Four Reasons I Love Downtown Winter Garden
By Doug Wise
(Original post: http://www.state27.com/blog/2015/11/20/four-reasons-i-love-downtown-winter-garden)
My family and I recently visited downtown Winter Garden for the first time. We heard great things about its quaintness and small town charm. We were not disappointed.
After my visit, here are four reasons I love downtown Winter Garden.
1. Great food options. The day we visited we had lunch at Moon Cricket Grille. We sat on the patio, enjoying the beautiful weather and people-watching. Not only was my burger delicious, but the service was excellent. Beyond Moon Cricket Grille, there are many highly-rated options to eat in downtown Winter Garden, including The Chef’s Table (did someone say “date night?”).
Photo credit: Ms. Bee's Popcorn & Candy Shoppe website, http://www.msbeespopcorn.com/
2. Ms. Bees Gourmet Popcorn & Candy Shoppe. Stepping into Ms. Bees is like stepping into an old-fashioned candy store where you can find lots of candy options you simply can’t find in a grocery store. Even if you don’t typically eat candy, Ms. Bees will tempt you. And then there’s the popcorn.
Ms. Bees boasts over 70 gourmet flavors of popcorn. I tried the buffalo popcorn (think buffalo wings), cheese popcorn, bubble-gum popcorn and a delicious turtle popcorn (think chocolate and caramel). Delicious!
3. Plant Street Market. Kind of like downtown Winter Garden itself, Plant Street Market reveals unique and charming vendors. A stroll through the indoor market reveals everything from oxygen (an oxygen bar) to arts and crafts to lots of great food (including gourmet popsicles). That and a lot more. There’s also a brewery and wine bar onsite, so you can sit, eat, relax and partake in some of adult beverages, if that’s you’re ‘fancy.’
4. Garden Theatre. Although I haven’t had a chance to see a play or show here yet, I’ve heard great things about the Garden Theatre. And it certainly contributes to the ambience of downtown Winter Garden with it’s 1930s-style marquee and prominent architecture that faces the main street through the downtown. On the day we visited Winter Garden the Orlando Ballet was performing Sleeping Beauty. However, the theatre is host to many types of events — plays, movies, concerts and other happenings.
Obviously, there are probably more reasons to love downtown Winter Garden. I also know there’s probably a lot more to Winter Garden than just the downtown.
Do you have any Winter Garden ‘must-dos’ you want to share? Be sure to comment below!
