'Dracula' on stage, the annual fine arts festival downtown, and more: Fun weekend in Ocala
THIS WEEKEND
'FAFO' is Oct. 22 and 23
The annual Ocala Arts Festival ("FAFO") will be held Oct. 22 and 23 in downtown Ocala. More than 150 artists, local performers, food trucks, entertainment and more. More at fafo.org
Brown & Brown Farms Fall Extravaganza
Brown & Brown Farms, 13940 U.S. 301, Oxford, has re-created its traditional 8-acre Corn Maze. Also featured: pumpkin house/patch, crafters, artisans, vendors, live music, food trucks, special events and activities for the whole family. The extravaganza runs every weekend through Nov. 13. It is open 3-10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. Free and open to the public. More at 352-615-4419 or Suzanne@BrownandBrownFarms.com.
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'Dracula'
This show is onstage through Nov. 6 at the Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. The Carpathian Count returns once again, as always, to Victorian England, delivering nefarious deeds, innumerable victims. Tickets are $30 for adults, $15 ages 18 and younger. NOTE: The subject matter in this play is not appropriate for children. More at 352-236-2274 or https://ocalacivictheatre.com/
Music that Spans the Generations
Christ’s Church of Marion County, 6768 SW 80th St., Ocala, welcomes back the Ball Brothers on Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. for an evening performance of Christian music, with distinctive four-part harmonies and a mix of musical styles. Free and open to the public; donations gratefully accepted. More at 352-861-6782 or www.ccomc.org.
COMING SOON
Appleton Museum 35th anniversary
The Appleton Museum celebrates 35 years with the Ira Holmes International Film Series, hosting a special double feature Oct. 25 with "House of Dracula" and "Babette’s Feast." The double feature begins at noon at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, and at 5 p.m. at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 SW College Road, Building 8, Room 110. Special guest Patricia Tomlinson introduces "Babette’s Feast" at 6:30 p.m. and will lead a discussion after the screening. Films may contain mature content. Free to all museum and film series members; nonmembers pay museum admission. For additional information, contact Wendy Adams at 352-854-2322, ext. 1546, or email adamsw@cf.edu.
Lit & Hoobastank: Tried and True Tour
The two iconic, post-grunge rock bands take the Main Stage at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala, on Oct. 27 with special guests Alien Ant Farm and Kris Roe of the Ataris. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35; VIP packages available from $145 to $250. More at www.reillyartscenter.com or 352-351-1606.
'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'
Expect a haunting with plenty of humor when the CCF Visual and Performing Arts students present the Washington Irving classic Gothic ghost story. Shows will be Oct 27-30 at the Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets $12 for adults, $6 for non-CF students, and free for CF students, faculty and staff with valid ID. More at www.cf.universitytickets.com or 352-873-5810.
An Evening with Pablo Cruise
Pablo Cruise (“Whatcha Gonna Do When She Says Goodbye?” “Love Will Find a Way”) will perform at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28. Tickets start at $30. More at www.reillyartscenter.com or 352-351-1606.
Hapi Harvest Day at Sholom Park
Halloween costumes aren’t just for Halloween night. Wear yours and visit one of the many interactive and educational trick-or-treat activity stations from bats and bugs to painting and planting, or visit Mrs. Goose for Fall-Tastic Folktales. Search high and low for Halloween, autumn, and nature-inspired pumpkins. Live music, food trucks and entertainment at Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala, from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 29. There is a $5 event parking fee for onsite vehicles (including golf carts). More at www.sholompark.org or 352-873-0848, ext. 7371.
Ocala Symphony Orchestra's 2022-23 season premiere
“Spellbinding Beginnings” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 and 3 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. More at reillyartscenter.com
Marion Civic Choral Concert Series
The Marion Civic Chorale starts the Fall concert season featuring patriotic songs and other selections celebrating veterans and our military. The first concert is 3 p.m. Oct. 30 at St. George Anglican Cathedral, 5646 SE 28th St., Ocala. All concerts are free and open to the public; donations to fund the annual Grat L. Rosazza music scholarship are gratefully accepted and much appreciated. More at www.marionchorale.com.
CF Patriot Project Lecture - Colonial Literature
This series, focused on the American Colonial period, continues with “Literature in the Colonial Period,” presented by Sandra Cooper, on Nov. 2 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. at the CF Webber Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala. Cooper, a professor of Communications at CF, will discuss the writing that shaped the American spirit and enlightenment reflected in our founding documents. Free and open to the public. More at www.cf.edu, satterfs@cf.edu or 352-854-2322, ext. 1406.
“A Night of Jazz”
The College of Central Florida presents “A Night of Jazz” at the Dassance Fine Arts Center, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala, on Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Directed by conductor and Associate Professor John D. Ash, the group performs a swinging selection of American jazz pieces by composers Christopher Artau, Bill Chase, Michele Fernandez, Stan Kenton and Mark Taylor. Free and open to the public. More at www.cf.edu or 352-854-2322, ext. 1419.
