This is how we came to find the beautiful Ruth Eckerd Theatre which is located along with the Baungardner School of Performing Arts in beautuiful parkland at Clearwater in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

The stunning concert hall which features a continental style seating plan with no centre aisle will comfortably seat 2.180 people and guarantees an excellent view of the stage for all,  together with an excellent sound system. The theatre was opened in 1983 and is named after the wife of one of the founder members. The theatre is run as a charitable trust and is staffed mainly by volunteers.

 Many world famous stars have visited and played to packed houses over the years and on the paved area around the theatre performers have left their signatures. These are really fascinating with many really big stars proud to leave their names such as Johnny Mathis ,Barry Manilow,Dolly Parton, Tony Bennett to name but a few plus comedians such as “The Cable Guy”.

Our first visit was in February 2008 when we took a nostalgic trip back to the 1950’s to see Steve Lawrence and Edyie Gorme…married in 1957 they have performed world wide ever since.We saw a great show with a full 25 piece orchestra and the couple performed all their greatest hits and were just as good as ever.

Our second trip in November 2008 was to see the great country and western singer Vince Gill. It was an absolutely stunning show and once more played to a  packed audience of all ages.

Each year audiences of up to 350.000 both young and old see great performances by world renowned classical artists, dance companies. Broadway Musicals. Popstars, Country stars , Comedians and many more. The theatre is nominated as one of the top five concert halls in the USA

We can certainly recommend a visit to this lovely theatre.You can find out who is performing there and elsewhere in the Orlando area by purchasing the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper on Friday when it carries a separate entertainment guide.

However, nearing retirement he followed his childhood dream and ran away to join the circus. His family continued to run the business waiting for him to return.  When he finally returned to Lake Wales he was very ill and later died. The people of Lake Wales wanted something to remember him by and decided to honour him by holding a Jazz concert in the Restaurant. This idea soon gave way to having a marching Band in the main street, which then led to friends wearing outrageous costumes. So Mardi Gras was formed. 

Since the first parade in 1985 Mardi Gras has grown into a two week celebration of costume balls, jam sessions, craft and food stalls. Mardi Grass is celebrated in many countries and Lake Wales has included some of the traditions from many including feathered costumes from Rio, Masks from New Orleans, Dixieland Jazz, Blues and Rock music,  Food vendors travel from near and far to be part of Mardi Gras, selling chicken on a stick, New Orleans-style food and Greek dishes.

Year on year the Mardi has grown into a much loved and respected street entertainment and theatre with over four hundred participants and thousands of spectators each year. It certainly has something for everyone young and old. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, the music loud and exciting.

The Mardi Gras spirit in Lake Wales survived the devastating hurricane season on 2004, when three major hurricanes hit the area. Today, the spirit is alive and well.

This year the Mardi Gras runs from 12 Jan – until the big Street Parade on 21 Feb 09.

Be sure not to miss it!

Starting in the morning with Kiddies Pirate parades, a Cycle Rodeo and Fair. The show goes on with 2 different Air Displays, with the evening show staging a Battle with the Pirates taking over the City as they did a hundred years ago??

There is a massive Firework display to end the day which will no doubt be amazing. To top it all the day is free so if you are in the Tampa area on Saturday 24th. January it sounds like a Brilliant day out.

 A couple of years back when I first visited the villa we were driving along the US27 going south  and were wondering where to go for a local night out without having to travel too far.  We had many times passed what looked like a wooden shack with the words ‘The Pub’ emblazoned on it a short distance down the US27 south from its junction with the I4, signposted to Haines City.  From the outside it looked a bit run down but we still decided it was worth giving it a try.  Once inside we were very impressed what a difference, the decor is lovely and it’s laid out just like an English pub.  There are booths at the side where you can dine in privacy and the bar and serving staff are so friendly and give you a warm welcome.  They have entertainment most nights and on our first visit there was a singing duo called John & Wayne (John, as it turned out, was born in Essex).  They were fantastic and did some really good songs that you could sing along to and they also did a comedy routine.  There are also regular karaoke nights and other evenings dedicated to showing UK football games.  Their food menu is extensive and very good value for lovely food, very large portions too.  It is also frequented by some colourful local characters, we met a friendly chap who introduced himself as the ‘Mayor of Polk County’ does Polk County have a mayor we wondered ?  We never did find out, but he certainly kept us amused with his tall stories.  It can be difficult to get taxis in the area, but the bar staff are always helpful in ordering you a taxi to get you back should you decide to enjoy the plentiful selection of bar drinks rather than taking the car. All in all I think it’s one of the best nights out you can have in that area of the US27 and I shall certainly be paying it regular visits on all my future visits to Florida.

So Universal CityWalk was created to provide evening entertainment for visitors to Universal Studios and Islands Of Adventure.  Many visitors walk through CityWalk, as it is situated between the car parks and theme park entrances, and provides facilities which rival those at Downtown Disney.

Entertainment
Regular live concerts are scheduled at Hard Rock Live, featuring local, national and international artists.  This is one of the major venues for live music, along with The House of Blues at Downtown Disney.  There are also options for jazz music (at Cityjazz), reggae (Bob Marley - A Tribute to Freedom), dance (The Groove) - so plenty of choice, whatever your taste in music.  Check out what is on in the local newspapers.

To supplement live entertainment, there is also a multi-screen cinema (or theater).  Take your choice from 20 screens to catch the latest blockbuster - for European visitors some of these films may not yet have been released at home. A combination ticket is offered, to include a visit to the cinema and a meal at one of the many restaurants.  Talking of which…..

