & Boom—the ultimate summertime celebration. With electric sounds, dazzling skies and plenty of patriotism, Red Hot & Boom brought that feel-good, summer vibe to thousands of attendees. Presented by Qdoba and Todd Miner Law, Red Hot & Boom was an experience like no other. Patrons were invited to shake it up, let loose and get in that summer state-of-mind with performances from the hottest artists, a jaw-dropping fireworks show and memories that are sure to last a lifetime.
Red, White, and Brew was a patriotic block party for the beer enthusiasts of Orlando! On July 3rd, Downtown Orlando was a sea of patriotism as guests enjoyed free live music, great food and fun games on Wall Street plaza. On July 4th, the festivities jumped up a notch with the band Lighter Exchange performing live on the plaza while the Samuel Adams Beer Garden offered unlimited Sam Adams for only $10. In addition, the finalists from One Eyed Jack’s Thursday karaoke sessions competed in Korndogg’s Karaoke Competition Finals just before a spectacular fireworks show.
On July 20th, Orlando Pub Crawl and Orlando Sport and Social Club were proud to present the highly anticipated return of the 14th Annual Crazy 80’s Pub Crawl. The ultimate Pub Crawl completely took over Downtown Orlando with the eye-popping colors and unbeatable music of the 80s! Once participants checked in, they were free to move between all of the starting locations while enjoying great drink specials and jamming out to the best and craziest decade ever! Venues included everywhere from The Lodge, Lizzy’s and Ibar to The Beacham, Chillers, and Wall St Plaza for the 80’s after party.
The great fairy migration happened on August 23rd at beautiful Leu Gardens during their three-month-long Fairy Doors exhibit! The Leu Gardens Fairy Festival celebration included a night-hike through their 50-acre gardens with fairy landing stations, crafts, a scavenger hunt for the fairy doors scattered throughout the gardens, and an opportunity for each child to make their own fairy garden. The whimsical exhibit featured 20 new, one-of-a-kind fairy doors which inspired an imaginative world of mythical forests and secret gardens in the minds of children and adults alike. All parents had to do was find these beautiful doors and let their child’s creativity do the rest.
August 29th marked the official kickoff of the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Foodies can now treat themselves to chef demonstrations, hands-on workshops, special events like “Party for the Senses,” and more. There’s also an entire menu of family fun, including Remy’s Ratatouille-inspired scavenger hunt, a play area, nightly dance parties, and select dishes and demonstrations designed especially for kids. Last but not least, the “Eat to the Beat” concert series is showcasing a wide range of musical acts, including newcomers such as Sawyer Brown, Lauren Daigle, Boyce Avenue and Kris Allen, plus returning favorites like Plain White T’s, Sugar Ray, Hanson, Sheila E. and Boyz II Men. Epcot’s renowned celebration is better than ever this year with all-new events and it’s running for a record-shattering 87 days!
From Marilyn Monroe to Michael Jackson, over 100 of the world’s best professional celebrity impersonators, lookalikes and tribute artists flew, drove and cruised into Orlando to have an unforgettable time at the 17th Annual Sunburst Convention & Showcase of Celebrity Impersonators. From August 29th-31st, professional impersonators were joined by numerous talent buyers, talent agents, producers and meeting planners from all over the country who were invited to watch the imitators perform live and make a lasting impression. The festivities featured performance showcases, themed parties, an awards banquet, and tons of photo opportunities with the “almost famous” stars.
