THIS WEEK
Meet the Dancers
Dance Alive National Ballet is celebrating its diamond anniversary season with a special Meet the Dancers event at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12. The performance part of the program will open with “Diamond Jubilee,” choreographed by Kim Tuttle, and will be followed by “Diamonds Are Forever,” performed by Carla Amancio and Jose Ramos. Resident choreographer Tales Ribiero will present “Diamonds” followed by a sample of “Dancing With The Stars” by Beatriz Povoas and Andre Valladon. Attendees also will be able to take part in dining, dancing, a live auction and DANB performances. DJ Lewis Stokes will be on hand to supply tunes, and Sweetwater Catering will provide food. The event will be held at Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention, located at 811 S. Main St. Tickets are $75 for one, $300 for a table of four and $675 for a table of nine. Tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/mtd25d.
‘Free Fridays’ Concert
Catch the next performance of the city’s popular “Free Fridays” concert series from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Bo Diddley Plaza downtown amphitheater, located at 111 E. University Ave. The free concert series highlights a different act each week, with the Fest 24 Showcase this week. Attendees are encouraged to bring their blankets and lawn chairs to Bo Diddley Plaza to enjoy the concert under the stars. For more information, including a list of upcoming performances, visit gainesvillefl.gov/Events-directory/Free-Fridays-Concert-Series. Future performances include Uncle Morty’s Rhythm Cream performing R&B, soul and rock on Sept. 19; and Morningbell performing psychedelic rock and soul on Sept. 26.
Tailwhip Comedy’s Stand Up Showdown
Tailwhip is set to present their second annual competition, where comedians from all over have been hand-selected to compete in a live filming of a comedy competition, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 12. The live audience will vote to keep their favorite comedians in the next round of head-to-head comedy face-offs. The comedians are competing for a cash prize and a filmed Tailwhip Comedy special. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at multipass.com/susd1. The event will be held at CordaRoy’s Showroom, located at 3417 W. University Ave.
Walking Blue, Boat Stuff and Mossheads
A new Indie Live Presents concert is set for 8 p.m. Sept. 12 at Heartwood Soundstage’s outdoor stage. The event will include performances by Walking Blue, Boat Stuff and Mossheads. Tickets are $13.98 in advance, $15.48 for a day-of-show four-pack discount and $10.99 for an in-advance four-pack discount. Walking Blue is a midwest emo-adjacent band from the heart of Orlando. With a full-length album and EP released, Walking Blue has set their place in the Orlando DIY music scene by bringing high-energy sets to every bill they jump on. Bring flowers and your finest dancing shoes to the Walking Blue set. Boat Stuff is a swamp-bred punk-rock band from Gainesville. Mossheads is a five-piece rock band from Tampa. Drawing inspiration from bands such as The Strokes, Title Fight and Radiohead, Mossheads have developed their own unique sound. Mossheads started with two brothers, Rafael Kaiser and Gabriel Kaiser, playing in their garage at home. Armed with a drum set bought off of Facebook, the pair decided to form a band, which grew to five members this year, including Eli Carter, Spiro Cromwell and Ethan Chiappetta. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit heartwoodsoundstage.com. Heartwood Soundstage is located at 619 S. Main St.
‘The 39 Steps’
Spies! Murder! Mayhem! Laughter! A Hitchcock masterpiece and a dash of Monty Python come together in the Tony Award-winning “The 39 Steps,” packed with 150 characters (played by three actors), missing fingers and romance! Tickets are $20 to $50, and can be purchased online at thehipp.org. Performances will run Sept. 12-28. Contact the theater for showtimes.
Sarah’s Birthday Bash
Join the Matheson History Museum as they celebrate Sarah Hamilton Matheson’s birthday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13. The event will feature the jazz band MoonDancer for an afternoon of music from the front porch of the Matheson home in celebration of the birthday of the museum’s namesake. Matheson was the last resident of the historic Matheson House, which was bequeathed to the museum on her death in 1996. This year, organizers are adding community organizations in Sweetwater Park, the Grind Coffee Truck and a free pollinator-friendly plant giveaway by the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Daniels Lab. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to enjoy the music. There also will be a birthday cake and bilingual children’s storytelling with the Latina Women’s League. The Matheson History Museum is located at 513 E. University Ave. The event is free, and no registration is required. For more information, visit mathesonmuseum.org.
