Best bets: Outdoor movie, 'Free Fridays' concert, 'Honky Tonk Laundry,' author discussion

TIOGA OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT SERIES: The 2022 Tioga Movie Night Series continues at 7 p.m. today with “Soul.” Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy the movie under the stars. This is a free outdoor movie screening. Tioga’s restaurants and coffee shop will be open before and during the film so attendees can purchase dinner or snacks to round out the evening. According to IMDB.com, “Soul” follows a New York jazz pianist who, after landing the gig of a lifetime, suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange land between Earth and the afterlife. This film is rated PG and has a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. Upcoming movies in the Tioga Outdoor Movie Night Series include “Sing 2” on July 8 and “Clifford the Big Red Dog” on Aug. 12.

“FREE FRIDAYS” CONCERT: Catch the next performance of the city’s popular “Free Fridays” concert series from 8 to 10 p.m today at the Bo Diddley Plaza downtown amphitheater, located at 111 E. University Ave. The free concert series highlights a different act each week, with Phillip "Jazz Dad" Thomas and the Forever Miles Band performing R&B and soul today. Attendees are encouraged to bring their blankets and lawn chairs to Bo Diddley Plaza to enjoy the concert under the stars. For more information, including a list of upcoming performances, visit bodiddleyplaza.com/upcoming-events.

“HONKY TONK LAUNDRY”: The Hipp’s newest production is a country-flavored, bootscootin’ musical. Wash your cares away with “Honky Tonk Laundry,” a jukebox musical full of country favorites from Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Gretchen Wilson, Patsy Cline and many more. When Lana Mae Hopkins, owner and proprietress of the Wishy Washy Washateria, hires Katie to help out, they soon find themselves up to their elbows in soap, suds and cheatin’ hearts. The women join forces to transform the laundromat into a bootscootin’ honky-tonk and exact a touch of revenge against those that done ’em wrong. This production includes some sexual references and mild profanity, including talk of prescription drug and alcohol use. It is suitable for ages 13 and older. Catch a show at 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through July 10. Tickets are $23  for general admission and $18 for students and children. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit thehipp.org/honky-tonk-laundry.

AUTHORS DISCUSSION: Five authors, conservationists, environmentalists and artists will visit the Matheson History Museum at 4 p.m. Saturday to read from their essays in “The Wilder Heart of Florida: More Writers Inspired by Florida Nature” about their beloved places in the state. Registration is free at bit.ly/authorsjune22, but capacity will be limited to 100 people and masks are required. A virtual option via Zoom is available for those who cannot attend in person at bit.ly/authorsjune22zoom. In this captivating collection, Florida’s most notable authors, poets and environmentalists take readers on a journey through the natural wonders of the state. Continuing in the legacy of the beloved classic “The Wild Heart of Florida,” this book features 34 pieces by a new slate of well-known and emerging writers. In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Groff describes the beauty of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. Environmental writer Cynthia Barnett listens to seashells on Sanibel Island. Legendary journalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas records the sights and sounds of the Everglades in the 1920s. Miccosukee elder Buffalo Tiger relates traditional stories of his community’s deep relationship with the land. Presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco muses on the shifting vista of the ocean in “Some Days the Sea.” These writers and many others recount memories of how their lives have been enriched by the state’s varied and brilliant landscapes. Some tell of encounters with alligators, pythons, manatees, turtles and otters, while others marvel at the unique character of flowing springs and piney scrub. Together, they highlight the need to protect pristine ecosystems and restore ones that have been damaged due to development. “The Wilder Heart of Florida” will inspire readers to explore and celebrate the Florida wilderness. The Matheson History Museum is located at 513 E. University Ave.

SUNDAY ASSEMBLY: Sunday Assembly Gainesville will feature guest speaker Ron Cunningham, a career journalist who has been writing about Florida for half a century. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1975 and began his journalism career as a beat reporter for the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. In 1976, he became higher education reporter for The Gainesville Sun and later served the New York Times Florida newspapers. He was editorial page editor of The Gainesville Sun for 30 years before his retirement, but in retirement he continues to write columns, book and theater reviews, and magazine articles. The title of his talk will be “Save a Creek, Build a Greenway.”  There will be time for discussion following the presentation. 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: Outdoor movie, 'Free Fridays' concert, 'Honky Tonk Laundry'