Page 66 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to Florida

CENTRAL FLORIDA
ANNUAL EVENTS
JANUARY
Central Florida Scottish Highland Games, Winter Springs
Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities, Eatonville
FEBRUARY
Bike Sebring
Hagerty Cars & Caffeine Car Show, Sebring Mount Dora Arts Festival
Silver Spurs Rodeo, Kissimmee
FEBRUARY–APRIL
Universal Studios Mardi Gras
FEBRUARY–JULY
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
MARCH
Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Santos Fat Tire Festival, Ocala
Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival
APRIL
Florida Film Festival, Orlando
SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo, Lakeland
MAY
Mayfaire by-the-Lake Fine Art Festival, Lakeland
Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival
JULY
Caladium Festival, Lake Placid
Red Hot and Boom, Altamonte Springs
JULY–NOVEMBER
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
AUGUST
Harvest Grape Stomp, Clermont
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios
OCTOBER
Plantation Redfish Classic, Crystal River
NOVEMBER
Lady of the Lakes Renaissance Faire, Tavares
NOVEMBER–DECEMBER
Busch Gardens Christmas Town Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party SeaWorld Christmas Celebration Taste of Epcot International Festival
of the Holidays
Excellent outdoor activities await north of Orlando, including the Lake Apopka Loop Trail, offering nearly 15 miles of family biking or hiking. Want to tube down a crystal-clear river fed by natural springs? Located in Apopka, local favorite Rock Springs Run at Kelly Park offers swimming, tubing and hiking trails.
Blue Spring State Park is home to hundreds of manatees. The clear, 73-degree waters welcome swimmers, snorkelers and scuba divers.
In the Ocala National Forest, the southernmost forest in the United States, dozens of campgrounds and 600 lakes, rivers and springs welcome visitors year-round.
ENTERTAINMENT
With an impressive array of bars, clubs, live music venues, and themed entertainment districts scattered across the city, Orlando presents a bustling nightlife landscape teeming with energy.
International Drive, known as I-Drive, features an abundance of shopping, dining and entertainment for daytime or nighttime activities. Mango’s Tropical Cafe showcases exciting live shows, dancing within a vivacious Miami-style club while Tin Roof offers live music performances by Central Florida’s best artists. Sip on a cocktail at a bar made entirely of ice at ICEBAR Orlando, enjoy a fiesta at Señor Frog’s or rock out to dueling pianos at Howl at the Moon. Pointe Orlando fuses dining and entertainment with spots ranging from the distinctive flavors of Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar to Greek Zorba and belly dancing at Taverna Opa. Nightly entertainment includes the Improv Comedy Theatre and Restaurant as well as Main Event Entertainment.
Within close proximity to Orlando’s world-famous theme parks, “Restaurant Row” is a one-mile stretch of Sand Lake Road featuring over 25 exquisite restaurants. Many feature extensive bars, comprehensive wine lists and live music.
Universal CityWalk is another vibrant place to grab a quick snack, relax over dinner, mingle over cocktails, take in an electrifying concert or dance the night away. Select from a variety of dining options, such as The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, Antojitos Authentic
Mexican Food and VIVO Italian Kitchen. Nightclubs and other after-hour hot spots include CityWalk’s Rising Star karaoke club, where on select nights visitors take center stage and perform with a live band complete with backup singers. Classic American cuisine hits the spot at the world’s largest Hard Rock Cafe, while world-famous names in music and comedy perform at the adjacent Hard Rock Live Orlando. Drink in paradise at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. A little of the Big Easy is offered at Pat O’Brien’s, the original home of dueling pianos. Savor one-of-a-kind gourmet treats at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen. Sports fans can catch the big game on almost 100 HD Screens at NBC Sports Grill & Brew while grubbing out on hearty dishes.
Disney Springs is an entertainment- shopping-dining complex at Walt Disney World Resort. There are four distinct neighborhoods to explore here: The Landing, Marketplace, West Side and Town Center—built around bubbling springs.
For a unique evening, board the Rivership Barbara-Lee in Sanford, an authentic stern- wheeler, for a three-hour tour along Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River.
And while there is little casino action in Central Florida, Ocala Gainesville Poker in Reddick hosts poker tournaments and live games as well as simulcast wagering.
MANTA ROLLER COASTER, SEAWORLD ORLANDO • BRAND USA/MATT KALINOWSKI
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2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA