Things to do in Tallahassee: Calling all dancing queens, Dead Heads and rock 'n' rollers

There's a lot to look forward to this fall with a new season of Opening Nights, Trombone Shorty coming to Cascades Park and the Tallahassee Film Festival.

Get in the Opening Nights mood when the 2022-2023 season begins with a tribute performance from ABBA: The Concert at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall on Aug. 3.

Groove on to your favorite tunes as Blue Tavern celebrates Jerry Garcia's birthday on Friday with its Third Annual Grateful Dead Night.

Opening Nights schedule: Here come the stars: FSU Opening Nights unveils 25th season lineup

25th season memories: 25 years of great entertainment: Mark Hinson looks back – and ahead – at FSU Opening Nights

Concerts: Gov't Mule, Trombone Shorty and Big Freedia coming to Capital City Amphitheater

Catch a blitz of Hispanic culture and film at the Fifth Annual Microtheater Festival this weekend when Tallahassee Hispanic Theater presents five short plays.

Here's a roundup of entertaining happenings around Tallahassee we've culled from emails, the Council on Culture & Arts online listings and elsewhere.

ABBA: The Concert opens Opening Nights

Time to pull out your bell-bottom jeans, polyester leisure suits, tie-dyed shirts, halter tops and boots to get in the mood when Florida State University's Opening Nights brings tribute show ABBA: The Concert to Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3. Tickets are $45-30. Visit openingnights.fsu.edu.

There will be a Pre-show Buffet in the Suwannee Room, 143 Honors Way, at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.

Iconic hits including “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” “Money, Money, Money,” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Waterloo,” “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme,” and “Dancing Queen” will have you on your feet.

Get hip to Tallahassee Hispanic Theater

Tallahassee Hispanic Theater will be presenting its Fifth Annual Microtheater Festival on the grounds of Goodwood Museum and Gardens at 7:30 p.m. July 29-30. Tickets are $20. Visit eventbrite.com.

The festival will present a series of 5 to 20-minute plays written by Hispanic playwrights, performed in English. One of the plays is an original work by two members of the group.

In addition to the plays, there will be drinks and Hispanic food provided by Tally Arepas (available for purchase), and live Hispanic music throughout the event. On Friday Talumba, a Latin American music ensemble based out of Tallahassee, and on Saturday Charles Santiago will be performing Hispanic guitar. The band Tocamos Mas has been added to the program on Saturday.

Micro theater brings short stage performances up close to the audience in unusual venues. In the beautiful Carriage House the audience will be able to enjoy the setting, music, food, and performances (presented all in the same open space) while moving freely around the space and mingling with others.

This year Tallahassee Hispanic Theater will present these five short plays as part of the Festival: "The Fairy Tale," "The Fling," "And Because Love Battles," "We Need to Talk," and "Contract Fully Executed."

Tornadoes and E.G. Kight blow in at Bradfordville Blues Club

Little Mike & The Tornadoes blow up a storm at the BBC at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Bradfordville Blues Club, 7152 Moses Lane. This powerhouse blues and rock n’ roll band from New York City is led by singer, songwriter, producer, and harp master, Mike Markowitz. The band is well-known for its flawless, high energy blues sound, modeled after the great Chicago bands of the '50s. Markowitz has relocated to Gainesville.

Advance tickets are $20 at bradfordvilleblues.com. Cover at the door is $25.

The EG Kight Trio, lands at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at the BBC. The Georgia Songbird parties down at the juke to celebrate her nominations for multiple nominations for 2022 Blues Music Awards and Blues Blasts Awards for her newest CD, The Trio Sessions. EG's talents extend from singer, songwriter, guitarist, photographer and writer but is best known for her mellifluous melodies.

EG, Gary Porter and Ken Wynn hold a special place in our hearts – great folks all of them. Real crowd pleasers and club favorites.

Advance tickets are $20 bradfordvilleblues.com. Day of show tickets are $25. Ms. Ernestine will be serving her famous catfish and sausages in her fry shack next to the bonfire.

