Elite Event @ Winter Park Sip & Stroll

This was such a fun event. Thanks Colleen for the opportunity!
You first check in and grab your wine glasses and view the map of all the locations participating on park ave.
Definitely hard to hit up all the places in the time frame, but if you did. I think you would be a little more than buzz with all the wine that is being served.
Its a great time to check out local stores that you may not usually venture in. I ended up buying a few items at some places. One great stop was the Alfond Inn, the new hotel that just opened up recently. Its a beautiful hotel, and they also had the most yummy apps to try!

This was even better than I was expecting. Park Avenue is nice just about anytime, but throw in some wine and food, and it makes for one great evening. We hit just about every stop, and all the store clerks were very friendly, offering their wine and food, but also offering to show around their stores. What I was truly impressed by was that several shops had their relatives, or friends make food for them. I had a cake pop that was absolutely delicious, and a pumpkin cupcake that I wish I could have purchased more of. Overall, this is truly a great event that lets you take your time, and enjoy Park Avenue while enjoying wine, it just doesn’t get much better.

I have lived in Winter Park for 5 years and have been wanting to make it to this event since I got here, so I really have to thank Unilocal for giving me tickets and letting me finally check it out! And what a fabulous time I had! Any excuse to shop is good enough for me, but the fact that they’ve got yummy nibbles inside was just too much! My faves were the Ancient Olive and the Tea & Spice Exchange (same company really) because they really went above and beyond with their food and drink offerings! Plus I’ve been meaning to check out the Ancient Olive forever, so now that I’ve finally gone, I will definitely be back! The Eat More Produce folks at Lily Pulitzer were awesome too! Hope to attend the event again next year ;-)

The Winter Park Sip and Stroll was a great event, a nice way to discover new business in and around Winter Park. After checking in and receiving our wine glass, we were given a map and sent on our way. We stopped in just about every stop and were warmly welcomed, offered several wines and an appetizer, dessert or snack. We browsed the goods everywhere we went and ran into a bunch of Elite friends along the way.
The businesses along the avenue weren’t all shops and restaurants, so it was a nice way to discover businesses that we wouldn’t normally stop into. After chatting informally with the nice people at the Winter Park Land Co, we’d be back in a heart beat to look at what they had to offer. The new Alfond Inn participated, so we enjoyed a first look at Hamilton’s Kitchen, Hamilton’s lounge and the beautiful lobby and courtyards. While wine was the primary beverage, a few places had teas, sangrias and one stop had the Winter Park Distillery with a great cider and watermelon punch. The weather was great and it was a wonderful event! Thanks to Unilocal,The Park Avenue Merchants and the Winter Park Chamber for such a lovely night.

1. I love Unilocal events
2. I love Park Ave in Winter Park
3. (wait how is this only #3???) I love wine
This event was awesome and right up my alley so thanks to Colleen and Unilocal for bringing us this event! I could tell the Winter Park chamber really makes sure to limit the amount of tickets sold so that those patrons participating don’t end up spending most of their time waiting in line just to get some food or wine to taste. The weather also seemed to recognize that there was a really awesome Winter Park wine event going on because wowza the weather was perfect. Overall I tried many places I frequent on my Park Ave visits as well as some new spots so overall it was a successful experience. Most memorable moment? Hmm well I’d have to say there is nothing like walking around Lilly Pulitzer while enjoying a lovely glass of wine so I’d be happy if THAT could become a tradition :). The Alfond Inn was probably another favorite on the stops because I hadn’t visited yet so I plan on visiting again sometime for sure. Could we have an event like this every week?

This event was a ton of fun, we felt very lucky to have gotten tickets to sip and stroll our way through the streets of WP. We discovered some new shops that we probably would have never entered before, loved the kitchen/​spice shop. The Alfond Inn was beautiful, we’ll definitely be going back there. Best stop on the stroll hands down was Matildas — they went all out with some fabulous food items for the strollers. Can’t wait to get back to Matildas for dinner.

Thanks Colleen for another awesome Unilocal event! I learned two things that evening.
One — what a one serving glass of wine looks like — how cute=)
Two — what a «Hearts on Fire» diamond looks like — want one!
Both lessons very useful!
I loved talking with the shop owners and running into fellow Unilocalers. What a fun friendly crowd!
I agree with Erik S about it being more of a community event than a wine event but It’s still a top rated evening!

Wowzer — another outstanding Unilocal Elite event under our belts — or should I say over our belts after all the tasty snacks this event offered! And had I actually taken advantage of everything there was to sip along the way it would have been more appropriate to call this the Winter Park Sip and Stagger! People were generous with their pours I must say.
This was a nice chance to stroll along the avenue and visit some of my favorite shops like Timothy’s Gallery, The Doggie Door and The Spice and Tea Exchange and to check out a few places that were new to me like Matilda’s, Cucina 214 and The Alfond Inn. I will definitely be back for some of those quesadillas and being able to check out the Inn was a lot of fun. I was so sad when the Langford was torn down, It makes me happy to see that such a stunning place has picked up the reigns.
When you see this event roll around next time believe me it is well worth it. Stroll along the Avenue, Sample some tasty bites, Sip some wine and Support the local businesses in Winter Park. What’s better than that?
A shout out of thanks once again to Colleen for making this available to us!

