community, News, Press Releases

APGD Named Great American Main Street 2016

NMSC14_GAMSALOGO_16_RGB

The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced Monday, May 23, that the Audubon Park Garden District in Orlando, Florida has been chosen as a 2016 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winner. Audubon Park Garden District (APGD) received the award at the 2016 Main Street Now Conference held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

www.StevenMillerPix.com_st_paddys_day_toast

Photo by Steven Miller Photography.

Established in 2008 and inspired by Audubon Park pioneer Stardust Video and Coffee (1842 E. Winter Park Road, Orlando FL), APGD developed a unique and creative program.

The area is now flourishing with small businesses, pollinator plantings and events that stand in stark contrast to bland suburban sprawl. With the Main Street Approach as its guide, Audubon Park Garden District has emerged as a hip place to be. The redevelopment of a foreclosed church into the nationally recognized food and culture hub East End Market (3201 Corrine Drive, Orlando FL 32803), a thriving shopping and dining scene with award winning businesses and a retro modern home tour are just a few of the attractions that make this neighborhood one of America’s best.

Redlight Redlight with Erica

Photo by Tipso Photography.

“Audubon Park is to be commended for reinventing itself as the home of several destination-worthy small businesses and the epicenter of Orlando’s good food movement, while also pioneering green practices for businesses and commercial districts,” says Patrice Frey, president and CEO of the National Main Street Center. “APGD’s skill in providing low-cost, high-touch support to its small businesses has paid huge dividends, driving retail vacancy rates to just 2 percent. They should take great pride in creating such an inviting place for people to live, shop, and open businesses.”

APGD will celebrate this national recognition throughout the rest of 2016 and into 2017 with a variety of programming, beginning with a district wide community appreciation day Saturday June 18, 2016. See our video here.

www.StevenMillerPix.com_0094-5 gma crowd

Photo by Steven Miller Photography.

community, Events, News

An Orlando Foodie Lover’s Dream Stroll

Local, Local, Local!

Three little words that mean so much…

www.StevenMillerPix.com_0035shrimp and grits

Come out Saturday, March 5, to the Audubon Park Garden District and shop while you sample Red Light Red Light-curated wine and craft beer plus light bites created with the freshest ingredients by local food purveyors. Meet old friends and make new ones who are as passionate as you are about growing Orlando’s locavore and culinary scenes — and building a community like APGD that reflects your passion!

At APGD’s second annual Eat Local Sip and Stroll — you can:

1) Meet the foodies who are making “fresh and local” a signature in Orlando — the passionate creators of the treats you’ll sample — from local growers to bakers and chefs, all based right here in Central Florida. Suppliers include these local purveyors and more:

  • Cheese whiz Tonda Corrente, APGD’s very own Femme du Fromage
  • Small-batch artisan charcuterie and fine food company Hinckley’s Fancy Meats, specializing in Florida products
  • Farm-Haus, a chef-created farm-to-table dinner-delivery service
  • Buttermilk Bakery, a handmade bakery, with a new twist on classic American desserts
  • P is for Pie Bake Shop, award winning bake shop of sweet and savory pies
  • Fresh Florida seafood samples from local fishers with Wild Ocean Seafood Market

www.StevenMillerPix.com_0056bruschetta2) Over a dozen shops along the Audubon Park Garden District will offer tastes to tempt you, including:

At East End Market (3201 Corrine Drive): Fatto in Casa’s Italian cuisine to go, cheese shop La Femme du Fromage and Houndstooth Sauce Company.

Along Corrine Drive, Perception Eyewear (3127 Corrine Drive) designer brands

In the East Plaza (Corrine Drive east of Winter Park Road): Bikes Beans and Bordeaux neighborhood cafe, Sprinkles Jewelry and Gifts, Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream.

In the West Plaza (Corrine Drive west of Winter Park Road): consignment shop Chic Boutique, Fresh 24 fruits and vegetables, Dear Prudence clothing and jewelry, Park Ave CDs, The Lovely Boutique retro-vintage-handmade local market, Orlando Outfitters sporting goods and P is for Pie Bake Shop.

Tickets are $25 advance, $22.50 for APGD members, available now. The second annual Eat Local Sip Local Stroll is a fundraiser for the Audubon Park Garden District and supports its mission to create an economically and environmentally sustainable community in the heart of Central Florida.

www.StevenMillerPix.com_0059pork pate

All photos by Steven Miller Photography.

Food, Members, News

From Farm-Haus to Your House

Screen Shot 2016-01-29 at 4.37.21 PM
Farm-Haus brings chef made dinners to your doorstep and now they’re expanding service. They’re officially adding Friday service and an earlier delivery time starting next week, along with new tracking software.
So now you can get delicious dinners, made from fresh seasonal ingredients, five days a week. Plus, home delivery begins as early as 5 p.m. now. New software allows diners to track the delivery driver with their smart phones, including the ability to message him through the phone, too. Or, as always, dinners can be picked up from East End Market from 5:30 – 6:30 weekdays.
Screen Shot 2016-01-29 at 4.49.29 PM.png
Farm-Haus’s menu changes daily – they also offer vegan and gluten free bowls, too, in addition to desserts from Buttermilk Bakery.

