Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!

Researchers in London have discovered that reverse walking acts like a temporary brain booster, sharpening your memory for roughly 10 minutes. So the next time you spot someone moonwalking down Orange Ave., resist the urge to stare. They might be desperately trying to recall where they left their car keys.

Now onto today’s Orlando Signal (weekend fun) issue:

• The Third Act

• Heart

• Filipino Freedom Fest

• + lots of weekend recs

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Let’s roll!

- Philip

3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️

Disney Illustrator Emerges from 10-Year Hiatus with Raw, Personal Art

After years crafting illustrations for the likes of Walt Disney World, MTV, Absolut Vodka, and Taco Bell, Delaware-born artist Mark T. Smith decided to disappear from the art scene, but for all the right reasons.

The 57-year-old spent a decade in creative hibernation, producing deeply personal works that tackle America's industrial complexities and contemporary chaos.

Now he's back with "The Third Act" at Mills Gallery in Orlando's buzzing Mills 50 district. Smith churned out over 150 pieces during his artistic sabbatical, which curator Jillian Pini expertly whittled down to about 25 standout works.

The exhibition showcases hand-embellished prints, paintings, drawings, and sculpture, all celebrating the messy, tactile joy of traditional art-making over sterile digital creation.

Smith frames his journey as a three-act play: childhood wonder, commercial success, and now creative liberation.

👉 Check out "The Third Act" through July 25th, right here.

(Learn more Mark T. Smith's creative comeback with Patrick Connolly, right here)

Orlando Teen Turns Cancer Battle into Hope for Others

In the Sontag family's yard, the joyful sound of lacrosse sticks fills the air as brothers Eli and Zack practice together. For 14-year-old Eli, being back on the field feels extra special after his two-year journey with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

When chemotherapy caused him to lose his hair at age 12, the shy teenager's confidence took a hit. That's when hats became his best friend, helping him feel comfortable again. This simple discovery sparked a beautiful idea.

Eli realized other kids might feel the same way, so he and his brother Zack created Hats4Hope, a nonprofit that gifts hats to children going through cancer treatment. What started as one boy's source of comfort has blossomed into a heartwarming mission to help other families feel less alone during their toughest moments.

🧢 You can help Hats4Hope with a hat or money donation, right here.

(Learn more about Eli’s journey and Hats4Hope founding with Jaclyn Harold, right here)

Fire, Police, and Rescue Get Their Dream Training Facility in Orange County

When ceremonial scissors sliced through the ribbon on Curry Ford Road Tuesday morning, Orange County Fire Rescue unveiled their shiny new $52 million training complex, the county's biggest public safety splurge ever.

Mayor Jerry Demings and the Florida State Fire Marshal joined excited fire crews celebrating this impressive facility, which Demings proudly noted will outlive them all while serving as the ultimate training ground for first responders.

The action-packed campus boasts a massive 30,000-square-foot education center, towering twin five-story drill towers, a dramatic three-story burn building, and realistic simulation props that bring emergency scenarios to life.

Fire Chief James M. Fitzgerald highlighted how this regional training hub brings together fire crews, law enforcement, and other responders for teamwork-focused preparation.

The timing couldn't be better. Orange County's booming growth means more calls, bigger challenges, and the need for next-level training to tackle tomorrow's emergencies.

(Learn more about Orange County’s new training complex with Angie Quezada, right here)

🙋 Trivia Time

WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦

An Evening With Heart

📍Kia Center. 400 W Church St, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.

🕐 Friday June 27th, 8pm

In 1973, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson ignited Heart in Seattle, unleashing a musical thunderstorm that would burn bright for decades.

Ann's voice, velvet wrapped around lightning, paired with Nancy's spellbinding guitar work to create something electric.

They married hard rock's raw power with folk's storytelling soul, delivering knockout punches like "Barracuda," "Crazy on You," and "Alone."

Critics praised, fans worshipped, and in 2013, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame welcomed these pioneers home.

[Check It Out]

TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊

Daniela Soledade and Nate Najar - Love and Bossa Nova

📍Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts. 460 E New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Map to this location.

🕐 Saturday, June 28th, 8 p.m.

Picture yourself swept away on sultry Brazilian breezes as Rio de Janeiro native Daniela Soledade and virtuoso guitarist Nate Najar kindle the romance of authentic Bossa Nova.

This rising star of Brazilian music captivates with breathtakingly vulnerable vocals, weaving traditional bossa nova, samba, and MPB into something timelessly fresh.

Najar, praised by Rick Andersen of All Music Guide as "one of the most consistently interesting and stylish young guitarists on the jazz scene," creates musical magic alongside Soledade in this enchanting collaboration.

[Check it out, right here]

Filipino Freedom Fest 2025

📍Kaya, 618 N Thornton Ave, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.

🕐 Sunday, June 29th, 6 p.m.

The Filipino Freedom Fest returns for its fourth spectacular year, transforming streets into culture and community.

Kaya teams up with The Burrow Cafe & Play and Koko Kakigori, alongside 30+ passionate Filipino-American vendors.

Enjoy infectious beats from DJ Eno, live screen printing by Space Station, and Kaya's curated food and drinks.

Come hungry, leave inspired at Orlando's most anticipated celebration of culture, connection, and pure joy.

[Get more info, right here]

Hairspray

📍Steinmetz Hall. 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.

🕐 Friday, June 27 & Saturday, June 28th, 7:30pm

Step into groovy 1960s Baltimore where dreams soar as high as the hair!

This Tony Award-winning sensation sparkles through extraordinary rising stars from AdventHealth School of the Arts' summer intensive.

Follow spirited Tracy Turnblad as she dances onto The Corny Collins Show, igniting change in an era hungry for transformation. Expect electrifying musical numbers, spectacular choreography, and soul-stirring messages of acceptance.

Witness tomorrow's Broadway luminaries deliver a production pulsing with energy, style, and timeless relevance.

[Get the full details]

MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁

Multi-Day

Cat Ridgeway & the Tourists | Fri & Sat | Downtown | More

Tip "T.I." Harris at the Funny Bone | Fri & Sat | I-Drive | More

Friday - 27th

Main St. Villains Market | 6 p.m. | College Park | More

MC Chris - 20 Years of Touring in Orlando | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More

Billy Woods: Golligwog Tour 2025 | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More

Todd Rundgren: Still Me(Still We) | 7 p.m. | Milk District | More

An Evening with Heart | 8 p.m. | Downtown | More

Curse Mackey, SINE, and L.U.S.T. | 8 p.m. | Mills 50 | More

Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More

Saturday - 28th

🔥 PokeMONT GO Party | 10 a.m. | Clermont | More

Collective Corner @ The Great Southern Box Co. | 4 p.m. | Packing District | More

70’s Pool Party at Melia | 7 p.m. | Celebration | More

National Food Truck Day Celebration | 6:30 p.m. | Kissimmee | More

Liberty Weekend Concert with Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra | 6:30 p.m | Orlando International Airport | More

Great American Block Party | 4 p.m. | Lake Nona | More

The Orlando Oddities and Curiosities Market | 11 a.m. | Kissimmee | More

Reel Pride: Tongues Untied | 11 a.m. | Maitland | More

Sesiones Desde La Loma Fest | 3 p.m. | Central Florida Fairgrounds | More

Speak With Pride 2025 | 5 p.m. | Winter Park | More

Orlando Netflix Beauty in Black with Ricco Ross | 5 p.m. | Downtown | More

Orlando City SC v FC Cincinnati | 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More

Sunday - 29th

Standing Ovation Talent Group Presents: African Culture | 3:30 & 6:30 p.m. | Downtown | More

Mimosa Festival | 11 a.m. | I-Drive | More

Pulp City Sessions ft. The Chris Lebrane Campaign, DJ Rome, and Dafew | 12 p.m. | Mills 50 | More

Science On Screen® Jr/peanut Butter Matinee: The Land Before Time | 12 p.m. | Maitland | More

Orlas | 5 & 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More

152 Productions Presents: Weeping Wound, Glasswave, No One Road, and Burial Joy | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More

THANKS!

🧠 Interested in reaching smart readers like you? Grow with us right here.

We’ll see you on Monday.

My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal