Welcome to Thursday Morning, Orlando!

❤️‍🔥 Hot tip. Or maybe we should call this a 🆒 tip. On July 4th, the fam visited the Morse Museum for the very first time in Winter Park, showcasing the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (think glass, lamps, jewelry, pottery, etc.) The entire experience is a few hours, the place is kept at 68 degrees (yay), and it’s only 6-bucks a person! We left highly impressed.

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

• Table for 13 Million

• Orlando's Cool New Perk

• Jingle & Mingle

• + lots of weekend recs

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Let’s roll!

- Philip

3 QUICK NEWS BITS ⏲️

Nature's Hidden Stories, Painted

Behind the Orlando Science Center's familiar doors, an unexpected marriage of artistry and botany has blossomed into something extraordinary. "The Not So Secret Life of Plants" transforms the museum's third-floor Fusion: A STEAM Gallery into a living testament to the hidden world of plant communication and survival.

This isn't your grandmother's flower painting exhibition, it's a deep dive into botanical mysteries told through delicate watercolor brushstrokes.

Fifty paintings from 33 Central Florida Watercolor Society artists showcase everything from carnivorous Venus flytraps to Florida's iconic cypress trees, each piece meticulously researched for scientific accuracy.

Running through September 1st, the exhibition offers visitors something increasingly rare: an invitation to pause, observe, and wonder at nature's intricate interconnectedness.

Table for 13 Million: How Central Florida Tackles Senior Hunger and Loneliness

With over 12,000 Americans turning 60 daily and 13 million seniors facing food insecurity nationwide, Central Florida's Seniors First is whipping up something wonderful through their "Neighborhood Lunch" program.

For over five decades, this fantastic initiative has transformed 17 locations across Orange County into lively social hotspots where seniors discover their chosen families.

The program dishes out more than just delicious meals, participants enjoy educational speakers covering hot topics like scam prevention and health matters, plus fun activities designed to spark lasting connections.

Door-to-door van service ensures transportation never becomes a roadblock, while the warm, welcoming atmosphere helps combat serious threats: isolation and depression.

By creating spaces where seniors feel heard and celebrated, the program proves that sometimes the best recipe for wellness includes a generous helping of friendship and a guaranteed seat at the table.

🔥 Check out the Neighborhood Lunch Program, or to get involved, Right here.

(Learn more about Seniors First initiative with Bridgett Ellison, right here)

Orlando's Cool New Perk: Free Trees That Actually Pay You Back

Orlando's annual Street Tree Program is back this summer, giving residents a sweet deal on neighborhood upgrades that double as money-savers. From June 1st through August 31st, homeowners within city limits can snag free street trees, one lucky tree per property.

These leafy powerhouses aren't just pretty, they're natural air conditioners that slash energy bills, tackle flooding, and keep heat waves from becoming health hazards.

City crews do the heavy lifting, from site scouting to winter planting, using their clever "Right Tree, Right Place" strategy.

Choose from magnificent shade oaks or charming compact varieties that play nice with power lines.

Your only job? Water your new green buddy and watch your neighborhood glow up.

🔥 Get all the free tree deets, right here!

🙋 Trivia Time

WEEKEND SPOT HIGHLIGHT 🔦

Christmas in July Shopping Event - Jingle, Mingle, Sip & Shop

📍Dubsdread. 549 West Par Street Orlando, FL 32804. Map to this location.

🕐 Sunday, July 13th, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

When summer heat meets holiday magic, something extraordinary happens.

Beat the December rush at this festive fusion event featuring dozens of local Orlando and Winter Park boutiques, delicious food, two drinks and apps with cheap tix, raffles, and holiday cheer.

Smart shoppers know the secret: July is the new December. Join at the Historic Dubsdread for your perfect mid-summer celebration with a holiday twist.

[Check It Out]

TOP 3 FUN RECS FOR THE WEEKEND 🍊
Orlando Vintage! Flea

📍KEG Social Orlando. 12850 Waterford Lakes Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32828. Map to this location.

🕐 Saturday, July 12th, 12-5 p.m.

Central Florida's treasure hunters, mark your calendars! The Orlando Vintage Flea returns, where the region's most passionate vintage dealers unveil carefully curated finds, each piece carrying stories from decades past.

Picture weathered leather jackets from the '70s, hand-painted ceramics from the '50s, and vinyl records that soundtrack’d countless first dates.

