Culture, curiosities, craft beer and chirping birds – it’s all part of What’s Good this weekend.
Enjoy elevated and elegant performances with the Gainesville Orchestra’s 40th-year anniversary celebration and with Dance Alive National Ballet’s exciting contemporary dance production, Horse of a Different Color. Hear rare American folk songs performed a cappella at Star Center Theatre’s Black Pearl Sings or travel to the Hundred Acre Wood with Disney’s Winnie the Pooh at the UF Phillips Center.
Take a walk on the whimsical side at the newly opened Theatre of Memory. Raise a glass to 15 years of craft beer at Swamp Head Brewery’s Swamp Fest featuring bands, food trucks and brews. Discover Gainesville’s unique artistic, environmental and civic heritage at Sarah’s Sweetwater Greenway Loop Festival or go birding on a self-guided tour of premier backyard habitats at the 2023 Backyard Birding Tour.
Read on for more of What’s Good!
Be safe and be well,
Your partners at Visit Gainesville, Alachua County
Be Informed.
The below information was accurate at the time of publishing. Please contact organizers directly to double-check details.
Celebrate the Gainesville Orchestra’s 40th Anniversary with Stravinsky’s “Petroushka”
Friday, February 17, 7:30 p.m. | Santa Fe College Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall
3000 NW 83 St., E-127, Gainesville, FL 32606
Gainesville’s professional orchestra celebrates 4o years with a Ruby Gala. Enjoy Stravinsky’s sparkling and beloved folk suite “Petroushka” under the direction of maestro and conductor Evans Haile with special guest artists Kyle Driggs and Andrea Murillo from Cirque du Soleil, the Big Apple Circus, a special performance by violinist/composer Sonya Leonore Stahl, and other surprises.
Sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County
Ride Off to an Awe-Inspiring Realm at Dance Alive National Ballet’s Horse of a Different Color
Saturday, February 18, 7:30 p.m. | UF Philips Center
3201 Hull Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611
The Dance Alive National Ballet showcases its diversity and range with an exciting contemporary dance performance. The overarching theme of the performance is effortless diversity and features a variety of dance styles, choreographers, dancers, and cultures. During intermission, attendees can visit a representational version of “Ellis Island Museum” for a unique experience. The performance is followed by a talk with choreographers, designers, composers and dancers.
Sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County
Visit Several of Gainesville’s Premier Backyard Birding Habitats on the Self-Guided Backyard Birding Tour
Saturday, February 18 | Multiple Locations
The Backyard Birding Tour is Alachua Audubon’s annual spring trip through a variety of bird-interesting backyards. Explore backyard birding habitats and find inspiration for your own backyard. Educational displays and bird experts will be at each tour stop to answer your questions. Learn how to attract diverse groups of birds inclusive of vegetation and water features.
Tickets are available at Wild Birds Unlimited (4212 NW 16th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32605).
Support Local Agriculture at the Good Roots Festival Featuring Carrot and Radish U-Picks
Saturday, February 18, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. | Frog Song Organics
4317 US Hwy. 301, Hawthorne, FL 32640
Root vegetables thrive in Florida’s winter soil. Pick your own radishes and carrots and see how the root washer gets them clean. Ten baby piglets are excited to meet new farm visitors. Reserve your spot for the a demo hosted by Shane from Buddha’s Garden and learn the basics of fermenting vegetables. Join a farm tour and explore organic farming practices. Stock up with veggies, jams, teas and more from the farm stand. Admission is free.
Discover Gainesville’s Unique Artistic, Environmental and Civic Heritage at Sarah’s Sweetwater Greenway Loop Festival
Thursday, February 16 – Monday, February 20 | Multiple Locations
Join a celebration connecting neighborhoods connected by nature and historic legacy. Each day of the festival focuses on specific neighborhoods with locations including The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, Sweetwater Park, Matheson History Museum, Historic Pleasant Street and 5th Ave Neighborhoods, Cypress and Grove Brewing Company and more.
B.B King, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington and James Brown performed at The Cotton Club and Sarah’s Restaurant. Ms. Sarah McKnight’s legacy as entrepreneur, artist, entertainer and community leader is featured in the documentary “Sarah’s Place,” screening each night during the festival.
