A host of Central
Art fest, NCAA tourney, soccer, concerts abound
Florida events — arts fest, soccer, NCAA Tournament, concerts — ensured that the Saturday SunRail was jampacked all day.
To beat the snaking lines, Central Floridians trickled to the northbound Sand Lake Road SunRail station around 10 a.m. — more than an hour before the first train was scheduled to leave.
The unusual hustle and bustle was a result of Saturday’s jam-packed event schedule, including the 58th Annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Amway Center and an Orlando City soccer match against the Philadelphia Union at Camping World Stadium.
Art lovers and sports fans were still waiting in the ticket line as Krisari Martinez and her mother Sarahi Martinez boarded the train at 11:15 a.m.
For the 10-year-old, the highlight of her day would be snagging a window seat on the top floor of the railcar.
“It’s my first time on the train,” said Krisari, who fixed her gaze on the trees and buildings whisking by the window. “And I definitely want to come back again.”
She and her mother didn’t have to travel far from their Orlando home to the Sand Lake stop, but in an effort to avoid battling the crowd, they arrived an hour early.
“We’re excited to spend the day together in Winter Park,” Martinez said. “It’ll be nice to just enjoy each other’s company.”
The mother and daughter rode on the first “Art is Moving” railcar, which had been transformed by the colorful window artwork designed by Central Florida artists. As part of the Winter Park festival, the railcar
made three round trips, with the first southbound train departing DeBary at 10 a.m.
To help alleviate traffic and parking woes in Winter Park and downtown Orlando, SunRail scheduled 14 round trips. The train has only run on seven Saturdays since it began operating in 2014, said Steve Olson, Florida Department of Transportation spokesman.
Minor ticketing glitches at the Sand Lake station were being handled by attendants as eager riders waited to board.
Donning an Orlando City Soccer T-shirt, Denise Sullivan of Orlando was prepared for a day filled with SunRail trips to two events. After attending the festival with her 2-year-old granddaughter Leia Gamble, she planned to cheer on Orlando City with her son.
“I’m looking forward to the adventures,” Sullivan said. “I’ve never seen the SunRail this packed.”
Sullivan was one of the estimated 350,000 people to attend the annual art festival. At the Winter Park stop, scores of passengers excitedly arose from their seats and began to push toward the exit, leaving the SunRail car nearly empty.
Parents pushed their children in strollers. Young and elderly couples walked hand-in-hand. Groups of friends ordered a bite to eat at food carts.
Massage therapist Florence Anderson-Simms and nail technician Jennah Hughes enjoyed their onehour break from Harmoni Mobile Spa on Park Avenue by walking up and down the crowded Winter Park streets. “It’s amazing to see so many people come to our community to enjoy the arts,” Anderson-Simms said.
The pair admired the Central Park tents filled with work produced by 225 artists, including painters, jewelry makers, sculptors and photographers.
To help alleviate traffic and parking woes in Winter Park and downtown Orlando, SunRail scheduled 14 round trips Saturday.