• Music: DJ by day, Live Music with the Token Gamblers & Oak Hill Drifters in the evening, followed by an after party for the lively at F! The Man Fest next door at the Cameo Theater. (Free PBR with a Dandelion receipt!
• Get Stoned, Gem-Stoned: After party for the mellow amongst us at Shine On Yoga! Join Kate Ad Sach Kaur, Sacred Alchemist & Sherry Sat Prem Kaur Sacred Sound Healer for Gemstone Alchemy Bowl Meditation & Soul Dance.
• Planetary premier of Tea for Change - a limited edition blend with proceeds supporting those in the blessed unrest movement. This inaugural blend will be launched today, benefiting the Coalition of Immokalee Workers who will be on site with the Modern Day Slavery Museum. The tea is called Lemon Tree, an organic, biodynamic blend of Pine Needles, Lemon Verbena, Lemon Balm & Nettles and was formulated by Master Herbalist Dawn Gates, RN.

Many more updates to be found here. One last note: please don’t park in the Colonial Photo & Hobby Lot.

Art by Marabou * On Sale at Dandelion in March

Life is a journey, and being the ringleader of Dandelion has definitely been that. Chris & I started the cafe with big plans and dreams, not just for us, but for our entire community. So we’re dreamers, but we’re not the only ones – many of you have conspired, inspired and moved into action, and so many initiatives (Slow Food, OurLando, The Daily City, ELLA Music Festival, Audubon Park Community Market…to name a few) have taken hold to make our community more connected, fun, enlightened and informed. Orlando is the kind of place you are proud to call home. The kind of place you want to put down roots and make better for the next generation.

We started with an idea to bring people together around the table because we knew it was vital to fix our broken food system, like this guy explains so well. There’s a lot of momentum locally and nationally to start that process, thanks to good people like you who support philosophies like Sole Food and Slow Money. Even though our hopes and dreams have brought us to this place, it’s time to wake up.

The Spring Equinox marks our 4th birthday (you’re invited, of course) and we’ve committed the next four years to digging deeper into the reach America’s appetite for fuel (the kind we eat & drink + coal & crude oil) has on people & planet. Many people think the film Avatar is a fantasy, but billions of people in communities around our globe continue to be exploited, displaced and destroyed while their land is razed, their dignity & ability to sustain themselves stripped and entire cultures with rich histories and unique knowledge perish.

It’s happening right here in the United States to the people of West Virginia and Florida farmworkers. It’s happening to the people of the Amazon. We’re watching in horror to the last gasps of it in Haiti right now. As we take in environmental refugees from this long exploited people and land, I hope it serves as an urgent reminder that vibrant local economies and preservation of natural resources, including a strong regional food network are paramount to the security and, thus, sustainability, of life. If this earthquake were to have occurred in a Haiti that had not been deforested to the point of desertification, this would have been a disaster, but not one complicated by massive mudslides or non-existent access to food.

I don’t want to bum you out, and promise to continue to educate you by lifting the veils of illusion one by one in unique, artistic ways. Our featured artist in March shares his deep understanding of these issues so beautifully, you won’t even realize you are being schooled. We’ll continue to strengthen our own community and connection to food with lots of live music, poetry and opportunities to meetup while planting seeds for our garden & yours.

Thanks for being on this journey with us. It’s been up and down for everyone the last four years, and the next four are probably going to be about the same, but we’ve now had some practice at how we respond and how to prioritize when the going gets tough. We enter the next four years a bit wiser, with resilience and more appreciation for taking delight in simple pleasures because we are more empowered with each passing day to be the change we wish to see. After all, it’s become quiet obvious that WE are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Tune into Front Porch Radio Wed, Feb 17th at Noon to listen in on a discussion about Pachamama.

You Have To Love A Place

Also coming up during our 4th B-Day Bash on the Spring Equinox (March 20th, more on that soon) we will be visited by the Modern Day Slavery Mobile Museum. It’s all connected, just like you and me.

Thomas Thorspecken

Thor sketched his own Art Opening at Dandelion – check out the photos below & then read Thor’s take about the evening and see the sketch here. This is the public’s first opportunity to buy what are the most famous Orlando sketches to date. Also view him in Winter Park Magazine sketching a Front Porch Radio show (he’s interviewed towards the end of that show).

They’ll serenade us while you check out this month’s awesome art show, with community documentarian Thomas Thorspecken’s scenes from local happenings & hotspots sketched in pen & ink and watercolor This show will be an Analog Artist/Digital World Retrospective; it has been a year since Thor, as we lovingly call him, started his blog. This will be the first time all of his sketches will appear together, in public.

Amelia Coffaro’s photography and Rebecca Downin’s portraits of music legends on vinyl records are also worth a serious eyeballing.

Tuesday, December 15th // 6:30 to 8:30pm
Includes entree and bottomless Mommy-To-Be tea.

Co-Proprietor Julie Norris shares her insights into Blissful Birthing & Radiant Pregnancy with open discussion amongst participants who want to share their own knowledge and experience with each other. Suitable for women who want to explore these topics whether currently pregnant, exploring the idea for a later time or have experience you’d like to share with other women. More on Julie’s experience can be found at: http://gaiamama.wordpress.com

Limited space available. Reserve your seat at the table today.

$35 + Tax

Tuesday, November 17th // 6:30 to 8:30pm

Includes dinner & wine or beer. Julie answers your questions about sustainable, organic, local and ethical eating while exploring the concepts of Flexitarianism with open discussion amongst participants who want to share their own knowledge with each other.

Limited space available. Reserve your seat at the table today.

$35 + Tax