Sweetwater Branch Creek runs through Gainesville and is an anchor of a proposed Sweetwater Greenway Loop, providing nature, culture and recreation opportunities.
Raise a Glass to 15 Years of Swamp Head Brewery Beers at Swamp Fest
Saturday, February 18, 12 p.m. – 12 a.m. | Swamp Head Brewery
3650 SW 42nd Ave., Gainesville, FL 32608
Happy birthday Swamp Head Brewery! Join the party with live music, food trucks, anniversary merch and more. Special collaboration beers made with former Swamp Head brewmasters include Jasmine Orange Rice Lager, NEIPA with Mosaic and Citra Hops, Vanilla Pineapple Milkshake and BA Birthday Cake Stout.
Swamp Head Brewery is part of the Alachua County Ale Trail. Be sure to check in with your Sippin’ Seven digital pass.
Learn more and signup for free here.
Travel to the Hundred Acre Wood with Christopher Robin and Friends at Disney’s Winnie the Pooh
Sunday, February 19, 2 p.m. | UF Phillips Center
3201 Hull Rd., Gainesville, FL 32611
Characters you know and love come to life in a beautifully crafted musical stage adaptation. This beautifully fresh stage variation is told with stunning life-sized puppetry in a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County
Explore the Intersection of Nature and Architecture at Writers’ Talk at the Rawlings House
Saturday, February 18, 1:30 p.m. | Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
18700 S CR 325, Cross Creek, FL 32640
Author and architect Charlie Hailey presents his award-winning The Porch—Meditations on the Edge of Nature. Architect Magazine calls the book “a poignant, multi-sensory feast in the grand wilderness writing tradition of Thoreau and Muir.” Free with basic park entry fee. Book signing at 1:30 p.m.; discussion begins at 2 p.m.
Hear Rare American Folk Songs Performed A Cappella at Black Pearl Sings
Thursday, February 16 – Sunday, February 19 | Star Center Theatre
11 NE 23rd Ave., Gainesville, FL 32609
The musical play tells the depression-era story of two extraordinary women dependent on one another to gain acceptance in a divided society. When Susannah, a WPA song collector for the Library of Congress, overhears Pearl singing in a Texas prison, she pulls every string possible to introduce the woman with the silky voice and steely spirit to the world.Sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County
See an All-Female Cast Playing Multiple Roles at Women Playing Hamlet
Friday, February 17 – Sunday, March 5 | Actors’ Warehouse
2512 NE 1st Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32609
Hamlet’s a challenge for any actor, but when Jessica is cast as the titular character in a New York production, it sends her into an existential tailspin. It doesn’t help that her acting coach is borderline abusive, or that every Starbucks barista with an MFA tells her she’s too young for the role. Or that she’s somehow managed to make Sir Patrick Stewart her nemesis. Not to mention the fact that she’s a woman. How can Jessica figure out “to be or not to be,” when she can’t even figure out herself? Featuring an all-female cast performing multiple roles, Woman Playing Hamlet is rip-roaring fun for Shakespeare fans and haters alike.Sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County
Discover Whimsical Collections at the Opening of the New Theatre of Memory Museum
1705 NW 6th St., Gainesville, FL 32609
Museum director Bill Hutchinson curates a collection of artifacts, documents, visual arts and more located in a restored 1902 Florida Home. Each item presented in the Cabinet of Curiosities tells a story across time.
Upcoming Opening Events:
Americana with Quartermoon
Saturday, February 18, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Open House Fun Raiser
Sunday, February 19, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Nerd Night with 5,000 Years of Asian Ceramics
Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Celebrate Black History Month with Poetry, Live Music, Museum Exhibits and More
Discover Gainesville’s Unique Artistic, Environmental and Civic Heritage at Sarah’s Sweetwater Greenway Loop Festival
Thursday, February 16 – Monday, February 20
Hear Rare American Folk Songs Performed A Cappella at Black Pearl Sings at Star Center Theatre
Thursday, February 16 – Sunday, February 19
“Figure Drawing in the Parks” with GNV Art Jams at A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center
Sunday, February 19, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Yvonne Ferguson exhibition and Live Painting: African American Women in Art and Literature at A A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center
Sunday, February 19, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Gallery Talk: Posing Beauty: Conversations around Black Beauty with Jade Powers, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Harn Museum of Art
Sunday, February 19, 3 pm
A Cappella Group “The Kings Return” at A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center
Wednesday, February 22, 2 p.m.
