The Reverend Visits City Beautiful

Reading time: 4 minutes

Good morning, Orlando! Every year we celebrate Dr. King's birthday on the third Monday of January. However, this year the Federal holiday ACTUALLY falls on his real birthday: January 15th.

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👇 In today’s issue: 👇

• The Reverend’s Orlando visit

• Cottage bakery

• Loofahs and pool noodles

• ….and much more

Let’s roll!

- Philip

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ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
The Reverend Visits City Beautiful

It was a temperate March evening in 1964 when the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stepped up to the pitcher's mound at Tinker Field in Orlando. Gazing out at the crowd of 2,000, he saw a rare integrated audience with black and white people sitting side-by-side in unity. Dr. King had come at the invitation of Rev. Curtis J. Jackson of Shiloh Baptist Church to support Jackson’s fight against the city’s ongoing segregation.

Earlier, Dr. King met with Mayor Bob Carr and community leaders to hear grievances regarding the city council’s failure to pass desegregation laws.

That night at Tinker Field, Dr. King delivered an impassioned speech promoting unity and equality. As his voice echoed across the stands, the multi-racial crowd listened attentively. The event marked a milestone as one of Orlando’s first blended public gatherings.

While King’s 1964 visit lasted less than a day, its impact persevered. Soon after, Mayor Carr established a biracial committee to address issues facing Orlando’s Black community – a small step towards progress. Though the road ahead remained long, King’s presence had inspired unity and kindled hope that Orlando could one day fully live up to its moniker as the City Beautiful.

Today in Central Florida, streets, parks and libraries bearing King’s name uphold his dream – a dream still being written in the story of the city he once stirred.

THE SQUEEZE 🍊
A Sparkling Addition to Orlando's Arts Scene

A shimmering new gem has been added to Central Florida's arts and culture crown with the grand opening of the Casselberry Arts Center. Nestled within the sculpture gardens of Lake Concord Park, this 3,000-square-foot gallery space ushers in a new era for the arts in northern Orlando.

The Center's inaugural exhibition, "Experience Contemporary," makes it clear that Casselberry is not content to stick with safe or predictable art. Instead, the city continues its avant-garde approach, challenging audiences with conceptual pieces, audiovisual displays, and bold installations from both local and national creators.

According to City Arts Administrator Angela Quinn, the new Arts Center, along with Casselberry's Art House and Sculpture House, realizes the city's vision to be a true arts hub in Central Florida. She expressed excitement to give Orlando art lovers a fresh destination to discover provocative works from talents like Elisabeth Condon, Dominique Labauvie, Jason Lazarus, and more.

With its glittering spaces and sterling lineup of boundary-pushing artists, Casselberry's shimmering Arts Center proves Orlando's arts scene has a new jewel in its crown. Area aesthetes now have one more inspiring venue to add to their artistic rounds.

Baking Up Dreams After Raising Kids

Kee Gainey spent 25 years as a contented stay-at-home mom before feeling a longing for fresh challenges as her kids grew up. With no recent job experience, she wondered - what talents could she monetize? The answer lay in her lifelong cooking passion, passed down from exceptional female cooks in her family.

Gainey decided to hone her talent by enrolling in Second Harvest's Culinary Training Program. She says the robust curriculum taught by expert chefs provided a firm foundation to cook professionally.

Armed with formal training, Gainey quickly found work at Nourish Coffee Bar + Kitchen's trendy Orlando location. She also began her own cottage bakery out of her home called Kitchen Arrabon in Winter Park. The name, which means “down payment” in Greek, represents for Gainey a new life and career as a baker.

Now, four years into her food industry pivot, Gainey continues redefining herself. Once a full-time mom, she’s now a mover and shaker dishing out divine baked goods straight from her home kitchen, fully embracing the courage to uncover new passions within herself.

A Creative Powerhouse: Orange County's Vibrant Arts Scene Delights Millions

A torrent of creative energy flows through Orange County, as over 2.8 million thrill-seekers flocked to the county's cultural events last year alone, pumping $113 million into the local economy according to a recent national study.

Trudy Wild, director of United Arts of Central Florida, stated that Orange County has struck gold when it comes to the arts. With homegrown talent and eager tourists, the county is poised to become a global arts mecca.

Around 5,000 arts professionals make this creative class come alive, crafting inspiring exhibits, thought-provoking theater and show-stopping concerts. Local residents contributed $53 million, or nearly half of last year's expenditures.

Looking ahead, Orange County government is partnering with United Arts of Central Florida on an ambitious arts and culture master plan. Wild explained that it's their duty to help art thrive by supporting groups and improving access, especially for marginalized communities.

If current trends continue, Orange County seems destined for an artistic renaissance. But it will take an inclusive spirit and relentless innovation to unleash the region's full creative potential.