The Winter Park Sip and Stroll was something totally different for me to try. I had heard of it before but never got the urge to go… but with the kind help from Unilocal,I was able to enjoy the fun! My hubby was not able to join me on this event (sad for him!) so I asked one of my favorite co workers to join me. She used to live in Winter Park and always wanted to try this too! We arrived a bit after 5 and checked in… badge, map, wine glass… check! And off we went!
We strolled for a good 3 hours and enjoyed just about everyone of the vendors who participated. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and the vendors were more than happy to chat and talk up many of their products as well as offering discounts and coupons for return visits. The wines themselves were basic and nothing really stood out except for the sangria at Cocina 214. That was so good, we begged for another glass!
What we liked best were the tasting that just about every vendor had. Our favorites were…
Cocina 214 — sangria and quesadias.
The Ancient Olive — Watermelon salad and so many of the balsamic vinegars. (blueberry was my favorite!)
Bosphoroous — Hummus with pita was great!
At Lily Pulitzer — The white bean chili from Eat More Produce. Yum O!
But the best thing we had were the Chicken Cordon Blue balls! I cant remember which place we had them but it was great!
We ended the night by checking out the Alfond Inn. Wholly mother of pearl… that place is stunning! If you have not checked them out, do so. The décor blew me away. I do want to eat there one night. We were lucky enough to meet a friend who worked there and we got a nice tour of some of the facilities of the resort including the ballrooms, pool, and work out room. State of the art in everything! We enjoyed a fab cocktail at the bar before ending our fun and the staff was super nice.
Thanks Colleen for another fun and memorable event! I look forward to the next Sip and Stroll!

Had a fantastic time with my wife and dog. Next time would probably leave the pup at home, but all the store owners and other people participating were very friendly and accommodating. I would say this is more of a community event than a «wine» event simply because at more than half the stops we weren’t even told what we were drinking other than «red» or «white». I thought it was a great event and would do it again.

Glorious event wasn’t it?
For those of you who made it out right at 5… envy is the color of the day.
Wish I coulda gotten down there a bit earlier, oh well.
Checked in at Park and Morse around 6:30, which still gave me a solid 1.5 hours to take in as much as SnS could dish out (pour out?)…and boy was that a lot.
Just too many wonderful vendors to mention all by name. However, of the lot, I think I would be a bit remiss if I didn’t at least mention The Alfond Inn and Hadco (thx for the tip Charms!).
Both offered tip of the top from the list of our stops.
Alfond is such an exquisite place. It was waaaaay offa the beaten path from the rest of the SnS locales. If you didn’t walk the few blocks to hit this hidden gem, I pity you.
Tears fall for what you missed.
Gloriously clean ceviche, a duo of tasty corn and tomato salads and a thinly sliced taste of fine prosciutto.
The place looks regal, none of us had been before so we asked when they opened?
«Last month.»
Wow, keep up the good work!
Habco, was equally impressive.
A wonderful showroom of fine appliances and outdoor grilling utilities I could never afford.
Sad really… but for a moment, it was all mine, as were the sweet and savory sausage rolls, tasty Gorgonzola sliders and chicken fried steak bites.
All delicious.
It was late in the evening by the time we made it in so the hostess encouraged us to take all we wanted.
Unfortunately my stomach was full of decadent bites from all the other stops, so we couldn’t partake in seconds. We did however enjoy a quick departure from the world of wine as the host poured us a glass of (Yuengling?) beer.
Mother Nature played nice – didn’t rain on our parade until just about 8 pm when the festivities were winding down.
Great success this was.
A bevy of boutiques!
An amalgam of aperitifs!
What else I got…
A myriad oh mouthfuls?
That’s it, getting lame here.
It was awesome, straight up.
If you were there, I’m sure you’d agree, this is not an event to miss.
Thanks Colleen and Unilocal for the tickets!
The End

Thanks again to Colleen our Unilocal Queen for arranging this for us! This was my first time at the Winter Park Sip & Stroll and my goodness is it an amazing idea!
Sip & Stroll is the ritzy classy version of a pub crawl! Drinks and appetizers are avaialble at pretty much all locations! A map is handed out to each attendee and it’s up to you on how you want to hit up the various places available to you up and down Park Ave.
The even is relaxing and low key! Love that you didn’t have to go as a group but go at your own pace! Allows for people, like me, who have walked by these places in Park Ave plenty of times but never really walked into the store! Found some pretty neat things and all the wine/​food was a plus!
Even at 3 hours I ran out of time! Will have to learn to pace myself for next years event!
Thanks Unilocal

What an amazing Elite event! My husband and I were able to check in and begin our stroll right at 5. Seeing that 5 is a little early for a lot of people due to work, we realized that for the first hour or so not very many people were sipping or strolling. Made it relaxing with not as many people.
There were 28 business who participated in the Sip and Stroll. Each business offered you a sample of wine and something to munch on. I went into this event as a non wine drinker, but by the end of the stroll I knew which types of wine I liked and didn’t. I also found the snacks given to be great. Some of my favorites were the hummus and warm pita bread from Bosphorous and the quesadilla from Cocina 214.
I noticed that many of the stores were offering discounts if you purchased something during the stroll. The event took place on my husband’s birthday, and it really was a nice way to spend the night.

