Gainesville's best bets for weekend entertainment— Jan. 21-23, 2022
ARBOR DAY TREE PLANTING: Volunteers and participants of all ages are invited to join the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department and the Newberry City Parks Department to celebrate Arbor Day 2022. The event is set for 3 p.m. today at the Easton Sports Complex, 24880 NW 16th Ave. in Newberry. Participants will plant 15 new trees, and free trees also will be available to anyone interested in planting new trees at home. Demonstrations and information will be provided for proper tree planting and care. Community leaders will help commemorate the celebration, and there also will be a special guest reading from the Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax.” Florida Arbor Day is a state celebration held on the third Friday of January. Arbor Day originated in 1872 when Sterling Morton of Nebraska City, Nebraska, organized the planting of 1 million trees. Since that time, Arbor Day has spread to thousands of communities across America and the world. The celebration is meant to recognize and support the planting of trees. For more information, visit bit.ly/arbor22.
“AS YOU LIKE IT”: William Shakespeare does it again with his age-old classic “As You Like It,” which is the newest offering from the Hippodrome Theatre. Director Charlie Mitchell brings this romantic comedy about the twists and turns of fate into modern times, reflecting the timelessness of love. The theater says this story will be sure to put you on the edge of your seat as you watch Rosalind and Orlando fall for one another in the most comedic and outlandish of ways. Banished from court, Rosalind takes it upon herself to be the ruler of her own fate and to convince Orlando to fall in love with her. Concealing her true identity to pass as a local shepherd, Rosalind flees to the forest only to find Orlando in hiding as well, wary of his brother’s plan to murder him. Still in disguise, she persuades Orlando to woo her as if she was his intended. Full of court politics, cross dressing and a group wedding, this quirky tale will make you swoon and laugh all in the same breath. Will Rosalind get her happily ever after? The will-they won’t-they tale promises to be a warmhearted adventure filled with laughter, love, and the pursuit of happiness against all odds. Catch this co-production with University of Florida, School of Theatre & Dance with performances at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays through Feb. 6 at the Hippodrome Theatre, 25 SE Second Place. Tickets are $15 to $42. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit thehipp.org.
HOGGETOWNE MEDIEVAL FAIRE: The annual Hoggetown Medieval Faire is returning to in-person fun after a hiatus due to COVID-19. Get in on the action this weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and Jan. 29-30, as well as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 28 for “Family Friday.” The event transforms a small part of modern Gainesville into a medieval marketplace filled with hundreds of artisans and entertainers, and featuring armored jousting knights, children’s rides powered by men and women instead of machinery, troupes of actors, food vendors and magic acts. Enjoy nine stages of entertainment where the forgotten skills of full-flight falconry, gripping aerial acrobatics and old-world magic come to life. Jugglers, knife throwers and gypsy dancers add to the excitement as they fill the streets of Hoggetowne. The event has moved to a new location this year: 9409 SW Archer Road. Tickets for the weekend editions are $20 for general admission, $17 for military and seniors, $10 for ages 5-17 and free for ages 4 and younger. Tickets for Jan. 28 are $10 for general admission, $5 for ages 5-17 and free for ages 4 and younger. For more information, visit hoggetownefaire.com.
“JERSEY BOYS”: They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard, and the radio just couldn’t get enough of them. While their harmonies were perfect on stage, it was a very different story behind the scenes — a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in the Tony- and Grammy Award-winning true-life musical phenomenon, “Jersey Boys.” From the streets of New Jersey to the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, this is the musical that’s just too good to be true. “Jersey Boys” contains authentic “profane Jersey language” and is recommended for ages 12 and older. Catch the show at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Phillips Center, 3201 Hull Road. Tickets run $20 to $70. For more information on this and more upcoming events, or to purchase tickets online, visit performingarts.ufl.edu.
UF CARILLON RECITAL: The UF Carillon Studio Concert Series offers a chance to hear the UF carillon performed in a 50-minute recital. Listen to a free performance at 1:55 p.m. Sunday at the Century Tower Carillon, 375 Newell Drive. The University of Florida Carillon Studio is made up of students who can read music and have auditioned and committed to upholding the tradition of performing in Century Tower. The studio meets as a class once a week alongside private lessons with the professor. There also are daily performances in Century Tower. UF carillonneurs perform Monday through Friday while classes are in session from 12:35 to 12:50 p.m. and 4:55 to 5:10 p.m. Future recitals include 6:15 p.m. Feb. 12 with guest carillonneur Andrée-Anne Doane; the Carillon Studio Valentine's Day Concert at 6:15 p.m. Feb. 14; a studio recital at 1:55 p.m. March 27; and Helen Hofmeister playing the works of Albert Gerken at 1:55 p.m. April. 10. For more information, visit arts.ufl.edu.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville's best bets for the weekend — Jan. 21-23, 2022