Historic Juice Stand Replica Ushers in Modern Era

On January 22, the doors will swing open to a new old-fashioned juice stand in Orlando’s Packing District on the corner of Princeton St, and Orange Blossom Trail. Paying tribute to mid-1900s citrus operations formerly on site, this 1,800-square foot building replicates a retro relic, constructed with reclaimed materials like wood salvaged from the surrounding neighborhood.

Inside, it contemporizes Old Florida’s charms by partnering with modern businesses. Sip Foxtail coffee or sample ice cream from Kelly’s acclaimed creamery while wetting your whistle with Ravenous Pig’s craft brews.

It fuses yesteryear with today. Residents enjoyed a sneak preview during the venue’s VIP ribbon cutting recently.

Soon after two thoughtful years of development aimed at honoring history while pioneering ahead, this juice stand will make its grand debut as an innovatively-designed crown jewel embodying the area’s legacy and future for decades onward.

Behind The Villages' Loofah Legend

Publisher’s note: not Orlando, but nearby and humorous nonetheless.

Situated amid central Florida's palm trees and golf courses resides The Villages - a 125,000 strong retirement community where intrigued residents have spotted loofah sponges adorning cars.

Tora Himan, a TikTok influencer, gained viral fame after posting a video decoding this so-called “Loofah Code" - with different colors allegedly signaling predilection for partner swapping, voyeurism or exhibitionism.

Of course, The Villages has a history of steamy gossip, like headlines of surging sexually transmitted diseases back in the 2000s. The New York Post later dubbed The Villages as “ground zero for geriatrics who are seriously getting it on."

But ask most residents, and a more innocent loofah theory emerges - they help locate vehicles in the sprawling parking lots. People added loofahs to spot their model amongst hundreds of identical SUVs. Others say pool noodles on antennas or roof racks serve the same purpose.

While the myth persists nationally, the mundane reality seems far from scandalous. Yet that doesn’t stop wagging tongues from wondering if some Villagers use loofahs to flag more than their vehicles, even if proof remains elusive. For now, the legend lives on.

ORLANDO DIGS: DISCOVERING THE AREAS TOP PROPERTIES 🏠
Escape to Your Own Private Peninsula Paradise in Winter Park

A rare opportunity awaits on the exclusive Winter Park enclave of Isle of Sicily. Settled along Lake Maitland and veiled by swaying palms lies 4 Isle of Sicily - a custom 9,500 square foot villa on 1.41 private acres built for luxury entertaining and intimate family living.

Behind its grand wooden doors discover 5 regal bedrooms, 6 spa-like baths, soaring ceilings and sun-drenched spaces filled with custom details - from the temperature controlled wine cellar to the intimate wood-paneled library.

Outside, majestic palms dot the grounds down to the sparkling pool and open-air living spaces overlooking the lake's glistening waters.

As dusk falls, flick on the fiber optic lights and gather with loved ones around the stone firepit, its dancing flames reflecting on the still water.

💰 All yours for $10,950,000 big ones! 💰

Curious (or nosey)? See more awesome photos, here.

#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸

Foggy Orlando Drone Shot

📷 via @niwreig  |📍Downtown Orlando

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FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
Pho Huong Lan - The Best Pho in Orlando?

📍1216 E Colonial Dr Suite #7, Orlando , Florida 32803 or map to this location, right here.

Tucked away in a hidden courtyard within Orlando's Mills 50 District, Pho Huong Lan's unassuming exterior belies the explosion of flavor that awaits inside. Step through the door and tantalizing scents envelop you - simmering broths, steaming noodles, a preview of the soul-warming Vietnamese fare that has earned this tiny spot a fervent following.

Their handmade rice noodles and aromatic bowls of pho shine brightest, loaded with fork-tender beef short rib and sublimely succulent filet mignon that melts into the broth.

Yet don't miss their Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, Bun Bo Hue, originating from central Vietnam’s city of Hue. This fiery bowl packs the addictive flavors of lemongrass, chili and aromatics into a beef-enriched crimson broth hiding springy noodles and tasty morsels of brisket, shank and even pig's knuckles.

In just a few modest rooms, Pho Huong Lan packs huge Vietnamese flavor, cementing its reputation as one of Orlando's finest purveyors of comfort cuisine. Grab a well-worn wooden table and discover a new favorite.

ORLANDO WEATHER 🌤️

Monday

74🌡️ 62 | 🌩️ | Rather cloudy and warmer with a couple of showers and a thunderstorm

Tuesday

72🌡️ 50 | 🌧️ | Cloudy; a couple of showers in the morning followed by rain and a thunderstorm in the afternoon

Wednesday

59 🌡️ 41 | ⛅️ | Mostly cloudy, cooler and less humid

THANKS! 🙏

We’ll see you again on Thursday for the weekend fun issue.

My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal