ORLANDO, Fla. – Happy birthday, Orlando!
The City Beautiful celebrates its 149th birthday on Wednesday, July 31.
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The Town of Orlando was incorporated in 1875 with a total population of 85 people, a far cry from today’s population.
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For the 20 years following its inception, Orlando would be the center of Florida’s citrus industry. No longer dependent on agriculture, Orlando is the theme park capital of the world, and the most visited tourist destination in the U.S., according to Visit Orlando.
No one is sure where Orlando’s name originated from, but you can read some of the more popular theories on Orlando’s official website.
Here are some ways to celebrate the city’s birthday and ways to enjoy all the City Beautiful has to offer.
EAT!
We all know that Orlando’s food scene has exploded and the News 6 staff has you covered with all things food. Not only do we have the Florida Foodie podcast, we have tons of Central Florida food stories that are updated daily on our Florida Foodie page found here.
In addition to great restaurants, food halls are growing in popularity across the metro Orlando area. They are giving business start-ups a chance to realize their foodie dreams by serving up gourmet food and drinks from a booth. Some of these eateries have gone on to open brick-and-mortar restaurants too. You’ll also find more community events at these food halls, including markets and festivals.
- Orlando – East End Market
- Orlando – A La Cart
- Lake Nona – Boxi Park
- Winter Garden – Plant Street Market
- Avalon Park – Marketplace at Avalon Park
- Sanford – Henry’s Depot
PLAY!
Go ahead, get out there and enjoy yourself!
Need some ideas?
- Rent a swan boat at Lake Eola. It only costs $15 for a 30-minute rental. Boats can seat up to five people and a wheelchair-accessible boat is available.
- Central Florida’s springs offer a pretty great way to cool off and explore natural Florida. The waters of Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka are at a constant 72 degrees, fit for swimming, tubing and other water activities. Go kayaking or canoeing, hike or bike the trails, and enjoy the wildlife. Or you can check out the natural lazy river at Rock Springs at Kelly Park, also in Apopka. It’s also great for snorkeling, tubing or a picnic. There’s also camping and kayaking nearby at Kelly Park’s Camp Joy.
- Airboats, kayaks and paddleboards, oh my! Ecotours in Florida are a kind of choose your own adventure. You can choose the speed of airboating through the wetlands of east Orange, Osceola or Seminole counties, or the tranquility of a kayak up the Wekiva or Econlockhatchee rivers. It’s the best way to see alligators, deer, bears, manatees and other wildlife in our area.
- The Orlando area has several theater groups, and talented performing artists. Check out the local talent at Orlando Shakes, Dr. Phillips Center, Winter Park Playhouse, Garden Theatre, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Family Stage, The Ritz Theater and Theater West End to name a few.
SHOP!
You can support local, unique businesses after you’ve eaten and played. Here are a few places to shop that would love your support.
- East End Market isn’t only food. There are local shops inside, also.
- Adjectives Market has furniture, home decor, art, and unique gifts. There are five locations throughout Orlando.
- Park Avenue in Winter Park offers the chance to eat, play and shop!
- Park Ave CDs, which is no longer on Park Avenue. It’s on Corrine Drive in the Audubon Park area, which features a lot of great shops to check out.
SPORTS!
The city is also home to college and professional sports and is a great host city of sporting events. This year, the Sports Business Journal named Orlando the best sports business city.
- Orlando Magic – The NBA team sparked a lot of excitement among basketball fans during the team’s 2024 playoff run.
- Soccer – INTER&Co Stadium has become a favorite sports venue for fans to catch a matchup of Orlando City of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
- Solar Bears – Orlando’s professional ice hockey team plays their home games at Kia Center and is affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- UCF – The University of Central Florida is Orlando’s Hometown team.
- Bowl games – The end of the year means bowl season in Orlando. The Cure Bowl kicks it off, then the Pop-Tarts Bowl and the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl make up the 2024-2025 Orlando Bowl Slate for Florida Citrus Sports.
- Orlando Sports and Entertainment District – The 8.5-acre complex will be built next to the Kia Center at West Church Street and South Hughey Avenue in downtown Orlando with construction set to begin in late 2024
- Golf – Whether it’s professional or recreational, Orlando is a golf destination. Every year, Bay Hill Club & Lodge plays host to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
And here are some fun facts about Orlando:
- Orlando has had various nicknames throughout its history, including City Phenomenal, City of Light and The City Beautiful.
- Lake Eola is a giant sinkhole, and its deepest point reaches 80 feet.
- The first person to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon was Orlando resident Joe Kittinger in 1978.
- The road Semoran was named by putting the words Seminole and Orange together.
- The first highway in Central Florida was Colonial Drive, which was originally paved brick.
- A former Orlando Naval Training Center was located where Baldwin Park now is found.
- Orlando is home to more than 100 lakes.
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