Calendar

SEPT. 17

The Winter Park Garden Club and the League of Women Voters of Orange County are co-sponsoring a moderated discussion about the pros and cons of fracking in Florida at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Winter Park Garden Club, located at 1300 S. Denning Drive. Chuck O’Neil, first vice president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, will moderate a discussion between David Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, and Jennifer Hecker, director of Natural Resource Policy of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. This event is free and open to the public. Call 407-644-5770 or visit winterparkgardenclub.com

The Central Florida Anthropological Society will host a lecture by Dr. Ashley Kistler on “The Aj Pop B’atz Project: Maya Resurgence and Historical Identity in the Guatemalan Highlands.” The event will take place at Winter Park Towers, located at 1111 Lakemont Ave. on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. Contact Kevin Gidsusko at 321-948-3994, or email [email protected] for more information.

SEPT. 19

Livingston Taylor, brother of James Taylor, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, in the historic sanctuary of First Congregational Church of Winter Park, located at 225 S. Interlachen Ave. Livingston will perform some of James Taylor’s music as well as popular songs he has written himself. The event will open with folk singer Shawn Garvey, who serves as the senior minister at First Congregational Church of Winter Park. You’re invited to come out and join in for this an amazing night of music in this historic church. Tickets are available for $35 at the door or in advance online. Call 407-647-2416.

Community Based Care of Central Florida will host its fourth annual Dance, Dream & Inspire ballroom dance and fundraising competition to benefit local children in foster care. The dance will take place Sept. 19 at Hard Rock Live. VIP pre-party starts at 6:30 p.m. with the main event starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $26.45 for the show and $125 for VIP access. Purchase tickets at DanceDreamInspire.com. Contact Debbie Leon at 321-441-2322 for more information.

Dancing With Florida, a charitable event that mirrors the smash hit “Dancing With the Stars,” runs from 6:30 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Alfond Inn, located at 300 E. New England Ave. in Winter Park. Community celebrities are partnered with professional ballroom instructors to compete on the dance floor and raise funds for five incredible Central Florida organizations that provide services for at-risk youth. This year the organizations benefiting are Alpha Learning, Babe Ruth Bambino Buddy Ball, CECO, FLA Kids, and Shiloh Adventure Camp. Cost of admission is $250. Please contact 321-960-1559 or [email protected]

SEPT. 20

There will be a reception to view the photography of Sherry K Levy at the University Club of Winter Park, from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20. The photographs focus on people and places from Ms. Levy's world travels. Her work will be on display through October. It’s at 841 N. Park Ave. in Winter Park. Call 407-644-6149 or visit uclubwp.org for more information.

SEPT. 23

Come out to Passion for Fashion from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at Baterby’s Art Gallery, located at 6848 Stapoint Court in Winter Park, for a special evening all about women’s fashion, makeup, health and fitness with auction and raffle items. Proceeds for the event will benefit ovarian cancer research in memory of Jean Bryant Jessie. Cost of admission is $40. Call the gallery at 407-622-1407.

SEPT. 24

The 25th annual Southern Women’s Show returns to the Orange County Convention Center from Thursday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 27. The Southern Women's Show draws thousands of guests yearly, who enjoy shopping, prizes, celebrity guests and delicious cuisines. In addition to the incredible commerce, guests can also enjoy runway fashion shows, cooking classes and informed speakers. From beauty to home décor, travel to fashion, the show is an all-inclusive, pampered experience you won’t want to miss! Browse more than 500 exhibits including the Walgreens Pavilion and Taste of Home Cooking School demonstrations. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Cost of admission is $12 for adults $10 for seniors (55 and up), $6 for youths (6 to 12) and free for children under 6. Call 800-849-0248 or visit SouthernWomensShows.com

SEPT. 25

Marc Monteson Promotions presents the 15th annual New Smyrna Beach Jazz Festival that will take place Sept. 25 to 27 at various beachside and mainland locations, including Flagler Avenue, Canal Street Historic District, Third Avenue and North Causeway - all within The Loop. The only ticketed event is the kick-off party at The Flagler Tavern (Friday evening). The remaining 23 shows on Saturday and Sunday are free admission. Call 386-423-9760.

SEPT. 26

The Central Florida Orchid Society will be holding an orchid auction at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Maitland Civic Center, located at 641 S. Maitland Ave. Call 407-333-0998.

SEPT. 27

Hosted by Andi Perez, Yelp’s Orlando community manager, the sixth annual Cupcake Challenge is a family event featuring a sweet competition between Central Florida cupcake bakeries from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27 at the Rachel D. Murrah Civic Center, located at 1050 W. Morse Blvd. Local culinary experts select winners and the crowd selects their favorite cupcake. Proceeds go to Dress for Success of Greater Orlando, empowering women to thrive in work and life. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. Call 407-599-3341.

SEPT. 30

Coffee Talk with Winter Park City Commissioner Carolyn Cooper runs from 8 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Winter Park Welcome Center, located at 151 W. Lyman Ave. If you have a latté beans to grind or you simply want to espresso your thoughts, CoffeeTalk may be the cup for you. This free, popular CoffeeTalk series gives the community an opportunity to sit down and talk with the mayor, city commissioners, city manager and department directors over a cup of coffee provided by Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen. CoffeeTalk provides a more informal setting to share ideas, concerns and thoughts with city leaders. Call the city at 407-599-3399.

OCT. 1

Women of all professions, ages and life stages, will gather for an evening of pampering at the annual Women of Wellness Retreat on Thursday, Oct.1, at 5:30 p.m. at Winter Park's elegant Casa Feliz Historic Home. Participants will enjoy presentations about meal planning, building friendships and yoga poses for gaining balance! Elegant hor d'oeuvres and drink by Arthur's Catering will be provided. Price is $58 and includes presentations, food, and goodie-bag of gifts and treats. Early reservations are encouraged at womenofwellness.wordpress.com

A six-week Quit Smoking Now program runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 29 at the Crosby YMCA Wellness Center, located at 2005 Mizell Ave. in Winter Park. The program includes free Nicotine replacement patches, gum and lozenges and covers all forms of tobacco. For more information and to register, call 1-877-252-6094.

OCT. 3

The Mead Botanical Garden will host fall migration bird walks throughout October. Each walk will be led by an experienced birder and is open to the public for free. No preregistration is necessary. A limited number of loaner binoculars are available. The walks will be held Oct. 3. 10, 17, 24 and 31 starting at 8 a.m. and lasting two to three hours. For additional information, contact L. Martin at 407-647-5834 or [email protected]

The Parks & Recreation Department of the city of Winter Park and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission present their annual free Test the Waters Fishing Tournament from 7 to 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, located at 1050 W. Morse Blvd. in Winter Park. Children of all ages are invited to participate in this fun-filled event. Bait, fishing poles and snacks will be provided for all participants. The city’s Parks & Recreation Department also guarantees that everyone will take home a fish! For more information, call 407-599-3334.

OCT. 10

The Winter Park Autumn Art Festival is the only juried fine art festival to feature Florida artists exclusively. The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce is proud to host the festival on the second weekend in October each year. The community-oriented sidewalk show presents quality visual art and live entertainment the whole family can enjoy. The festival is held in beautiful Central Park located along historic Park Avenue in downtown Winter Park on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce at 407-644-8281.

OCT. 11

Celebrate the opening of the historic Capen-Showalter House on Oct. 11 at the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens in Winter Park. After almost two years of moving and restoring the house, it will be open for a new generation of guests. Admission will be free from 1 to 4 p.m. for the open house. Valet parking is offered for $5 per vehicle. Call 407-647-6294 or visit polasek.org