Local Motion 2025-2026: An Insider's Guide to Life in West Orange County

In September 2025, the Observer Media Group will celebrate the 120th anniversary of the West Orange Times & Observer — which published its first edition on Sept. 13, 1905, as the Winter Garden Ricochet.

As you can imagine, in those 120 years, our reporters, photographers and editors have seen quite a bit. We were there when both the city of Ocoee and the town of Windermere were established. We saw Walt Disney World come out of the ground. We watched as downtown Winter Garden blossomed into the jewel it is today. And yes, we have chronicled the entire history of Horizon West.

It is with that strong legacy of serving as our community's newspaper of record that I present to you our 2025-26 edition of Local Motion: An Insider’s Guide to Living in West Orange County. 

This is the largest and most ambitious edition to date. And whether you're brand new to our area or have a street named after your family, I am certain you will learn something new about our community in these pages.

In this, our annual love letter for West Orange and Southwest Orange, you'll find complete guides to Winter Garden, Horizon West, Ocoee, Windermere, Oakland, Dr. Phillips and Gotha. You'll meet local leaders, discover hidden gems, find the best places to eat and fill your calendar with many of our awesome community events. We also have round-ups of local civic organizations and nonprofits, and our 2025-26 Back to School guide.

To stay connected, make sure to grab copies of our newspapers; bookmark OrangeObserver.com; and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.