Between hunting for that perfect vintage gem, sip drinks, bowl strikes, or channel your inner lumberjack with axe throwing.

Come for the treasures, stay for the unforgettable experience!

[Get more info, right here]

Ben Schwartz & Friends

📍Walt Disney Theater. 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.

🕐 Sunday, July 13th, 8 p.m.

Ben Schwartz is unleashing pure comedic chaos in Orlando with a completely unscripted show alongside his comedy conspirators.

The Parks and Recreation scene-stealer and voice of Sonic the Hedgehog is ditching all scripts for an evening where every punchline gets crafted in real-time.

From his breakout role as Jean-Ralphio to starring in Space Force, The Afterparty, and Die Hart 2: Die Harter, plus his Netflix improv specials Middleditch & Schwartz, this multi-talented performer guarantees spontaneous comedy magic.

[Get the full details]

The Golden Girls Tea Time

📍The Tea Room Experience. 420 E Church St #109, Orlando, FL 32801. Map to this location.

🕐 Sunday, July 13th, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Step into Miami's most beloved kitchen for an enchanting afternoon celebrating four unforgettable women whose bonds proved family isn't just blood, it's laughter, cheesecake, and unwavering friendship.

Channel Dorothy's wit, Sophia's sass, Rose's sweetness, or Blanche's glamour during this sophisticated tribute to timeless connections.

Your Golden Girls Teatime Experience (in Orlando 😀) features elegant tiers of delicate finger sandwiches, warm scones with Devonshire cream and preserves, savory bites, exquisite petite desserts, and unlimited premium loose-leaf teas.

[Check it out, right here]

MORE WEEKEND HAPPENINGS 🎭 🥁

Multi-Day

Family Weekend at Food Trucks Heaven | Fri & Sat | Kissimmee | More

Chris Redd Comedy | Fri & Sat | I-Drive | More

Italian Summer Weekend @ Boxi Park | Thurs - Sun | Lake Nona | More

Friday - 11th

Lunch & Learn: Florida’s Snubbed Cow Culture | 12 p.m. | Downtown | More

Aromatic Experience Candle Making | 12 p.m. | Fairview | More

Ouija Macc's Another Summer In Hell with Special Guest Sinizter | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More

152 Productions Presents: Nailwound, In Gloom, Counter Attack, High Pressure, and Playing With Knives | 7 p.m. | Mills 50 | More

Oak Hill Drifters | 8 p.m. | Winter Park | More

Patrick Sisk Comedy Presents: Comedian Dewayne Williams | 8 p.m. | Milk District | More

Eras Of Burlesque | 8 p.m. | Casselberry | More

Jessie Reyez: Paid In Memories Tour with special guest Raahiim | 8 p.m. | I-Drive | More

Saturday - 12th

Don’t Tell Comedy (secret comedy show) | 7:30 p.m. | Baldwin Park | More

Oviedo Mall's Merry & Scary Mashup | 12 p.m. | Oviedo | More

Brunch Confessions: Mics, Mimosas and Memories | 1 p.m. | Downtown | More

Taste! Central Florida | 6 p.m. | I-Drive | More

BashfortheWorld | 6 p.m. | Downtown | More

Spirit Leaves and Further Within, with We're Wolves and Let Me Bleed | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More

Astari Nite, Dead Cool, L.U.S.T., and special guest DJ Maus | 7 p.m. | Mills 50 | More

Gladys Knight | 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More

Military Appreciation Night - Orlando City SC v CF Montréal | 7:30 p.m. | Downtown | More

Jessie Reyez: Paid In Memories Tour | 8 p.m. | I-Drive | More

Shine: Live @ Lil’ Indies | 10 p.m. | Mills 50 | More

Sunday - 13th

Barre & Brews at Ivanhoe Park Lager House | 11 a.m. | Ivanhoe Village | More

The Tribute to Aerosmith | 5 p.m. | Kissimmee | More

Raul Midón | 5 p.m. | Downtown | More

Orlando City B vs. Carolina Core FC | 7 p.m. | Kissimmee | More

Campfire Shows Presents: Little Lazy, Doolittle, Black Heart Society, Bueller, and Stall | 7 p.m. | Winter Park | More

Ariella & Nicolaas | 7 p.m. | Ivanhoe Village | More

Candlelight: Tribute to Fleetwood Mac | 8:45 p.m. | Downtown | 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