Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!

🔥 Important! This past Monday we launched our giveaway. If you haven’t entered yet, don’t sleep on the chance to win 1 of 4 gift certificates to a badass Orlando area restaurant. Click the button below to enter, but don’t forget to come back and read this dang newsletter!

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

• Swamp Spirits

• Boo Orlando

• Carnevil

• + lots of weekend recs

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On with it!

- Philip

3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️
Swamp Spirits: A Hauntingly Good Time at Gatorland

Gatorland's "Gators, Ghosts and Goblins" event has risen from Hurricane Milton's aftermath, showcasing the park's resilience.

CEO Mark McHugh and his team scrambled to resurrect their haunted spectacle, anchored by the Swamp Ghost's Haunted Museum. This immersive experience blends chills, education, and homespun humor, featuring a playful séance for the "departed" McHugh.

Beyond the haunt, visitors enjoy costume parades, cryptid train rides, and the mysterious Skunk Ape Research Facility. Running weekends through October 27th, the event exemplifies Gatorland's knack for turning adversity into adventure, offering a uniquely Floridian mix of nature and supernatural thrills.

Prose and Passion as The New Romantics Rewrites Orlando's Bookstore Scene

Orlando's literary landscape is about to get a romantic makeover.

The New Romantics, the city's first romance-only brick & mortar bookstore, is set to open its doors on December 7th in Audubon Park's Garden District. Spearheaded by Latina entrepreneur Jane Rodriguez, this haven for love-story enthusiasts will occupy the former Joybird Books space on Corrine Drive.

Beyond offering a diverse array of romantic literature, The New Romantics aims to foster a vibrant community through author events, workshops, and book clubs.

Rodriguez envisions the store as a sanctuary where passion meets prose, uniting people through the universal language of love. Check out the online version of this community.

Sally Michel's Century of Art Emerges at Mennello

The Mennello Museum of American Art shines new light on an overlooked pioneer of American modernism in "Sally Michel: Abstracting Tonalism."

Michel, who weathered two world wars and the Great Depression while working as both painter and illustrator, deliberately channeled her energies into elevating her husband Milton Avery's career over her own. Together, they developed the distinctive "Avery style," marked by flattened spatial planes and puzzle-like compositions with unconventional color choices.

The exhibition traces Michel's artistic evolution from early watercolors to her later works, including pieces created in Florida.

Michel continued painting until her death in 2003 at age 100, leaving behind a legacy only now receiving its due recognition.

WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦
Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth in concert”

📍Plaza Live Orlando. 425 N Bumby Ave, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.

🕐 Friday, Oct 25th, 7 p.m.

Step into the enchanted realm of "Labyrinth in Concert," a mesmerizing fusion of Jim Henson and David Bowie's cult classic with live performance.

As the tale unfolds on a massive HD screen, a live rock band, synths, and percussion breathe new life into Bowie's iconic soundtrack. State-of-the-art lighting transforms the venue into the Goblin King's domain.

Experience this beloved fantasy as never before, where cinema and music intertwine to create a spellbinding journey through the Labyrinth.

Don't miss this magical reimagining of a timeless adventure.

[Get more info & tix, right here]

TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND + A BONUS 🍊
Boo Orlando

📍Nona Adventure Park. 14086 Centerline Drive, Orlando, FL 32827. Map to this location.

🕐 Thursday through Saturday, October 24th-26th, 5 p.m.

Lake Nona's Boo Orlando (Insta), October 24-26, promises a bewitching Halloween adventure for all ages.

Brave the Shiprekt Labyrinth's underwater maze and scale the new 60-foot Haunted Climbing Tower, descending into mysterious fog. Marvel at mind-bending magic, enjoy $1 carnival games, and savor local treats.

This family-friendly extravaganza offers thrills and chills at every turn. Don't miss your chance to create unforgettable memories in this eerie realm where fantasy meets reality.

[Get more info, right here]

#SquadGhouls Costume Contest

📍The Great Southern Box Co. Food Hall & Bar 2105 N Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32804. Map to this location.

🕐 Saturday, October 26th, 6 p.m.

Attention ghoulish grown-ups! 21 and over? It's time to resurrect your most hauntingly fabulous attire for the #SquadGhouls showdown.

Unleash your inner specter and you might just conjure a $100 gift card in our spine-tingling costume face-off. But the chills don't stop there! We're raising the dead with live music that'll have even zombies tapping their toes.

Thirsty? Our Halloween Happy Hour will bewitch you with eerily good deals. Why let the little monsters have all the fun? Adults, it's your turn to paint the town blood-red!

[Get more info, right here]

PLAN AHEAD: Winter Park City Lifestyle October Masquerade Foodie Event @ Lamp and Shade

📍Lamp & Shade Craft Kitchen & Cocktails. 1336 North Mills, Orlando, FL 32803. Map to this location.

🕐 Wednesday, October 30th, 5:30 p.m.

Step into an enchanted evening where culinary artistry meets intrigue at Winter Park City Magazine's October Issue Launch Party.

Don your finest mask for an extraordinary masquerade featuring Chef Ryan Stewart's masterful creations from Lamp & Shade. Your ticket includes expertly crafted tastings, two signature cocktails, surprise entertainment, and an exclusive gift bag.

🔥 A little birdie tells me there will be treats NOT on Lamp & Shade’s regular menu.

Join as WPCM helps support Hope for More Foundation's mission to fill local food banks and provide holiday turkeys to families in need.

[Get more info, right here]

Carnevil Halloween at Live! at the Pointe Orlando

📍Live! at the Pointe Orlando. 9101 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819. Map to this location.

🕐 Saturday, October 26th, 7 p.m.

Step into a realm of enchanting terror at Live!, where Orlando's twisted carnival unfolds.

Ethereal acrobats, reality-bending illusionists, and flame-wielding performers ignite the night. Don your most haunting attire for a costume contest as you navigate this labyrinth of chilling tents.

Each turn reveals fresh frights and fantastical sights, while a Halloween-themed drink package awaits to steel your nerves.

Prepare for an unrivaled nocturnal odyssey through this bewitching bazaar of the bizarre.

[Get more info & tix, right here]

MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁

Friday:

INCOGNITO! Halloween Weekend at Bosendorfer Lounge | 9 p.m. | Downtown | More

Curry Ford Candy Crawl | 6 p.m. | South | More

Big D and The Kids Table | 6:30 p.m. | Mills 50 | More

Fall Festival | 6:30 p.m. | Conway/Curry Ford | More

UCF Knights Volleyball vs. University of Houston Cougars Women's Volleyball | UCF | 7 p.m. | More

The Anti-Gala: A Celebration of Unconventional Culture | 7 p.m. | Mills 50 | More

Orlando Magic v Brooklyn Nets | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More

The Corner Gallery Presents: Bits Improv and Sketch Comedy | 7:30 p.m. | Winter Park Area | More

Saturday:

🔥 Dia de Ciencias - Central Florida | 1 p.m. | Pine Hills Community Center | More

Animeween | 11 a.m. | Oviedo | More

Zombie-toberfest | 5 p.m. | Audubon Park | More

OSC After Dark | 8 p.m. | Downtown | More

Quantum Leap Winery Grand Re-Opening | 6 p.m. | College Park | More

8th Annual Bike 5 Event | 7:30 a.m. | Winter Park Area | More

Bands of America Orlando Regional - Preliminary Round | 8:45 a.m. | Downtown | More

Patterns and Pastels Workshop | 10 a.m. | College Park | More

The 19th Annual Central Florida Veg Fest  | 10 a.m. | Milk District | More

Orlando Special Olympics Race for Inclusion | 8 a.m. | Kissimmee | More

National Theatre Live: Nye | 11 a.m. | Winter Park Area | More

Sunday:

🔥 Books, Beef and Bucks | 10 a.m. | Winter Springs | More

Pumpkin Painting Party | 7 p.m. | Thornton Park | More

Clermont Clay 15k and 5k | 7:30 a.m. | Downtown | More

Deliria Beer Brunch | 12 p.m. | Downtown | More

Kpop FanArt Fair: Monster Market | 12 p.m. | Thornton Park | More

The 11th Annual Barktoberfest | 12 p.m. | Downtown | More

Jeff Ross | 7:30 p.m. | Milk District | More

Madison Ryann Ward | 7 p.m. | Downtown | More

The Muse Duo with Sydney Carbo | 7:30 p.m. | South | More

THANKS!

We’ll see you on Monday.

My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal