Love Your Shorts Summer Rewind

Ever since I graduated from college, I’ve looked for new ways to get engaged in my community. I grew up in South Florida, and while it may only be a few hours from where I live now, the two places sometimes often seem like worlds apart. Finding fun local events to attend with friends — especially those that pertain to the arts — has made my new residence feel a lot more like home.

Sanford is a port city just north of Orlando, filled with rich history and isolated from the hectic Disney World traffic. I often drive downtown to enjoy the beautiful lake view, eclectic shops and historic district. From authentic German cuisine at Hollerbach’s Willow Tree Cafe to handcrafted marshmallows and s’mores at Wondermade Dessert Cafe, the city is unique and has something to offer everyone.

I often use websites like Visit Seminole and EventBrite to find fun things to do in the area. Not only can you sign up for local events  on Eventbrite, but you can also manage your own events and sell tickets! While using the site, I discovered the Love Your Shorts Summer Rewind, and was immediately intrigued.

The Love Your Shorts Film Festival takes place every year in February. This year, they kicked off the fall with a showing of some of the best films from last year’s festival. This one-night event featured short films from all over the world of various genres — romance, comedy, sci-fi, animation, you name it!

I decided to go to the film festival with a good friend of mine. The event took place at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center downtown,  described as being “straight out of old-timey America.” From there, we moseyed over to the film festival after-party at String Theory Creations.

The after-party had a fun luau theme and featured a live auction. Brice and I didn’t put in any bids, but we enjoyed the people-watching. (There are few things more entertaining to watch than a live auction!) We did take advantage of the many mirrors throughout the shop by snapping a few mirror selfies.

For anyone traveling to Orlando, I highly recommend a day-trip out to Sanford. There are so many cool events like this throughout the year. On a quieter day, you can go antiquing, enjoy delicious food, and perhaps even convince a handsome gentleman to take you out on his boat!

Are any of my readers from the Sanford area? What events and activities would you recommend for travelers and locals alike? 🙂