Go Out

Forget the tie -- try these 6 things to make Dad smile

2010-06-18T14:36:51Z

It's no contest: Mother's Day has always garnered more attention.

Not that you moms don't deserve every ounce of doting you receive, but sometimes us dads like to get in on the action, too.

Don't get us wrong, we love the Three Stooges tie and coffee mugs you've bought us in the past. We really do. But maybe this year for Father's Day, we should get a little more attention.

So this weekend, if you find yourself stuck for ideas, try one of these sure-fire winners:

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

Dad loves a good concert and you have plenty to choose from in the next few days. And guess what? They are all free.

On Saturday, the Bandshell hosts a pretty unique experience as the Ugandan Orphans Choir and Anthony Wild and the Suspects take the stage at 5 p.m. as part of the Friends of the Bandshell Concert Series held at the Bandshell behind the Ocean Walk Shoppes, 250 N. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach. For info, call 386-258-9544.

If jazz is more your thing, the New Smyrna Beach Summer Concert Series welcomes Thomas Jones to Riverside Park for a 6 p.m. show Sunday. The venue is at 105 S. Riverside Drive in New Smyrna Beach. For information, call 386-424-2175.

Also on Sunday at the Bandshell in Daytona Beach is "Bandshell Live!" featuring Dillinger and Steam. Sing along with Steam as they are sure to bust out their megahit "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." The event takes place from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Call 386-307-0922 for more info.


HOT RODDIN'

It's hard to top a day surrounded by super sweet, super fast rides at "Hot Rods on the Hill" in Holly Hill.

The day features plenty of food, live entertainment and cars from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at Hollyland Park, 1046 Ridgewood Ave.

For more information on the free event, call 386-256-0399.

TAKE HIM OUT TO A BALLGAME

Is there a better way to celebrate Father's Day than at a baseball game? Not if Dad's a sports fan. The Daytona Cubs are in town tonight and Saturday against the Dunedin Blue Jays at 7:05 p.m.

Tonight, the first 1,000 fans receive a foam finger. On Saturday, stay after the game for a rockin' fireworks display.

Jackie Robinson Ballpark is at 105 E. Orange Ave. in Daytona Beach. Call 386-257-3172 for tickets.


GO FISH

Live music and seafood? Yes, please.

This weekend check out the Ormond Beach Seafood Festival at Rockefeller Gardens, 25 Riverside Drive in Ormond Beach. The event will feature some of the area's best seafood restaurants from RiverGrille on the Tomoka and LuLu's Oceanside Grill to Bubba Gump's and the Dish.

But there's way more than just the food. There will be plenty of live music including a performance by Terry Sylvester, formerly of the Hollies. And there's even a Children's Corner for the kiddies.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and free for ages 11 and younger.

For information, visit ormondbeachseafoodfestival.com.

WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE SNAKES?

Help Dad embrace his inner Indiana Jones at the Lyonia Environmental Center, 2150 Eustace Ave. in Deltona. The center will hold a "Snakes of Florida" program from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Admission is $3, $2 for seniors and $1 for children. For info, call 386-789-7207.

POLKA POLKA

If Dad has a little Fred Astaire in him, there are a couple of opportunities for him to flash those fancy feet, if those feet know how to polka.

The Polish American Pulaski Club welcomes Brad Turk and the Northern Lites for their Sunday Dinner Dance starting at 1 p.m. After the meal, dance the day away from 2 to 5:30 p.m.

The club is at 3621 W. International Speedway Blvd. in Daytona Beach. Admission is $17 for the general public, $15 for members of the club and $8 if you only want to come for the dance. Call 386-258-7059 for information.

Elephant rides, history highlight Juneteenth

2010-06-18T14:10:59Z

DAYTONA BEACH -- Pony and elephant rides. Live music. A poundcake contest. Arts and crafts.

If that sounds like fun to you, then check out the 10th annual Juneteenth community celebration Saturday.