What an awesome event. Hands down one of my top three!
The idea behind Sip and Stroll is you check in, get a wine glass, a «passport» listing all the participating businesses, and a map. You stroll down Park Ave, hopping in the businesses. Each of the participants had their stores open and offered at least 2 kinds of wine and a few snacks.
Some of the highlights —
— The Spice and Tea Exchange. Freakin’ amazing. I’ve always loved this store. They feature spices from all over the work and wonderful tea. They had a local baker and restaurant there so we could sample some of their goodies. The staff was strolling around chatting with the guests. LOVE IT.
— Alex and Ani. So excited that they have a store on Park Ave. Their stackable bracelets are adorable and affordable (under $ 30 for most!). They had some lovely sparkling wine and delicious meats and cheeses for their guests.
— Cocina 214. I didn’t even know this lovely restaurant was here until this event. It’s off of one of the side streets off of park (Welbourne St.). The sangria was delicious and the quesadilla was tasty! Great ambiance and lovely staff. Definitely going to eat dinner here soon!
ALL of the businesses were wonderful. The staff was there to chat and show us around (and of course keep our glasses full of wine!). Some businesses that didn’t serve food had visiting business owners (i.e. inside one of the jewelry stores, there was a Japanese restaurant serving their delicious sushi!).
Everyone was so welcoming and had a great time. I thought this event was a great way to showcase some of the amazing local businesses on Park Avenue. My boyfriend and I had a great time and we are eager to go back and visit some of the stores and restaurants on our own!

As fairly new Orlando residents we are always up for new experiences and discovering new places. This event is fantastic. A simple concept to bring foot traffic to the community while taking a leisurely stroll and interacting the local merchants who gracefully open their doors and warmly greet us with libations and grub.
Unfortunately my work hours don’t allow me to get there as early as 5PM, but we were still able to enjoy and interact with most of the participating stores.
We are definitely fans of not only the event but of Winter Park, and will no doubt return and patronize these businesses.
Wine, food, local stores, meeting new people, chatting with friends, this is what I call: a perfect evening.
SYOY !

This is a great format — wander, sip and nosh — and it allowed me to explore some of the places on the Avenue I hadn’t hit up before! The free format was interesting for an event, but we did keep running into familiar Unilocaler faces at various spots which was nice :) Winter Park must keep the number of tickets sold at a very reasonable number, as I did not feel rushed or like anything was crowded.
Favorite spots included The Ancient Olive — with a super friendly staff who discussed infusions with me while serving up delicious watermelon feta salad, slaw and this goat cheese/​chocolate balsamic/​cayenne almond/​craisins dish that I could have eaten a pound of — and The Alfond Inn, a block or two off the avenue but SO worth it to enjoy ceviche, prosciutto and their super cool modern art collection.
I was driving so had to turn down about ¾ of the libations offered (not a big deal — most places were serving up everyday wines), but the food and opportunity to explore more than made up for it.

THANKS Colleen for getting Unilocal in this event. I never would have participated any other way– and now, so glad I did!
Firstly the weather was as near perfect as a Floridian could expect. Great «strolling» weather. Great for gettin in da mood for a good time.
Gotta LOVE Winter Park and all their FREE parking too. FREE, again, has proven to be a worthy alternative.
Okay my favs were:
The «White’s» RULE!
(omg… its the vino folks– cheeshe!)
@ Lilly Pulitzer — Rangetsu’s the Mexican Sushi with Tempura Shrimp– WOW! Set me up as if unzipped and w/​an instant, ELITE Ready Freddie!
KICK AZZ White Bean Chili from Eat More Produce– Whoo Hooo! (washed down w/​green smoothie– ummmm I was gettin that heartbeat bump all over)
Then the OMG, Chicken Cordon Bleu’s! BEST OF the EVENT! Climaxtic w/​o reservation or consequence ! Gimmee More!!!
…but close second and an awesome finish was the Lavender Fudge at the Spice & Tea Exchange. Oh my, my, that was some pure n’ naughty sex on a napkin! She allowed me to go back for 2nds and then yes, 3rds even!
What fun it was strolling the walks of Park Ave — even discussing the illegal parking offenders with the WP Beat Cop w/​wine glass in hand.(empty again of course)
And the best was Mike at Filthy Rich, just simply gave us $ 2,000,000.00 for stopping in! These «bucks» will make a great ONE STAR rated service gratuity!
Honorable mention: Pumpkin pops! OOoooooooooh!

What a nice and relaxing event!
After a rough day at work, there was nothing better than strolling down park ave with a glass of wine and some tasty tid bits, surprisingly my favorite was from a jewelry shop that had an impressive spread of olives, tuna tartar on top of a wonton cracker and the most amazing blue cheese I’ve ever tasted– it had a slightly smoky flavor to it. They were offering proseco which is the first time I’ve tried it and that had to be my favorite drink.
This is most definitely a great way to try/​see what park ave has to offer!