Old World charm isn’t a phrase you hear often when describing Florida cities, but those three words encapsulate what Winter Park is all about. With its oak tree-lined neighborhoods, brick streets and Spanish revival architecture, the quaint village is a breath of fresh air from the surrounding hustle and bustle of the greater Orlando region. While the heart of Winter Park is anchored around Park Avenue, a haven for al fresco dining and boutiques, it’s also home to one of the Sunshine State’s most vibrant art scenes and the Winter Park Arts Weekend.

Winter Park provides a different sense of charm than the shows of Art Basel, the street murals of Wynwood Walls, or Sarasota’s Cultural Coast. The concentration of Winter Park’s visual and performing art hubs, within a 10-square-mile radius, puts the city on par with the state’s other top players in terms of culture and creative ventures. 

Zoom In

The interesting thing about the city is at first glance you don’t notice just how deeply embedded the arts are within it. Between its serene chain of lakes and lush treetop canopies, it’s easy to get distracted by Winter Park’s surface beauty, but like sitting with a painting, the longer you look, the more you’ll find. Take The Alfond Inn. With an idyllic rooftop pool, first-rate Florida-inspired accommodations and posh lobby, it’s hard to beat. But as you soak in your surroundings, you’ll notice how it’s truly a work of art unto itself, from the mosaic of more than 300,000 sculpted yellow flowers leading the way to the spa to other eye-catching installations and paintings in the atrium. Not to mention, The Alfond Inn is the only hotel in the country that serves as an extension of an art museum, and it’s always featuring new pieces that are a part of The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art from the Rollins Museum of Art, which now includes more than 630 works. 

Explore Mixed Media

With so many museums, galleries and performing art establishments within such close proximity to each other, Winter Park launched their Arts & Culture Alliance in 2017 with the hope of accomplishing a common goal: to enhance and improve awareness and visibility of the arts within the community. The 24 nonprofit organizations in the Alliance meet monthly to collaborate, discover and inspire each other—and to see how they can work together to enrich locals and visitors alike. There’s always something happening in Winter Park for those looking to get their culture fix, making it easy to spend an entire weekend enjoying the arts.

Discover Fresh Perspectives 

If you’re looking for an artsy escape, mark your calendar for Feb. 20-23, when Arts Weekend, an annual event sponsored by the Arts & Culture Alliance, returns after a six-year hiatus. All the members are coming together for a celebration centered on creativity and connectedness. On Thursday night, the festivities officially kick off with a keynote speaker on arts and wellbeing. On Friday evening, “Big Band Spirituals” will perform in Central Park, where African American soul and jazz music is transformed by the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. Saturday’s lineup is an afternoon affair where booths representing the Alliance members are set up across Central Park to educate the community about their missions and programming. There will also be a rotating slate of performances on Central Park’s Main Stage, from dance routines to musical and theatrical acts, alongside kid’s activities and other interactive art experiences. On Sunday, the Alliance is encouraging everyone to get out to see firsthand what their members are all about, with many of the members offering specialty programming and discounts. And don’t worry if you aren’t able to see it all during this weekend alone—now you have the perfect excuse to come back for another visit.

For more information, visit http://WPinspires.org/ArtsWeekend

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Meet the Arts & Culture Alliance Members 

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens + Capen Showalter House / ArtReach Orlando / Bach Festival Society of Winter Park / Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts / Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum / Central Florida Vocal Arts & Opera del Sol / Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art / City of Winter Park Public Art Collection / Crealdé School of Art + Hannibal Square Heritage Center / GladdeningLight / Mead Botanical Garden, Inc. / Open Scene / Rollins Annie Russell Theatre / Rollins Department of Music / Rollins Museum of Art + The Alfond Inn / Winter Park Chamber of Commerce / Winter Park Health Foundation / Winter Park History Museum / Winter Park Institute / Winter Park Library / Winter Park Playhouse / Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival

Find out more about each Alliance Member at WPinspires.org.

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