Are you ready to prove you’re the very best?   Come put your skills to the test on Thursday, July 21 in Mills 50 District for the ultimate Pokémon Go event!   We’ll have lure modules activated from 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM throughout the district, and drink specials from Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquor, Restaurant ASH, Will’s Pub, BART, The Guesthouse, St. Matthew’s Tavern at the Orlando Beer Garden, The Brass Tap – Mills Park, Ten 10 Brewing Company and Quantum Leap Winery.

Stop by Ten10 brewing or Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquors to get a $5 (cash only please) bar crawl wristband and a map with drink specials and lure drop times. This is a progressive event that will move through the district as the night goes on.

Pokémon trainers are encouraged to wear their team colors and try to level up as many Pokémon as they can!  We want to see what you’ve caught! Share with us using #Mills50 and#PokemonGo

The safety of our visitors is our top priority, so while we want you to have fun and catch them all, we ask that you continue to be aware of what is happening around you, including traffic on Mills Avenue.

Please vote foPlease vote for Mills 50 & Mills 50 businesses in the Orlando Weekly’s “Best of Orlando 2016”!   Mills 50 businesses have been nominated in an amazing 75 categories including Food & Drink, Arts & Culture, Music & Nightlife, Local Color and Goods & Services!  Be sure and cast your vote for Mills 50 for: best neighborhood to drink in, best neighborhood to eat in, best neighborhood to live in, best neighborhood to shop in, best place to show out-of-towners the real Orlando and best mural or other public art!

Vote:

http://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/BestofOrlando2016/Page

When you dine out on Thursday, June 30 at participating restaurants you will be helping the victims and families of the Pulse tragedy.  Participating Mills 50 restaurants are First Watch – donating 100% of the profits of the day; Firebirds – Mills Park; Hawkers Asian Street Fare and Restaurant ASH.  Proceeds will benefit the OneOrlando Fund.  Do your part and dine out for Orlando on Thursday, June 30.

Mills 50 Madcap is sort of like a scavenger hunt – sort of like a pub crawl – but mostly like a party!  It’s happening Saturday, June 11 starting at noon at The Brass Tap – Mills Park. Put a team together and solve puzzles and finish tasks throughout Mills 50 to win prizes, enjoy drink specials at participating bars and attend a fun after party!  It’s just $15 per person! Teams of up to 6 people. Costumes encouraged!  21+.  No wheeled transportation allowed. Sign up on line:  http://tinyurl.com/mills50-madcap

Let our celebrity servers – Commissioner Patty Sheehan, Brendan O’Connor of Bungalower, Mark Baratelli of Food Truck Bazaar, Ricky Ly of Tasty Chomps and the one and only Saucy Bernaise – serve you Breakfast for Dinner!  Please RSVP to director@mills50.org.  Seating is limited to 75.

Purchase a wristband for $5 — get some green beads — and enjoy St. Patty’s Day specials at the Mills 50 St. Patty’s Day Pub Crawl.  The crawl begins at 6pm at Wally’s!  Other participating bars are:  Will’s Pub, BART, St. Matthew’s Tavern, The Guesthouse, The Brass Tap & Ten10 Brewing Co.  Proceeds from the Pub Crawl will be used for “green” projects in Mills 50!

The March Business After Hours will be Tuesday, March 15 from 5:30pm until 7pm at three Mills 50 member businesses:  gotkarma, Eclips Salon & Spa and Kelly Shannon Floral.  Lite bites, beer & wine will be served and you will find specials and surprises at all three shops!  Free for members; $5 for non-members.  This is a great opportunity to network with your fellow business owners and residents!  RSVP: director@mills50.org.

Art Drains

Mills 50, in conjunction with the City of Orlando, desires to create another Public Art Project and seeks entries with a juried selection process to choose the artists.  The purpose of the project is to create an environment which depicts the community’s diversity, creativity, commerce and neighborhoods.  This project, along with the Mills 50 “Art Boxes” and “Art Dumpsters” will enhance the aesthetic of our community for all to enjoy.

“Art Drains” is a unique and educational program that utilizes art to communicate the function and importance of storm drains.  The purpose of “Art Drains” is to draw attention to the usually discreet concrete and iron infrastructure with the hope that observers stop and think about where the water flows after it enters a storm drain.  If they understand that storm water flows untreated to our lakes, ponds and rivers, they will be more conscious of potential pollutants that can enter those waterways.   This project, along with the involvement of our local artists, is unique and will have a positive impact on protecting our water.

There are 25 storm drains identified for this project.  Each artist will incorporate the physical storm drain into their submission.  The general size of storm drains are 4’ x 6’ but this will fluctuate with each drain.  All artwork should remain within the confines of the storm drain structure.  This is the concrete that immediately surrounds the opening (or throat) of the storm drain and the concrete box around the lid.  The lid is the metal manhole cover and may be painted.  The art CANNOT extend into the street.

Entries are open to all two dimensional artists living in Orange and Seminole counties.  Submissions are encouraged to include the message “only rain down the drain” as well as the Mills 50 logo somewhere in the art.  A five (5) point system based on overall aesthetics and design will be employed.  One (1) point will be deducted if “only rain down the drain” and/or the Mills 50 logo is omitted from the submission.  One (1) bonus point will be awarded for local artists, i.e, a business within the District boundaries or a resident living within three (3) miles of the intersection of Mills and Colonial.  The judging panel will determine which selected artist paints which storm drain.  Each artist may paint only a single drain but may make more than one submission.

Sketches must be submitted mailed to Mills 50, 1200 Weber Street, Orlando, FL 32803 or e-mailed to: director@mills50.org, no later than Friday, March 4.  Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if sketches are to be returned.

Mills 50 will provide paint & materials, up to $75, plus a $100 cash stipend for each of the selected artists.  Artist may exceed the paint & materials cost, but will not be reimbursed by Mills 50 for any costs exceeding $75.

Proposed timeline:

* Judging will occur the week of March 7; selected artists will be contacted by Monday, March 14.

* Storm drains will be painted between March 21 and April 1.  All drains must be completed by Sunday, April 3.

Stop at Wally’s, 1001 N Mills on Wednesday, February 24 between 6pm and 9pm – and for $10 (cash only)  you will receive a glass, a wristband and a map — which will get you complimentary beverages at 9 Mills 50 businesses!  Enjoy a taste at Wally’s, lil indies, Florida Fitness Concepts, BART, New Horizon Pharmacy, St. Matthew’s Tavern, The Guesthouse, Ten10 Brewing and gotkarma!!!  Celebrate the middle of the week with a stroll through the neighborhood!  Local artists will be set up along the stroll!

The Fifth Annual Dragon Parade Lunar New Year Festival will take place on Sunday, February 14 at Fashion Square Mall.  The parade begins at 11am at Anthem College, travels along Herndon in front of the US Post Office, turns behind Dick’s Sporting Goods and ends at the main entrance of the Mall (located between Dillards & Macy’s).  Sixteen food vendors, including Bem Bom Food Truck, Korean BBQ Taco Box, Kona Dog Food Truck, Bom Grill/Thai Island, Hard Rock Cafe, Goichi Sushi Cafe, Chewy Boba, SuShi Eatstation and more will be located outside the main entrance.  Opening ceremonies and continuous entertainment will begin at noon on the interior stage.  Over forty vendors will be located inside the mall.  Sponsors include Asian American Chamber of Commerce, BrightHouse Networks, City of Orlando Families, Parks & Recreation, Florida Hospital, Orlando Fashion Square, OUC, Payas Payas Payas and Walgreen’s. The event is produced by Asia Trend Magazine, Mills 50 Main Street, REACH & YESS.