The soup of the Devil and David Bowie’s coffee table: 9 things to do this weekend

Central Florida — Happy weekend, Central Florida! We’re here to help you plan your weekend for Friday, Feb. 21, 2020 through Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020.

Some of the events we’re featuring this week are in Osceola County, downtown Orlando, Oviedo, Mount Dora, Melbourne and New Smyrna Beach. The great thing about our area is that there’s something for everyone. We hope you have a great weekend, and don’t forget to share your pictures with us by clicking here.

1. “The bull riders were the cool guys.” -- Jerry Hall

Central Florida: It’s time to put on those boots. The Silver Spurs Rodeo kicks off tomorrow (Friday) at the Silver Spurs Arena in Osceola County’s Osceola Heritage Park. The rodeo lasts all weekend, so even if you’ve been roped into something else (see what we did there?) we hope you can mosey on over.

Details about it can be found by clicking here.

2. “The Soup of the Devil”

You can’t have a herd of cowboys around without talking about the quintessential cattle trail meal -- chili. Texans will tell you chili originates with them, and that’s not too far from the truth. But if you’ve been around a while you know what we know -- Texans love their tall tales and stories.

According to the online culinary resource “What’s Cooking America,” a group of 16 families from the Canary Islands immigrated to the villa of San Fernando de Bar in 1731, which later became San Antonio. The women in the group made a spicy stew that food historians believe was chili in its infancy. By the time the 19th century rolled around, chili was known for its use of chili peppers. Some people believed the peppers were aphrodisiacs, prompting preachers to rail against it, calling the stew the “soup of the devil.”

So what does this history lesson and obvious Texas pride plug have to do with Central Florida this weekend?

Our 9 Family Connection partners at Fun Spot America are hosting their 2nd Annual Chili Music Festival tomorrow (Friday) night. It starts at 5 p.m. There is a chili cook-off with prizes for the best cooks. The event is FREE but you will have to buy your own food and drinks.

3. The need to un-wine

If you don’t follow Vanessa Echols and Lauren Seabrook on Twitter, you missed this excellent news: The price of wine is expected to fall! We reported it during the news at noon this week (you can always watch the news stream here if you are away from a TV) but we digress. Why open a bottle of wine at home when you can enjoy numerous wines from all around the world at the 12th Annual Downtown Food & Wine Fest in Orlando this weekend?

This Saturday and Sunday food-venture features more than 30 local restaurants, cocktails, beers, and, of course, wines. It’s held at Lake Eola Park on North Rosalind Avenue. Tickets start at $15.00. You can buy them through the website.

4. “I don’t see any boundaries between any of the art forms. I think they all inter-relate completely.” -- David Bowie

It’s been four years since legendary musician David Bowie died, but his creative spirit is alive and well in Mount Dora.

Now, before you leave us to go Google “David Bowie Mount Dora” to find out what we’re talking about, please keep reading.

The Modernism Museum Mount Dora is currently exhibiting a show called “Space Oddities: the Sequel.” It features hundreds of Memphis design objects that have never been shown at this museum before, including items that once belonged to Bowie.

Over the course of writing this, we learned Memphis is a post-modern design group founded in 1981 in Milan by the Italian architect and designer Ettore Sottsass.

Tickets to the show are $8, and the exhibit will be open through mid-2020. Click here for additional details.

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But this list isn’t done yet... scroll to keep reading!

5. “Until you do right by me, everything you think about is going to crumble.”

February is Black History Month. To honor it, Fathom Events and TCM Big Screen Classics are releasing the 1985 film “The Color Purple." It will only be in theaters Sunday. The film stars Oprah, Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover, and it was directed by Steven Spielberg. Different movie theaters in Central Florida are showing it; you can look up your nearest theater by clicking here.

6. There are singers, then there are idols

“American Idol” returned this past Sunday with a whole new flock of aspiring songbirds. Sadly, no one from Central Florida is representing this year, but we’re still going to have fun watching (and singing along.) It airs at 8 p.m. on Channel 9. And if you missed it last week, click here to read our synopsis.

7. Let’s chalk and roll!

We are here for all of the creative vibes. The 58th Annual Art Fiesta is Saturday and Sunday in New Smyrna Beach. More than 250 artists and crafters are going to be there along with live music and food.

There is also a sidewalk chalk competition on Saturday at the Hub on Canal. The chalk artists will work in a 4 x 4 space on the Canal Street sidewalk.

There are numerous locations for the fiesta, so be sure to click here to check out the website for the details.

8. We’re living high on the dog

Saturday morning is for the fur children in Oviedo. The Seminole County city is celebrating the 1st anniversary of Bark Park, the dog park at 499 Waggin Trail. (This street name is proof we are not the only pun lovers in Central Florida.) The party lasts from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and it’s FREE. Vendors will be there to sell pet treats and supplies, too.

Additional details can be found on the city’s website; just click here.

9. Strawberry fields forever

Why drive to Plant City when you can cruise on over to Melbourne? The Brevard County city is hosting the 2nd Annual Strawberry Festival at Wickham Park. It runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $6, but children 2 and under get in free. All of the strawberry foods and drinks will be available, but there are also activities for your family, like train rides, corn hole, face painting and a petting farm.

Additional details can be found by clicking here.

Do you have an event you want us to check out? Email the information to webdesk@wftv.com

Also.. we’re giving away Publix giftcards... (See below!!)