What's Happening: Iche Nippy Dippy Day, Mike Block Trio, Sunday Assembly, more

JAN. 7

ICHE NIPPY DIPPY DAY: Join the Friends of Ichetucknee Springs State Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 7 for the 10th annual New Year’s tradition of taking a quick dip in the park's headspring. The event will feature giveaways for participants as well as hot cocoa, coffee and a bonfire for warming up. According to organizers, dippers say the colder it is outside, the better it feels inside. This year's dip will be held in memory of Earl Kinard, who started this tradition more than 80 years ago. Participation is free with paid park entry of $6 per vehicle (up to eight people). Ichetucknee Springs State Park is located at 8294 SW Elim Church Road in Fort White. For more information, visit floridastateparks.org/events/iche-nippy-dippy-day.

JAN. 13

MIKE BLOCK TRIO: Enjoy live music from the Mike Block Trio at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4225 NW 34th St. Mike Block is a pioneering cello player, singer, composer and educator passionate about cross-cultural collaboration through music, inspiring individuals and connecting communities. He has performed as a concerto soloist with the Illinois Symphony, The Knights, China National Philharmonic (Beijing), Shanghai Symphony and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra; and has collaborated in performances and recordings with Stevie Wonder, The Eagles, Bon Iver, Will.i.am, The National, The New York Philharmonic, Bobby McFerrin, Allison Krauss, Rhiannon Giddens, Mark O'Connor, Rachel Barton Pine, Edgar Meyer, Julian Lage and many others. Zachariah Hickman is a double bassist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer who received his formal training in jazz performance and composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. For most of his career, he has toured and recorded seven albums with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter. He also performs with and is musical director for Ray Lamontagne. Joe K. Walsh is a mandolinist and singer known internationally as an exceptionally tasteful player from his work with the legendary Gibson Brothers band, which was awarded as Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year and Song of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Tickets to the show are $25 in advance or $30 at door. To purchase tickets online, visit bit.ly/mbtrio23.

JAN. 13

U.S. ARMY FIELD BAND JAZZ AMBASSADORS: Join the U.S. Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors at the Phillips Center to hear the military’s finest practitioners of jazz and swing. The Army’s official touring big band, this 19-member jazz ensemble has received widespread acclaim at home and abroad, earning the Jazz Ambassadors the title “America’s Big Band.” This concert is free and tickets are available at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Box Office. The Phillips Center is located at 3201 Hull Road.

JAN. 15

SUNDAY ASSEMBLY: Sunday Assembly Gainesville will feature guest speaker Veronica Robleto, who is the program director and legal navigator of the Community ID Program of the Human Rights Coalition. The title of her talk will be “The Human Rights Coalition of Alachua County’s work in the community and why it’s important.” 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.

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.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What's Happening: U.S. Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors, more