The event, which commemorates the 1865 announcement in Texas that slavery had ended, runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 925 George Engram Blvd.

There's no charge to get into the family festival, but food ranging from cheeseburgers to shrimp to smoothies will be for sale from various vendors.

One highlight of this year's festival will be the Sankofa African-American Museum on Wheels from South Carolina, organizers say. The mobile museum has more than 1,000 artifacts that date to 1860.

The museum tells the stories of slavery, cotton, emancipation, the Negro Baseball League, the Tuskegee Airmen and Martin Luther King Jr.

There will be performances by choirs, the Mainland High School drum line, and African drums and dancers.

The celebration includes choo-choo train rides, a 25-foot rock climb wall with bungee jumps, a 30-foot spider climb, a 60-foot slide, bounce houses, laser activities, face painting and a puppet show.

Calves, cows, donkeys, chickens and horses will also be at the event. Other features will include a health fair and tours of the police mobile command unit.

The city-run event is being financed exclusively by some $40,000 in corporate sponsorships, said city Leisure Services Director Percy Williamson.

Part of the local Juneteenth celebration included a banquet held Thursday night at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University that honored a diverse group of "hometown heroes" for their accomplishments.

Corn Festival set for Holly Hill

2010-06-18T14:05:00Z

Food, fun and fellowship will all be part of the festivities at the Corn Festival at the Country Market, 649 Sixth St., Holly Hill beginning at 7:30 a.m. Saturday.

City recognition by former mayor Don Wiggins will be at 9 a.m., followed by country music at 10 a.m. and a barbecue lunch at 12:30 p.m.

There will also be a corn boil, farm tours and a corn festival queen competition.

Admission is free with food available for purchase.

For more information, call 386-212-6722.

He ain't heavy, he's an ex-Hollie

2010-06-18T05:00:00Z

Terry Sylvester, a former member of the British pop-rock group the Hollies, will headline the inaugural Ormond Beach Seafood Festival.

The festival will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 19 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 20 at Rockefeller Gardens, 25 Riverside Drive (at the southeast corner of the Granada Bridge), Ormond Beach.

Daily admission is $3 adults, children younger than 12 free. For more information, call Ormond Beach MainStreet at 386-451-2138, or go online at ormondbeachseafoodfestival.com.

A native of Liverpool, England, Sylvester was fronting his band the Escorts at age 16 in the early 1960s, and the band would often share the bill with the Beatles at the Cavern Club at other venues.

After a stint with the Swinging Blue Jeans, Sylvester joined the Hollies in 1968 when Graham Nash left that group.

Sylvester's first album with the band was "Hollies Sing Dylan," and subsequent hit singles during Sylvester's tenure in the early 1970s included "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" and "The Air That I Breathe."

Since the Hollies' heyday, Sylvester has recorded a solo album. Now living in Toronto, he continues to perform and tour.

The festival will feature seafood and more on sale by area restaurants including Hull's Seafood, RiverGrille on the Tomoka, LuLu's Oceanside Grill, Song Kran Thai, Greg's Liberty Grill, Gene's Steak House, Caffeine/The Rose Villa, Hershey's Ice Cream, Mango Sun, Bubba Gump's, the Ocean Deck and the Dish.

Musical performances throughout the weekend also will feature Florida folk singer-guitarist Rog Lee, folk-bluegrass duo Pickin' Kind, bluegrass/old-time acoustic music by the Ancient City Slickers, Barnstorm, M.T. Pawketts and others, jazz from the Carlo Mercieri Band, Bahamian junkanoo music by Junkanoo Near You, classic rock by Tie-Dye Road and Fly By Night, and other bands.

The festival also will feature a "jam tent" at which patrons are encouraged to bring their own instruments and perform in a "circle jam" format. Jam tent sessions will be hosted by our various performers both days and will feature themed sessions including Celtic, bluegrass, old-time mountain music, "oldies but goodies," blues and more.

