Commissioner Stuart – May 2017

by Rick · May 12, 2017

Commissioner Robert Stuart

May is a busy month in the City of Orlando, and for all of us it is a time to celebrate and remember all of the moms in our lives. As a Jewish proverb says, “God could not be everywhere, therefore, he made mothers.”

Watching my wife of more than 40 years, Ann, in her role as mom to our two children; and now watching my daughter and daughter-in-law in their roles as mom to my five amazing grandchildren, is truly inspiring. And one thing I have learned from all the moms in my life is that they truly appreciate the gift of time- quality time with their families.

And there are so many ways and so many great neighborhoods where you can spend quality time with moms, families, and friends this and every month in our Great City.

Every month, Audubon Park and College Park host homegrown, volunteer-led markets that are perfect places to find unique Mother’s Day gifts, or make a great place to take mom for an afternoon or evening. In College Park, Grounding Roots, located at 710 W Princeton Street, hosts an organic farmers’ market every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Then on Monday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., head over to the Audubon Park Community Market located at 1842 E. Winter Park Road.

Then in the beautiful Baldwin Park Village Center, enjoy First Friday Festivals each month from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. This free sidewalk festival showcases the wonderful neighborhood businesses, plus many other local artisans and is kid and pet friendly.

In the thriving Ivanhoe Village district, enjoy their Wanderlust Wednesdays event. Every third Wednesday of the month, North Orange and Virginia Drive businesses will host food trucks, Open Houses, and a Wine Stroll (curated by Tim’s Wine). Visit their Facebook page for more information about this fun way to explore this funky commercial district.

On Saturday, May 13^th from noon to 4 p.m., enjoy the sixth annual KidsFest in the Audubon Park Garden District. In short, the entire Main Street becomes a mini educational campus for kids. Sign up for free, or nearly free, workshops on arts and crafts, food, music, sustainability, and more. Kids of all ages welcome. Visit the Audubon Park Garden District’s Facebook page for more information and details on how to register.

Another reason May is an awesome month in Orlando is because of the unique Fringe Festival, which takes place in and around Loch Haven Park from May 16^th through May 29^th. In its 26^th year, Fringe brings accessible and uncensored performance art to our community through numerous different kinds of shows. For our younger audiences, there is also Kids Fringe, which takes place both weekends of Fringe, May 20/21 and May 27/28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of the Mennello Museum. Kids Fringe includes arts, crafts, musical performances and much more, which are all free and open to the public. Visit orlandofringe.org for more information.

Finally, venture downtown to Lake Eola as Movieola is back. Enjoy a movie on the east lawn of Lake Eola every last Friday of the month through August. Movies will begin around 8:15 p.m. with activities starting at 6 p.m. This month’s movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,will be shown on May 26^th. Visit cityoforlando.net/parks for more information on this fun way to enjoy our signature downtown park.

Thanks for your support of our amazing Orlando communities and in joining me to show appreciation of our moms this month. Look forward to seeing you around town this month!