Restaurants
We have already mentioned Bob Marley’s and the Hard Rock - but the list doesn’t stop there.  Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville is themed around the songs by the singer of the same name, whilst sports fans are not forgotten - at the NBA City and NASCAR restaurants.  NBA features films and the story of basketball, whilst NASACR is themed around the motor racing sport of the same name.

Shopping
There are also plenty of opportunities to spend a few dollars whilst walking through CityWalk.  Several stores offer Universal-related merchandise, whilst there are also surfwear stores, Fossil - and an entire store dedicated to merchandise relating to endangered species.

Car Parking
It is necessary to pay to park in the huge Universal car parks if arriving during the day - although parking is free during the evenings.  As most of the entertainment is geared towards evenings, this doesn’t present a problem.  It is situated close to International Drive, so a brisk walk is also an option.

CityWalk or Downtown Disney
It will come as no surprise to discover that both of these companies present their entertainment offering superbly. We recommend having a look during the day when visiting the other parks, and deciding which appeals more to you.  The likelihood is you will wish to visit both - as you would expect, additional charges are made for some of the entertainment on offer.

On my first visit I crammed in as much of the theme parks as I could. I loved what I saw and did. However there is a limit to how many times you can ride the Hulk or how long your stomache will allow you to stay on Fire and Ice. My wife was in her element queuing to meet Pluto whom she greeted in a semi hug/rugby tackle. It was comical to watch a non child friendly and normally laid back adult wait excitedly amoungst a queue of children to meet a total stranger inside a pluto costume. This was the part of Orlando I was expecting and was not disappointed. Theme parks are a must, even if you are dragged along begrudgingly and vow never to return again. 

One surprise I did have in Orlando was Elvis night at The Pub. The Pub is a bar located on US Highway 27, it is close to where our villa is located so somewhere we visited once in a while. It just so happens we were there on Elvis night. The Elvis impersonater Jack Smink has a following of local fans and has a minder who looks a lot like The Fonze complete with leather jacket and white t shirt. Once you look past the cheaply made tacky costumes and the silk scarves he hands out you get to listen to the voice and realise how good he really is. Jack puts on a great show and is a genuinely nice guy. He always has time to chat to eveyone both during and after the show and not just to make a sale of cd or dvd. I don’t actually know if Jack Smink is a well known Elvis impersonater in the US but having returned to the UK I have found him on google. He has his own web sites and does hit the road and tour.

If you are staying on US27 or near to that area The Pub is certainly worth a visit. Friday night is Karaoke night and the regulars are there doing their favourite songs. Check out David Bowie sound a like who duets with the ” Freddie Mercury” Karaoke in the US seems to be taken a lot more serious than in the UK and is hysterical.

  At the moment there are not that many bars in that area, other than The Brass Nail which my wife was too scared to go in to. This of course could all change with the developement of the Posner Leisure and Retail Park. The area is reputed to go upmarket. This can only be a good thing for villa owners and locals. However good the other bars are please don’t forget The Pub and Elvis.    

The Candlelight Processional takes place annually in the American Gardens Theatre beginning at the end of November (normally the day after Thanksgiving) and running to the end of December with 3 shows nightly.  There is no extra charge to attend the program as it is included in your Epcot Center admission.

We attended during the week following Christmas.  We waited quite a long time in line and missed the beginning of the program.  I thought we would miss it altogether, but we lucked out when they opened up a reserved seating section in the front that had not been filled and we were fortunate enough to be ushered in to these excellent seats!  Every year, there is a very impressive line-up of celebrity narrators scheduled for the duration of the season.  We were lucky enough to be there to see Levar Burton who did a fantastic job!  He read with such passion as the choir and orchestra punctuated his oral presentation with an outstanding performance of all the Christmas favorites.  We all found the experience to be deeply moving and would recommend this to everyone!

Little did we know, but the best way to enjoy the Candlelight Processional (and be assured of the seating that we just happened to be lucky enough to get!) is with the purchase of the Dinner Package.  Along with dinner at a select Epcot restaurant, preferred seating for the show is included.   This package guarantees you good seating (front and center) without waiting in line.  Participating restaurants include:

Biergarten - Germany Pavilion

The Garden Grill Restaurant - The Land Nine Dragons - China Pavilion

Rose & Crown - United Kingdom Pavilion

Restaurant Marrakesh - Morocco Pavilion

San Angel Inn - Mexico PavilionChefs de France - France Pavilion

Coral Reef - The Living Seas

L’Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante - Italy Pavilion

Le Cellier Steakhouse - Canada Pavilion

Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki Dining Room - Japan Pavilion

You must eat prior to your show of choice and for those who prefer an early meal, lunch pricing is available with tickets to the first performance at 5:00 pm.

Everyday when we went out in the car the music got us in the holiday mood. We even tuned in the radio at the villa so we could listen to it over breakfast by the pool. With it being a local station, based in Winter Park, Orlando there is always information about local events. One such event was a Homes and Gardens exhibition at the Orange Convention Centre off International drive. So we went along to investigate. Much like our Ideal Home exhibition in London, but on a smaller scale. Lots of interesting stalls with household gadgets, food samples etc. A nice day out.

On our last trip in February 2008 there was the 4th Annual art & Music Festval around the Lake at Eola Park in downtown Orlando. Lots of colourful art and craft stalls set out ariound the lake, and live music in the small ampitheatre located on the edge of the lake. A great free afternoons entertainment.

So when you are in the Kissimmee/Orlando area, tune in to 103.1 WLOQ for great tunes and information.