On The Town: July 2015
33 special events happening in the month of July.
SEAWORLD SUMMER NIGHTS
Through Aug. 9 Celebrate summer by experiencing SeaWorld in the hours after sunset, with a new Shamu “Light Up The Night” show and coaster rides under the stars. Open until 10 p.m. Free with park admission. seaworldparks.com
RED, HOT AND BOOM
July 3 Get an early start on the Independence Day holiday weekend with live music, games, vendors, food and a 25-minute fireworks display synchronized with patriotic and contemporary music. Free. 4-11 p.m. Cranes Roost Park, 274 Cranes Roost Blvd., Altamonte Springs. 407-571-8863. altamonte.org
BALDWIN PARK INDEPENDENCE DAY BASH
July 3 Start the evening with a walk through the town center as artists and craftsmen sell their wares. Also available: festival snacks, balloons, face painting, live music and more. Then get a good spot at Harbor Park to see the fireworks. Free. 5:30-9:30 p.m. New Broad Street, Baldwin Park town center, Orlando. baldwinparkevents.com
SCI-FI 4TH OF JULY
July 4 Celebration Town Center’s annual celebration, with games, live music, bounce houses, and fireworks synchronized to favorite sci-fi movie themes. Free. celebrationtowncenter.com
FIREWORKS AT THE FOUNTAIN
July 4 There’s always a crowd around Lake Eola on the Fourth, so come early and enjoy the music, games, food and drink before the patriotic fireworks start at 9:10 p.m. 4-10 p.m. Free. Lake Eola Park, 512 E. Washington St., Orlando. cityoforlando.net
STAR-SPANGLED SANFORD
July 4 Live entertainment, food and drink, the Fort Mellon Park Splash Pad, children’s activities and, after sunset, a spectacular fireworks display over Lake Monroe. Free. 5-10 p.m. Fort Mellon Park, 600 E. 1st St., Sanford. sanfordfl.gov
INDEPENDENCE DAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT
July 4 “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” starts at 9 p.m. in the Magic Kingdom, “IllumiNations: Reflections of the Earth” starts at 10 p.m. in Epcot. Disney’s Hollywood Studios will also have a fireworks show at 10 p.m. Included in park admission. Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista. disneyworld.disney.go.com
INDEPENDENCE DAY AT SEAWORLD ORLANDO
July 4 A special Reflections show will feature an expanded fireworks display timed to patriotic music. Included in park admission. seaworldparks.com
INDEPENDENCE DAY AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
July 4 Enjoy a special version of Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular, which combines projection technology with lasers and pyrotechnics. Included in park admission. universalorlando.com
ALL AMERICAN KIDS PARADE & BREAKFAST
July 4 Breakfast is served in the Masonic Lodge from 8-9:45 a.m. Afterwards, decorate bicycles, scooters and strollers and join in an old-fashioned parade from 10-11 a.m. Winter Garden Masonic Lodge, 230 W. Bay St., Winter Garden. 407-656-3244. cwgdn.com
WINTER GARDEN PARTY IN THE PARK
July 4 Enjoy live music by Speed Limit 70, family activities, food and more, followed by fireworks. Free. 5-9:30 p.m. Newton Park, 29 W. Garden Ave., Winter Garden. 407-877-5432. cwgdn.com
CELEBRATION AT AVALON PARK
July 4 Entertainment and activities include an apple pie bake-off, hot dog-eating contest, bike parade, bounce houses and live music, followed by a fireworks display. Free. Avalon Park East Blvd., Orlando. 407-658-6565. avalonpark.com
OLDE FASHIONED PARTY IN THE PARK
July 4 Enjoy live patriotic music by the Bach Festival Society, a bike parade, food, games and more. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Central Park, Park Avenue, Winter Park. 407-599-3463. cityofwinterpark.org
OVIEDO INDEPENDENCE DAY
July 4 Music, children’s activities, vendors, and fireworks at Oviedo Mall. Free. 5-10 p.m. 1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd., Oviedo. cityofoviedo.net
THE BIG CELEBRATION!