Tribute to Freedom: A Celebration of Black History Concert at University Auditorium
Thursday, February 23, 7:20 p.m. – 9 p.m.
North Central Florida Blues Society’s Blues on the Patio at A. Quinn Jones Museum & Cultural Center
Sunday, February 26, 7 p.m.
Now on View at the Harn Museum of Art: Posing Beauty in African American Culture at the Harn Museum of Art
Tuesdays – Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Fridays – Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Join Book Readings, Art Workshops, Film Screenings and More at Alachua County Library District Branch Locations
Now through February 28
We’re Tired of Asking: Black Thursday and Civil Rights at the University of Florida at the Matheson History Museum
Wednesdays – Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Explore African American History with The Gullah Geechee Exhibit: African Connections and Cultural Traditions in America, and In the Shadows of Plantations: Enslaved Africans in Alachua County at the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Make sure your Black History Month event is included, send us details at info@visitgainesville.com.
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Arts & Theatre
Find Out How to Live Life to the Fullest at the Comedic Stage Performance of You Can’t Take It with You
Now through Sunday, February 26 | High Springs Playhouse
Meet the Sycamore family, a collection of erratic yet lovable characters. Hilarity ensues when Tony, an attractive son from the Kirby Family falls in love with Alice Sycamore and brings his parents to dine at the Sycamore home on the wrong evening. You Can’t Take It With You is one of the most popular stage comedies reinforcing the idea that you can only live life to the fullest by doing whatever makes you happy.
UF School of Theatre and Dance Presents Yemaya’s Belly at UF McGuire Pavilion Black Box Theatre
Now through Sunday, February 19
Events & Festivals
LifeSouth 5K & Party in the Plaza
Saturday, February 18, 9 a.m.
3rd Annual Florida Outdoor Learning Festival at The FOLC Farm
Saturday, February 18 – Sunday, February 19, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sandhill Crane Metalworking Workshops at [Fe]ver Metal Art Center
Saturday, February 18 – Sunday, February 19
Complete Challenges and Earn Rewards During the Alachua County Eco Chase Challenge Scavenger Hunt Competition
Now through Earth Day (April 22)
Music & Performance
Americana with Wild Shiners at Lightnin’ Salvage
Thursday, February 16, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
New York Punk with Show Me The Body at The Wooly
Thursday, February 16, 8 p.m.
Dance Music with DJ Pauly D at Vivid Music Hall
Thursday, February 16, 8 p.m. – 1 a.m.
Blink-182 Tribute with Blank 281 at High Dive
Thursday, February 16, 8 p.m.
Classic Rock with Late Night Delivery at Kiss 105.3 FM Concert Series at Celebration Pointe
Friday, February 17, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
1,000 Voices Ensemble Choir Concert at St Patrick’s Church
Friday, February 17, 6:40 p.m.
Florida Invitational Step Show Presents Step Show of Madness at University Auditorium
Friday, February 17, 7 p.m.
Indie Rock with The Stews at High Dive
Friday, February 17, 8 p.m.
Dueling Pianos at The Keys Grill and Piano Bar
Friday, February 17, 9 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Jazz with Swing Theory at One Love Café
Saturday, February 18, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Songs and Stories with Leo Disanto at Lightnin’ Salvage
Saturday, February 18, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Indie with Madwoman, P.M. Tiger, MAK and Saturn Lights at Indie Live Outdoor Concert Series at Heartwood Soundstage
Saturday, February 18, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Classic Rock with In the Moment at the Great Outdoors Restaurant
Saturday, February 18, 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Alt-Country with Jesse Dayton at High Dive
Saturday, February 18, 8 p.m.
Acoustic Blues with Middleground at One Love Café
Sunday, February 19, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Blues with John Primer and Little Mike and the Tornadoes at Heartwood Soundstage
Sunday, February 19, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Soul and Country with David Morris at High Dive
Sunday, February 19, 7 p.m.
Jazz Wednesdays with The Oak Trio at Covey Kitchen and Cocktails
Wednesday, February 22, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Craft Breweries
Jazz with Nick DeCarlis Trio at Daft Cow Brewery
Friday, February 17, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Jazz Bandits at Cypress and Grove Brewing Company
Friday, February 17, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Alt-Country with Black River Harvesters at High Springs Brewing Company
Saturday, February 18, 7:30 p.m.
Beast Feast Wild Game and Fish Dinner at Cypress and Grove Brewing Company
Saturday, February 28, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
U-Picks & Farmers Markets
U-Pick Strawberries at Crossroads Farm and Apiary
Friday, February 17 – Saturday, February 18, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Grove Street Farmers Market with Live Music
Mondays, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Archer Farmers Market at Archer Historical Society Railroad Museum
Tuesdays, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
GNV Market at South Main Station Featuring Live Music with The Shambles
Thursdays, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
High Springs Farmers Market
Fridays, 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Alachua County Farmers Market
Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Newberry Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Haile Village Farmers Market
Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Waldo Farmers Market
Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Bites and Brunch
Love Sucks Brunch at World of Beer Bar and Kitchen
Saturday, February 18 – Sunday, February 19, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Music, Drinks and a New Brunch Menu at Germains Chicken Sandwiches
Sunday, February 19, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m
(sold out) Brunch and Crepes Cooking Class at the Fat Tuscan
Sunday, February 19, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sports
See the Quickest Street Cars Drive and Race at Gainesville Raceway during Sick Week 2023
Thursday, February 16, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Gators Track and Field at Last Chance Indoor Qualifier at Alachua County Sports and Event Center
Thursday, February 16, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Gators Softball T-Mobile Tournament vs. UCONN at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
Friday, February 17, 6 p.m.
Gators Baseball Home Opener vs Charleston Southern at Condron Family Ballpark
Friday, February 17, 7 p.m.
Gators Softball T-Mobile Tournament vs. Bowling Green at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
Saturday, February 18, 10:30 a.m.
Gators Softball T-Mobile Tournament vs. UCONN at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
Saturday, February 18, 1 p.m.
Gators Baseball vs. Charleston Southern at Condron Family Ballpark
Saturday, February 18, 4 p.m.
Gators Softball T-Mobile Tournament vs. Central Michigan at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
Sunday, February 19, 11:30 a.m.
Gators Baseball vs. Charleston Southern at Condron Family Ballpark
Sunday, February 19, 1 p.m.
Gators Softball T-Mobile Tournament vs. Delaware State at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
Sunday, February 19, 2 p.m.
Gators Women’s Tennis vs. Florida Gulf Coast at Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex
Wednesday, February 22, 1 p.m.
Gators Baseball vs. USF at Condron Family Ballpark
Wednesday, February 22, 6 p.m.
Gators Men’s Basketball vs. Kentucky at Exactech Arena
Wednesday, February 22, 7 p.m.
54th USAA Indoor National and 2023 JOAD Indoor Nationals Archery Competition at Easton Newberry Archery Center
Friday, February 17, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
“Most Fist Bumps by a Mascot in Three Minutes” World Record Attempt at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Friday, February 17, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Funtastic Fridays Archery at Easton Newberry Archery Center
Friday, February 17, 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Summit Racing Series Bracket Drag Racing at Gainesville Raceway
Saturday, February 18 – Sunday, February 19, 8 a.m.
2023 Fightin’ Gator Touchdown Club Dart Tournament at Blair’s Billiards
Saturday, February 18, 1 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Premier Girls Fastpitch Classic Softball Tournament at Champions Park
Saturday, February 18 – Sunday, February 19
Gators Game Day Locker Room Tours at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Monday, February 20 and Wednesday, February 22
Parks & Trails
Accessible Tram Tours at Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Ongoing, Check for Availability
Thursday, February 16, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.Tuesday, February 21, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Free Timed 5K with parkrun at Depot Park
Saturday, February 18, 7:30 a.m.
Rim Ramble Ranger-Led Adventure at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Saturday, February 18, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Princess and the Frog Movie Night at Depot Park
Saturday, February 18, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
(sold out) Fun and Funky Fungi Citizen Science for Kids at Hogtown Creek Headwaters Nature Center
Sunday, February 19, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday Bird Walks at the Wetlands at Sweetwater Wetlands Park
Wednesday, February 22, 8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.
River & Springs
Paddle 8 Springs in 8 Miles or Slowly Float Down the Santa Fe River at Poe Springs Park with Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures
Friday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Americana on the Santa Fe River at Riverine Reunion
Friday, February 17 – Sunday, February 19
Float or Splash Into Freshwater Springs
North Florida is home to the largest collection of first-magnitude springs in the United States.
Museums & Galleries
Memorial for Local Artist Carlotta Gail Daniels with Never-Before-Seen Paintings on Display at the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center
Friday, February 17, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“Figure Drawing in the Parks” with GNV Art Jams at A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center
Sunday, February 19, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Gallery Talk: Posing Beauty: Conversations around Black Beauty with Jade Powers, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Harn Museum of Art
Sunday, February 19, 3 pm
Tot Trot: Insects & Spiders for Ages 2-5 at Florida Museum of Natural History
Tuesday, February 21, 9 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
A Cappella Group “The Kings Return” at A. Quinn Jones Museum and Cultural Center
Wednesday, February 22, 2 p.m.
Now on View at the Harn Museum of Art: Posing Beauty in African American Culture at the Harn Museum of Art
Tuesdays – Wednesdays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Fridays – Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Posing Beauty in African American Culture explores the ways in which African and African American beauty has been represented in historical and contemporary contexts through a diverse range of media including photography, video, fashion and advertising.
Board Members Past and Present Exhibit Celebrates 100 Years of Art at GFAA
Now through February 18
Now on View, Uncertain Codes Exhibit at Garry Libby University Gallery
Now through Saturday, March 4
Get Up Close and Explore the World of Arachnids at Spiders Alive! at the Florida Museum of Natural History
With more than a dozen live species from around the world, the new exhibit dives into the world of spiders, scorpions and their relatives. Featured animals on display include the Asian Forest Scorpion, Brazilian Red and White Tarantula, Southern Black Widow, Wolf Spider and more. Go hands-on with large touchable models revealing a closer look at spider anatomy. Plan your visit online.
Photo courtesy Florida Museum / Jeff Gage
View Memories of Legendary Bands at a Legendary Music Venue at the Matheson History Museum’s Newest Exhibit “Return to Forever: Gainesville’s Great Southern Music Hall”
Museum Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The Matheson History Museum looks back at the state-of-the-art concert venue in Gainesville between 1974 and 1978. The Great Southern Music Hall hosted performers including Jimmy Buffett, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Bob Seger and Steve Martin to name a few. The exhibit features a collection of live performance photos from the house photographer John Moran, Bo Diddley’s signature square guitar and other artifacts. Admission is free.
Discover a Unique African American Culture at Gullah Geechee – African Connections and Cultural Traditions in America at the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center
Open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Save The Date
Heartwood Music Fest, February 24-26
Dudley Farm Plowing Up The Past, March 3 – 4
Itzhak Perlmanand Rohan De Silva, March 6
NHRA Gatornationals, March 9-12
Hogtown Craft Beer Festival at Cuscowilla Nature and Retreat Center, March 25
Thornebrook Spring Arts Festival, March 25
For a complete list of events please visit www.visitgainesville.com/events/
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This publication contains information about events, venues and activities in Alachua County, Florida. Reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the information is accurate. We are not responsible for errors or omissions in the information provided. For complete details, contact the host directly. The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such. Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, we do not represent, warrant, undertake or guarantee that the information is correct, accurate, complete or non-misleading. We will not be liable to you in respect of any special, indirect or consequential loss or damage. If a section of this disclaimer is determined by any court or other competent authority to be unlawful and/or unenforceable, the other sections of this disclaimer continue in effect.
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