PHOTO VIA THE COURTESY
Winter Park’s The Courtesy (Website) has released its reservation schedule for this year’s Nightmare on Orange, the bar’s annual Halloween pop-up.
The seasonal takeover runs September 22 through November 1. It’s a Halloween-themed pop-up with decorations, specialty cocktails, and just general overall creepy vibes during normal business hours. Starting Monday, September 28, the bar will also add Monday hours through the end of the year.
Reservations open in three waves. The first batch opens September 8 at noon for the September 22 through October 6 window. The second opens September 22 at noon, covering October 7 through October 21. The third and final release lands October 6 at noon for October 22 through November 1, per the release schedule posted on the bar’s site.
Walk-ins are still welcome throughout the run. The bar recommends arriving early for a better shot at getting in or landing on the waitlist, and notes that parties larger than four are tougher to seat without a reservation, since it’s a fairly tiny venue. Guests on the waitlist get five minutes to respond once a table opens up before it goes to the next group in line. On Fridays and Saturdays, an outdoor mobile bar lets guests drink while they wait.
Each seated party gets a two-hour window to experience the takeover. After the pop-up wraps on November 1, the bar will close for nine days before transitioning into Miracle on Orange, its Christmas-themed follow-up.
Nightmare on Orange started in 2018 under co-owners Diana and Gene Zimmerman, who based the concept on Cocktail Kingdom’s “Miracle” holiday bar program. The event has run every year with one exception and moved with the bar to its current home at 1288 North Orange Avenue in Winter Park after a 2022 relocation from downtown Orlando.
The bar is located at 1288 North Orange Avenue in Winter Park. Reservations and the full release schedule are available HERE.