A children's activity area will feature bounce houses, face painting and more. A marketplace will feature vendors with jewelry, art and other items.

Welcome to the World of Harry Potter

2010-06-17T14:22:59Z

Until now, Harry Potter fans could merely imagine the sensation of quaffing a butterbeer, finding a magic wand at Ollivander's or escaping the steam from a snarling dragon's snout.

But finally, 13 years after the first of seven books began chronicling the boy wizard's adventures, imagination has become reality at Universal Orlando.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a mini-park inside Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park, opens for general admission Friday, but The Associated Press got a sneak peek at what has become the most highly anticipated theme-park attraction in years.


Past a stone archway and the steam-belching Hogwarts Express, the fictitious city of Hogsmeade unfolds amid snowcapped, dingy rooftops and storefronts packed like row houses with shops straight from the books and movies. Zonko's joke shop offers Sneakoscopes and extendable ears. The confectionary Honeydukes has chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans (literally ranging from pear to fish). At the Owl Post, guests can stamp mail with a genuine Hogsmeade postmark.

Towering over it all is Hogwarts, a perfect reproduction of the imposing, many-spired castle where Harry and his magician friends are students.

"Once we locked in and knew what we were doing -- what we thought would be the most iconographic moments of the fiction to bring to life -- it became a matter of executing at a level of authenticity and detail that was going to be unquestionable," said Mark Woodbury, head of Universal Creative.


Park construction was overseen by the production manager from the Potter movies, and as Warner Bros. filmed the series' sixth movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," scenes were shot for the park's crown jewel, a ride called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.

The cutting-edge ride seamlessly combines the sensation of flight with tactile experiences like smoke and drops of water as it takes guests through a hodgepodge of encounters in Potter's chaotic life, from the Quidditch field to the mouths of giant spiders and dragons. The ride queue stars lifelike projections of film characters like Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

"The special effects were just great, you really felt like you were riding along with Harry on his adventure," said visitor Karen Collins of Revere, Mass.

Potter author J.K. Rowling is a stickler for details, and Universal worked hard to get her OK. So many recipes were offered to find the perfect look, texture and taste for the heretofore fictitious butterbeer that Woodbury lost count.

"We had to package up all the ingredients and rent a hotel kitchen in Scotland so that we could put it all together," he said.

The result? A tasty, thickheaded (and nonalcoholic) brew reminiscent of cream soda, which has proven wildly popular with the fans who bought special tickets to preview the Potter park ahead of Friday's public opening. Like Wizarding World employees, some of these avid Potterphiles dressed in robes and wizard hats, at times giving the place the slightly geeky feel of a "Star Wars" convention.

Besides the Forbidden Journey, The Wizarding World has just two other rides: Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge, both of which are older roller coasters repurposed with Potter themes.

There's no additional admission for Wizarding World once you pay to enter Islands of Adventure. But guests who travel long distances to see it may be disappointed that there's not much to do beyond the three rides other than soaking up the scenery and going shopping -- although long lines for the attractions could easily keep them in the mini-park for hours.

The shopping opportunities are so extensive -- from broomsticks ($250 to $300) to magic wands ($28.95) and Gryffindor scarves ($34.95) -- that it feels at times like the whole park is for sale.

The Wizarding World is an ambitious bet for Universal, which is co-owned by a division of NBC Universal and private equity firm Blackstone. Contract details buried in Securities and Exchange Commission filings reveal how badly Universal wanted a piece of the franchise, which it describes as the most financially successful in film history. The contract gives Universal the rights to operate the park for nine years, with two additional five-year options. But the rights can be pulled if Universal fails to maintain minimum quality standards, doesn't invest enough capital or sells controlling interests.

Universal has poured cash into the park the past few years, sinking up to $380 million in the Potter park and two other attractions -- a ride themed on The Simpsons and a roller coaster on which guests choose their own soundtrack. The Potter section of Islands of Adventure alone reportedly costing more than $250 million.

