Festivals, movies and more: Fun things to do this weekend in Ocala/Marion County
Editor's note: Because of the storm, check with event organizers for the latest information.
Also, this file has been revised to note the new date for the Hispanic Heritage Festival.
Hispanic Heritage Festival
Editor's note: This festival has been rescheduled from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the College of Central Florida hosts a Hispanic Heritage Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Free kid-friendly art activities, music and giveaways, community resources and vendors, food trucks. Museum admission will be free in connection with the Museum’s Free First Saturday program. Discounted memberships for festival attendees. More at visit www.cf.edu.
Sensory-Friendly Saturdays at the Marion Theatre
Films included in this series are shown downstairs with adequate lighting and at a safe volume for all sensory-sensitive guests, who are encouraged to feel comfortable standing up, walking around, dancing, singing, and taking any necessary breaks during the film. These films are scheduled throughout the year at certain dates, which may be added to or changed. The Oct. 1 screening of the groundbreaking "Encanto," featuring music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Marion Theatre, 50 S. Magnolia Ave., Ocala. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the door, at www.mariontheatre.org or by calling the Reilly Box Office at 352-351-1606. Snacks, beverages and full bar available.
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Coming soon
'Next Text'
This exhibition, which highlights visual art that features words, will be up at the College of Central Florida Webber Gallery Oct. 3-27. "The collection of work by multicultural artists from across the country will showcase an intriguing display of storytelling through the use of text in the visual arts. The exhibition was curated by CF Professor of Art Tyrus Clutter and Sheila Goloborotko, an associate professor of printmaking at University of North Florida," CF said in a news release. The community is invited to an opening reception on Oct. 6, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The gallery is located at the CF Ocala campus, 3001 SW College Road. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Admission is free. More at 352-854-2322, ext. 1664.
First Friday Art Walk
The Art Walk returns to downtown Ocala every first Friday of the month through May 2023, starting Oct. 7 from 6 to 9 p.m. Hands-on art activities and demonstrations for all ages, local art on sale, extended business hours, and live music with My Uncle’s Friend, Sean T Music, and Fareeza performing in the Downtown Square. Free and open to the public. More at 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artwalk.
A Whimsical Wonderland
The Marion Cultural Alliance's 15th annual Applaud the Arts presents “A Whimsical Wonderland” at NOMA Black Box in the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala, at 7 p.m. Oct. 8. Enjoy an evening of tapas, cocktails, interactive art experiences and music while celebrating the MCA’s Cultural Grant and Arts Awards recipients. Cocktail attire requested; wonderland costumes and whimsical accessories encouraged. Tickets starting from $35; VIP tickets available at $85. More at 352-369-1500 or www.mcaocala.org.
Blow Up II - Inflatable Contemporary Art
Larger-than-life inflatable art will transform the Edith-Marie Appleton Gallery and museum lobby from Oct. 8 to Dec. 11 at the Appleton Museum, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. This exhibition explores the imaginative and often whimsical ways artists use air as a tool for creating large-scale sculpture, with work from eight renowned artists of the medium. Special events will be announced throughout the life of this exhibit. More at www.appletonmuseum.org or 352-291-4455.
Legends of the Fort
Ocala Recreation and Parks Department presents the first “Legends of the Fort” from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 8-9. Take a step back into history to meet the legend of Fort King’s past and enjoy a guided lantern tour. Old-fashioned games of horseshoes, checkers, cornhole and live music will round out the evening, and refreshments will be available for purchase. Tours start every 10 minutes at Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E. Fort King St., Ocala. More at www.ocalafl.org/recpark, 352-368-5517 and @OcalaRecPark on Facebook.
Ira Holmes International Film Series
The College of Central Florida Ira Holmes International Film Series continues with the award winning Chilean film "Tony Manero" Oct. 11 at the Appleton Museum, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. at 2 p.m. and at the CF Ocala Campus, 3001 SW College Road, Building 8, Room 110, at 7 p.m. The film follows a middle-aged criminal obsessed with impersonating the Travolta character from "Saturday Night Fever." Set against the backdrop of Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship, his aspirations turn dark and lead to a life of crime. Free to all museum and film series members; nonmembers pay museum admission. For additional information, contact Wendy Adams at 352-854-2322, ext. 1546, or email adamsw@cf.edu.
