Things to Do in Oviedo

Most people don't get business calls from Walt Disney World. But, two decades ago, Glass Addicts owner Denise Hurley received just that—along with a request to design and build Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa's carousel horse. In the years since, orders have continued to pour in from Kohl's, The Mirage hotel, and other businesses and collectors seeking Hurley's Tiffany-style stained-glass and art-glass designs. Hurley also builds masterpieces on a smaller scale, restoring and repairing customers’ already existing pieces and building custom panes for homes and offices. Intent on sharing her talent with others, Hurley teaches classes on formats ranging from mosaic picture frames to stepping stones to dentists' mirrors overlaid with your favorite Metallica album covers. No previous experience is necessary, as classes accommodate beginners and master artists alike. Sessions take place in spacious, well-lit rooms filled with materials, and students and customers can study from books inspired by Hurley's designs or observe the installment skills of her professional staff.

At WestWood Farms, hunter horses and ponies roam four grass paddocks, setting a scene so peaceful and bucolic, no one would ever guess the farm is located just 15 minutes from the bustle of Orlando International Airport. That same sense of calm permeates WestWood's riding lessons, where trainers time their students' progress not by a watch, but by whether or not their goals for the day have been accomplished. Open to riders aged 5 and older, the farm's lessons focus on the English style of riding, which involves the letter u more frequently than other styles and emphasizes the hunter-jumper discipline.

Even though flakes rarely brave the Florida sun and Jack Frost will never be grand marshal of the Citrus Bowl parade, some winter traditions are the same no matter where you live. One look at Winter in the Park confirms that. Spanning the holiday-packed days from November 16 to January 6, the festival decks out a portion of Central Park with frosty fun for the entire family. The centerpiece is a chilly ice rink, where skaters loop through delicate figure-8s and wreaths and other decorations help visitors capture the end-of-year spirit without having to find a local polar-bear adoption center. Additional events in Winter Park range from a harvest festival and holiday pops concert to a pancake breakfast, a Christmas parade, and a Hanukkah celebration.

The plate beneath a meal can say as much about the chef as the ingredients in it, especially when that chef is also the plate’s artist. The sculptors at Pottery Pad offer that chance to dish users of all ages, providing the paint, workspace, glaze, and kiln to finish off premade clayware. They produce mugs, cereal bowls, and even pet dishes, arranging the sculpted products in neat rows around the circumference of their room. In the middle, long tables covered in palettes and pools of paint await the presence of a creative mind to turn each dish into a work of art.

The staff hosts individuals, birthday parties, and even entire scout troops, keeping careful track of each participant's wares. At the end of sessions, they collect the painted pieces and ready them for a trip into their 1,800-degree kiln. Once the firing is finished, they call up the piece's owner to let them know its ready and warn them to blow on it before use.