Best bets: Cats Under the Stars, 'Elf,' tree lighting, 'Shrek,' Sunday Assembly
CATS UNDER THE STARS: Rum 138 will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a music and arts festival, dubbed Cats Under the Stars, a three-day camping event, all day today through Sunday at 2070 SW CR 138 in Fort White. This event promises a fun-filled weekend of live music, art, yoga, camping and kayak trips on the Santa Fe River. Weekend and day passes are available. Cats Under the Stars will feature national artists The Garcia Project, the only nationally touring tribute to the Jerry Garcia Band; Billy Gilmore Bluegrass Band with Brett Bass, featuring progressive bluegrass multi-instrumentalist Billy Gilmore from “The Grass is Dead” and award-winning flat picker Brett Bass from Grandpa’s Cough Medicine; Marcus Rezak’s Shred is Dead; The Pine Box Dwellers; The Funky Miracle; Glass Camels; and many more regional and local acts. Proceeds from the event will help support Our Santa Fe River and The Florida Springs Council. Rum 138 is a community based ecotourism destination focused on protecting the Santa Fe River and the numerous springs it contains. Rum 138 provides water sports via kayak, canoe and paddle board rentals and sales, and showcases regional fine artists such as John Moran. For more information and ticketing for Cats Under the Stars, visit rum138.com/10-year-anniversary, call 386-454-4247 or email info@rum138.com.
“ELF: THE MUSICAL”: Buchholz Drama is putting on a musical version of a modern holiday classic. Based on the beloved holiday film, the hilarious comedy “Elf: The Musical” follows Buddy the Elf in his quest to spread Christmas cheer. As a young orphan, Buddy mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole, where he is raised alongside Santa’s elves. Unaware that he is human, Buddy has many comical challenges but never loses his Christmas spirit. Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to discover his true identity and help everyone remember the true meaning of Christmas. With a talented cast of more than 20 students, this musical will fill your family with holiday cheer — after all, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Buchholz Drama has won numerous performing arts awards under the leadership of Ted Lewis. They collected toys for this production earlier this year, and all donations will be given to children in need after the musical’s stage run. The musical ran on Broadway and tours annually in the U.S. The local production of “Elf the Musical” runs at 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 11 at Buchholz High School, 5510 NW 27th Ave. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for students, $10 for groups and free for BHS faculty. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit buchholzdrama.com.
TREE LIGHTING: Jump into the holiday season with Celebration Pointe’s tree lighting ceremony. Attendees can enjoy live music, food vendors, lawn games and family activities while they watch a performance by the Williams Elementary School choir, Danscenter of Gainesville’s yearly “Cinderella” sneak peek, and a special holiday-themed dance performance by Sun Country Dance Theatre in addition to the ceremony. Celebration Pointe is open-container friendly, so you can enjoy beer and wine during the festivities. The activities will start at 6:30 p.m. today, with the tree lighting at 7. For more information, visit celebrationpointe.com.
“SHREK THE MUSICAL”: “Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek …” And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and more than 1 dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand — and his name is Shrek. “Shrek The Musical,” the newest production from Gainesville Community Playhouse, brings all of the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears. Catch a performance at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 11 at the Gainesville Community Playhouse, 4039 NW 16th Blvd. Tickets are $23 for general admission, $19 for seniors and $12 for students. For more information about this and upcoming productions, or to purchase tickets online, visit gcplayhouse.org.
SUNDAY ASSEMBLY: Sunday Assembly Gainesville will feature guest speaker Barbara Oberlander, a retired professor emerita of history at Santa Fe College. The title of her talk will be “Coming to the $20 Bill — Harriet Tubman.” Music will be provided by Sunday Assembly musicians. Sunday Assembly Gainesville is a secular congregation that celebrates life at 11 a.m. the third Sunday of each month. The group will meet at the Pride Center in the Liberty Center, 3131 NW 13th St. Vaccinations, boosters and face masks are recommended and encouraged. It also is possible to attend via zoom. Sunday Assembly Gainesville is a chapter of the Global Secular Sunday Assembly Movement. For more information, visit sagainesville.weebly.com or email SundayAssembly32601@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Best bets: Cats Under the Stars, 'Elf,' tree lighting, 'Shrek,' more
