Winter Park Arts Festival 2016

Winter Park Arts Festival 2016 is almost upon us. This year the show is on the dates – 3/18-19-20. The Festival features a wide variety of fine arts and crafts including the categories of clay, digital art, drawings & pastels, fiber, glass, graphics & printmaking, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media 2D, mixed media 3D, painting, photography, sculpture, watercolor and wood. Attendees travel from far and wide to go to this well known and respected art show.

Winter Park Arts Festival 2016 is held along Park Avenue, an area well known for wonderful shops, wine stores and eateries. Guests at Thurston House, the only Winter Park area bed & breakfast, love that we are located so close to the show, yet in a quiet setting amid 8 acres of lakefront land.

Winter Park Arts Festival 2016 – Thurston House porch

After a busy day enjoying the beautiful show art and perhaps making a purchase or two, the guests gather back on the wraparound porch sipping a beverage and enjoying the complimentary 5pm snack. Winter Park Arts Festival 2016 will once again bring a full house of guests here to Thurston House.

Rollin’s College Graduation Time!

Rollin’s College Graduation time! Another May and another Rollin’s College Graduation coming up this weekend. We love that we have had manyRollin’s parents stay here over our 20 years in business. It is nice to be a part of their life journey. They have come from far and wide – Switzerland, St. Croix, Maryland, Colorado, California, New England and so many other places. This weekend we welcome parent’s from Minnesota to our North Orlando Bed & Breakfast. It is always interesting to have guests from there as that is where Mr. Thurston was from, and where he was placed on the Social Register and Who’s Who in Business lists back in the late 1800’s.

It’s going to be a perfect week for the festivities! We say goodbye each year to some of the families, but always gain a couple new ones to stay here in there place. And so it goes….

Back To School at Rollin’s College!

It’s that time of year that students start heading back to this area to settle in for the new school year. Rollin’s College is just minutes from Thurston House and over our 20 years in business we have had our share of parents and incoming students stay here. Just now we have a mother & daughter from Switzerland. This is the 2nd daughter to be attending there. She and her sister are on tennis scholarships.

We feel a great connection to Rollin’s because besides being less than a 10 minute drive away from us, the college opened in 1885. That is the same year that Thurston House was built! For students this area is a wonderful mix of upscale city and small town feeling. Park Avenue, right next to the campus, is home to wonderful restaurants, galleries, stores and museums. What a wonderful experience for them!

Parent’s Weekend comes fast and this year it is November 2-4. Two rooms are still open but they always go quickly. Book now!

Rollin’s College Architecture

Rollin’s College in Winter Park Central Florida has some of the most beautiful architecture in this area. Many of their buildings date back to the college’s founding in 1885. This complex of buildings at the end of Park Avenue is one of our Thurston House B&B guests favorite places to wander around.

The college campus is on 70 acres overlooking beautiful Lake Virginia. It is in an attractive residential neighborhood, adjacent to the City of Orlando. The campus is a short stroll into the heart of Winter Park, Park Avenue.

Full Sail University, For Over 30 Years!

For over 30 years, Full Sail University has been providing advanced classes for those who want to learn about the music and film industry. Now their cutting edge campus teaches anything that has to do with the entertainment business. Classes offered include computer animation, film, games, music recording and show production, just to name a few. The campus has steadily grown into a technological and creative playground, with studios, labs and amazing facilities.

Full Sail students filming

We have enjoyed many Thurston House Central Florida B&B guests who are coming into Full Sail for one of their monthly graduations, or to settle in a new student to the area. Students have actually filmed a movie here, and NBC News filmed Matt Lauer doing an interview on our porch. Our North Orlando bed & breakfast is just a short drive away from their Winter Park campus, and also from downtown Winter Park and Park Avenue.

Walking Tours of Winter Park, Florida!

I just found about this wonderful option for our guests – Winter Park City Tours.

WinterPark City Tours delivers engaging lifestyle tours which showcase the community’s rich history, beautiful spaces and tomorrow’s possibilities. WinterPark City Tours will highlight landmark buildings in Winter Park and the rich enduring history of the town and key people and places that make Winter Park an unforgettable community. There are four distinct tour routes guests will be able to enjoy. What a wonderful way to see this beautiful neighbor city of ours! Our Central Florida bed & breakfast is just minutes from where the tours leave from.

Rollins College Celebrates 125 years!

The fabulous Rollins College in Winter Park is gearing up for the celebration of its 125th year! We have enjoyed many who have come to the area to look at Rollins College as an school option, and also have hosted many parents of Rollins College students. Congrats to this wonderful learning institution!

Come stay at North Orlando’s premier bed & breakfast – Thurston House – while visiting the Winter Park and Maitland area.

Winter Park Earth Day Event!

The City of Winter Park in Central Florida announces – Earth Day 2010!

When: Thursday, April 22, 2010
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Where: Central Park Main Stage
Cost: FREE
Contact: 407-599-3325

The stage at Central Park, Winter Park

The City of Winter Park will proudly celebrate Earth Day 2010 and the city’s Forestry Division will give away 3-gallon containerized trees to city residents until 2 p.m. or as supplies last. Residents will be able to choose from 5 different species of trees including maple, magnolia, cedar, live oaks and redbud live oak. The Forestry Division will perform tree climbing and aerial truck demonstrations. Event patrons will be offered the opportunity to ascend a tree with ropes and rigging or go for a ride in a 50-foot aerial truck. (Some restrictions will apply). Keep Winter Park Beautiful will also join the festivities by giving away free flower and vegetable seeds and sharing information on how residents can maintain a healthy garden and home through environmentally healthy products. Orange County’s Environmental protection Department will also be informing residents about Orange County’s new energy efficiency programs that are rolling out thanks to stimulus dollars. The Kilowatt Crackdown will help businesses save energy and money while OCHEEP! will be geared towards helping the homeowners of Orange County.

Winter Park is just minutes away from the beautiful City of Maitland and Thurston House Bed & Breakfast.

Historic Hannibal Sqaure, Winter Park

Just 3 blocks West of the famous Park Avenue area, Hannibal Square boasts its own collection of great restaurants and wonderful shopping.
This area is filled with history. When the City of Winter Park was founded in 1881, they designated this neighborhood for African American grove and hotel workers to live. As the years went by, people passed away and the area had gotten run down. Starting in 2001 the city has done a fine job of bringing it back to life.
Stay at Thurston House in North Orlando and explore this little bit of our area and its history.