🎳 Colonial Lanes is back, baby

Plus, Metro Orlando ranks dead last again when it comes to paying low wages. 

Hello friends — it’s July. Can you believe it? The summer seems to be bringing a lot of rain with it, but after months of none, I guess that’s a good thing, right? 

There’s a lot to catch you up on, so we’re getting straight to it and starting with arguably the most exciting news first. 

Colonial Lanes is back in business. Well, it will be soon enough: Team Market Group, the same crew who owns Mathers Social Gathering, Robinson Room, and The Wellborn, just purchased the building for a cool $2.8 million. 

Not only will they be putting the TMG touch on the old bowling alley (it’s like the Midas touch, truly) to get it up and running again, but the 3,000 square-foot space will now house a whole lot more. This includes a Robinson Room coffee pop-up shop, a workout facility, a restaurant, AND they’ll be reviving the old sunken “downstairs” bar.  

The open date is not currently set. 

Now that the most fun news is out of the way, let’s talk about what happened in the legislature this week, why a particular list’s ranking of Orlando at 50th out of 50 is a really bad thing, and who’s moving into the old Market on Magnolia building. 

What Orlando is talking about 

📝 Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on a use-of-force police reform bill on Monday. The bill will require specific training for officers that includes limiting the use of chokeholds while also requiring agencies to track and report any use of force incidents. It prohibits the arrest of children under the age of 7 years old and prohibits officers under investigation or who were fired for use of force from getting hired at another agency. (WKMG) 

📉 Orlando ranks 50th out of the 50 largest metros when it comes to wages. The Bureau of Labor Statistics just released its latest findings and we’re at the bottom of the stack with median hourly wages of $17.59, meaning half the jobs in the area pay less than $36,588 a year. Journalist Scott Maxwell says, “This is the price we pay for having a tourist economy built on the backs of people who change hotel bed linens, flip burgers, and work as ride attendants.” (Orlando Sentinel) 

🏀 In response to a question I posed earlier this week, the answer is no, Penny Hardaway does not have any Magic left in him. The former Magic player and current University of Memphis head coach has long been on the shortlist of head coaches the Magic were pursuing. However, Hardaway shared on Tuesday that he’s not going anywhere. (Orlando Sentinel) 

👟 Run Disney is back. The theme park announced Wednesday that it’s bringing back its running events in the fall, starting with the infamous Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend in November. (Orlando Weekly)

🍕 There’s a new pizza concept moving into the former Market on Magnolia space on Pine Street. (Before MoM, it was Frank and Steins.) Corner Pizza Bar shares owners with the Italian House Restaurant in the Hourglass District, and they’ve got a targeted opening date of sometime in August. (Orlando Weekly)  

🎶 The Chainsmokers and Diplo are just two of the big musical acts coming to Kissimmee next month. The reason? They’re headlining the new E11EVEN Beach Club Water Park Festival that’s happening at Sunset Walk on Aug. 20-21. (Orlando Weekly) 

🏐 You can watch the men’s and women’s USA Volleyball National Beach Teams play at Boxi Park tonight. The outdoor venue is also home to professional beach volleyball courts where the teams have been practicing ahead of the upcoming Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Tickets to sit courtside are sold out but you can still watch from within the park starting at 7 p.m. (Bungalower)

🍊Learn your ABCs, Florida-style

Things to do

Submit your events to our calendar.

Today

🍿It's your last chance to see the documentary "Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It" at the Enzian (Maitland)

💥 Day four of adult summer camp is going strong at Ivanhoe Park Brewing. Stop in for some comic book trivia tonight and a new can release through July 4 (Ivanhoe)

🚫 Learn the signs and how to help people struggling with domestic abuse at Harbor House's friends and family workshop (Apopka)

🌱 Drink some local beers and make your own succulent arrangement at Orlando Brewing weekly (SoDo)

🎶 See local songbird Kaleigh Baker perform back in her natural habitat at Lil Indies with Patrick Hagerman (Mills 50)

Tomorrow

🎶 Get your groove on at Tuffy's Cider with Shine and the Shakers (Sanford)

🍻 Clean up the neighborhood and drink a beer after for day five of the annual adult summer camp happening at Ivanhoe Park Brewing through July 4 (Ivanhoe)

🏈 Cheer on the Orlando Predators to a win over the Jacksonville Sharks (Parramore)

☮️ Set an intention for the weekend with a floating yoga and meditation class on Lake Ivanhoe (Ivanhoe)

Saturday

⚽️ Cheer on Orlando City SC to a win over the New York Red Bulls (Parramore)

🥧 Celebrate America by scarfing down pies at Redlight Redlight's Annual Pie Eating Contest (Audubon Park)

🌱 Hop on a bike and join the Fleet Farming crew for some community gardening around town monthly (Audubon Park)

🎯 Spend the evening playing drag queen bingo for a good cause (Clermont)

🛶 Take the kids on a paddleboarding adventure of Lake Ivanhoe (Ivanhoe)

🎨 Make a craft, drink a draft at Hourglass Socialhouse for Leguminati's Craft & Draft Night (Curry Ford West)

Sunday

⚽️ Root the Orlando Pride to victory over the North Carolina Courage (Parramore)

🥞 Time flies when you're having fun. Celebrate two years of drag brunch at Island Time (Thornton Park)

🛍 Shop local BIPOC makers at this weekly pop-up market (Winter Park)

☮️ Sweat it out in a yoga class at Deviant Wolfe then stick around after for a cold one weekly (Sanford)

One more thing