CitySurfing Orlando

This sounds like it could be fun.

A combination art tour and pub crawl through downtown Kissimmee.

It takes place April 14, starting at 5:30pm at Toho Square. It costs $20 to participate and it looks like it includes some drinks and light appetizers.

For more info, contact 407-846-4643.

Here are some picks for major concerts and other events happening in and around Orlando during the month of April 2012:

April 5-14 – Lake County Fair - $7 for adults/$3 for kids 6-11/Free 5 and under
As we head towards summer and the heat it brings, the county fair circuit is closing up around the state. There’s still this one last hurrah in Eustis, Florida, though. Gates open at 5pm Monday through Friday; 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. Ride armbands are additional to gate admission. Check the website for daily deals and coupons.

April 10 – Aziz Ansari – UCF Arena – $5 (UCF students)/$25 (non-students)
Comedian Aziz Ansari returns to Orlando for this appearance sponsored by UCF. If you’re a student, flash your valid UCF ID at the box office to get your ticket for only $5.

April 12 – Daughtry – Hard Rock Live – $39.50-$75
The former American Idol alum is touring in support of his third chart-topping CD, Break the Spell. Safety Suit and Mike Sanchez are opening.

April 12 – Van Halen – Amway Center – $27.50 to $147
Yes, Van Halen have reformed with original vocalist David Lee Roth and not only have they released a new CD (A Different Kind of Truth), but they are touring in support. Kool & the Gang will open for the band in Orlando.

April 13 – Kevin James – Hard Rock Live – $55-$75
He’s no longer the King of Queens, but comedian Kevin James will still be bringing the funny to the Hard Rock Live on Friday the 13th.

April 14 – WJRR Earthday Birthday XIX – $58
Capping off this weekend of rock, this year’s installment of the annual Earthday Birthday will be going all day out at Tinker Fieldwith the likes of Godsmack and Staind, along with Chevelle, The Used, Theory of a Deadman, Trivium, Taproot, The Supervillains and many more.

April 14-15 – 23rd Annual Spring Fiesta in the Park – Lake Eola Park – Free
This event has plenty of fun and food for the entire family, as well as over 200 original artist and craft booths to browse and shop from. Hours are from 10am to 5pm each day.

April 17-May 13 – Broadway Across America presents Disney’s The Lion King – Bob Carr P.A.C. – $2$-70
This four week engagement of the popular Disney musical based on the hit film performs nightly Tuesdays through Sundays, with additional matinee on Saturday and Sunday. The show does not perform on Mondays.

April 18 – 27th Annual Taste of Winter Park – Winter Park Farmers Market – $40
Enjoy an evening sampling food and drink from 40 local participants and live entertainment by Johnny Mag Sax.

April 19 – The Gipsy Kings – Hard Rock Live – $37.50-$75
This Grammy-award winning Latin fusion band is always a treat to see live. They have entertained crowds worldwide for several decades.

April 27-29 – Festival of Chocolate – UCF Arena – $15 adult/$9 kids
It’s all about chocolate at this annual Orlando event. Enjoy demostrations, competitions, samples for sale and more. If you like chocolate, even just a little, you’ll definitely want to check this out.

April 28 – Bill Maher – King Center in Melbourne -$35
It’s a bit of a drive from Orlando but it’s worth the effort if you enjoy good observational political commentary and comedy,

For 23 years, the Amway Arena served as the grand venue in Orlando, serving up everything from headlining superstar muscians to being the home of the Orlando Magic and other sports teams.

Then the Amway Arena gave way to the expensive Avway Center nearby and it has laid dormant for several years.

Sunday the O-Rena (as we locals first called it before the corporate branding turned it into the TD Waterhouse Arena and then the Amway Arena) will host one last big show: its own implosion.

In the early am of Sunday, March 25, the whole building will be imploded to make way for the “Creative Village” the city has planned to build on the grounds.

The first blasts are scheduled for 7:30am, and all of the local news outlets plan to cover the event live.starting around 7am. The streets immediately surrounding the venue will be closed from 5am until 9am to make sure nobody drives by just as everything explodes.

If you want to see it in person, I’m told there will be a viewing area on Colonial Dr, just across the lake from the Amway Arena.

Those who live and work in the area should take precautions for the possible cloud of dust and debris that may blow their way and keep all doors and windows closed. There will also be police stationed on I-4 ready to close that down just in case the dust cloud heads east and impacts visibility.

I saw many concerts at the Amway Arena. Did you? What was your favorite show or sporting event you saw there? Share your memories of the O-Rena in comments.

If you like to shop and eat, then you’ll want to save the date of March 24, 2012.

This when Park Ave CDs, Dear Prudence Shop and the Audubon Park Garden District are holding the next installment of Vinyl, Vintage & Food Trucks.

The event runs from 6pm-10pm and there will be used vinyl, vintage jewelry, clothing, and more for sale and trade. Interested in being a vendor? Stop by Park Ave CDs for an application.

Food trucks signed up to appear include Big Wheel Provisions, Swede Dish Truck, Fish out of Water, Cafe Rouge Express, The Crepe Company and La Empanada.

If your family has any budding paleontologists, you’ll want to mark your calendar for March 17, 2012. This is when Fossil Fest returns to the Orlando Science Center for its sixth year.

There will be presentations from fossil experts, bones on display and more. Peter L. Larson, founder and president of Black Hills Institute of Geological Research, Inc. located in South Dakota, will appear via Skype as he conducts a seminar on extinction theories for the K-T extinction – the one that killed the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago.

The event takes place from 11am to 4pm, and is included with general admission to the Orlando Science Center. Admission is priced at $17 for adults and $12 for kids (ages 3-11). For more information, please call 407.514.2000 or visit www.osc.org.

[Photo courtesy Orlando Science Center]