Twitter was filled this week with rave reviews of what was being referred to in tweets as "wwohp." One fan who got access to the soft opening said it was the "best park experience" he'd had in a long time; another said Forbidden Journey was so good she cried. "Thumbs up" to butterbeer and pumpkin juice, tweeted another.

"It was truly amazing; they brought the books to life," said Jacki Lenners of Flagstaff, Ariz., who attended an early preview of the park last month.

Elephants, doggies and wire-walking wizards, oh my!

2010-05-21T05:00:00Z

The Wire Walking Wizard, Dallas' Doggies, Miller's Majestic Prancing Ponies and the Master of Body Manipulation are coming to town.

Those acts and others are part of the 74th edition of the Carson & Barnes Circus, which bills itself as the "world's largest traditional tent circus."

The circus will perform at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. May 25-26 at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club & Poker Room, 960 S. Williamson Blvd., Daytona Beach.

Tickets are $20 adults, $10 children age 11 and younger. Discount coupons are available at carsonbarnescircus.com. For more information, visit the website or call 407-718-4486.

The circus' performers hail from the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Russia and Italy. Acts include aerial trapeze artists, high wire walkers, motorcycle acrobatic teams, jugglers, clowns (including Alex, who performs on trampoline) and performing elephants, camels, dogs and horses.

Up, up and away

2010-05-21T05:00:00Z

New Smyrna Beach will be full of hot air -- and a lot more -- this weekend.

The skies will be busy as the New Smyrna Beach Balloon Fest offers patrons the chance to go up in 25 hot-air balloons. Along with balloon rides, festival-goers also will be able to take helicopter and airplane rides, and tandem skydive jumps.

The festival will be 5 to 9 p.m. May 21, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 22 and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 23 at the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport, 124 Industrial Park Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Admission is free. Parking is $5.

Other activities include balloon glows (nighttime flights of illuminated balloons) at 8 p.m. today and Saturday, aviation fly-bys, live jazz, classical and rock music, skydiving and police dog demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and children's rides, games and characters.

Tethered hot-air balloon rides will be available, weather and wind permitting, on each festival day. These rides last a few minutes as the balloon hovers above the crowd. Cost is $10 plus tax, and tickets can be purchased at the event.

Full hot-air balloon launches and passenger rides will be available, weather and wind permitting, at daybreak on Saturday and Sunday. Flights usually last an hour or more and, organizers say, "go where the breeze goes." Cost is $175 plus tax per person. Reservations should be made by calling 386-424-2199.

Helicopter rides are $25 per person (minimum two riders).

Airplane rides in a North American Aviation T-6 Texan (the type of plane that was used to train pilots in World War II) are $140 plus tax for 10 minutes, or $195 plus tax for 20 minutes.

Tandem skydive jumps with the Skybolts demonstration team are $199 plus tax.

Country star Paisley hits the Ocean Center

2010-05-18T13:10:41Z

Country music star Brad Paisley will be bringing H2O to Daytona Beach.

Known for such hits as "American Saturday Night," "Ticks" and "I'm Still a Guy," the Grammy Award-winning Paisley will be in concert at 5 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach. The concert is part of his "H2O World Tour."

Reserved seat tickets are $59.75, $39.75 and $25 plus service fee, and go on sale at 10 a.m. May 21 at the center box office and Ticketmaster. Information from the venue: 386-254-4545.

True to its name, the tour will sport a water theme in the wake of Paisley's new single, "Water." The concert will feature a "Water World Plaza" outdoors adjacent to the Ocean Center, with water-themed activities including a fishing simulator, dunking booth and more. Also, country artists Easton Corbin, Steel Magnolia and Josh Thompson will perform outdoors prior to the inside performances featuring Paisley, Darius Rucker (who was also lead singer for the rock band Hootie and the Blowfish) and Justin Moore.

The outdoor plaza will open at 4 p.m. the day of the concert.