Appleton Museum 35th Anniversary
The Appleton Museum celebrates 35 years with the Ira Holmes International Film Series, hosting a special double feature Oct. 25 with "House of Dracula" and "Babette’s Feast." The double feature begins at noon at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., and at 5 p.m. at CF Ocala Campus, 3001 SW College Road, Building 8, Room 110. Special guest Patricia Tomlinson introduces "Babette’s Feast" at 6:30 p.m. and will lead a discussion after the screening. Films may contain mature content. Free to all museum and film series members; nonmembers pay museum admission. For additional information, contact Wendy Adams at 352-854-2322, ext. 1546, or email adamsw@cf.edu.
Ongoing:
Artoberfest
Starting Sept. 25 and through October, The Hope House at Fort King Presbyterian Church, 13 NE 36th Ave., Ocala, comes to life with the mural and visual art of the Ocklawaha River and the Great Florida Riverway. From photographers to painters to a sculptor and mural artist, the wildlife and people of the region are shown in all their splendor and struggle. Alan Youngblood presents the stories behind his epic wildlife photography at the first Artist Talk on Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. All events are free and open to the public. More at mhspontak@gmail.com or call 352-229-2887.
‘Looking on the Brighter Side'
This exhibit from Jennifer Weigel is up through Jan. 9 at the Ocala Recreation and Parks Administration building, 828 NE Eighth Ave., and Eighth Avenue Adult Activity Center, 830 NE Eighth Ave., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Free and open to the public. A city news release describes Weigel as "a multi-disciplinary mixed-media, conceptual artist" whose work "utilizes a wide range of media to convey her ideas, including assemblage, drawing, fibers, installation, jewelry, paint, performance, photography, video and writing." More at www.jenniferweigelart.com, 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
'Transitional Moments in Nature’s Landscape'
This art exhibit from Julijana Prest is up through Sept. 30 at Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. It is free and open to the public. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Prest, a Florida-based visual artist, has shown her work in New York, Missouri, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. More at 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces.
'Colorful Pleasures'
This art exhibit from Christine Dozier is up through Jan. 17 at the Ocala International Airport, 1770 SW 60th Ave., Suite 600. Free and open to the public. Dozier, an Ocala resident and Memphis native, works in oils and acrylics. More at www.christinedozier.com, 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
'A Floral Retrospective'
This exhibit of Gregory Dirr's work is up through Dec. 9 at the Clerk’s Office in Ocala City Hall, 110 SE Watula Ave. Free and open to the public. Boca Raton-based Dirr is described in an Ocala city news release as "an interdisciplinary visual artist, creating work as a cathartic response to his surroundings with a focus on environmental conservation." The clerk's office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More at www.gregorydirr.com, 352-629-8447, artinfo@ocalafl.org or www.ocalafl.org/artincityspaces
'Squares Without Stitches'
This exhibit is up at the Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center, 210 NW 12th Ave., Ocala, through Jan. 12. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free and open to the public. More at www.ocalafl.org/recpark, 352-368-5517 and @OcalaRecPark on Facebook.
Photographs by Steven Benson
The Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, presents “Invented Observations: Photographs by Steven Benson,” on exhibit through Nov. 6 in the Balcony Gallery for Florida Arts. Benson is a professor at Daytona State College and is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Midwest Fellowship. His work has been displayed in numerous collections, including the Museum of Fine Art Houston, Detroit Institute of Arts and Museet for Fotokunst in Denmark. More at 352-291-4455 or www.AppletonMuseum.org.
'Finding Beauty'
This exhibit features costumes, set photos, interactive experiences and sketches, along with a plethora of fabrics and video of the costume design process. These objects, from the Appleton Museum’s permanent collection, inspired the art and design for the Ocala Civic Theatre’s recent production of "Beauty and the Beast." This exhibit runs through the winter of 2022. The museum is at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. More at www.appletonmuseum.org.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Entertainment list in Ocala/Marion County, Florida includes festivals
