Join us at The Alfond Inn for the 2015 State of the City Luncheon presented by Waste Pro. This is an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable achievements of our community and look forward to the year ahead. Mayor Kenneth W. Bradley will deliver his final State of the City Address, “The Best is Yet to Come.” In addition to the Mayor’s address, the luncheon will feature the City of Winter Park Employee of the Year presentations.

Upcoming Program

Friday, January 16, 2015
11:30 a.m. – Registration
12:00 p.m. – Luncheon & Program

The Alfond Inn
300 E. New England Ave.
Winter Park, FL 32789

For your convenience, The Alfond Inn will offer valet parking. Public parking is available along Knowles Avenue and Lyman Avenue. For a downtown Winter Park parking map, click here.

Registration
$35 – Members
$40 – Non-members
$400 – Corporate Table Sponsorship – includes seating for 10 guests, table signage and recognition in event program

Registration is now closed. Event sold out. 

For additional information, contact Ashley Fraebel at afraebel@winterpark.orgor call (407) 644-8281.

Women Empowering Women in Business. “Together we represent a wealth of knowledge readily available for the best business solutions and your greatest success.”

This women-only Solutions Group at the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Winter Park Executive Women is a forum for members to network in a professional, yet informal atmosphere.  Discussions include business solutions, as well as personal growth topics.  The monthly meetings are held on the first Monday of every month (with few exceptions) over lunch.  The cost for lunch is $20 for Chamber members or $25 for non-Chamber members. All late registrations and walk-ins will be charged $25.

Upcoming Program

Topic: “The Plan—Your Roadmap to Success”

Speaker: Cynthia Blackwell, Founder/Managing Partner, BlackRain Partners

“Plan your work, work your plan” – a motto by which Cynthia leads her life personally and professionally, every day. As the founder of a growth strategies consulting firm, she is on a mission to make it rain by driving change to deliver results. Cynthia will share her tips to help you create a plan for success in 2015.

Monday, January 12
11:30 a.m. – Registration & Networking
12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. – Lunch & Program

The program will be held at the Winter Park Welcome Center/Chamber of Commerce at 151 W. Lyman Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789.

Good Morning Winter Park is the popular monthly breakfast gathering where Chamber members, residents, and community leaders converge.   Each month attracts a key speaker to provide a new perspective on an important community issue.

Attending Good Morning Winter Park is an excellent opportunity to grow your business through interacting with community leaders, gaining insight on a timely topic and networking with fellow business professionals.

Good Morning Winter Park is always free, open to the public and includes a complimentary continental breakfast.

Upcoming Program

Friday, January 9, 2015
7:45 a.m. – Networking
8:15 a.m. – Program

Winter Park Welcome Center / Chamber of Commerce
151 W. Lyman Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789

Topic: The Woman’s Club Of Winter Park, Inc.
Past, Present and Future 100 Years Of Supporting Education and Service, 1915-2015

Speakers: Sandra Blossey, Cynthia Gerken and Joann Palmer

Learn about the club’s contributions to the city and citizens of Winter Park, current changes to enhance the historic house and it’s use to businesses and non-profits, as well as ideas for enlarging their future charitable contributions.

Photo by Stockimages

Get started on your New Year’s resolution to exercise and a healthy start to the New Year by participating in the 5.2k marathon in beautiful Winter Park on January 24, 2015.  Every 52nd finisher receives a $52 Seasons 52 gift card.  Free kids run.

Date and Time
Saturday, January 24, 2015
7:30 am: 5.2k (3.2 miles)
8:45 am: Healthy 100 Kids’ Run
9:00 am: Awards Presentation
Note: Please plan to arrive 45 minutes to 1 hour early due to road closures and traffic congestion.

Seasons 52 is a fresh grill and wine bar that invites guests to discover a seasonally changing menu and an award winning international wine list in a casually sophisticated ambiance. For more information visitwww.seasons52.com.

Share your excitement about the race, use the hashtag #Seasons52!

Register online at www.TrackShack.com or visit Track Shack, 1104 N. Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803

Join us at Dexter’s in Winter Park Restaurant for our Annual Winter Park New Years Eve Party. There will be a Champagne toast at midnight, party favors, live Music featuring Micah and the Reason, smoked prime rib special with a horseradish cream sauce, Au Jus, served with Gorgonzola mashed potatoes, and haricoverts. And best of all you can take advantage of our extended hours!

*And remember there’s absolutely NO COVER!

You can call us at 407-629-1150 or reserve a table through opentable.com
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Find Dexters Restaurant in Winter Park at 558 W New England Ave Winter Park, FL 32789.

Bring in your holiday parties large or small we can accommodate them. Be sure to join us this week for dinner and live music Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday featuring…*

Wednesday, December 17th @ 6:30pm The Holcomb Brothers

Thursday, December 18th @ 8:00pm Soul Funktion

Friday, December 19th @ 8:30pm Micah and the Reason

Casa de Feliz invites you to come and enjoy some mesmerizing flamenco dancing by Alborea Dances Flamenco. Show starts on Sunday, December 7, from 12-3pm.

Alborea Dances is a multicultural Entertainment Dance Company, created and directed by Jenny and Ernesto Caballero, who have been dedicated to the world of dance for more than 20 years. They have combined their experiences as dance educators, performers, choreographers and events coordinators, to present dances from Spain, Bolivia and Middle Eastern countries. After many years of performing in International festivals and important venues around South America, Europe and the United States, life brought them to Florida to delight their audiences on the stages of Universal Studios, Sea World, Walt Disney World, Resorts, Hotels and Conventions. Also, they have been featured on The Travel Channel’s Great Hotels Series and Orange County TV’s “Central Florida’s World of Dance” series.