-- Rick de Yampert, Entertainment Writer

'80s music lights up benefit

2010-05-14T05:00:00Z

Sixteen Candles and More, a benefit for Grassroots Giving, will be 8 to 11 p.m. May 15 at the Anderson-Price Building, 42 N. Beach Street, Ormond Beach.

Grassroots Giving, a local not-for-profit organization, works to enrich the lives of underprivileged and foster children in Volusia and Flagler counties.

Sixteen Candles and More is an '80's-themed event that will include live music by the band Finding Ivy (above), catering by Lulu's Oceanside Grill, entertainment by mentalist Meraux Dantes and a silent auction.

Tickets are $30 advance, available at grassrootsgiving.info (go to the tickets/donations site). Tickets are $35 at the door. Admission includes open bar and food. Participants are encouraged to wear '80s-style clothing.

For more information, call Kim Meyer at 386-290-9526.

Finding Ivy includes, from left: Jeff Cassella, bass; Jim Sinex, drums and vocals; Lauren Digioia, lead vocals and harmonica; Joe Cassella, keyboards, vocals and bass; Mark Wood, guitar and vocals.

Photo by Stefanie Thomas of His Handmaiden Photography

Benefit drums up rhythm

2010-05-14T05:00:00Z

DrumSTRONG, a drum circle event to benefit DrumsForCures, will be 6 to 9 p.m. May 15 at the Yoga Center, 820 S. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach.

The event, which is open to the public, will be led by Karl Miranda (right), an area drum circle facilitator. A limited number of hand drums will be available for participants. Proceeds will be raised through donations by participants, who also are encouraged to enlist sponsors.

DrumsForCures is a North Carolina-based organization that is staging DrumSTRONG events over a 28-hour period in more than 50 cities in 12 countries. Proceeds from donations will benefit local and national cancer charities. For more information, call the Yoga Center at 386-868-0954, or go online at drumstrong.org.

'King' does Relay For Life

2010-05-14T05:00:00Z

An Elvis impersonator will take the stage during Relay For Life, a benefit for the American Cancer Society.

The benefit will be held from 6 p.m. May 14 to approximately 11 a.m. May 15 on Manatee Island, 625 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach. Admission is free. For more information, call Kahlin Adkins of the society at 386-274-3274, ext. 5858.

Various organizations, businesses and teams will be holding fundraising activities during the event.

The all-night, continuous event, which this year has a pirate theme, will feature live music and deejays, food vendors, contests and other activities. The opening ceremony at 6 p.m. today will feature 12-year-old steel drum player Pavlina Osta. Elvis impersonator Randy Elvis Walker will perform at midnight.

Tater Time: Event celebrates food item important to county

2010-05-12T15:10:41Z

By AARON LONDON
STAFF WRITER

The potato has been king of Flagler County agriculture since before there was a Flagler County. But May 15, the humble spud once again will sit on its throne at the second annual Potato Festival in Bunnell.

"It's time to celebrate our agricultural roots and butter up the potato," said Scott Sowers, chairman of the Bunnell Chamber of Commerce. "With great food, activities and games for the kids, vendors and more, we hope Flagler County will join us to honor Bunnell's history, enjoy our hometown hospitality and have some fun."

The festival is sponsored by the Bunnell Chamber, along with the city of Bunnell and the city's Community Redevelopment Agency and takes place in downtown Bunnell. The celebration kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday and runs until 6 p.m. with events all day long.

Chamber officials are looking for the event to attract even bigger crowds than last year's inaugural festival.

"We expect more people this year," said Doug Baxter, president of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates. "We're trying to show that Bunnell has a lot of offer."

Baxter said Bunnell officials have done a lot of work on the city hall area and are ready to show it off for the rest of the county.

"This is for the Bunnell Chamber to give some good exposure to the city of Bunnell," he said. "We want people to know that."

