Florida Culture for the Week of September 30 by Josh Garrick

Now – FREE One Year Museum Admission Pass in Maitland

Bet that caught your attention! The Art & History Museums – Maitland now offers a FREE One-Year Museum pass to residents of Maitland to all five A&H museums for the year from the date the pass is issued. To get your pass, bring proof of Maitland residence to the Maitland Art Center at 231 W. Packwood Avenue … and enjoy the museums. The Art & History Museums - Maitland include: The Maitland Art Center, the Maitland Historical Museum, the Telephone Museum, the Waterhouse Residence Museum, and the Carpentry Shop Museum. Call 407-539-2181 or visit ArtandHistory.org

Oct 2 – Arun Gandhi at Rollins College

Celebrating its 6th year of bringing world-renowned intellectuals to Florida, Rollins College’s Winter Park Institute will present Arun Gandhi, peace activist and proponent of non-violence, who follows the guiding principles of his grandfather, the legendary Mahatma Gandhi. Entitled Lessons Learned from My Grandfather: Non-Violence in a Violent World, the free event begins at 7 pm at the Knowles Chapel at Rollins College. Visit winterparkinstitute.org or call (407) 691-1995.

Oct 3 to 9 – Mamma Mia! – The Hit Musical with Songs by ABBA

Seen by over 50 million people around the world, Mamma Mia is celebrating its 12th year on Broadway. The story – woven around beloved hit tunes by ABBA – is about a single mother who owns a small hotel on a Greek island. She is about to watch the daughter she’s raised alone get married, but the wedding guests provide their own version of love and romance in this celebration of mothers and daughters, friends and family. Visit OrlandoBroadway.com or call 1-800-982-2787 or 407-704-6116.

Oct 4, 5, and 6 – The Maitland Rotary Art Festival, “Art Under the Stars”

Surrounding beautiful Lake Lily in Maitland, the Maitland Rotary Art Festival, celebrating its 37th season, features 150 artists vying for $26,000 in awards. The only night-time fine art show in Florida, the evening hours create a magical experience for Artists and Patrons alike as Performing Arts of Maitland provides live entertainment. The Festival takes place Friday, October 4, from 6 to 10 pm; Saturday, October 5, from 10 am to 10 pm; and Sunday, October 6, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Oct 5 – The Festival of Bacon

BACON will have its own Festival (and why not?) on October 5 in Downtown Orlando. Attendees can sink their teeth into 30,000+ samples of bacon-inspired treats, prepared by 30+ Florida restaurants competing for the Best of Bacon award. The event includes live music, beer and bacon-inspired cocktails. Admission is $35. Call 407.919.9470 or visit festivalofbacon.com

Oct 9 to Nov. 10 – Dracula as Presented by Shakespeare and Company 

Long before True Blood, Dracula, the original Prince of Darkness reigned over the shadowy world of the undead. Now Orlando Shakes invites us to experience the celebrated gothic thriller in a one-man tour-de-force that uses Bram Stoker’s original text of journal entries and newspaper clippings for an evening of bloody thrills. Dracula’s inventive theatricality will work its dark sorcery from October 9 to November 10 … which includes Halloween night!  Call 407.447.1700 or visit orlandoshakes.org

Oct 10 -- Singer Marc Broussard and Full Sail University Release Concert Video

Recording artist Marc Broussard, in collaboration with that cauldron of creativity – Full Sail University – will release Marc Broussard LIVE from Full Sail University, the artist’s first live concert video, on October 10. Coming on the heels of Broussard’s latest album, the film documents Broussard’s live performance shot on location at Full Sail on Valentine’s Day 2013. With over an hour of live recordings featuring fourteen tracks, Broussard’s unique sound is described as Bayou Soul. Visit marcbroussard.com and fullsail.edu

Oct 11 to 31 (Halloween) – Phantasmagoria IV

The 4th installment of what has become an annual Halloween Celebration – Phantasmagoria IV – Hell Hath Risen will ‘storm’ the Shakespeare Center from October 11 to 31. With new stories and all-new large-scale puppetry inter-acting with live actors, dance, and ‘haunted’ storytelling, the ‘theatrical’ pays homage to Poe, Dickens and other literary masters who ‘dabbled in the Dark.’ Under the direction of John DiDonna, Kevin Becker & Seth Kubersky; choreography by Mila Makarova & Dion Smith; fight direction by Bill Warriner; original music by Tod Kimbro & Les Caulfield; this new installment presents us with a Halloween treat of the finest talents in Central Florida. Call 407.328.9005 or credit card orders online at redchairproject.com.

Oct 12 -- Orlando Philharmonic and the Orlando Gay Chorus

On October 12 the Orlando Philharmonic will open its ‘pops series’ with a concert entitled An American Salute featuring the Orlando Gay Chorus and conductor Albert Schram. “We’re going to do some blues, some jazz, some American standard songs, and much patriotic music,” says Maestro Schram. The program includes America the Beautiful, Battle Hymn of the Republic and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. With performances at 2 pm and 8 pm, the Chorus “changes hearts through music,” serving as goodwill ambassadors on behalf of the LGBT community. The performances are set for the Bob Carr PAC. Call 407.770.0071 or visit orlandophil.org

Oct 12 – Festival Singers of Florida to Premiere New Work

The Festival Singers of Florida will present the Florida premiere of Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest at Winter Park Presbyterian Church on October 12 at 7:30 pm.  Called “peaceful yet exciting, rhythmically strong yet completely comforting,” the Festival Singers will premiere the chamber version of the work which will have its New York premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2014. Call 407-647-1467 or visit winterparkpc.org

And looking ahead …

Oct 13 to 19 – Harriett's Park Avenue Fashion Week

Returning for its 7th season, Harriett’s Park Avenue Fashion Week is a celebration of fashion and design AND a week-long tribute to Central Florida’s greatest (and most stylish) philanthropist – Harriett Lake. For seven days, Winter Park offers trunk shows, designer meet-and-greets, special ‘sales’ and, of course, the BIG fashion runway show. Start planning your outfit for October 19, when we can mingle with Florida’s fashion elite in the ‘tent’ in Central Park. Doors open at 6 pm and the show begins at 7 pm. Visit parkavenuefashionweek.com

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators