First Friday Art Walk and other fun things to do this weekend in Ocala/Marion
THIS WEEKEND
Third annual Ocala Food & Wine Festival
This event, presented by Lugano Diamonds, will be Nov. 3-5 at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. "The 2023 event is a celebrity-chef-led celebration featuring three days of culinary competition, beer, wine and spirits education and samples of extraordinary cuisine," organizers say. Proceeds benefit the Public Education Foundation ProStart Program. Full schedule and ticket information athttps://www.showclix.com/event/2023-ocala-food-and-wine-fest
Pam Tillis Acoustic Trio
This show will be onstage at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Details at reillyartscenter.com
Hip Hop Block Party
This fundraiser (hip hop attire encouraged) for the Marion Cultural Alliance will be held 5-7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Brick City Center for the Arts, 23 SW Broadway St., Ocala. More at gallery@mcaocala.com or 352-369-1500. The Block pARTy exhibit features 12 x 12 "blocks" of art created by local and regional artists.
First Friday Art Walk
This event runs 6-9 p.m. Nov. 3 in downtown Ocala. Artists, food, live music and more.
42nd annual Marion County Chili Cook-Off
This fundraiser for Cornerstone School will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala. Also features a car show, kid's area and music. www.marioncountychilicookoff.com
Ocklawaha River Raid Civil War Re-enactment and Living History Weekend
This event will be Nov. 4-5 at the Florida Horse Park, 11008 South County Road 475, Ocala. The event runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, with battle re-enactments at 2 p.m. both days. Bring chairs and blankets. Admission is a $10 donation per carload. More at ltcol2ndbattalion@gmail.com.
COMING SOON
'Perfect Black: Visual Expressions of the Southern, Rural, African American Experience'
This exhibit will be up at the College of Central Florida Webber Gallery Nov. 6-Dec. 7. "Visitors will see artwork that expresses the personal viewpoints of Black artists from the Southeast in all mediums," organizers say. "The competitive, regional exhibition was inspired by Kentucky Poet Laureate Crystal Wilkinson’s 2021 book of poetry, 'Perfect Black,' which features vivid imagery of her experience growing up in Southern Appalachia." The community is invited to a reception and awards presentation 5-7 p.m. Nov. 17.
The Webber Gallery is on CF's Ocala campus, 3001 SW College Road. It is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Admission is free. More at www.CF.edu/Webber or (352) 854-2322, ext. 1664.
College of Central Florida Wind Symphony and Vocal Ensembles fall concert
This free concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Charles R. Dassance Fine Arts Center at the CF Ocala campus, 3001 SW College Road. "The Patriot Singers will present music relating to beginnings, endings and everything in between, while the Vocal Jazz Ensemble will perform a set of standards and favorites. The Wind Symphony will perform new and contemporary music written in 2023, with a new composition by instructor Joshua Mazur and another by student Michael Crumpton," organizers say. Tickets not required. More at CF.edu/VPAEvents or 352-873-5810.
'The Velocity of Autumn'
This dramatic comedy will be live onstage Nov. 9-26 at the Ocala Civic Theatre. More at ocalacivictheatre.com
Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band: 12th annual 'Veterans Light the Stars'
This concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, 2601 SE Fort King St., Ocala. Free. Bring a lawn chair. Program ends with fireworks. More at www.kingdomofthesunband.org or (352) 390-0491.
2023 Ocali Country Days
This annual event is held on the grounds of the Silver River Museum at Silver Springs State Park, 1445 NE 58th Ave., Ocala. It will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 11 and 12. Live music, historic displays, vendors, food, crafts and more. Cost is $8 per person; children 5 and younger are free. More at (352) 236-5401 or www.SilverRiverMuseum.com
Southern Express Big Band
This 17-piece ensemble will perform a Veterans Day concert at 3 p.m. Nov. 12 at Countryside Presbyterian Church, 7768 SW State Road 200, Ocala. Free with love offering. More at 352-237-4633.