Another factor in setting aside a day to celebrate the potato is the importance of agriculture in Flagler County, Baxter said.

"I think the west side of the county tends to stay to themselves," he said. "We're trying to get them a little more in the mainstream of Flagler County and they're embracing that."

Baxter said along with potataoes, the cabbage farms, sod farms and cattle ranches in western Flagler County are an integral part of the economy.

"The west side is a huge resource in this county and we need to give it some exposure," he said. "This county would not be what it is without the farmers."

A special feature of the day's festivities will be the Miss Potato Pageant, which begins at 9:30 a.m. at Bunnell City Hall.

Children between the ages of 1 and 10 can enter the contest to vie for the coveted titles of Tater Tot (ages 1 to 3), Potato Princess (ages 4 to 7) and Miss Potato (ages 8 to 10). Entry fee is $10 and the deadline for entries is May 13 at 5 p.m. Applications and entry forms are available at the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates, 20 Airport Road. Forms are also available online at flaglerchamber.org.

Winners in each category will receive a variety of prizes, including a $50 U.S. savings bond, a trophy, sash and tiara.

Another tradition of the Potato Festive is the Meat & Potato Cook Off.

Participation is limited to the first 20 applicants.

Set up is at 1:30 p.m. in city hall and each contestant should bring enough food to fill a 15- to 20-quart crock pot. Plates, cups and utensils for tasting will be supplied.

Each contestant will have a 3-foot-by-3-foot area for heating, serving and displaying their creations and celebrity judges will use a blind voting system to choose winners.

Electricity will be available, but contestants should bring their own extension cords. Festival goers will sample the entres between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

Best Overall -- cash prize of $250 courtesy of the Flagler County Cattlemen's Association.

Most Original -- $100 prize courtesy of Flagler County Association of Realtors.

People's Choice -- $50 gift certificate courtesy of Honey Baked Ham & Café and a one-hour massage gift certificate from Carlisi Chiropractic Center.

Best Presentation -- one-hour massage gift certificate from Carlisi Chiropractic Center.

Applications and entry forms are available at the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates office or online, flaglerchamber.org. Forms must be returned by May 13 at 5 p.m. and can be dropped off at the Chamber, sent via email to awashingtonlaw@gmail.com or by fax to 386-437-6872.

New to the festival is a mashed potato-eating contest, a mashed potato sculpting event and a Ride for Education motorcycle ride.

Registration for the motorcycle ride is at 8:30 a.m. at the State Street Diner on U.S. 1. Cost is $10 per rider and $5 per passenger. Funds raised will go to support need-based scholarships for Flagler County youth.

For more information about the Potato Festival, call 386-437-0106.

If You Go

WHAT: Second annual Potato Festival.
WHERE: Bunnell City Hall.
WHEN: May 15.
EVENTS: Potato Pageant (9:30 a.m. to noon); mashed potato eating contest (12:30 p.m.); live music (1 p.m.); meat & potato cook off (2:30 p.m.); mashed potato sculpting contest (4 p.m.)
INFORMATION: Call the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce & Affiliates at 386-437-0106.

15 ways to make Mom's day

2010-05-07T06:30:00Z

By TOM IACUZIO
STAFF WRITER

By the time you read this article, you should have at least thought about some plans to hug/call/kiss the mom in your life already.

But with Sunday being her day, don't you think mom deserves more than just some dinky card you pick up in a discount store at the last minute? I would argue that yes, she deserves a special treat. And assuming that you are one of those last-minute card buyers, you probably don't have a clue of what you can do for her, do you?

Never fear slackers, here are 15 ideas to make this Mother's Day weekend a great one:

15. MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC:
C'mon, all moms love music and we got some classics in town on Sunday. We're talking B.B. King and Wynonna Judd. King takes the stage at 8 p.m. at the Florida Theatre on 128 E. Forsyth St. in Jacksonville. Tickets are $47.50-$65.50. For Wynonna, head over to Silver Spurs Arena at 1875 Silver Spur Lane in Kissimmee at 7 p.m. Tickets are going for $45-$85. To order either of these shows, call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.

14. BIKER MOMMA?
If so, there's hardly a better ride out there than the Ormond Scenic Loop. Hop on your bikes and trek the 22 miles through Florida's natural beauty, marvelous homes and lush landscapes. Need a break? Visit Tomoka State Park or the Fairchild Oak tree, one of the oldest in the state.

13. LATIN FLAVOR:
Why not mix a little salsa into your Mother's Day weekend at Rockefeller Gardens? The venue will hold "Salsa Fiesta" from 4-10 p.m. on Saturday at 25 Riverside Drive in Ormond Beach. The event will feature food, dancing and if you don't know how to dance, don't fret, they'll offer lessons too. Admission is $5 with children 11 and younger getting in free. Call 386-274-6474 for more information.

12. GRIDDLE GREATNESS:
If you head out to DeLeon Springs State Park, you'll find a Central Florida landmark called The Old Spanish Sugar Mill. What's so cool about the place? It's the full on griddle right in the middle of your table. Waiters will bring you pitchers of their homemade pancake mix and you can go make your own as you wish. Want extras? Feel free to choose from a variety of blueberries, bananas, peanut butter, pecans, chocolate chips, apples or a number of other choices to enhance your fantasy flapjacks. But get there early, the place opens at 8 a.m. and they don't take reservations. Only caveat is that you do have to pay a $6 admission per car to gain entrance into the park, which is nestled at 601 Ponce DeLeon Blvd. in DeLeon Springs. Call 386-985-5644 for details.

11. COOK HER A MEAL FOR ONCE:
Our moms have cooked for us all our lives, isn't it time we gave them a break? And don't worry, your mom knows you so she's probably not expecting an Emeril Lagasse special. Keep it simple if you must, mom will love it whether it's duck confit or grilled cheese and tomato soup.

10. BEACH BLANKET BINGO:
This is Florida after all so treat mom to a full on beach picnic. Pack yourself some sandwiches, snacks and a few cool drinks and head to any of the areas marvelous beaches for an afternoon to remember.

9. STROLL THROUGH HISTORY:
While you're reminiscing about the great times of the past, try going a little further back with a trip to the nation's oldest city, St. Augustine. A straight shot down I-95 or U.S. 1 will put you right in the middle of old-time war re-enactments, historical landmarks and some of the best street shopping in the area.

8. PLAY BALL:
Things that are as American as apple pie: apple pie, baseball and mom. We can cover two out of three tonight and Saturday night as the Daytona Cubs take on the Clearwater Threshers at 7:05 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, 105 E. Orange Ave. in Daytona Beach. And Saturday night has a special bonus: the first 1,000 fans receive a team photo and players will be available to sign autographs before the game. Call 386-257-3172 for tickets.

7. TREE HUGGIN' MOMMIES:
Does mom like flowers? If you're close to Palm Coast, take a trip to Central Park at Town Center for an Arbor Day celebration on Saturday. The event will feature a slew of vendors and activities from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and best of all, it's free. If you have questions, call 386-986-3722.

6. FLOWER POWER:
If we've established that mom loves her foliage, take her down to the Volusia County Fairgrounds from 9 a.m.-4 p.m Saturday and Sunday as the Voulsia County Orchid Society hosts their annual orchid show and sale. The event is $4 and is at S.R. 44 and I-4 in DeLand. For more info, call 386-738-7543.

5. THE GREAT WHITE WAY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA:
No matter where you live in Central Florida, a theater is not very far away. For those of you in the local Daytona area, the Daytona Playhouse has "Lettice and Lovage" at 8 p.m. today and Saturday as well as 2 p.m. Sunday. The playhouse is at 100 Jessamine Blvd. and tickets range from $10-$15. Call 386-255-2431 for details. In Flagler County? Check out "Agnes of God" at the Flagler Playhouse, 301 E. Moody Blvd. in Bunnell at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday for just $15. For info, call 386-586-0773.