Second annual Ocala Food & Wine Festival
This festival will be Nov. 4-6 at the World Equestrian Center, 1750 NW 80th Ave., Ocala. Organizers describe it as a "celebrity chef-led celebration featuring three days of culinary competition, beer, wine and spirits education and samples of extraordinary cuisine." Ticket details and more at https://www.ocalafoodandwinefest.com/
McIntosh 1890s Festival
This festival will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 5 in downtown McIntosh. Shopping, food, vendors, arts and crafts, antiques and more. More at https://mcintosh1890sfestival.com/
ONGOING
'Best of the Best' fourth annual juried exhibit
This exhibit is up at The Brick Gallery, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala, through Oct. 29. The prompt for the Marion Cultural Alliance's fourth annual "Best of the Best" juried show was “Through the Looking Glass.” This year's judge was James O'Leary, a Florida-based artist and educator. The exhibit features artworks in various mediums by 50 MCA artist members. All exhibit pieces are for sale, with a percentage of sales supporting MCA and its mission.
Blow Up II - Inflatable Contemporary Art
Larger-than-life inflatable art have transformed the Edith-Marie Appleton Gallery and museum lobby at the Appleton Museum, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. This exhibition, up through Dec. 11, explores the imaginative and often whimsical ways artists use air as a tool for creating large-scale sculpture, with work from eight renowned artists of the medium. Special events will be announced throughout the life of this exhibit. More at www.appletonmuseum.org or 352-291-4455.
'Next Text'
This exhibition, which highlights visual art that features words, is up at the College of Central Florida Webber Gallery through Oct. 27. "The collection of work by multicultural artists from across the country will showcase an intriguing display of storytelling through the use of text in the visual arts. The exhibition was curated by CF Professor of Art Tyrus Clutter and Sheila Goloborotko, an associate professor of printmaking at University of North Florida," CF said in a news release. The gallery is located at the CF Ocala campus, 3001 SW College Road. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Admission is free. More at 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.
Artoberfest
Through October, The Hope House at Fort King Presbyterian Church, 13 NE 36th Ave., Ocala, comes to life with the mural and visual art of the Ocklawaha River and the Great Florida Riverway. From photographers to painters to a sculptor and mural artist, the wildlife and people of the region are shown in all their splendor and struggle. Mondays (Oct. 10, 17, 24) from 5 to 7 p.m.; Fridays (Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays (Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30) noon to 4 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. More information about artist talks at mhspontak@gmail.com or 352-229-2887. The next artist talk is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 24 with Karen Chadwick's Sculpture Talk: "Bringing Ocklawaha’s Wildlife to Life."
‘Looking on the Brighter Side'
This exhibit from Jennifer Weigel is up through Jan. 9 at the Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., and Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center, 830 NE Eighth Ave., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Free and open to the public. A city news release describes Weigel as "a multi-disciplinary mixed-media, conceptual artist" whose work "utilizes a wide range of media to convey her ideas, including assemblage, drawing, fibers, installation, jewelry, paint, performance, photography, video and writing." More at www.jenniferweigelart.com, 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
'Colorful Pleasures'
This art exhibit from Christine Dozier is up through Jan. 17 at the Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Suite 600. Free and open to the public. Dozier, an Ocala resident and Memphis native, works in oils and acrylics. More at www.christinedozier.com, 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
'A Floral Retrospective'
This exhibit of Gregory Dirr's work is up through Dec. 9 at the Clerk’s Office in Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Free and open to the public. Boca Raton-based Dirr is described in an Ocala city news release as "an interdisciplinary visual artist, creating work as a cathartic response to his surroundings with a focus on environmental conservation." The clerk's office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More at www.gregorydirr.com, 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
'Squares Without Stitches'
This exhibit is up at the Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12th Ave., Ocala, through Jan. 12. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the public. More at www.ocalafl.org/recpark, 352-368-5517 and @OcalaRecPark on Facebook.
Photographs by Steven Benson
The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, presents “Invented Observations: Photographs by Steven Benson,” on exhibit through Nov. 6 in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Arts. Benson is a professor at Daytona State College and is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Midwest Fellowship. His work has been displayed in numerous collections, including the Museum of Fine Art Houston, Detroit Institute of Arts and Museet for Fotokunst in Denmark. More at 352-291-4455 or www.AppletonMuseum.org.
'Finding Beauty'
This exhibit features costumes, set photos, interactive experiences and sketches, along with a plethora of fabrics and video of the costume design process. These objects, from the Appleton Museum’s permanent collection, inspired the art and design for the Ocala Civic Theatre’s recent production of "Beauty and the Beast." This exhibit runs through the winter of 2022. The museum is at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. More at www.appletonmuseum.org.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: 'Dracula' and annual arts festival top weekend list in Ocala, Florida
