Thornton Park is about to throw itself a 25th birthday party, and the whole neighborhood is invited to eat and drink through it. The Taste of Thornton Park returns Thursday, November 5, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., taking over Hyer and Washington streets around the Four Rivers Fountain for an evening of unlimited food and drink tastings, music and neighborhood mingling.
More than two dozen participating businesses will set up around the fountain for the milestone 25th edition, according to bungalower.com. The event is hosted by the Thornton Park Neighborhood Association, and as WFTV reports, area restaurants, bars and other businesses donate their products and time for the fundraiser, which doubles as a street party benefiting the association.
Admission includes unlimited food and drink samples from the participating businesses, and organizers tell WFTV that a DJ will keep music going throughout the evening. The outlet also reports that participants compete for awards in five categories: best savory, best sweet, best cocktail, best brew and best presentation or display.
Tickets, Age Limits and Rain-or-Shine Rules
Advance tickets run $45, rising to $55 on the day of the event, per the same bungalower.com report. The party is strictly 21 and older, with no children, strollers or pets permitted, and the event happens rain or shine.
Earlier editions followed a similar format at a lower price point. The 23rd Annual Taste of Thornton Park, held Nov. 7, 2024, charged $40 in advance and $50 at the door, according to Park Ave Magazine, which also noted that event's unlimited tastings from local restaurants, beer, wine and cocktails took place around the same Four Rivers Fountain on East Washington Street, with children, strollers and pets barred and the gathering restricted to guests over 21.
The 2024 edition was sponsored by Thornton Park District and downtownorlando.com, Park Ave Magazine reported at the time. For 2026, WFTV reports the Thornton Park Main Street District will sponsor the fundraiser again.
Where the Money Goes
Proceeds from the Taste have long funded the upkeep that keeps the neighborhood's namesake landmark running. WFTV reports the money supports fountain upkeep, quarterly neighborhood newsletters, holiday luminaries, a children's Easter egg hunt and welcome wagon supplies for new residents. According to the Thornton Park Neighborhood Association, the Taste serves as its annual fundraiser for maintaining the beloved Four Rivers Fountain, printing quarterly newsletters, holiday luminaries, the Easter egg hunt and beautification projects.
WFTV also reports that, according to the association, the Taste of Thornton Park originally helped finance the creation of the fountain itself. The neighborhood association is a free, volunteer organization made up of residents, and the Thornton Park Neighborhood Association's own site describes it as a free, voluntary organization composed of residents of Orlando's historic Thornton Park neighborhood.
The association meets quarterly to discuss neighborhood issues, plan events and care for the fountain, WFTV notes, which keeps the Taste tethered to the same civic upkeep it was created to fund. Organizers say the event typically draws more than 400 attendees, filling the blocks around Hyer and Washington streets for one night of tastings.
