For those of you interested in the arts, you now have a local event to attend every Friday night from 7-10 p.m., rain or shine. Located in the Lake Nona Town Center between Chroma Modern Bar + Kitchen and Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine, the Art After Dark event showcases local artists and their art displays, live demonstrations, special exhibitions and music. Those who attend the stroll can enjoy their favorite wine or beer as well.

“We are hoping it will bring in some residents from outside Lake Nona and give us the opportunity to showcase our beautiful Town Center, as well as grow with us as we move into Phase II. We also hope to give local artists the chance to showcase their talents and our residents the opportunity to help support them,” said Lake Nona community events manager Shannon Corrigan.

The Art After Dark event began on Nov. 3 and will continue throughout, so if you can’t make it one weekend, don’t fret, there are many opportunities to attend. Corrigan would love to grow the event like some of the other large markets in Orlando. “When I started as community events manager for Lake Nona, I was determined to bring in some type of weekly or monthly art event. We recently connected with RTP Productions, which also manages the Winter Garden and Lake Eola Farmer’s Markets – they have several vendors and artists who want to participate in these events. It seemed like a perfect fit and partnership.”

This event resembles the Lake Eola Farmer’s Market, just on a smaller scale. There were artists who handcrafted wood carvings such as ice cream scoops, pens, pizza cutters and pepper grinders. Lots of beautiful paintings and jewelry were displayed as well as live caricatures. There was a large turnout because it was also a Light Up Lake Nona event, which occurred only on Nov. 17. This event was a way to kick off the holidays and bring some cheer before everything became hectic and stressful as the holidays neared. It was a great family-friendly event with Christmas decorations like a 14-foot tall Christmas tree, Santa’s sleigh, a choir, and a snowy winter wonderland projected onto The Beacon. “We wanted to kick off the season and get everyone excited for the upcoming month,” said Corrigan.

Local artists who are interested in becoming a vendor at the event can email the event managers at artafterdarklakenona@yahoo.com..