First Friday Art Walk among the weekend highlights in Ocala. Here's your guide to fun.

THIS WEEKEND

First Friday Art Walk

This event will take place in downtown Ocala from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 2. Local artists, businesses with extended hours, live music and more.

The Guardians Quartet

This gospel quartet will perform at College Road Baptist Church at 7 p.m. Feb. 2. Admission is free, with donations accepted. More at 352-237-5741, 352-361-3756 or the events tab at www.collegeroad.org. The church is at 5010 SW College Road, Ocala.

COMING SOON

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

Belleview Busy Bees Quilt Show

This show will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 9 and 10 at the Silver Springs Shores Presbyterian Church, 674 Silver Road, Ocala. Admission is $7. vendors, boutique, raffle and more.

14th annual Charity Car Show

This event, presented by Marion County Tax Collector Georg Albright, will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 17 at the McPherson Governmental Complex, Southeast 25th Avenue just south of Fort King Street. Show is open to all vehicles past and present. Music, fun for kids, food, craft vendors and more.

13th annual Knap-In | Silver River Prehistoric Arts Festival

This event will be 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 17-18 at Silver Springs State Park. Visitors also can tour the Silver River Museum, hike or bike the trails of the state park, or canoe and kayak on the Silver River. Admission is $8 per person (children 5 and younger free). Free park entry and parking. Cash or mobile pay by phone at the gate. All proceeds support educational programs at the Silver River Museum. Full details at https://silverrivermuseum.com/

'Dead in Deadwood'

This production from Vanguard High School’s VHS Players is their ninth annual murder mystery dinner theater. The shows will be Feb. 16 and 17 in the Vanguard High Knights Union, 7 NW 28th St., Ocala. Performances begin at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30. Dinner served at 6:15. Tickets are $20 and include Lee’s Famous Fried Chicken and the show. Tickets are only sold online: www.vhs-players.com, https://www.vancoevents.com/us/39323 http://www.vhs-players.com or https://marionschools.revtrak.net/High-Schools/vanguard-hs/vhs-ve/. Advance reservations required.

'A Wrinkle in Time'

The Academy at Ocala Civic Theatre will present this youth production of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic Feb. 16-18 at the E.D. Croskey Center, 1510 NW Fourth St., Ocala, adjacent to the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 and 2 p.m. Feb. 17 and 18. Tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for ages 18 and younger. Buy tickets through the OCT box office, (352) 236-2274 or www.ocalacivictheatre.com

Remembering John Denver, a tribute starring Ted Vigil

This show will be onstage at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Tickets $25. More at reillyartscenter.com

Marion County Master Gardeners' annual Spring Festival

The festival will be held 8 a.m.-4 p.m. March 9 and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. March 10 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala. More at sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu

Southeastern Pro Rodeo

The 31st annual Southeastern Pro Rodeo will be March 15-16 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2200 NE Old Jacksonville Road, Ocala. Tickets are $25, online or purchased at an advance ticket outlet. Children 5 and younger are free. More at www.OcalaRodeo.com or (352) 421-3199.

ONGOING

'Turtle Travels'

This new exhibit at the Discovery Center is up 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. More at 352-401-3900 or www.mydiscoverycenter.org

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

This exhibit is up through 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.

'Wanderlust'

This exhibit from Maven Photo + Film is up 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 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

'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'

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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

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