Comedy, live music get the weekend started in Ocala. Here's your entertainment guide.

THIS WEEKEND

Sit Down for Stand Up!

This standup comedy event will begin at 8 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Marion Theatre, 50 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala. Tickets $15. Ages 21 and older. "Brian Aldridge, Jon Turkel and Gordon Dixon will perform on the beautiful and historic Marion Theatre stage for one night only," organizers say.

Brick City Bluegrass Festival

This debut event, organized by the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department, will be held 2-8 p.m. Jan. 20 at Citizens’ Circle, 151 SE Osceola Ave. "This all-ages, outdoor music festival will feature both nationally known and local bluegrass bands, including headliner Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers," organizers say. Food trucks; beer and wine for sale. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Coolers not permitted. Tickets $20 per person in advance (by Jan. 19) or $25 at the gate. First-come, first-served. Children 8 and younger and veterans are free. More at www.ocalafl.gov/brickcitybluegrass

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra Silent Film Orchestra: 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'

"Return to the Golden Age of cinema with an unforgettable film music experience. The OSO presents the 1923 classic 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' accompanied by an original score composed by Maestro Matt Wardell and Brad DeLoatche," organizers say. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Tickets from $15 for adults; students are $10. More at https://www.reillyartscenter.com/

'Turtle Travels'

This new exhibit at the Discovery Center will be up Jan. 20 through May 11. The center is at 701 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala, and is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Explore the world of turtles and tortoises to learn about their various habitats, migration patterns, and the threats they face," the city of Ocala said in a news release. General admission: $8 per person or $28 for a family of four. The Discovery Center will be closed Jan. 7-19 for installation of the new exhibit. More at 352-401-3900 or www.mydiscoverycenter.org

Will McLean Foundation Sunday Sampler Concert Series: Frankie Jay & the Chicken Parade

This performance will begin at 2 p.m. Jan. 21 in the historic Dunnellon Depot, 12061 S. Williams St., Dunnellon. "Frankie Jay and the Chicken Parade plays music that is a little bit folk, a little bit bluegrass, and a smattering of rock and roll," organizers say. Donation is $15 at the door; cash preferred. More at www.willmclean.com and https://www.facebook.com/willmcleanfestival.

COMING SOON

'Water’s Margins: Paintings of Florida’s Springs by Margaret Ross Tolbert'

This exhibit will be up Jan. 27-June 2 at the Appleton Museum of Art. Tolbert is a Gainesville-based multimedia artist. The Appleton is at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. More at www.appletonmuseum.org or (352) 291-4455.

Ocala Camellia Society's annual Camellia Show

This show will be 1-5 p.m. Jan. 27 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E. Silver Springs Blvd. "Members of the public are invited to both attend the show and enter their own blooms; show admission and entry for flowers are free. For new exhibitors, experienced club members will be available to help sort, name and place flowers for judging," organizers say.

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra: Hungarian Pictures

The performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 and 3 p.m. Jan. 28 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Tickets from $15 for adults; students are $10. "Principal Guest Conductor Raymond Chobaz leads a breathtaking program featuring some of the most iconic works by Hungarian and Romanian composers," organizers say. More at https://www.reillyartscenter.com/

Heart & Music

This "artful interlude of love songs," as organizers call it, has been arranged by the Ocala Civic Theatre and Marion Cultural Alliance. The show, by the Brick City Cabaret Company, will have five performances Feb. 8-11 at the Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala. "Just in time to get in the Valentine’s Day mood, Heart & Music celebrates all aspects of relationships with a mix of tunes from New York’s vibrant cabaret scene and the best of Broadway," organizers say.

This collaborative fundraiser will benefit OCT and the alliance and is presented in tandem with MCA’s exhibit "Body Language," which will be up at the Brick Feb. 2-24. "Curated by gallerist Jordan Shapot and creative director Stephanie Giera, the exhibit features the work of 18 artists. This collection explores the strength and beauty of the human form, from delicate curves to the intricate details of intertwined bodies and the vulnerability of exposed skin," organizers say.

Advance reservations for the musical performances are strongly recommended. Tickets are $50 for the opening-night champagne preview and $40 for all other performances. Tickets at (352) 236-2274 and www.ocalacivictheatre.com

'The Spitfire Grill'

This musical will be onstage at the Ocala Civic Theatre Feb. 8-25. More at ocalacivictheatre.com

ONGOING

'Wanderlust'

This exhibit from Maven Photo + Film is up Jan. 10 through July 2 at the Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Ocala. " 'Wanderlust' features Maven Photo + Film’s artistic, landscape photography highlighting Florida’s natural beauty," organizers say. Free and open to the public. More at the city of Ocala Cultural Arts Division at 352-629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.gov; or visit www.ocalafl.gov/artincityspaces.

'Tranquil Realms'

This exhibit from Lorene de Aranzeta is up Jan. 9 through May 13 at the Recreation and Parks Administration building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., and the Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center, 830 NE Eighth Ave. Free and open to the public. The hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

"Lorene de Aranzeta is a visual artist known as Lor Gill," the city of Ocala says in a news release. "She is a certified Bob Ross painter and instructor from the Bob Ross Art Workshop & Gallery in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. 'Tranquil Realms' showcases Lor Gill’s certified Bob Ross landscape oil paintings. All paintings are original Bob Ross painting re-creations using his protected technique and products."

More at the city of Ocala Cultural Arts Division at 352-629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.gov; or visit www.ocalafl.gov/artincityspaces

'Creative Champions Collective'

This exhibit is up through Jan. 27 at the Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala. It features art, in various mediums, from the Best of 2023 award recipients. The center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Free. More at mcaocala.org

'Seeing Christ in the Darkness: Georges Rouault as Graphic Artist'

The Webber Gallery at the College of Central Florida presents this exhibition, featuring a variety of graphic works by Georges Rouault (1871-1958), the 20th century master expressionist painter and printmaker, Jan. 8-March 17. Admission is free. The gallery, 3001 SW College Road, Ocala, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. More at 352-854-2322, ext. 1664 or cf.edu

'Bodies of Water'

This exhibit from Rebecca Pujals-Jones is on display through June 11 at the clerk’s office, Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. The exhibit is free and open to the public. " 'Bodies of Water' is a long-term project and traveling exhibition focusing on the urgent need for water preservation and protection across Florida," organizers say. Pujals-Jones is a fine art and commercial photographer based in Central Florida. More at www.pujalsjones.com, the city of Ocala Cultural Arts Division at 352-629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.gov, or www.ocalafl.gov/artincityspaces

‘The Unscene South’

This exhibition will be up at the Appleton Museum of Art through Jan. 28. “A little-known population of Blacks lived free in the United States, long before Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery,” the museum says on its website. “Through Charles Eady’s paintings, ‘The Unscene South’ shares evidence and details of their existence, and presents opportunities to view the realities of their daily lives, seeking to eliminate many misconceptions about Blacks and the South.”

The Appleton is at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. More at www.appletonmuseum.org or (352) 291-4455.

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'Caught Up in History and Captured on Film: Randy Batista’s Photographs of Florida and Cuba'

This exhibition is up through Jan. 28 at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Gainesville-based photographer Randy Batista "uses his lens to document his life and travel adventures," the Appleton says in a news release. "Comprised of silver-gelatin prints developed from film, the images in this show focus on Florida and Cuba — two places that have had a profound impact on the artist. Having lived in both locations, the artist’s awareness of place, time and cultural heritage are evident in his quiet but alluring street photography, landscapes and portraits." More at www.appletonmuseum.org or (352) 291-4455.

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This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala weekend entertainment highlights include live music, comedy