Mennello Museum of Art: Where Fairies Come to Life!

The Top 5 ventured to the magical Mennello Museum of Art to see some real magic come to life… glowing mushrooms and wood fairies came out to play under the oldest oak tree in Orlando. (225 years old I hear!)  This unusual fundraiser, entitled Magnifique, benefited Voci Dance…and it was so much fun!

And, while we were strolling among the fairy folk, we also ventured into the museum itself… what a treat!  If you have never been to the museum before, do yourself a favor and stop by this lovely place. You will feel like you’ve been transported to Santa Fe!

Special thanks to Mark Baratelli of TheDailyCity.com for the heads up about Magnifique fundraiser!

Magnifique: A Glowing Fairy Fundraiser

Oh, now this sounds so totally cool!  Imagine the gorgeous outdoor setting of the Mennello Museum of Art, where there are giant Live Oaks that are over 300 years old…

And then picture the sun setting and as dusk gathers, the fairy folk begin to emerge from their hiding spots, bringing a luminous glow to the grounds! This is the vision of Voci Dance and their Magnifique, a Glowing Fairy Fundraiser.

Envision yourself sipping wine as you stroll about the garden setting, taking in the magical fairies dancing about glowing mushrooms (from artist Doug Rhodehamel).

And, you can join the mystical fun for just $15 on November 20. For more details about what else is in story on this special night, check out TheDailyCity.com!

Mobile Art Show: Have Art? Will Travel.

The Daily City Mobile Art Show will be coming to an area near you… eventually!  This time around (and this is the 13th show!) the Mobile Art Show will be stopping at the corner of Orange and Pine in downtown Orlando on September 16 from 7 – 9 pm.

Haven’t heard of the Mobile Art Show before? MSN.com named it one of America’s 10 “Wackiest Businesses on Wheels” and the New York City art blog Culturebot.org called it “very cool.”

If you haven’t ever been to the Mobile Art Show, brainchild of Mark Baratelli, professional actor and editor of The Daily City, then you are in for a treat. Imagine what seems like a typical U-haul, but when it unfolds, you find delightful, high quality artwork inside. This Mobile Art Show will feature the artwork from the website Uncover the Color featuring a variety of artists, including Uncover the Color founder Cole Nesmith.

This is one venue definitely worth cruising by to check out!

Happy Half Birthday to Us!

Well, I am finally coming off the high of having been honored for Best Neighborhood Blog with an Orbbie from the Orlando Sentinel. I am particularly grateful because the “Top 5″ blog is only 6 months old and really was the result of a few friends tossing a few ideas around…so I am thrilled with its fantastic reception! This award was a great way to celebrate the the Central Florida Top 5′s half birthday! To continue the celebration, we’ve decided to revamp our blog’s look. Let us know how you like it!

The “award ceremony” for the Orbbies was held at Eden Bar in Maitland and I attended with a few of the “Top 5″ judges. There were also several other category winners present, and I enjoyed meeting and talking with them. I was actually humbled by their depth of knowledge about blogging and realized, yes, I am still a newbbie!

Dave Knechel writes Marinade Dave and was very gracious with sage advice. (And I totally loved his laid back attitude!) I also enjoyed meeting Mark Baratelli, whose blog The Daily City and tweets I love reading. I also met Kiran and her lovely husband Tarun of Chatterbox and Shutterbox. I was greatly delighted when she not only was familiar with the “Top 5″ but told me that as fairly new arrivals to Central Florida, they used our site as a resource…love it! Here’s a link to the final list of Orbbie winners.

Here’s a picture of the winners:

Marinade Dave, Chatterbox/Shutterbox, The Top 5, DISUnplugged, The Daily City, and Tasty Chomps

Special thanks to Sophia Jones Photography for her photo of the winners. To see other photos from the night, be sure to visit her website.

Congrats to all the winners, and thanks to the Central Florida Top 5 fans…you are the best!

And here’s to another great six months of ranking wonderful Orlando events, delivering great things for you to do, and growing as a provider of fantastic information!

Oh, and enjoy the snow! Who says it doesn’t snow in Central Florida?!

Are you in the “Hood”?

Mark Baratelli of The Daily City has ventured past his blog and partnered with Orlando Event TV to present a new series called “Hoods.” This series will focus on a different neighborhood each time, and he has started his series with Winter Park.

Click here to view the video now.

Looking forward to the next “Hood” in the Orlando-area!