The jewel of Horizon West, the Historic Downtown Winter Garden.

Although there are countless benefits to living in Horizon West, one of the biggest benefits remains the jewel that is Downtown Winter Garden. Downtown Winter Garden boasts several charming attractions that create a glance in the past. In fact, Downtown Winter Garden is known so widely for how picturesque it is, that it attracted the attention of National Geographic filmmakers. “The Right Stuff”, a film adaptation of a Tom Wolfe novel, shot in downtown Winter Garden for a scene set in the 1950s. That Winter Garden would be chosen as the shooting location for a quaint 1950s small town proves just how charming it truly is.

Plant City is the main street that runs through Downtown Winter Garden and the hub of restaurants, museums, and exciting weekly events. The Farmer’s Market occurs weekly and is a shining jewel in the crown of Downtown Winter Garden. In fact, the Winter Garden Farmer’s Market was the 2018 recipient of American Farmland Trust’s “America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market” award.

The market is open from 8 AM to 1PM every Saturday and offers produce, herbs, baked goods, and local food and beverages. The Farmer’s Market is in the middle of downtown with a playground and splashpad next to the vendors and food trucks. There is often live music to accompany you as you shop, creating a fun environment to gather local and socially responsible groceries. To adapt to the current situation, the Winter Garden’s Farmer’s market has developed a new set of guidelines to ensure your shopping is safe. A nearby parking garage allows for always easy parking and the proximity of every Downtown Winter Garden attraction ensures that you will not be needing your car for your fun and relaxing day.

Once the Farmer’s Market is done, you can take a short stroll to one of Winter Garden’s other downtown attractions, the Central Florida Railroad Museum. The museum was set up in 1970 to preserve the history of the Tavares and Gulf Railroad Depot around which the city of Winter Garden sprung up. The Central Florida Railroad Museum houses train related memorabilia and is perfect for teaching your little ones about the history of the gorgeous little town. They are set to reopen after their coronavirus hiatus September 25th and will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in November of 2020.

After your visit to the Museum, you can fill some time before dinner by doing some shopping. The Boutique on Plant is a shop for women’s accessories and clothing that offers a personalized shopping experience. Did not get your fill of homemade goods at the Farmer’s Market? Heirloom Amish Furniture on Plant Street offers not only homemade furnishings, but also cheeses, jerky, ciders, and candy.

Your shopping is all done and now it is time for dinner. Plant Street offers a number of unique restaurants that offer no end to the dining choices. If you are looking for some Thai food, Thai Blossom is the perfect spot, with spicy and milder options for each entree. Market to Table is an upscale option that offers a selection of American food. The menu changes based on the season, offering a new experience for your every visit.

Looking for a more eclectic dining experience? Plant Street Market is an indoor food hub that holds 20 vendors of food and other offerings. In one corner is the Crooked Can Brewery, with several brands of beers. There are also offerings for sushi, pizza and mac and cheese with Jodo Sushi, Michael’s Ali Coal Fired Pizza, and Mac’d Out. For dessert, you can visit Sir Benji’s Donuts or even David Ramirez Chocolates to take home some sweet treats. Plant Street Market lets you meander around and try a plethora of different culinary finds.

If you’re looking for entertainment after dinner, the Garden Theatre will be your next stop. This theatre community will truly change your opinion of local theatre forever, as they have put on a number of jaw-dropping shows. The Garden Theatre typically offers holiday themed shows, including The Birds, a play based on the Hitchcock film, during the Halloween 2018 season and A Christmas Story, based on the Christmas movie of the same title. While the Garden Theatre offers several family friendly shows like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there are also offerings that are a bit more adult. 1984 was put on in the 2019 season and was a visually jarring show that left the audience shaken yet thought provoked.

The Garden Theatre also hosts movie events for the Halloween and Christmas seasons. This year, they are offering Hocus Pocus, Carrie, Rocky Horror Picture Show for Halloween, It’s A Wonderful Life and A Muppet’s Christmas Carol.

After you have taken in a magnificent show at the Garden Theatre, you may find yourself wanting to stay the night in Downtown Winter Garden to remain close to the magic of the area. The Historic Edgewater Hotel is a short walk from all the attractions mentioned above, perfectly located. The Edgewater is a bed and breakfast style inn that offers an authentic 1920s hotel experience, with most of the same fixtures from when the building was erected in 1926.

Plant Street is not only the hub of Downtown Winter Garden, but a part of the West Orange Trail, which is a 22 mile Central Florida trail known for biking and jogging. It’s not uncommon to see families with bikes up and down the trail, or golf carts chugging along the side roads. The entire downtown area is a beautiful amalgamation of what was great about the past and what can be great about the future of local business, encapsulating the charm of Horizon West.

Mike Spicer An official Agent of Excellence, is a local Realtor, lives, works and enjoys Horizon West daily. If you ever have questions about the neighborhoods, the parks, or homes in the area feel free to reach out to Mike directly he would love to help. This blog written by, the Michael Spicer, P.A. Team

Michael Spicer, P.A.

Horizon West Group

Associate Broker

Keller Williams Realty at the Lakes

407-705-2232

Mike@MikeSpicer.com