First Friday Art Walk, Strawberry Festival and more: Fun things to do this weekend in Ocala
THIS WEEKEND
First Friday Art Walk
This event will be 6-9 p.m. March 1 in downtown Ocala. Artists, vendors, shops with extended hours and more. This month there is a 1980s theme.
24th annual Greek Festival
St. Mark Greek Orthodox Church, 9926 SE 36th Ave. (CR 467), Belleview, sponsors this festival, which will be held 11 a.m.-8 p.m. March 1 and 2 and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. March 3. Authentic Greek food and pastries, drinks, live music, folk dancers, vendors, children's activities, door prizes, raffles and more. Admission is a $2 donation. Children younger than 12 admitted free. Free parking. More at www.GreekFestivalOcala.com
Strawberry Festival
The 10th annual Habitat Ocala Strawberry Festival, hosted by Habitat for Humanity of Marion County, will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 2 on the grounds of the McPherson Governmental Complex, 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala. Live music, entertainment, vendors, food and strawberries. More at https://habitatocala.org/strawberry/
Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band: 'Springtime Serenade'
The band's next concerts will be 2 p.m. March 2 and 3 p.m. March 3 at the Marion Technical Institute auditorium, 1614 Fort King St., Ocala. Pre-concert entertainment starts one hour before the shows. Free and open to the public.
COMING SOON
Learn more about Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
The College of Central Florida Library will host a presentation on Rawlings' works and the influence of Florida’s landscape and culture on her writing at 12:30 p.m. March 6 at the CF Ocala Campus Stearns Learning Resources Center, Building 3. The campus is at 3001 SW College Road. The speakers will be Florence M. Turcotte, a literary manuscripts archivist and curator of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Papers at the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries; and Anne Pierce, a retired professor from Georgia Southern University. Refreshments will be provided. The first 25 students in attendance will receive a complimentary copy of “The Yearling.” Please RSVP at ruizf@cf.edu. More at CF.edu/LibraryEvents.
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
The Ocala Symphony Orchestra: From Hogwarts to a Galaxy, Far, Far, Away!
These performances will be at 7:30 p.m. March 9 and 3 p.m. March 10 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Adult tickets from $15; students pay $10. "Grab your wand and lightsaber and join us for a night of pure musical enchantment! The OSO will perform scores from two of the most beloved movie franchises of all time: 'Harry Potter' and 'Star Wars.' As the orchestra plays soaring melodies to epic battle themes, images from these iconic films will be brought to life on the screen above," organizers say. More at reillyartscenter.com
Ocala Youth Symphony
The symphony will present a concert at 3 p.m. March 10 at Countryside Presbyterian Church, 7768 SW State Road 200, Ocala. "The group is in its 25th year and is under the direction of Cindy Warringer," organizers say. A love offering will be taken. More at 352-237-4633.
Live Oak International
The USEF Combined Driving National Championship for Four-in-Hand will be held March 14-17 at Live Oak Stud in Ocala. The guest entrance for the event is located at 2215 SW 110th Ave. For times, ticket information and more details, visit https://liveoakinternational.com/
Leon Timbo and the Family Band (Singer/Songwriter/Americana)
The inaugural concert in the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series will take place 7-9 p.m. March 15 at Webb Field at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex, 1510 NW Fourth St., Ocala. Concerts will take place every Friday through May 17. Free admission. Bring blankets and lawn chairs. More at www.ocalafl.gov/levittamp or on Facebook @LevittAMPOcala
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.
Let It Be/Beatles tribute concert
WIND-FM 92.5/95.5 will be ‘Rockin’ the Reilly with this show at 7:30 p.m. March 16. Tickets start at $25. Visit www.windfm.com/tribute
'Baskerville'
The latest show at Ocala Civic Theatre will be onstage March 21-April 7. "In this dizzy delight starring the iconic detective duo (Sherlock and Watson), our intrepid investigators and masterminds of mayhem prowl the desolate moors of Devonshire in 1890s England, chasing a howling hellhound with a nose for trouble," OCT says. "Legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes (James Ray Taylor III) and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson (Brian Creary) seek to solve the mystery of the Baskerville family curse before a new heir is doomed to die." More at ocalacivictheatre.com
The Ocala Symphony Orchestra: Bold Brahms
These performances will be 7:30 p.m. March 23 and 3 p.m. March 24 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Tickets for adults start at $15. Student tickets are $10. "Join us for an exhilarating night as the Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents Brahms’s Symphony No. 4, under the direction of guest conductor Edward Leonard," organizers say. "Brahms’ final symphony is sure to captivate you with its soaring melodies. The winners of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s 33rd annual young artist competition will join the program with their incredible talent as the OSO provides a platform for the next generation of performers." More at reillyartscenter.com
ONGOING
'Karen Glaser: Swamps and Springs' and 'Across the Threshold of India: Photographs by Martha Strawn'
These two photography exhibits are up through July 7 at the Appleton Museum of Art. The Glaser show includes photos "from the magnificent Everglades to the pristine rivers and springs of north central Florida," the museum says, while the Strawn show "takes us on a visual journey farther from home. The High Springs-based artist shares her travels throughout India to document one of the world’s longest and least-known religious practices — the art of sanctifying space through the creation of threshold diagrams."
The Appleton, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. More at 352-291-4455 or appletonMuseum.org
'Outsider Aviary: Robert W. Smeltzer’s Birds of America'
This exhibit, from the permanent collection of the Appleton Museum of Art, "features a selection of hand-carved birds by Robert W. Smeltzer (1906-1997), all inspired by John James Audubon’s (1785-1851) 'Birds of America,' " the Appleton says in a news release. The exhibit is up through Aug. 4. The Appleton is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. It is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. More at 352-291-4455 or appletonMuseum.org
'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 highlights include First Friday Art Walk, Strawberry Festival