Brazil Fest
Brazil Fest brings the heart of Brazil to the Gainesville community in a vibrant, family friendly cultural festival, beginning at 3 p.m. Sept. 13 at Heartwood Soundstage. The event will begin with a screening of the Brazilian children’s film “Tarsilina” followed by the Brazilian dance documentary film “Pure Mutt: Puro Vira Lata.” Live music and dance begins at 5:30 with performances on two stages. Tull entertainment lineup includes Capoeira Resgate Cultural, Floresamba, Flores do Samba, Tenison Delrey, Maca Reggae Samba and Pagode do Kinhos. Attendees can explore artisan markets, taste Brazilian cuisine, play and dance. All films, music and dance performances on outdoor stages are free while indoor performances are $20. Heartwood Soundstage is located at 619 S. Main St. For more information, visit heartwoodsoundstage.com.
Jazz on the Green
Join Celebration Pointe for live music, food and drinks, lawn games and more as Ed Roth Trio plays live music on the stage in the promenade from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 13. Spread a blanket under the setting sun and catch some live music while the kids play games on the lawn. Celebration Pointe is located off of Interstate 75 and Archer Road at Celebration Pointe Avenue. For more information, visit celebrationpointe.com. Future performances include Smooth Operatives on Oct. 11, TBD on Nov. 8 and Nino Castaneda on Dec. 13.
‘Painted Roots: Images of Black Southern Life’
The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center is set to share artistic works by local artist Ernest Lee in an exhibit entitled “Painted Roots: Images of Black Southern Life.” The opening reception of the exhibit will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 14 with light refreshments. The exhibit will run through Jan. 20, 2026. The event is free, but attendees must register at cottonclubmuseum.com/events. The Cotton Club Museum is located at 837 SE Seventh Ave. and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. For more information, visit cottonclubmuseum.com.
2025 Gainesville Blues Showcase
North Central Florida Blues Society is set to present its 2025 Blues Showcase beginning at 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at Heartwood Soundstage’s Listening Room. Seated tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show and $15 for NCFBS members. The event will feature performances by Little Mike and the Tornadoes, Dr Jules’ Cool Blues, JC and the Backscratchers, and Sheba the Mississippi Queen and the Bluesmen. Dr. Jules’ Cool Blues is a trio consisting of Dr. Jules Gliesche on guitar, vocals and original “decompositions;” Little David Thornton on harmonica; and Marie Williams on piano and vocals. Along with providing original interpretations of established blues standards and striving to keep that sound alive, the trio also incorporates elements of jazz and big-band swing. John Christopher “JC” Balding was born in Tallahassee. Catching a concert featuring former Muddy Waters harmonica master Jerry Portnoy changed his life, starting him on a 30-plus year journey of honing his craft and playing with many of the most notable blues bands in the Tallahassee area. In 2021, he launched JC and The Backscratchers , a roots-blues combo featuring songs from the ’40s to the present. Little Mike and the Tornadoes is well known for its high-energy blues sound, modeled after the great Chicago bands of the ’50s. Little Mike is a mean harmonica player who cut his teeth in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s, backing up legendary bluesmen Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and Jimmy Rogers, among many others. Sheba the Mississippi Queen and the Bluesmen were formed in 2018, and were International Blues Challenge semifinalists in 2019. Blues festivals that she has performed in include Springing the Blues, the Coral Gables Blues Festival, and the Long Island Blues Festival. Her band the Bluesmen, which includes guitarist Keith Caton, boasts top musicians steeped in the blues who have played alongside Bo Diddley and other musical luminaries. Sheba’s music draws from her life experience from hurt and pain, addressing universal themes people can understand. Heartwood Soundstage is located at 619 S. Main St. For more information, visit heartwoodsoundstage.com.