Good Morning Winter Park is the popular monthly breakfast gathering where Chamber members, residents, and community leaders converge.   Each month attracts a key speaker to provide a new perspective on an important community issue.

Attending Good Morning Winter Park is an excellent opportunity to grow your business through interacting with community leaders, gaining insight on a timely topic and networking with fellow business professionals.

Good Morning Winter Park is always free, open to the public and includes a complimentary continental breakfast.

Upcoming Program

Friday, December 12, 2014
7:45 a.m. – Networking
8:15 a.m. – Program

Winter Park Welcome Center / Chamber of Commerce
151 W. Lyman Avenue
Winter Park, FL 32789

Topic: Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen Celebrates the Holidays with Santa’s White Christmas, America’s favorite flavored coffee.

Speaker: Jonathan Smiga, CEO, Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen

As 2015 draws to an end, a look at how Barnie’s CoffeeKitchen has grown and evolved as a brand and is stronger than ever. Especially as consumer products has become the strategic focal point, bringing Barnie’s Coffee to retailers, grocers & office coffee distributors in bagged, single serve and BREWSTICKS coffees nationwide.

Mark Your Calendar
Good Morning Winter Park is held on the second Friday of each month.  Mark your calendar now for our 2014 program dates:
December 12

16th Annual Leadership Winter Park Pancake Breakfast

The Leadership Winter Park Pancake Breakfast has become a holiday tradition.  Come early, enjoy a delicious breakfast and get a great seat for the “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade (parade begins at 9 a.m.).

Help us turn pancake batter into a stack of dough! Invest in the future of our community by supporting the Winter Park Improvement Foundation in its efforts to develop adult and youth leaders through Leadership Winter Park programs. Participants cultivate essential leadership skills, examine community issues and aid local non-profit agencies in projects that leave a lasting impact on Winter Park.

Proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast will go directly to the Winter Park Improvement Foundation.

Leadership Winter Park will also collect school supply items at the event to benefit local elementary schools.

When & Where
Saturday, December 6, 2014
7 – 10:30 a.m.

Central Park Stage
Corner of Garfield and Park Avenue

Sponsorships
Leadership Winter Park offers several unique sponsorship opportunities for organizations interested in supporting the breakfast.  Download information on available packages or contact Megan Lanier at mlanier@winterpark.org.

Tickets
$6 – Adults
$4 – Children

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce is proud to host the annual Winter Park “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade.  The event has been held on the first Saturday in December for more than 60 years, making it the longest-running holiday parade in Central Florida.

Each year the parade travels down Park Avenue, starting at Cole Avenue and proceeding south to Comstock Avenue.  More than 100 units participate including marching bands, local police and fire departments, scouting groups, local dignitaries and, of course, Santa Claus.

When & Where
62nd annual Winter Park “Ye Olde Hometown” Christmas Parade
Saturday, December 6, 2014
9:00 a.m.

Park Avenue, downtown Winter Park, Florida

Before and during the parade, Leadership Winter Park will host their annual Pancake Breakfast at the Central Park stage from 7:00-10:30 a.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for children.  Proceeds benefit Winter Park area elementary schools. Learn more about the Pancake Breakfast here.

Please note, public restrooms are available at Winter Park Welcome Center and Shoppes on Park (near Paris Bistro), in addition to near Central Park Stage.

Letters to Santa
The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Winter Park Public Library and Winter Park/Maitland Observer will be sponsoring the Letters to Santa Contest again this year.This competition is open to children 13 years of age and younger with residence in the Winter Park, Maitland, College Park, Baldwin Park or Goldenrod area.

Contestants will be asked to write a letter to Santa explaining how they plan to spread holiday cheer this season beginning with “The gift I most want to give is…”

Contest entries are to be no longer than 300 words and are due by November 28, 2014. Entries should be submitted along with the author’s name, age, phone number and mailing address by email toeditor@observernewspapers.com, or physical mail, Letters to Santa c/o Winter Park-Maitland Observer, 1500 Park Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32835.

This year’s winning letter will be published in the Winter Park/Maitland Observer and the recognized winner will ride in the Christmas Parade (Dec. 6). Four tickets to the 16th Annual Winter Park Pancake Breakfast (Dec. 6) and four tickets to the Winter in the Park ice skating rink (valid through Jan. 11, 2015) will also be included. Winners will also receive a holiday book and movie package from the Winter Park Public Library.

Deadline for parade entries is Friday, October 10, 2014. Please note, due to the logistics of our parade, we do not accept applications from political organizations or candidates. We also ask that no political collateral, messaging or signage be present in the parade.

For additional information, sponsorship and other inquiries, contact Ashley Fraebel at 407-644-8281 orafraebel@winterpark.org.

The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce invites you to kick off the holidays at the 25th annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony in Central Park in downtown Winter Park on Friday December 5th.  Bring the entire family to this free event for an evening of holiday cheer as Park Avenue is transformed into a Winter Wonderland.

Kick off the evening with performances by local children’s choirs. The tree lighting will be broadcast live on WFTV – Channel 9 with anchor Bob Opsahl.  Afterwards families can enjoy refreshments and activities provided by local businesses, plus visits with Santa.

The Tree Lighting event is also a collection site for the local Toys for Tots campaign. In partnership with WFTV 9 Family Connection, attendees are invited to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the event and help spread holiday cheer to children throughout Central Florida this holiday season. Details on Toys for Tots can be found at 9Family.com. Other highlights for the evening include the City of Winter Park’s “Popcorn Flicks,” which will screen the holiday hit movie “Jingle All the Way” free of charge beginning at 7 p.m. near the Central Park stage.