Garden Variety

Arts in April springs to life in Winter Garden.

Local artists are all around us, subtly decorating our lives with sights, sounds and experiences. They add ambiance to our nightlife, inspire local businesses to think outside the box, and create destinations and masterpieces worthy of the ‘Gram. They’re in our healthcare centers, helping patients heal through art therapy. They’re in our schools, teaching the next generation of creatives to the arts.

Local artists matter because they make our community better. That’s what Arts in April is all about.

Arts in April is a community-wide celebration to experience and support local art in all its sundry forms. With more than 30 events planned, one for every day of the month, there’s fun for the whole family.

By supporting local artists, you’re saying that art is essential to our community. That it’s essential for our children, for our health, and for our happiness. You’re saying you believe the arts truly are improving the way you live your life and the way you love your community.

All events are free, except for an extraordinary immersive experience and fundraiser on April 30, called Art Night VIP. Buy your tickets at wgart.org/vip

Galloping Gala

Join the West Orange Junior Service League and presenting sponsor Gentle Touch Medi Spa & Wellness on Saturday, May 7 for the 12th Annual Run for the Roses, a fun-filled night raising funds to support local charities in West Orange County. A $150 ticket includes Mint Juleps, complimentary open bar, Kentucky-inspired cuisine, Casino Gaming, Live DJ, Silent Auction,and a LIVE showing of the 148th Kentucky Derby. This is a dress-toimpress event. Prizes will be given for best Ladies Derby Hat and the Best Dressed Man!

The Local is proud to be a contributing sponsor to this fun event. For more Sponsorship Opportunities or to buy tickets, visit wojsl.com Must be at least 21 years of age to attend.

Local History: Star-Lite, Star Bright

Images and research courtesy of the Winter Garden Heritage Museum

Ever wish we had a drive-in theatre in Winter Garden so you could watch movies under the stars? We did have one, once upon a time, and Star-Lite Drive In Theatre was her name.

Built and opened in 1949 by Malon O. Wright, the Art Deco style drive-in at 1171 East Plant Street featured a massive screen made of solid masonry to ward off Florida’s brutal summer storms. Originally designed to host 250 cars, the 1950s brought such a surge in attendance that the drive-in added 150 speakers, allowing 400 cars to see a show. For many years, adults were charged 35 cents admission, and children were free. Typically, movies would first play at the Winter Garden Theatre for two days and then move to the Star-Lite for roadside viewing.

Carl Floyd Theatres purchased Star-Lite in 1955 and remained the owner until its closing. When the new management team took over, they insisted on improvements including new screens and projection equipment to accommodate the wide-screen films of the period. Thelbert Peavey was manager for 40 years, creating the unoff icial title for the theatre of “Peavey’s Passion Pit” amongst teens. Ironically, the theatre was also used for church services so parishioners could worship from their vehicles. Through the years the theatre fell into disrepair and closed in 1996. Despite efforts to revive it, the Star-Lite Drive In Theatre was demolished in 1998.

Market Watch: Hide Appeal

Tony Madeira knows a good hide when he sees it. At the age of 5, his father taught him how to condition leather. By the age of 12, Tony was crafting leather goods on his own, and it’s been his passion for the last 62 years. From horsemen to artists, peddlers to presidents, his skill is highly sought after and unparalleled. Stop by his booth at the Farmer’s Market on an early Saturday and you’re sure to be a believer.

With his hands constantly working, Tony shares a lifetime of stories with a long line of customers who are easily charmed by his passion and smile. In one breath, he tells you about how he and his family were sponsored to become US citizens thanks to the family’s leatherwork. In another, he’s sharing stories of the remarkable people buying his wallets, belts, pet leashes and collars, knife sheaths, and bracelets. There’s the selfie with the NASA engineer, an astronaut in training, and another with a professional knife thrower. Each and every sale equally important simply because, according to him, “my customer is my family.”

Go visit Tony, check out his amazing leather goods, and ask him about President George W. Bush or his Guinness World Records slingshot!

Falling For Rome

Every year, scores of young bands try their hardest to get a record deal that might provide a shot at stardom. For Open Late, a Winter Garden-based rock group of four wiry teenage friends, nothing could have been further from their minds. “We just want to have fun and make good music,” says vocalist and lead guitarist Ben Shenefield.

