Calendar of events

FEB. 23

Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Adichie will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in the Bush Auditorium of Rollins College. Visit rollins.edu/winterwiththewriters

From 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, Fannie Hillman + Associates and The Mayflower Retirement Community will present “Chili for Charity” at the Winter Park Farmers' Market, located at 200 W. New England Ave. in Winter Park. Join the Rotary Club of Winter Park for an evening of creative chili presentations "with a Winter Park attitude", plus live entertainment by Papa Jack Express, drinks, dessert and a live auction. The cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Order your tickets today.

From 7 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, the Home Builders Association will host its Eighth Annual Bruce Gould Poker Invitational. There will be Texas Hold ‘Em tournament and casino games with great prizes up for grabs. Proceeds will benefit the JCC’s Marvin Friedman Chidren’s Scholarship Fund. The cost is $125 for the Poker Invitational and $50 for the casino games. Contact Eli Bercovici at 407-645-5933 extension 259 or at [email protected], or visit www.orlandojcc.org

Winter Park Towers (WPT) is proud to announce its Second Annual Chili Cook-Off at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at 1111 S. Lakemont Ave. Open to both staff and residents, this fun event allows everyone an equal opportunity to show off their culinary skills.

FEB. 24

Join the Goldenrod Chamber membership in a fun filled night of bowling, Friday, Feb. 24, at Aloma Bowling Center at 2530 Aloma Ave. A five-person team is $80 and a single player can join a team for $16 per person, which includes shoe rental, two hours of bowling, chips, pretzels and unlimited sodas. Teams will flip lanes after each game in order to play with everyone. Sign in starts at 6 p.m. and we will begin playing from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Contact the Chamber for your reservations today at 407-677-5980!

The Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida will host the sixth Annual Florida Down Syndrome Conference at the University of Central Florida on Feb. 24-25. The conference, at UCF's Student Union, will feature a myriad of workshops, sessions and seminars led by national and local experts in the field of Down Syndrome. For more information contact 407-478-5621 or www.dsacf.org

FEB. 25

Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park-Maitland is holding its third annual nighttime fundraiser to include a silent auction, catered dinner party, live entertainment and golf tournament — using glow-in-the-dark balls. It will be held at the Winter Park Country Club on Saturday, Feb. 25. Tee-off time is 6 p.m. The after-party begins at 7:30 p.m. To participate, sponsor a hole, donate items for the silent auction or for more information, contact Robbie Schultz at 407-462-8751 or [email protected]

FEB. 26

Dr. Jim Henry, Peter Lord and Dr. Tommy Vinson will be the featured speakers at First Baptist Winter Park’s 40th Mission Conference, beginning Sunday, Feb. 26.

Dr. Tommy Vinson, Former Senior Pastor at Winter Park Baptist, will speak at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26.

Dr. Jim Henry, former Senior Pastor at Orlando’s First Baptist, will speak at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29.

Peter Lord, a 30-year Pastor at Titusville Park Avenue Baptist, will speak at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 2, and at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 3.

An Eastern Asia update will be presented at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, March 4.

For questions or directions call the Church Office at 407-644-3061.

Visit www.firstwinterpark.org

Enzian rolls out the red carpet for the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26. There’s a red carpet reception at Enzian’s Eden Bar from 7 to 8 p.m. with the awards show beginning at 8 p.m. The Enzian is 1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland. The festivities are free and food and beverages are available for purchase. For more information, please visit Enzian.org

FEB. 27

At 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, there will be a physician-led educational seminar about post-shingles nerve pain, presented by Levi Zimmerman, M.D., board certified in anesthesiology and pain management, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. It will be at the JCC of Greater Orlando, 851 N. Maitland Ave. in Maitland. Visit tinyurl.com/postshingle or call 1-800-275-2767.

The Big Red Bus will be holding a blood drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27. The bus will be in the Bolick Clinic parking lot on Horatio Avenue and U.S. Highway 17-92. Please come and save a life.

FEB. 28

John Crossman, president of Crossman & Company, will be a featured speaker at the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Client Roundtable Forum from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Dubsdread Country Club in College Park. Cost to attend the Forum is $35 for SMPS members and $50 for non-members. Participants should register before Feb. 24 at www.smpscentralflorida.org

FEB. 29

The Games Day Fundraiser for Winter Park Garden Club/UCF Endowed Scholarship Fund will happen at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29. It will be at the Winter Park Garden Club, 1300 S. Denning Drive, Winter Park. The cost is $20. A continental breakfast and lunch is included. Please pay by Feb. 24. Call 407-644-5770.

At 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29, there will be a presentation titled “Economic Update Breakfast: 2012 Economic Climate & Business Management Trends presented in partnership with Rollins College.”
 It will be at Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center, 1050 W. Morse Blvd., in Winter Park. Hear from Crummer Graduate School of Business faculty members William Seyfried, professor of Economics, who will present a Florida Small Business Economic Analysis and Ronald Piccolo, Associate Professor of Management, who will share how the economy has affected business management. Cost is $25 members (in advance, $30 at the door); $30 non-members; $200 corporate table. Visit WinterPark.org

MARCH 1

On Thursday, March 1, the Casa Feliz Parlor Series will sponsor “Bach’s Lunch: The Three Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord” with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. These rarely heard pieces will be performed by visiting musicians Joanne Kong and Lisa Terry, who will also discuss Bach’s use of these period instruments in his music. Patrons may attend the concert at noon, or come at 11:30 a.m. for an al fresco boxed lunch catered by Arthur’s. Tickets for the concert are $15; lunch can be added for an additional $10. Reservations are required. Call 407-646-2182.