‘RENT’
Gainesville Community Playhouse’s newest production is Jonathan Larson’s “RENT,” with previews Sept. 18 and running through Oct. 12. Performances are held at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Set in New York City’s bohemian East Village during the early 1990s, “RENT” follows a group of friends and artists as they navigate the challenges of love, loss and survival amidst the AIDS epidemic. The story centers on Mark, a filmmaker, and his roommate, Roger, an aspiring musician with AIDS. As they struggle to pay rent and find meaning in their lives, they confront themes of friendship, identity, and the harsh realities of living and dying in America. “RENT” is a celebration of life, love and the resilience of the human spirit, urging audiences to live fully in the present and embrace each day. Content advisory: mature themes and language; strobe lighting. Tickets are $5 at the door for preview night on Sept. 18, then $24 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $12 for students at gcplayhouse.org. The Gainesville Community Playhouse is located at 4039 NW 16th Blvd.
ONGOING
Annasemble Community Orchestra
Musicians of all skill levels are invited to join the Annasemble Community Orchestra. There will be no auditions. Adults and students in high school and college may join. Rehearsals began Aug. 24 and run from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Meadowbrook Clubhouse, located at 3111 NW 105th Blvd. For more information, visit annasemble.org or email [email protected].
‘Clover Road’
Find out what happens when a desperate mother tries to reunite with her runaway daughter in the Acrosstown Repertory Theatre’s newest production, “On Clover Road.” At an abandoned motel on a desolate American road, a mother meets with a cult deprogrammer, believing she will be reunited with her daughter. What happens instead in this smart, harrowing, edge-of-your-seat thriller is something that will shock her to her core. What will a mother do to get her daughter back? Whatever it takes. Tickets are $25 for adults or $20 with the students, seniors and heroes discount. Shows are set for 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays plus 2 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 21. The Acrosstown Repertory Theatre is located at 3501 SW Second Ave., Suite O. For more information, visit acrosstown.org.
Gainesville Latino Film Festival
The Latina Women’s League has announced the 21st annual Gainesville Latino Film Festival, taking place through Sept. 28 across multiple venues. This year’s festival celebrates the theme “Enriching Cultures, Empowering Communities” and honors Colombia as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. The festival celebrates the richness of Latin American film, culture and community. For more details and a full program schedule, visit gainesvillelatinofilmfestival.com.
‘French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850 – 1950’
The Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida is presenting a major exhibition, “French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950.” The blockbuster exhibition, chosen for display during the Harn’s 35th anniversary, showcases more than 55 paintings, drawings and sculptures from the Brooklyn Museum’s esteemed collection of European art. Ranging widely in scale, subject matter and style, and encompassing the key avant-garde movements that emerged in and around Paris from 1850 to 1950, the works on view were produced by some of the era’s leading artists. The exhibition is on view through Jan. 4, 2026. The works of art in French Moderns span the era between the Revolution of 1848 and the conclusion of World War II — a period marked by significant social, intellectual and political upheaval in France. This era saw the emergence of avant-garde artistic movements, including Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, Cubism and Surrealism, that left a lasting impact on the Western artistic tradition. These key movements are represented in the exhibition through examples by the era’s leading artists, including Pierre Bonnard, Gustave Caillebotte, Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Gustave Courbet, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Gabriele Münter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin and others. The exhibition is organized into four sections: Landscape, Still Life, Portraits and Figures, and The Nude. Beginning with the landscapes of Corot and the birth of plein-air (outdoor) painting, the exhibition surveys the innovative styles and techniques developed by artists from the Realism of Courbet to the light and atmosphere of Monet and the Impressionists, to the Surrealism of Yves Tanguy. “French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950” is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue including thematic essays and interpretive object entries by the exhibition’s co-curators. For more information, visit harn.ufl.edu/frenchmoderns. Admission is free. The Harn Museum is located at Southwest 34th Street and Hull Road.
Horse Feeding
The Retirement Home for Horses provides lifetime care to elderly horses seized by law enforcement agencies, rescued by the SPCA or humane societies, as well as horses retired from government service such as police patrol or state and federal parks. They allow visitors to tour the property and feed treats — carrots, apple slices and bananas provided by the visitors — from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday. Mill Creek Farm Retirement Home for Horses is located at 20307 NW CR 235A in Alachua. For more information, or to support the nonprofit, visit millcreekfarm.org.
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