The delivery area includes Audubon Park, Baldwin Park, Mills 50, Thornton Park, Downtown Orlando, College Park and Winter Park.

Screen Shot 2016-01-29 at 4.56.58 PM

Events, Members, News

Seventh Annual Bastille Day Bash Coming in July

Saturday, July 11, marks the Audubon Park Garden District’s Seventh Annual Bastille Day Celebration. This year the festivities include:

Photo via Orlando Weekly.

Photo via Orlando Weekly.

Crepe Breakfast at East End Market 9:30am – 10:30 a.m. Hosted by East End Market Chef in Residence Jessica Tantalo, tickets will go on sale shortly.

Rouge Rouge Indoor Market at Redlight Redlight 4 – 7p.m. Currently vendors include Blue Betty, Bamapana vintage, Skirt Chaser Vintage, Lou’s Jewels with more being added. (FREE)

Wine & Cheese Tasting at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4:30 – 7 p.m. (Ticketed Event) Presented by La Femme du Fromage, with decor by Emily Grace Design Seating is extremely limited. Buy your tickets now. Advance tickets just $30, APGD Members $25. Not a member yet? Support our efforts to build a better community and join now.

Screen Shot 2015-06-01 at 2.56.16 PM

French Street Celebration Winter Park Road/Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 6 – 9pm (FREE) Featuring Baguette Fencing by Olde Hearth Bread Company, Marie Antoinette, food trucks + more! (FREE)

Special Bastille Day Edition of The Dinner Party Project at P is for Pie Bake Shop (Ticketed Event), 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale shortly.

BD ladies with mustaches OW

PLUS – Super Secret VIP Lounge for all ticket holders. Lounge from 8 – 10 pm July 11th! Everyone who buys a ticket to one of the day’s events will receive a special invitation, the day of, for an exclusive champagne lounge that night!

Interested in being a sponsor this year? Sponsorships start at just $75. It’s a great way to reach a sophisticated, cultured crowd. Read more about it here.

Events, Members, News

Murder by the Numbers Wine and Sign

Screen shot 2015-03-16 at 6.53.13 PMBookmark It’s Wine and Sign is this Friday, March 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. Local author and mathematician Bob Brigham will be on hand with his two whodunnits, Math is Murder and Murder by the Numbers.

Murder by the Numbers sneak peak: Pomp, circumstance, and murder mark the graduation ceremony at Marcus Rome State University. Famed philanthropist and commencement speaker, Douglas Norwood, lies dead. There is no apparent motive. A cryptic message to a local television station provides many questions but few answers. Sergeant Tom Warren and the campus police are faced with the grim task of untangling the mess.

In addition to Bob, Bookmark It will also serve complimentary wine for this fun evening of murder most foul. Don’t miss this delightful event.

Events, Members, News

APGDiscover: Bookmark It Wine + Sign Party

vintage megaphoneAs any writer will attest, the secret to a good story lies in taking your readers on a journey of discovery and plot twists.  Running a bookstore is no different.

With their one year anniversary happening now, Bookmark It announces special March-only store hours to help them further develop their cast of characters and prepare for an upcoming shift in setting.

CvrThingsDontSee_bookstore-2While their weekdays will be reduced, their Fridays and Saturdays will now extend into the evening – thank the Maker! – as a fabulous new series of author Wine + Sign parties spill onto East End’s second floor balcony and allow patrons a chance to explore upstairs after dark. Nathan Holic, author of American Fraternity Man and the newly released novella Things I Don’t See, will the first featured local writer this Friday, March 6 from 6 to 8 p.m.

New store hours:

Thursday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Friday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. *Wine & Sign from 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mondays – Wednesday closed (or by appointment)

But remember, as with any good mystery, something big is always brewing around the next corner, so don’t get too comfortable with these hours . . . dun dun dunnnnn!

For more information contact kim@bookmarkitorlando.com or text 407-389-9870.

News

Story Slam in APGD

March 1, from 7 to 9 p.m., the Audubon Park Garden District is hosting a story slam with our pals at The Orlando Story Club at East End Market.

story slamWhat is a story slam? It’s a story telling contest where slammers compete in front of an audience, vying to tell the best tale in just five minutes. Competitors put their names in a hat and at the beginning of the evening’s festivities a lucky ten will have their names drawn. We’ll also recruit people from the audience to be judges. Then our emcee will guide participants and the audience through a raucous night of food, drink, and wonderment.

This story slam’s theme will be Wild Adventures. The five minute tales will be measured on how well they are told, how well the stories are constructed and how well the story fits the theme of Wild Adventures. Remember, good stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. The stories can be funny, happy or sad, but winners will be able to combine a good story with a solid performance. There will be prizes and, best of all, it will be a fabulous evening of entertainment

General admission just $12 and supports the Audubon Park Garden District’s mission to build the best in community. This will be a sell out event so get your tickets here now. You don’t want to miss it.