I picture in my head an overwhelming amount of women dressed-up in silk & lace bridal gowns, pulling one another’s hair to get in to their ideal wedding venue. Somehow I don’t think that’s really the way this event goes down. Sigh….

The point of this event is to provide brides-to-be a look at some of the venues that are opportune places to have a wedding. One of the things I really appreciate about something like this is the potential to feed the local economy. This year’s “I Do Downtown Bridal Crawl” is this Sunday, January 8th, from 11am-4pm. Advanced registration and tickets are $10. But if you wanna buddy-up with a pal you can register $15 for two!

Here’s a list of venues participating in this event:

• Orange County Regional History Center
• Ballroom at Church Street
• Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant
• Citrus Club
• Embassy Suites Hotel
• Grand Bohemian Hotel
• University Club
• 310 Lakeside

For more information and to register, visit the History Center’s website.

Are you a married woman who’s taken part of this event? We’d love to hear about your experience!

Visitor alert! Visitor alert!



(Location: Downtown Orlando.)

Updated 12/30: Please note that it does not cost $23 to attend this event. The $23 is for reserved seating in bleachers. It is free to watch the parade from anywhere else along the parade route. Thanks to one of our readers for pointing this out.

Everybody loves a parade, right?!

If you’ve resided in Central Florida for any decent amount of time you’re likely familiar with the annual parade that takes place in downtown Orlando. Ringing in each new year, the Fresh From Florida Parade is a huge draw for residents, visitors, and even celebrities.

This year’s parade will start at 11am this coming Saturday, December 31st. If you’re interested in attending, tickets are $23. Tickets can be purchased here, and you can also find information on the parade route and lineup.

Here’s a little bit of what you can expect from the parade:



Have you even been downtown to watch this parade?

The downtown Orlando location of Eola Wine Company recently moved and has a brand new location: across the street from the old location! That’s right, this longtime staple of the downtown scene just moved into a larger space, directly across the street from Post Parkside Apartments management office. I haven’t been yet–except just a drive/walk by–but I’m eager to get over and see what all the changes are about.

Here’s a look:

New Location (Occupying Both Spaces on Bottom)

Old Location

Have you been to the new location of Eola Wine Company? What are the differences you’ve noticed?

Last night I took a little jog around Lake Eola in downtown Orlando, and had to snap a few photos of the beautiful decorations in the area. Check ‘em out:

Have you been out to see these decorations? Or are there some really fantastic decorations in your part of town?

Buddy Dyer Lights Up Orlando

As long as I’ve lived in Central Florida, I’ve actually never attended this event. Have you? I suppose particularly on the years when the weather’s not even cool this time of year, it’s hard to think about or celebrate the holidays.

Apparently here’s what we can expect this from Holiday Lights Orlando this year:

• Lighting of the City of Orlando’s Christmas Tree
• Choir music
• Christmas play
• Music production
• Outdoor viewing of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (starring Jim Carrey)

Event Deets:

When: Friday, December 2nd
Where: Lake Eola Park Amphitheater
What time: 4:00pm

As with any event in downtown Orlando, keep in mind parking.

Will you be joining Mayor Buddy Dyer for this annual event? Here’s more info for you.

I almost skipped this post/review of The Rusty Spoon, a new-ish Gastropub in Downtown Orlando, because I didn’t take any pictures during my visit, but I was able to grab one from their Flickr page which I think helps tell the story of my post.

I heard about The Rusty Spoon the way you do of all new restaurants in town and decided to finally check it out.  Sitting at the base of 55West, they have a nice spot on Church Street just far enough away from the bars.  When we arrived, the place didn’t appear crowded at all, though the bar was relatively full.  There was a 20-30 minute wait, so to the bar we went.  About 15 minutes later we were told our table was ready and as we were led to it, I noticed immediately how deceptively large the space is … you’d just never realize it until you were there.

Strangely, we were seated in a group of about 5-6 empty tables — guess that 20-30 minute wait was just to create the illusion of business.

The Rusty Spoon’s menu is proudly sourced from local growers and features lots of unexpected goodies, but since I’m not a “foodie” or a food blogger, I’ll let you peruse the menu yourself. I ordered the fish & chips which was delicious, but the fries and homemade ketchup were the standout.

The service was good and everything seemed to take the right amount of time. The one thing that kept nagging at us, though, was that because the space is rather large and tables are quite far apart the restaurant seemed to be lacking atmosphere. And, even though it was about 3/4 full during our meal, it never felt “lively.”

So, if you’re looking for a quiet dinner out, I’d suggest The Rusty Spoon, but if you’re hoping for a more boisterous atmosphere, look elsewhere.

She’s not foiled by anyone. Particularly Mr. Tin!

(Location: Downtown Orlando.)

Last week I attended an event that was hosted at Versus Sports Bar & Grill in downtown Orlando. Now, this particular venue seems like it’s been many, many different things over the years, and quite honestly it wouldn’t normally be my kinda dive. I was eager to attend my event, though, and actually ordered some take-out to bring home with me when the event was over.

The interior is very sports-centric, and the dining room certainly appears well-equipped to handle sports games with many high-def televisions throughout. And hey…if you want to take a little break from the game–whichever kind you’re watching–you can (love me some skee ball!)….

As I mentioned earlier I ordered some food to take home with me, and of course I was gonna go all-out! That’s a chicken sandwich, and…hello tater tots (and I have to admit they were darn good)!

Versus Sports Bar & Grill is one of the many sports bars in downtown Orlando, Versus is actually in a really good location. Pay a visit sometime and determine for yourself if it’s worth it.

Location deets:

100 E Pine St
Orlando, FL 32801
407.422.5659

It’s about that time of year again, for some great Fall events throughout Central Florida. One of my favorites, you might recall, is Fiesta in the Park at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. It’s a great event for the community, filled with arts, crafts, unique items and delicious food! It’s particularly enjoyable when the Fall weather we love here in Central Florida is in true form.

This year’s event will take place next weekend:

– Saturday, November 5th
– Sunday, November 6th

Keep in mind parking can often be a challenge in the downtown area during events like this. There are several public garages in the nearby area, though, that can be utilized for about $5-$7.

More information can be found on the event website. You can also Like them on Facebook.