Calendar

MARCH 5

Calling all educators to the Orange County Retired Educators Association meeting at 10 a.m. on March 5 at College Park United Methodist Church for a program on "Everything You Want to Know about the Orlando Museum of Art." For more information, visit ocrea-fl.org or call 407-677-0446.

MARCH 6

A free presentation on the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center’s “Top 10 Things to Look for When Considering An Assisted Living Facility” will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 6, at Reeves United Methodist Church, located at 1100 N. Fern Creek Ave. in
 Orlando. Registration takes place at 9:45 a.m. Please RSVP to Cindi by calling 407-843-1910.

Baldwin Park First Friday Festival will run from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6, along New Broad Street. First Friday is a monthly event where patrons can shop, stroll and sip their way through Baldwin Park's beautiful Village Center. With live music, free samples, food and drink specials (plus much more), there's something for everyone at First Fridays! This free monthly event is open to the public and is both family- and pet- friendly. For more information on the First Friday series, please visit baldwinparkevents.com

Enjoy an outdoor movie in a beautiful garden at Leu Gardens on March 6. Blankets or chairs are recommended. You may bring a dinner picnic basket, and alcohol is permitted. This movie – “What If” – is rated PG-13. The Gardens open at 6 p.m. and the movie shows at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults or free for Leu Members. Curbie’s Sidewalk Cafe will be selling great food and Peak Season Pops will be selling delicious popsicles and popcorn. Leu Gardens closes at the end of the movie. Visit leugardens.org for more information.

MARCH 7

Sip exemplary wines, and nibble on gourmet cuisine with over 150 animal lovers in cocktail attire at a local animal welfare fundraiser ‘Unleashed. Uncorked. Unframed.’ on March 7 at a private lakefront Winter Park home. The evening will include an auction and private art sale and all proceeds will benefit Franklin’s Friends. The event will be from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $100 and include food, wine, beer and valet. VIP tickets for $175 also include a full liquor bar and made-to-order sushi. For more information visit unleashedfundraiser.info or call 407-461-1768.

Come out and eat chili at the Orlando Chili Cook-Off. This event will be held Saturday, March 7 at Festival Park, west of Orlando Executive Airport (corner of Livingston and Maguire) at noon. A free concert will kick off the Orlando Chili Cook-off weekend on Friday, March 6 The gates open at 6 p.m. and live bands will begin to play from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Visit orlandochilicookoff.com for more information

MARCH 8

The city of Winter Park and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee are proud to present the 36th annual Winter Park St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m. in downtown Winter Park. Gather your family and friends and wear some green to enjoy the parade. The parade will begin at the Winter Park Country Club and continue south down Park Avenue to Lyman Avenue with more than 75 units participating. The celebration will feature Irish music and step dancing at the main stage in Central Park. This is one event you won’t want to miss! For more information regarding the 36th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, please call 407-222-0648.

MARCH 9

Come learn ways to reduce risk factors that contribute to coronary artery disease! Rollins Center for Health Innovation will present Heart Healthy Across the Ages on Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. in the Bush Science Center Auditorium. A panel of health experts, including cardiovascular surgeon Kevin Accola, Emotional Mojo co-host and Orlando Magic dietitian Tara Gidas, and Executive Director of Healthy Central Florida Jill Hamilton Buss, will present a discussion on coronary artery disease. The event is free and open to the public.

MARCH 12

Help raise money for the little Chiefs at Big Chief’s Night Out from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, at Dommerich Elementary. Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and bid to win amazing trips, gifts and services. Donations directly benefit students and staff. Cost is $30 for admission and $50 for couples. Register online at BeAChief.com

The Venue on the Lake-Maitland Civic Center continues its speaker series on Thursday, March 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with “Choosing the right plant for the right place” by speaker Jennifer Pelham of the University of Florida Orange County Extension. Learn a few simple tips for selecting the right plant to fit your needs and make your efforts more successful. Cost is $15. Admission includes lunch and a chance to win a gas grill from The Home Depot. For more information, call 407-647-2111.

MARCH 14

The eighth annual Doggie Derby will be held on Saturday, March 14, at Corrine Commons, 1913 Meeting Place in Baldwin Park. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The race is free to spectators and a $15 fee per racing dog. Registration is currently open at doggiederby.com/register-your-dog

APRIL 11

Spring has sprung in the city of Winter Park and now is your chance to stop and smell the roses. On Saturday, April 11, at 9 a.m., the city’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Landscape Division will host its first Park Avenue Garden Tour. 
Catch an intimate glimpse into Park Avenue’s eye-catching planters, topiaries, hanging baskets and more with a city horticulture specialist on this flowery, two-block tour. Attendees will learn about plants fit for a Florida garden, which include over 30 species featuring different shapes, sizes, textures and fragrances.
The one-hour morning tour begins at Garfield Avenue (behind the Central Park main stage), continues through the meandering sidewalks in Central Park, and reaches its final destination at the blooming Central Park Rose Garden. Free public parking is available on-street or on the fourth and fifth floors of the Park Place parking garage at Park and Canton avenues. If you’re looking for gardening inspiration, green thumb tips, or a refreshing activity to do after visiting the Winter Park Farmers Market, be sure to reserve a spot on the tour. Space is limited. Please RSVP by Friday, April 3, to 407-599-3397.

APRIL 12

Enjoy an Ice Cream Social to benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 12, at the Winter Park Civic Center, located at 1050 W. Morse Blvd. in Winter Park. Cost is $5 in advance and $6 at the door. Tickets are available at both Ronald McDonald Houses and from the Friends of RMHCCF Steering Committee. For more information, call 407-677-1552 or visit rmhorlando.org/events

APRIL 18

Honor local veterans from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, as Patrick Air Force Base hosts a military retiree appreciation day. Retired Lt. Col. Shane Ostrom of the U.S. Air Force will speak at the event. For more information, call 321-494-5463.

APRIL 19

Brushes, paints, canvas, easels, and 25 of the finest Plein Air artists in the nation. The Winter Park Paint Out is back for the seventh year in a row and it’s bigger and more colorful as artists paint scenes in Winter Park and Orlando, capturing moments in time with the splash of oils, watercolors and pastels, from April 19 to 25. The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, a gem in Central Florida’s Winter Park, will host the seventh annual Winter Park Paint Out. Stop by the museum and gardens to see both artists’ works in progress and recently completed works, watch artists painting in the gardens, and attend free painting demonstrations. Tickets for The Paint Out Garden Party are available through the Polasek Museum. They are priced at $50 in advance, or $80 at the door (if available). Space is limited, and the event has sold out each year. Be sure to purchase your tickets soon and save the date. Call the museum at 407-647-6294 for additional information or visit the Paint Out website at winterparkpaintout.org for a complete schedule of events.

MAY 16

Global funny-man Gabriel Iglesias will be bringing his Laughter Through Unity Tour to the CFE Arena in Orlando on Saturday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. Iglesias is one of America’s most successful stand-up comedians and he performs in sold-out concerts across the United States and internationally. Tickets are now on sale. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, by calling 800-745-3000 or at the CFE Arena Box Office. Sign up for the CFE Arena Cyber Club to receive all the information you need about this event and others, including exclusive presales and discounts, at CFEArena.com

ONGOING

The Morse Museum, home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, is located at 445 N. Park Ave. Through April, the museum’s hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday; 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Regular admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $1 for students, and free for children younger than age 12. All visitors are admitted free from 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays through April. For more information, call 407-645-5311 or visit morsemuseum.org

The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is launching Curiosity Tours presented by Fifth Third Bank, “The Curious Bank,” that explore the stories and spaces of the arts center. The 45-minute tours, with time following for a Q&A, are available Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. The tours are free to the public with the first spots filled from a waiting list of guests who previously contacted the arts center. Registration is available online at drphillipscenter.org for designated Saturdays. Each tour hosts a maximum of 20 people.

Every two seconds, someone in the world suffers from a stroke. Stroke groups challenge survivors to get beyond their doctor-imposed, therapist-imposed, family-imposed and self-imposed limitations thanks to the support of fellow survivors. The Bcenter Stroke Support and Social Group provides resources, hope and direction. The event is free and held every third Monday of the month (next meeting March 16) from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Winter Park Civic Center. For more information, contact [email protected] or call 888-942-9355.