Blue Tavern cranks up 3rd Annual Grateful Dead Night

Tommy Hoople's Delta Ringnecks kick the weekend off for happy hour from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, July 29. Then keep on Truckin' with a celebration of Jerry Garcia's birthday with the 3rd Annual Grateful Dead Night at Blue Tavern from 7-10 p.m. with Lee C. Payton - Guitar & Vocals; Chris Seepersaud - Bass & Vocals; Josh Gendal - Lead  Guitar; Reo Morris - Drums & Vibes. There will be an art raffle and Trippy Trivia. $5 cover. After the music, stick around for a free screening of one of the weirdest movies ever made, "Head" - featuring the Monkees and Victor Mature! (1968)

At 4 p.m. Saturday, July 30, it's song swap at the tavern and then at 8 p.m. Tallumba and a going-away party for Alexis Finet. An evening of boleros and the Latin American Songbook, features Isabel Ruano, Alexis Finet, Kendrick Jacobs, and Reo Morris. Send Alexis off in style as he leaves our fair city for Vanderbilt University and Nashville. $5 cover.

Jim Crozier, with some help from Belinda Bruno-Piverger plays happy hour from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday. Solo guitarist Bill Ricci plays from8-10 p.m. $3 cover.

Isabel Ruano plays happy hour from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, then Doc Russell hosts Open Mic Night at 8 p.m. The 2nd Benefit for Ukraine goes from 5-10 p.m. Thursday at Blue Tavern with great music and delicious Ukrainian food. Music from Sasha D Tuck & Friends, Jane & Gordon Scott, Tallumba with Isabel Ruano, Grant Peeples

Kirill Litvak & Ben Green. Visit kolo-fund.org.

Get twirlin'

Tallahassee’s Capital Twirlers hosts the annual Northwest Florida Regional Square Dance on Friday, July 29, and all-day Saturday at the Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St. Local caller Elmer Sheffield and Darryl Lipscomb from Oklahoma will call the sessions.

Dancers from Florida, Georgia and Alabama will gather for the event, where they’ll dance on Friday from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 to 11:30, then 1:30 to 5:30 and from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Visitors are welcome to come watch the do-si-do-ing.

You can also check out how much fun square dancing is to decide if you would like to take lessons being offered by Capital Twirlers beginning Sept. 12. Call 850-566-2117 or keylime7@comcast.net or floridasquaredance.com.

OTHER EVENTS

American Legion Hall: Latin Soul and Yvon's Peruvian Cuisine are hosting a special event celebrating Peruvian culinary art and music from noon-5 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion Hall, 229 Lake Ella Drive. The $25 admission fee includes food, DJ and live music by Latin Soul. VIsit eventbrite.com for tickets.

Fire Betty's Arcade Bar: Classic rock cover band 850  Saturday July 30 @ 9:00: We have The 850. They're a classic rock cover band playing pop and rock hits from the 70's and 80's. 1122 Thomasville Road. Free admission.

House of Music: Ayonna Charese presents “This Is Me,” a live music experience featuring an eclectic mix of R&B and soul at 8 p.m. Friday, July 29, at the House of Music, 2011 S. Monroe St. $20 cover.

Great Oaks Pub at Southwood: “Southern Songstress,” Anna Wescoat performs from 7-10 p.m. Friday, July 29. The multi-instrumentalist will be sharing her portfolio of timeless classics and contemporary adult hits outside under the oaks in the Great Oaks Pub, 3750 Grove Park Drive. No cover, no minimum.

926 Bar: Ethel Cain, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Perry whose three recently-released albums of lo-fi pop tunes have incited a meteoric rise in the independent music community, is playing her first show in Tallahassee Sunday. Cain, as well as Colyer and Her New Knife are performing at 926 Bar & Grill, 926 W Tharpe St., beginning at 7 p.m., tickets are $12.

Quincy Music Theatre: Go "Into the Woods' with Quincy Music Theatre, 118 E. Washington St., Quincy, with a Summer Intensive Camp production at QMT for students ages 15 through 20. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, July 31. Tickets are $7 for students, $12 for adults. Visit quincymusictheatre.com.

Do you have an event coming up? Email limelight@tallahassee.com.

Never miss a story:  Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: To do in Tallahassee: Dance to ABBA tribute, Grateful Dead Night