Life finds a way🦖

I found myself at the parks ... again.

Hi, friends! It’s Brenda, back in your inbox for all the Central Florida Happenings.

One of my favorite movies e v e r is “Jurassic Park,” so of course I had to snap this pic while at Islands of Adventure this past weekend. My brother visited me, and I convinced him to go to the park!

It was one of my favorite days, especially seeing him experience Hagrid’s for the first time (it was so sweet!!!!!!!).

Overall, a lovely weekend.

But now, let’s get into what’s happening this weekend ⤵️

Ice cream is always delicious, but it’s especially sweet when there are deals involved 🍨.

National Ice Cream Day is coming up this weekend and there are shops across the Orlando area offering free or discounted treats for the day.

From Kelly’s to Dairy Queen to Sampaguita Ice Cream, don’t miss out on the deals!

Click here to check out what’s being offered.

And don’t miss out on some free ice cream! Enter our News 6 contest for a chance to win a Weekend Survival Ice Cream Kit.

The Kennedy Space Center is set to host its “Moon Fest Weekend” in celebration of the 55th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon while also looking forward to the Artemis missions.

I went to the Orlando Science Center a couple weeks ago and watched their Apollo 11 film in their Dr. Phillips CineDome (which if you haven’t checked out is kinda crazy in there - the screen was wild and definitely an experience).

I learned a lot about what led to the moon landing and the effort it took to make that leap.

This weekend, you can check out different presentations and activities to learn more about the journey of space exploration.

Click here for a breakdown of events and to buy tickets.

You may be thinking, “It’s waaaayyyy too early to start thinking about spooky season.”

And to that I say, “It’s never too early!” Last year was my first time going to HHN, so I’m very much looking forward to this year :)

I put together a guide to this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, compiling the houses, scare zones and ticket options for the event.

Click here to check it out!

Other happenings:

🚀Enter to win 4 tickets to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: And sticking with the space theme, News 6 Insiders have the chance to win tickets to visit Kennedy Space Center! Don’t miss out. And did you know that the KSC Visitor Complex played set to the new movie, “Fly Me to the Moon.” Many artifacts from Apollo missions are used in the film, including the Astrovan that was actually used to transport astronauts to the launch pad in the 1960s. Click here to check out the full story.

🎒 Back-to-school events in Central Florida: This back-to-school season can quickly get expensive, between new school clothes, supplies, backpacks, haircuts and everything else that goes into preparing for the new year. But it does not have to be. There are several community organizations and events to help offset the cost of getting kids ready for school. Click here to check it out.

🎅 Ever wanted to be Santa Claus? Winter Springs nonprofit Christmas Dreams is partnering with School4Santas to host a two-day event to train the next generation of “Santas, Mrs. Claus and those interested in the Santa industry.” Click here to check it out.

🌱 Catch ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at this Central Florida theatre: Winter Garden’s downtown is known for having beautiful plants and flowers everywhere, but at Garden Theatre, you can expect to see a blood-thirsty plant with a rather large appetite. Here’s a look of what to expect.

🍺 Space Coast Wing Battle serves up unlimited wings, alcohol: Now, this popular event isn’t until NEXT month, but the time to hop on tickets is now. The Space Coast Wing Battle is back and setting up at Wickham Park on Aug. 17. Here’s what to know and tickets to buy.

That’s all from me!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I’ll catch you all next week.

- Brenda