Best-selling author Lisa See will mingle with guests and sign books at “Reading Between the Wines” presented by Bank of America starting at 6 p.m. on March 1 at Doubletree by Hilton Orlando Downtown. There will be a wine tasting, food tasting and silent auction. Tickets to the event are $75 per person and are available online at www.adultliteracyleague.org or by calling 407-422- 1540.

ONGOING

The Winter Park Farmers’ Market is held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday. It is located at the old train depot, at 200 W. New England Ave. For more information, visit CityofWinterPark.org

The Maitland Farmers’ Market is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday. It is located at Lake Lily Park. For more information, visit ItsMyMaitland.com or call 407-539-6268.

Food Truck Café is from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Wednesday at Lake Lily Park in Maitland.

The Winter Park Food Truck Stop is located at 1127 N. Orlando Ave. in Winter Park, and is open for food trucks 24/7. Follow the site on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/FoodTruckStop

Music at the Casa is a free weekly open house from noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays, featuring live performances and tours of the historic Casa Feliz, at 656 N. Park Ave., in Winter Park. For more information, visit CasaFeliz.us or call 407-628-8200 ext. 3. Upcoming performances include: Shannon Caine of Beautiful Music on Feb. 26.

Maitland’s Culture and Cocktails takes place the second Friday of every month until April, both inside and outside of the Maitland Art Center’s Germaine Marvel Building, located at 210 W. Packwood Ave. Guests are sure to enjoy this evening of art, music, poetry, food and fun. The schedule includes artist Andrew Spear, performing 6-9 p.m. Friday, April 13. For more information, call 407-539-2181 or visit ArtandHistory.org

The second Friday of every month, local residents will have the opportunity to meet the artists, enjoy live music and performances, while experiencing art and culture at the Maitland Chamber of Commerce. For more information, contact [email protected]

Maitland invites you to come and explore as it presents “Borders of Paradise: The New World in the Eyes of Explorers” through Feb. 26 at the Maitland Historical Museum, located at 221 W. Packwood Ave. in Maitland. Call 407-539-2181 or visit

ArtandHistory.org

Friday Nights at the Morse features free admission to the Morse Museum from 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays through April 27. Occasional programs include live music, art demonstrations, curator tours and family tours. Visit morsemuseum.org

The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida has launched a new project to provide adults with an opportunity to share ideas in an informal environment. Beginning in January, community members are invited to participate in a bimonthly book club focused on literature related to the Center’s mission. All book club meetings will be held in the library of the Holocaust Center, located at 851 N. Maitland Ave. in Maitland. There is no cost to participate in the book club, but RSVPs to the Holocaust Center are appreciated. Contact us at 407-628-0555 or [email protected]

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens presents “Artful Strings: Four Centuries of Harp Making” through April 15. It provides visitors with behind-the-scene access into the International Harp Museum’s collection of rare and visually striking harps from antique to contemporary pieces. The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, located at 633 Osceola Ave. in Winter Park, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 407-647-6294 or visit polasek.org

Self-taught and nationally recognized African-American artist Missionary Mary Proctor will speak at the opening reception for an exhibit of her highly distinctive work. The exhibit will be open through Saturday, April 21, and will be hosted at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center in Winter Park. The exhibit will showcase work from Proctor’s personal collection in Tallahassee, as well as the permanent collection from the Mennello Museum of American Art. The exhibit will culminate with the third Annual Hannibal Square Heritage Center Folk Art and Traditional Craft Festival on Saturday, April 21.

Three of today’s most noted American scholars in the fields of architecture and decorative arts will provide their insights into the splendor and mystery of Laurelton Hall, the most personal project of Tiffany’s career. The speakers include Art Historian Martin Eidelberg on Feb. 22, and Architectural Historian Richard Guy Wilson on March 28. Admission is free. The lectures are being held at 2:30 p.m. on select Wednesdays in the Jeannette G. and Hugh F. McKean Pavilion, 161 W. Canton Ave., just behind the museum.

Laughter Yoga, a gentle aerobic exercise that blends laughter with yoga-style breathing, is held at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays and at 7 p.m. on Thursdays at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Enjoy an improved mood and a positive attitude, decreased stress, improved interpersonal relationships and being healthy. It is located at 3377 Aloma Avenue in Winter Park. It is open to participants ages 12 and older, and is funded through the Winter Park Health Foundation. Call 407-671-4300 for more information.

The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center’s exhibit “BESA: A Code of Honor” will be at the Center until the end of March. It offers a glimpse into the lives of a people whose commitment to their faith requires them to act unselfishly even under the most dire circumstances.

The Art & History Museums — Maitland (A&H) proudly features the work of artist Molly Chism in the upcoming Exhibition EMERGE! Molly Chism through April 15. The exhibition is held in the Maitland Art Center Galleries, 231 W. Packwood Ave. in Maitland.

The Winter Park Public Library is partnering with AARP to provide free tax help to people of all ages this tax season every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. through April 17 in the Library’s second floor literacy training room. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/taxhelpwp

Visit wpmobserver.com/events for more details. Send submissions to [email protected]