Soul Asylum featuring Drivin and Cryin
This show will be live onstage at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17. Tickets from $25. More at reillyartscenter.com
Light Up Ocala
The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department organizes this annual event, which this year will be 4-8 p.m. Nov. 18. Come see downtown decorated for the holidays. Also arts, crafts, interactive displays, live music and food. More at www.ocalafl.org/holidays or (352) 368-5517.
Gentiva Ocala Diwali Celebration
This celebration of Indian culture will be 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 19 at Citizens' Circle, behind Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Free and open to all. Indian dance, music, food, crafts and more. More at scacommunities.org or (267) 575-1227.
Local lecture: The Leitner Sisters speaking on early Marion County history
This lecture will be at 2 p.m. Nov. 19 at Green Clover Hall, 319 SE 26th Terrace, Ocala. Reception to follow at the nearby Marion County Museum of History & Archaeology. Admission is free for members, $5 for nonmembers.
The Ocala Symphony Chorus presents Rustic Songs and Dances
This show will be live onstage at 3 p.m. Nov. 19 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Tickets from $15. Featuring "lively festival music from the medieval and renaissance times," organizers say. More at reillyartscenter.com
ONGOING
John Elliott photos
A collection is up at the Chelsea Art Center through Dec. 15. In promotional materials, Elliott is described as "a master photographer with more than five decades invested in virtually every aspect of the medium." This exhibition features 40 photographs from his “The Human Pulse” and “Walls/Spaces” series. The center is at Chelsea Square Plaza, 3305 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. More at (352) 804-1272 and https://chelseaartcenter.com/
'Skylines to Hemlines: Art Deco Design from the Permanent Collection'
This exhibition is up at the Appleton Museum of Art through Jan. 14. "Curated and displayed for the first time ever from the Appleton’s impressive permanent collection of Art Deco objects, 'Skylines to Hemlines' offers an introductory overview to early 20th century art, architecture, design, fashion, jewelry, paintings, prints and photographs created in the interwar period," organizers say. The Appleton is at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. More at www.appletonmuseum.org or (352) 291-4455.
Exciting Explorers
This exhibit at the Discovery Center is up through Jan. 6. The center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave., is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. "This new exhibit allows guests to go on a high-seas adventure or trek into dark tombs filled with artifacts. Children and adults will learn how explorers discover new worlds while navigating and expanding their knowledge of uncharted territories," organizers say. "Take on the role of archeologist and learn how artifacts are preserved or become a scientist and use your imagination for future discoveries."
General admission is $8 per person/$28 for a family of four. More at 352-401-3900 or www.mydiscoverycenter.org.
‘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.
'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.
‘Bold and Inspired: Native American Regalia’ by Diana Lee and ‘Abstract Island Expressions’ by William Lee
These art exhibitions, the work of married couple Diana and William Lee, will be up through Jan. 4 at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place, 1821 NW 21st Ave., Ocala. Both exhibits are free and open to the public. The center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. "Bold and Inspired" is on the first floor and "Abstract Island Expressions" on the second. More at (352) 629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces.
‘Tony A. Blue, American Painter’
This exhibition from Tony Blue is up through Jan. 9 at the Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Suite 600, Ocala. This show “explores Blue’s expressionist, abstract paintings,” which are “inspired by Florida’s tropical natural landscape,” the city says in a news release. The exhibit is free and open to the public. More at www.artoftonyblue.com, (352) 629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org and www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces.
‘The Beauty of Nature and Recyclable Refuse’
This art exhibition from Albert Bevilacqua is up through Jan. 8 at the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., and the Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center, 830 NE Eighth Ave. The building are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free exhibit is open to the public. More at (352) 629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org and www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
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‘Patternz’
This art exhibition from Kelsey Mahoney is up through Dec. 12 at Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. It is free and open to the public. City Hall is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. In a news release, the city says this exhibit “highlights Mahoney’s recent abstract work of detailed, vibrantly colored, mosaic-like ink drawings.” More at www.facebook.com/kelseymahoneyartist, (352) 629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces.
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This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala weekend entertainment highlights include the First Friday Art Walk
