IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

STYLE EVENTS, NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND ORLANDO

Florida might not have much of a winter, but spring is absolutely stunning in the Sunshine State. As a result, March is a busy season for events throughout the City Beautiful. Here are just a few highlights, just in case you missed it!

The biggest drinking day of the year finally returned last month! Friday, March 17th saw the largest and best St. Patrick's Day Block Party in Downtown Orlando. Attendees threw on something green and partied hard with live Irish music, tons of beads, free giveaways, green beer, Jell-O shots, and perhaps a Leprechaun or two. Rocking music and live performances rounded out the event with guests enjoying seven different venues of St. Patrick’s Day fun.

The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most prestigious outdoor art festivals. The 4th Annual event took place from March 17-23 throughout Central Park and along Park Avenue in Winter Park. The festival debuted in March 1960 as a community project to bring local artists and art lovers together. Today, it is produced by an allvolunteer board and draws more than 250,000 visitors each year. Over 1,100 artists from around the world applied for the Festival and an independent panel of three judges selected the 215 artists who exhibited their works at this year’s event. The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival consistently ranks as one of the top juried fine art festivals in the country.

Every year on the 3rd weekend of March, downtown streets come alive with an eclectic display of Fine and Fun Arts and Crafts by more than 200 exhibitors. It's a fun, free, two-day, open-air event, with historic Mount Dora as a backdrop. Of course I’m talking about the Mount Dora Spring Festival of Arts and Crafts which has been ranked in the Top 50 Classic/Contemporary Craft Festivals in America by Sunshine Artist. Though it was originally known as the Mount Dora Antique Show, today the event has no antique or collectible dealers. It features more than 250 hand craft exhibitors and original artists but still draws thousands of people to downtown Mount Dora as was the original intent of the event organizers. The Mount Dora Spring Festival of Arts and Crafts is presented by Visit Mount Dora.

By Riesa Pascal

The Council of 101 welcomed the spring season once again with its annual springtime fundraiser — Art in Bloom. The event ran from March 24-26 at the Orlando Museum of Art and brought visitors a museum-wide kaleidoscope of breathtaking floral arrangements inspired by works from the Orlando Museum of Art’s permanent collection and current exhibitions. From avid collectors to novices, all were thrilled with the selection of original art by some of Central Florida's most talented artists featured in the Silent Auction. There were also curated antiques, lifestyle events and design workshops that inspired visitors of all ages.

Everyone is a fan of something, and MEGACON Orlando was the place to celebrate all things pop culture. Attracting hundreds of thousands of fans each year across four big days, MEGACON Orlando is one of North America's largest Comic, Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming events. From March 30-April 2, fans got autographs and photos with their favorite guest, watched professional comic artists battle it out in popular Sketch Duels, learned from “How To” workshops, and took photos with their favorite costumed characters. With over 400,000 square feet of shopping, MEGACON was also a great place to buy unique gifts. This year’s event featured stars from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and The Mandolorian along with many others.

Aloha Orlando! The time came to dip our toes in the sand again for the second annual Luau at Boxi Beach on March 31, 2023. Held in the sand volleyball courts, guests were transported to the tropics and entertained by hula dancers and fire knife dancers while listening to the sounds of Tahitian drums, guitar and ukulele. With their tickets, guests also got access to the VIP Boxi Beach area and bar and received a welcome cocktail and lei. They were also able to purchase additional pork specialties from the pig roast or specialty items from the Boxi Park containers. DJ Cierra was also on hand to keep the party going long after the feast was over!