July 4 Celebrating the 40th birthday of Central Florida Zoo and the zoo’s rhinos with music, games, face painting, crafts and more. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Central Florida Zoo, 3755 N.W. Highway 17-92, Sanford. 407-323-4450. centralfloridazoo.org
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
July 4-5 The Subway Firecracker 250 on Saturday evening will feature NASCAR Xfinity regulars facing off against Sprint Cup Series stars. Events and qualifying races occur all weekend long, with the final Firecracker race starting at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The 57th annual Coke Zero 400 is Sunday evening; the final race begins at 7:45 p.m. daytonainternationalspeedway.com
RED, BRICK AND BOOM AT LEGOLAND
July 4-6 Families can help build Legoland’s American Flag during the day, then watch fireworks turn into millions of exploding Lego bricks through special 3D glasses. Included in park admission. 1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven. florida.legoland.com
LAKERIDGE SUMMER MUSIC SERIES
July 4, 11, 18, 25 Take a complimentary winery tour, then spend the afternoon listening to live music as each week a different band performs on the outdoor stage. Food and drink are also available for purchase. Free. 1-4 p.m. Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards, 19239 U.S. Highway 27 North, Clermont. lakeridgewinery.com
VANS WARPED TOUR
July 5 An all-day, all-genre music tour with opportunities for autographs, food, free stuff and other fun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tinker Field, One Citrus Bowl Place, Orlando. vanswarpedtour.com
THORNTON PARK 2ND THURSDAY ART AND WINE WALK
July 9 Artists display works for sale along the streets and inside local businesses. Free, but a $10 wristband (available at Olde Town Brokers) gets you a free pour of wine at various locations. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Summerlin Avenue and Washington Street. thorntonparkdistrict.com
SANFORD’S ALIVE AFTER FIVE STREET PARTY
July 9 “Blues & BBQ” is the theme for this month’s street party, with live music, local artists, food and beverages. 5 p.m. 230 E. First St., Sanford. sanfordwelcomecenter.com
SUMMER F.U.N. CONVENTION
July 9-11 Florida United Numismatists host this annual event for buying, selling and appraising coins, paper currency, tokens, medals and similar items. Thursday-Friday 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Orange County Convention Center, Hall WA3, 9800 International Drive, Orlando. funtopics.com
MOUNT DORA 2ND FRIDAY ART STROLL
July 10 A festive evening of art, music and hors d’oeuvres in downtown Mount Dora, designed to showcase the work of regional artists. Free. 6-8 p.m. 138 E. Fifth Ave., Mount Dora. mountdoracenterforthearts.org
CASSELBERRY CELEBRATES CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS
July 10 Live music, food trucks and a celebration of Casselberry’s civic organizations. 6-9 p.m. City Hall and Lake Concord Park, 95 Lake Triplet Drive, Casselberry. casselberry.org
ARTEGON MARKETPLACE ART OF BEER
July 14 Enjoy a night of craft beer, live music and tantalizing treats. Mingle with the artisans from the Village at Artegon Marketplace. Free. Second Tuesday of each month from 5-8 p.m. 5250 International Drive, Orlando. 407-351-7718. artegonmarketplace.com
3RD THURSDAY GALLERY HOP & ART WALK
July 16 Visitors converge on Orlando’s Downtown Arts District to celebrate art. 6 p.m. City Arts Factory, 29 S. Orange Ave., Orlando. orlandoslice.com
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SYMPHONY OF THE GODDESSES—MASTER QUEST
July 18 It’s a concert, a symphony and a multimedia-game quest. New material from the recent “A Link Between Worlds” game has been added to the classics from seasons past. 8 p.m. The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., Orlando. 407-839-0119. drphillipscenter.org
ART & WINE STROLL AT THE VILLAGE AT ARTEGON
July 18 Every third Saturday, Artegon Marketplace hosts an art-and-wine stroll from 6-8 p.m. Enjoy hand-crafted items and art, tasty treats, and wine from Orlando’s Quantum Leap Winery, as well as live jazz music. Free. 5250 International Drive, Orlando. 407-351-7718. artegonmarketplace.com
CARDBOARD ART FESTIVAL
July 23-26 Cardboard is king at this festival featuring works displayed in a gallery setting. Eat, drink, talk with the artists, buy art and listen to a concert. Thursday 7-11 p.m.; Friday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.. Friday-Saturday, DJ Dance party and Cardboard Concert Series 7-11 p.m. SoDo Shopping Center, South Orange Avenue and Grant Street, Orlando. cardboardartfestival.com
SANFORD ART WALK
July 24 Explore galleries and art spaces along historic downtown Sanford’s First Street, between Magnolia and Sanford avenues. Discover this river town’s culture and nightlife, food and art. 6-9 p.m. sanfordartwalk.com, sanfordwelcomecenter.com
CELEBRATE MAITLAND’S 130TH BIRTHDAY
July 25 Start with a parade down Maitland Avenue at 5:45 p.m., followed by games, live entertainment and food, then ending with fireworks at 8:30 p.m. 407-539-6200. Lake Lily Park, 701 Lake Lily Drive, Maitland. itsmymaitland.com
GEEKYCON (FORMERLY LEAKYCON)
July 30-Aug. 2 Celebrate everything about being a fantasy fan, with panels, programs, workshops, singalongs, concerts and more. Meet authors Courtney Summers, Holly Black and Jason Reynolds, musician Peter Hollens, and “Game of Thrones” language creator David Peterson. Orange County Convention Center, South Concourse, 9990 International Drive, Orlando. geekycon.com
MEGAPLEX
July 31-Aug 2 Florida’s furry arts-and-entertainment convention offers interactive arts and performances with “fur suiting,” costuming, puppetry, improv and music. This year’s theme: “Cops & Robbers.” Mascot games, karaoke, dances, stand-up comedy, panelists and speakers. Megaplex raises money for C.A.R.E. Foundation, which seeks to raise public awareness of local wildlife and abused pets. Orlando Airport Marriott, 7499 Augusta National Drive, Orlando. megaplexcon.org
