Central Floridians have a lot to be thankful for. Just ask them.
Readers offered hundreds of suggestions for this year’s Thanksgiving list of “101 Things to Love about Orlando and Central Florida.”
To keep things fresh, the 2022 list is a mix of old favorites and newcomers to the scene — the natural attractions, small businesses, local groups and unique experiences that make Central Florida a special place to live.
Here’s what locals like:
The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive and the drive’s Facebook group where members post fascinating photos of curious otters, lazy gators and bald eagles snatching morning meals fresh from the lake.
Free line dancing lessons at Cowboys.
Orlando’s East End Market and Lake Nona’s Town Center and sculpture garden.
Wearing shorts in December.
Unique and quirky eateries like Ethos and Lee and Rick’s Oyster Bar. And neighborhood gems like The Strand, Maxine’s on Shine and Hawkers, which locals have long appreciated but which the Michelin crowd now knows about as well.
The Second Harvest Food Bank’s culinary academy.
Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, the escape from reality that Harry Potter offers at Universal and SeaWorld’s increasingly impressive collection of coasters.
That the I-4 Ultimate construction project is finally done.
Tasty Takeover food truck gatherings in the Milk District.
WUCF, WMFE and WTKS.
Leu Gardens and Lukas Nursery.
The fact that you sometimes have to stop in traffic to let a sandhill crane, blue heron or peacock cross the road.
Central Floridians’ passion for decorating their homes for the holidays — early and with mega-watt intensity.
A Gift for Teaching. And Music.
Often underappreciated museums — from the Regional History Center in downtown Orlando and the Morse in Winter Park to the Museum of Art in DeLand and the Hyatt and Cici Brown Museum of Art in Daytona Beach.
The ability to walk and run outside all year ’round. And the vast array of trails on which to do so.
Orlando Fringe, the Festival of New Musicals at the Winter Park Playhouse and PlayFest at Orlando Shakes.
The linemen and women who flock here and work long hours after hurricanes and storms blow through … too many times this past year.
Florida Veterinary Rehabilitation in DeLand.
SeniorsFirst, the Center for Independent Living and the Mental Health Association of Central Florida.
The Central Florida Zoo’s Asian Lantern Festival.
That metro Orlando still has a daily newspaper publishing seven days a week. And that it’s staffed with a team of journalists that, while smaller than years before, cares deeply about the community it covers.
World-class staycations right in our own backyard.
The Orlando Repertory Theater, the Victory Cup Initiative and the Central Florida Freethought Community.
Camping at at Moss Park, on Hontoon Island and in the Ocala National Forest.
Natural springs — from the tiny Green in Enterprise to the big, manatee-attracting Blue in Orange City.
One of the best theatrical complexes in the country with Dr. Phillips and one of the best airports in Orlando International.
A strong and active collection of leagues of women voters.
Groups so focused on hope that it’s in their name — like New Hope for Kids in Maitland, which helps kids who’ve lost their parents; the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka, which helps immigrants struggling for a better life and The Hope Partnership in Kissimmee, which helps the working poor.
Indie music scenes like Will’s Pub, the Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts and the Timucua Arts Foundation.
Pioneer Day in Kissimmee.
The fact that we have both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico within an easy drive in each direction. And that Central Floridians can work until lunch and still be on board a cruise ship by 2 p.m. alongside Minnesotans who had to fly in the day before.
Central Florida Community Arts and the One Orlando Alliance.
Magical Dining.
Bok Tower. The Orlando Cat Cafe. A Petrified Forest.
Boat tours, whether along the Dora Canal or Winter Park’s chain of lakes.
The St. Johns River.
The Black Boardroom Leadership Institute at the Orlando Economic Partnership.
Parks galore, including Orlando Wetlands, Homosassa and Wekiwa Springs.
Top-notch health care options.
The Orlando Ballet, Orlando Philharmonic and Opera Orlando.
A wide variety of churches, mosques, synagogues and faith groups that not only seek to nurture their members’ souls but to address community needs that would otherwise go unmet. See: IDignity, Shepherd’s Hope (soon to be Shepherd’s Health) and the Christian Service Center.
The night-blooming Cereus at Mead Garden, which blossoms just once a year and consequently prompts a fun fuss.
Beefy King, Eleanor’s Barbershop and Mathers Social Gathering.
The Orange County Library System.
The PACE Center and Orlando Science Center.
The new $70 million charitable fund set up by Orlando’s youngest billionaire, Luminar-founder Austin Russell.
Creative venues that showcase the work of local artists, including the Faith Arts Village in Orlando and Sanford’s Gallery on First.
The Howey Mansion’s “secret” prohibition room.
The Orlando Pride and the Orlando City’s Foundation.
Mike Barnett’s “Family Nature Club” in Lake County, which offers guided hikes through local parks and trails.
The city of Orlando’s easy-to-use online portal for reporting potholes.
The Kiwanis Club of South Orlando’s annual turkey smoke.
Lake Eola.
The ability to step out your front door and watch a rocket launch into the night sky.
