Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Which Orlando restaurants thrived—and which didn’t—during a brutal 2025?

Also check out Christmas Day Brunch Buffet on the Orlando Patch calendar

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Greetings Orlando! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • Which Orlando restaurants thrived—and which didn’t—during a brutal 2025?
  • What deputies are saying after a teen is killed on PGA Boulevard
  • How toy cars are transforming independence for Orlando kids with disabilities

Also on today's calendar: Christmas Day Brunch Buffet and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Orlandofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the little needle say to the mother needle when it brought home a failing report card? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Orlandofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high of 79 and low of 57 degrees.
  • Friday: Sunny much of the time, temps: high: 78, low: 56.
  • Saturday: Partly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 79 and low of 60 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Restaurant look-back 2025: ‘We're always flying by the seat of our pants' (orlandosentinel.com) — Orlando’s restaurant scene weathered a tough 2025, with local owners describing rising costs, shifting drinking habits, and a summer slump even as new spots opened across downtown, Winter Park, Dr. Phillips, and the Milk District. Several beloved restaurants closed, but chefs say strong downtown lunch crowds, creative pivots like food trucks, and returning hospitality workers are helping the city’s dining landscape evolve for 2026.
   

2. 17-year-old shot, killed in Orlando residential area, Orange County deputies investigate (fox35orlando.com) — A 17-year-old was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon on PGA Boulevard in an Orlando residential area, and Orange County deputies are still piecing together what happened. Investigators say the teen died at the scene and have not released a name or suspect details yet. The area remains taped off as the sheriff’s office continues its early-stage investigation.
   

3. Customized toy cars give mobility, joy to children with disabilities (fox35orlando.com) — Right here in Orlando, UCF students and Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital are teaming up to turn off-the-shelf toy cars into custom mobility devices for kids with disabilities. Families say the free Go Baby Go! cars give their children independence, joy, and a chance to play alongside friends, while the program keeps expanding across Central Florida.
   

4. This funny movie shows Christmas in Orlando in the '80s (wesh.com) — If you love spotting familiar places on screen, this look back at “Ernest Saves Christmas” highlights how the 1988 film doubles as a time capsule of Orlando, from MCO and the old Orlando Children’s Museum to Orlando Station and Magic FanAttic. It also connects those ‘80s locations to what they’ve become today, including Orlando Science Center and the Amway Center team shop.
   

5. We asked people in Orlando about their favorite Christmas family traditions (wesh.com) — Orlando families shared their favorite Christmas Eve traditions while spending the day at Lake Eola, from competitive game nights and gingerbread contests to pampering rescued pets with stockings. The story highlights how local residents gather, play, and reflect together, offering a warm snapshot of how neighbors across the city keep the holiday feeling special.
   

📸 Around Orlando

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Orlando

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

📣 Orlando Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

    Thursday December 25
  • Breathe with the Trees Relaxation Training
    Mead Botanical Garden , 1300 S. Denning Dr. , Winter Park
    10:00 am
  • Library Closed: Christmas Holiday
    Altamonte Springs, FL Calendar , 281 Maitland Avenue , Altamonte Springs
    10:00 am
    • Friday December 26
  • City Hall Closed
    Ocoee City Hall - Ocoee FL 34761
  • Kwanzaa in Historic Eatonville
    Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts , 344 E Kennedy Blvd , Eatonville
    10:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Orlando PatchAM possible:

  • Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
    Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
  • Got Balloons — (407) 655-3161
    We make Orlando pop with custom balloon setups for events!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • OPD’s Bravo Rotation - Downtown Bikes, Parramore Bikes, and Foxtrot Patrol units - continue working hard this holiday season. Today, while #OnTheBeat... (X: OrlandoPolice)
  • Orange County leads Central Florida in Legionnaires’ Disease cases, 100 confirmed... (X: WFTV)
  • Burlington posted a job opening for Seasonal Retail Stocking Associate - Part Time in Orlando. Apply here.
  • The Martin-Brower Company posted a job opening for Inventory Cycle Counter in Orlando. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Orlando here.

Ok Orlando! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m not as sharp as I thought.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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