What's Happening: Cinema Verde celebration, 'Death by Chocolate,' 'Spiders Alive,' more

APRIL 21 THROUGH APRIL 23

CINEMA VERDE THREE-DAY EARTH DAY CELEBRATION: Cinema Verde, a Florida-based environmental film festival and streaming channel, has announced a three-day Earth Day celebration set to take place April 21-23. The event will feature a community clean-up event, a sustainable showcase, and an awards dinner, all with a focus on promoting environmental conservation and social responsibility. The first day will be an Ashley Creek Clean-up Event schedules for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 21. Attendees will begin the day of action at Ashley Creek, located just north of Northwest 19th Lane. This event is free to attend, and all of the necessary supplies — including gloves, bags and tools to help you safely pick up litter and other debris in the designated areas — have been provided by Keep Alachua County Beautiful. Attendees also will have the opportunity to learn about the impact of waste on the environment and the ways people can make a difference. Afterward, attendees will meet at Swampboil, the host of the clean-up after-party. From 4 to 7 p.m. April 22, Cinema Verde will host its free Sustainable Showcase at Cypress and Grove, 1001 NW Fourth St. They will showcase a wide range of organizations and vendors, all with a shared commitment to protecting the environment and promoting social responsibility. Afterward, attendees can wind down at Cypress and Grove for a screening of the 2023 Cinema Verde festival films, which will run until 10 p.m. Bring your friends and family for a great night of fun! Then, from 4 to 8 p.m. April 23, the Cinema Verde Awards Dinner will be held at Passions Field, located at 18024 NW CR 235A in Alachua, where organizers will celebrate the talented filmmakers who showcased their inspiring work during the February Cinema Verde festival. This year's dinner will take place at a flower farm, providing the perfect setting for an elegant and sustainable dining experience. Tickets for this exclusive event are limited, so secure your spot soon. All tickets include an annual membership at Cinema Verde. Tickets are $99 to $149. To RSVP, buy tickets or find more information, visit cinemaverde.org/events.

APRIL 21 THROUGH APRIL 30

“DEATH BY CHOCOLATE”: In “Death by Chocolate,” the newest production from High Springs Playhouse, members of the newly renovated Meadowbrook Health Resort are dropping like flies — including famed chef Edith Chiles! This is not the best advertisement for the eve of the grand reopening. It’s up to John Stone, the manager, to find the cause and the murderer. Delightfully sarcastic and cynical, Stone finds himself teaming up with Ed Parlor, mystery writer and amateur sleuth, in a wacky race against time. The clues point to a sinister box of chocolates, and the suspects include all the outlandish characters working for the resort. Could it be Lady Riverdale, owner of the resort and a woman with dark secrets? Or Ralph Deadwood, gym instructor and all around cad? Dick Simmering, the aerobics instructor? Anne, the panic-stricken nurse? Or could it be “Sweet Pea” Meadowbrook, overweight and grieving daughter of the recently deceased founder of the resort? Death by Chocolate combines all of the elements of classic murder mysteries with a scathing satire of today’s health crazes. Catch a showing at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Sundays through April 30 at the High Springs Playhouse, 130 NE First Ave. in High Springs. Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $10 for students and ages 65 and older. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit highspringsplayhouse.com.

ONGOING THROUGH SEPT. 4

“SPIDERS ALIVE!”: Take an eight-legged walk on the wild side with “Spiders Alive!” at the Florida Museum of Natural History. This exciting exhibit dives into the world of spiders, scorpions and their relatives with more than a dozen live species from around the world on display. Discover the unique traits and characteristics of this diverse group of animals at this interactive, family-friendly experience! Live arachnids (spiders) highlight the ecological importance of these animals that include black widows, orb weavers and bird eaters. Large, touchable models reveal more about spider anatomy and their differences from insects while rare fossils display species from the past — including one that is 100 million years old. Videos showcase a variety of unique animal behaviors, such as a diving bell spider living underwater and a southern black widow spinning silk. Separate fact from myth and learn about ancient spiders, conservation, venom and more. “Spiders Alive!” will be on display through Sept. 4. The museum is located at 3215 Hull Road. Tickets are $8 for adults; $7.50 for Florida residents, seniors and non-UF college students; $5.50 for ages 3 to 17; and free for ages 2 and younger, UF students, and museum members.

ONGOING

“WE’RE TIRED OF ASKING”: Researched and curated by University of Florida graduate Alana Gomez, “We're Tired of Asking: Black Thursday and Civil Rights at the University of Florida” follows one slice of African American history in Gainesville, but certainly not all of Gainesville’s Black history. The goal of the Matheson History Museum in this particular exhibition is to show the civil rights movement in Gainesville from the 1960s until the early ’70s and how that affected the University of Florida’s racial atmosphere. The online exhibition is available at mathesonmuseum.org/current-exhibitions and the physical exhibition can be seen at the museum, located at 513 E. University Ave. It wasn’t until the desegregation of the University of Florida in 1957 that Black people began gaining access to public spaces with white people. The issue of civil rights was pushed even further with the partial integration of Alachua County’s public schools in 1964. Even with these seemingly large strides toward equality, however, social status and lifestyle remained largely unchanged for Black people in Gainesville. In a great show of strength on April 15, 1971, Black students decided to take a stand in a protest at Tigert Hall on the UF campus. Their interaction with President Stephen O’Connell would change the course of the University of Florida forever. Gomez is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a double major in history and English. She first became interested in African American studies when she took a class on race and disability with her advisor, Dr. Steven Noll, during her sophomore year. She is an intern at the Matheson History Museum, where she worked on the “Black Thursday” exhibit. The Matheson History Museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, and admission is free.

ONGOING

FEED THE HORSES: Enjoy the Florida weather as you take in 335 acres of nature and feed the horses and donkeys of Mill Creek Farm Retirement Home for Horses. The farm, a nonprofit that was established in 1983, has been home to hundreds of horses who endured abuse, starvation and neglect. The sanctuary provides lifelong care for these horses as well as retired police and military equines. Entrance to the farm is free; they ask that you bring carrots, apple slices and/or bananas to share with the animals. It is open to the public Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the farm, or to find out how you can help the nonprofit, visit millcreekfarm.org.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: 'We're Tired of Asking,' feed the horses and more