Instead, Open Late went the indie route, dropping its first home-produced single, titled “Rome,” on Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, and more in mid- March. To the teens’ slackjawed surprise, the song quickly gained traction, downloaded, shared and reshared nearly a thousand times by friends, family, and a growing number of regional artists. “It’s so weird. People we don’t know stop us and say, ‘We’ve heard your song.’ Weird, but cool.”

Inspired at first by classic rock (think Led Zeppelin, AC/DC), Open Late is carving its own path, layering in more art-house, Peach Pit vibes to their classic riffs. Which makes sense. Over the last six months, Ben, AJ Juliano (drums), David Rabello (vocals, rhythm guitar), and Davonte Brunson (bass) have spent as much time listening to and talking about music together as making it.

Some of their knowledge comes from School of Rock, where AJ and Ben first met; squirreling down the rabbit hole of the web; and, of course, their parents’ music collections. In fact, it was Ben’s father who inspired him to pick up the guitar. “My dad is a real music lover, so I’ve always been around music,” Ben says. These days, the two play together on occasion, when Open Late isn’t writing and practicing in guest rooms and garages.

While all four bandmates contribute to the process, it was Ben who penned the lyrics to “Rome.” “I’m not sure why, but we were all into the history of Rome at the time. We thought that we could use the song as a metaphor for the fall of any situation, like a relationship.”

So what’s the future hold? “We just to want to make music for people who enjoy it,” says Ben. “We really don’t care about those who don’t. We are getting ready to drop a second single, and we’re putting together a live set of seven or eight songs. We don’t have a gig just yet, but we want to be ready if it comes.”

Download Rome by Open Late via your favorite music channel. Or follow the band on Instagram: @open_late_band

Charity Spotlight: The Nurture Place

You may have seen the sign pop up at 721 Vineland Road reading “The Nurture Place” and wondered, what’s that about? Still in its early years, The Nurture Place was founded as a 501(c)3 in 2019 to combat the disturbing trends growing among mental health: the 87% increase in suicide rates among adolescents in the last decade; the 66% of children suffering with a mental health disorder in the US who do not receive help; or that 50% of all adult mental health illnesses begin before the age of 15. The numbers are startling, and Winter Garden is certainly not free from this concern. Normalizing mental health is important, and The Nurture Place’s goal is to help people understand that counseling is not just for folks with extreme depression.

They provide holistic, evidence-based, best practice approach to family support, working with children and families to discover and develop the strengths, heal from adversity, and nurture connections in the community. They offer a multitude of group classes and program, and their plans for Winter Garden are growing. With funds from generous donors, the Vineland Road location will become a 4,500-square-foot child-focused facility to meet the current and future needs of the community.

Get Involved! thenurtureplace.org

Good NEWs in the Garden

It’s more than just arts blooming in Winter Garden this month.

Viewpoint (chooseviewpoint.com) soft-opened its design and installation showroom in the Healthy West Orange building at 1200 E Plant Street. Owner John Ried aims to breathe new life into kitchen, bath and cabinet services by offering a unique concierge approach to design and installation.

Otus Coffee (otus.coffee) poured the first cup at its new coffee bar location at Home State Brewing, 16016 New Independence Pkwy #100.

Speaking of Hamlin, we’re excited for Advisory Board Member Dr. Kim Dawson— she opened her second Pearle Vision location at 5736 Hamlin Groves Trail, built by our friends at Boyer Building Corporation (boyerbuilding.com).

Cookies and sweets are on our minds with Easter fast approaching. Farmers Market fave and Horizon West resident Off The Wagon (offthewagoncny.com) has made a drool-worthy splash online with its stuffed cookie creations. It’s a toss-up whether we liked dulce de leche or nutella stuffed better. And our mouths are watering with anticipation about the confections being delivered to Winter Garden by Pinch of Salt Bakes (@pinchofsaltbakes on Instagram). Breakfast cupcakes? Yes, please!

Also new on our radar is Aim To Please (aimtopleasedesigns.net). Her handmade accessories made from sustainable materials are a great calorie-free addition to your Easter baskets and Passover tables.

Speaking of Easter, our friends at The Savvy Sitter (thesavvysitter.org) and Orlando Rabbit Care & Adoptions (orlandorabbit.org) want to remind you that bunnies can easily be a 10+ year commitment. Before you stuff that basket with a furry new friend, consider adopting before buying from a breeder.