4. OPPOSITE DAY:
Most moms have a routine. They have a set time they wake up. A set time they feed the baby and so on. It seems mom is all about the same old same old. This weekend, switch it up. If you live in or near a big city like Orlando try heading to a small town where you can find hidden treasures like antique shops and restaurants serving local food. If you live in one of those small towns, head out to someplace big and get in on the hustle and bustle of big city shopping and attractions.

3. GATOR BAIT:
When I think Mother's Day, I think alligators. And you will too after you hook mom up with a gator wrasslin' adventure at Gatorland, 14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. Admission to the park is $19.99 but to get mom on top of an eight foot gator will cost you an extra $10. But the sight of your mother on top of a razor-toothed reptile will make it the best $10 you've ever spent. To set it up, call the park at 407-855-5496.

2. YOU'RE HISTORY:
If mom loves history, Sunday is a great day to take a trip out to the Orange County Regional History Center. The center is in the last week of its "Out of this World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television" exhibit and will have plenty of other fascinating sights to be seen. The History Center can be found at 65 E. Central Blvd. in Orlando and is open from noon-5 p.m. on Mother's Day. And the best part? Moms get in free on their day. If you're not a mom, it will cost you $9 or $7 for seniors or children ages 5-12. For information, call 407-836-8500 or visit thehistorycenter.org.

1. DO NOTHING:
You know what mom really wants this Mother's Day? Your company. In this culture of nonstop movement, it's not often that we just sit and chat with our loved ones. So if you really want to give mom the best present on Mother's Day, just be there. Pick up your dinky greeting card, buy some cheap flowers and get the family together. It will be the best gift she's ever gotten.

Very Special Arts celebrates the big 2-0

2010-05-07T05:00:00Z

Very Special Arts Volusia is celebrating a special occasion: its 20th annual Talent Night.

Very Special Arts is an international, nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide opportunities in the arts for people with developmental disabilities, health-related issues and other challenges

The Volusia County chapter's annual talent show will feature vocalists, musicians and dancers from area high schools and middle schools, plus previous talent night participants. Singer-performer Harry Burney will emcee the event.

The show will be at 7 p.m. May 7 at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, 399 N. U.S. 1, Ormond Beach. Admission is free. For more information or to make reservations, call 386-441-0547 or 405-5598.

Vocalist performers include Deejay Baker, Megan Rasmussen and Mrs. Rentz's class, all from Spruce Creek High School; Zachary Lopez from Campbell Middle School and Michael Truilo from Ormond Beach Middle School.

The show also will feature musician Justin Peters from New Smyrna Beach High School and a dance performance by Deejay Baker.

Alumni performers include dancer Desiree Michaud, a 2008 graduate of Spruce Creek High and currently a student at Daytona State College; and vocalist Ashley Townsend, a 2009 graduate of Seabreeze High School, and her sister, pianist Emily Townsend, a 2008 graduate of Mainland High School. Both sisters currently are students at Florida State University.

Burney will performer the Fats Waller song "Your Feet's Too Big" and other numbers.

Cantus Femina sings women's songs

2010-04-30T14:38:42Z

Works by Debussy and others will be performed by a women's chorus from Western Michigan University.

Cantus Femina will perform at 7:30 p.m. May 5 in Elizabeth Hall on the campus of Stetson University, 421 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. Tickets are $8 adults, $5 senior citizens and area students. For more information, call the Stetson School of Music at 386-822-8950 or the concert line at 822-8947.

The chorus also will perform works by Joan Szymko, Gyorgy Orban, Stephen Paulus and others.

The roots of Cantus Femina can be traced to 1909 and the founding of the school's Treble Clef Club. The chorus, which numbers from 32 to 40 auditioned singers, specializes in repertoire for women. The group performs both classic and contemporary works.