Looking ahead on Ocala, Marion County entertainment calendar
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn: The “king and queen of banjo,” Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, will play at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Tickets and details at reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.
Horse Fever 20/20 Family Day: All are invited to the first public unveiling of the new Horse Fever 20/20 herd from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 13 at Transformco, 655 SW 52nd Ave, Ocala. Meet Horse Fever artists at this western-themed event with family fun and children’s activities. Music and food including Big Lee’s BBQ. Previous Horse Fever merchandise will be on sale. Contact the Marion Cultural Alliance for details at mcaocala.org or 369-1500.
Cutting Horse Competition: Horses and riders will compete in the sport of cutting cattle from the herd Feb. 18-21 at The Grand Oaks Resort, 3000 Marion County Road, Weirsdale. Visit home.thegrandoaks.com or call 750-5500.
Tribute to the Bee Gees: “Stayin’ Alive: The World’s #1 Tribute to the Bee Gees” will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Circle Square Cultural Center, 8395 SW 80th St., Ocala. Singing blockbusters such as “How Deep is Your Love,” “You Should be Dancing,” and more. Tickets and information available at 854-3670 or csculturalcenter.com.
Southeastern Youth Fair: Marion County’s historic Southeastern Youth Fair has been running since 1941; this year’s event takes place Feb. 19-27 at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala. Children’s events and livestock shows and sales. This is the premier event for 4-H and FFA students in Marion County. For details, seyfair.com or 629-1255.
Discovery Center Date Night: A unique kid-free experience from 6:30-9 p.m. Feb. 19 just for adults at The Discovery Center, 701 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala. Guests may enjoy light appetizers, drinks and chances to enjoy the center, including the “Chain Reaction Charlie” exhibit. Play and tinker in the exhibit hall and participate in guided, hands-on building challenges. Tickets $30 per couple. Details at mydiscoverycenter.org or 401-3900.
Art Outside the Lines: Celebrate Ocala’s public art with a live musical performance, food trucks and activities Feb. 20 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. as part of the Tuscawilla Art Park Series at the Tuscawilla Art Park, 223 NE Fifth St., Ocala. General admission is free; a Curator Pass for $15 includes two guided public art tours, art-themed games and prizes and a complementary beverage. Tickets and details at ocalafl.org/artpark or 629-8447.
Gnome and Fairy Festival: Sholom Park’s second annual Gnome and Fairy Festival takes place from 1-4 p.m. Feb. 21 at Sholom Park, 7110 SW 80th Ave., Ocala. Details at sholompark.org or 873-0848.
‘Talley’s Folly’: From Feb. 25-March 21, the Ocala Civic Theatre will present “Talley’s Folly,” a play centered on a Missouri farm in 1944 where two kindred spirits with very different pasts are brought together by love letters. For tickets, visit ocalacivictheatre.com or call 236-2274. The theater is located at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.
Third annual Grit Strength Challenge: The City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department, in partnership with CrossFit Iron Legion, will host the annual GRIT Strength Challenge from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 27 at Fort King National Historic Landmark, 3925 E. Fort King St., Ocala. Fifty percent of proceeds from this event will go toward special projects and programming at the Fort King National Historic Landmark. Free to the public. Food, beverages and merchandise available for purchase. For more information or to register a team, call 629-2625 or visit gritstrengthchallenge.com
Appleton Museum Zoom talk: Learn more about the “Memories & Inspiration” collection at the Appleton Museum of Art at 2 p.m. Feb. 28 during a free Zoom talk with Kerry Davis. He will be accompanied by celebrated artist and curator Kevin Sipp. Zoom login details are available at appletonmuseum.org.
More:Appleton to display ‘Memories and Inspiration’ exhibit on Black works through the ages
First Friday Art Walk: Ocala’s downtown First Friday Art Walk from 6-9 p.m. March 5 will feature music from Retro Sounds, with performances from the Bee Gees NOW, playing music of the Bee Gees from the disco era of the 1970s. Attendees are encouraged to wear disco-themed clothing and face masks, practice social distancing, enjoy artists working live, and take advantage of special sales at retailers and restaurants. Call 629-8447 or visit ocalafl.org/artwalk for details.
The Long Run – A Journey through the Music of the Eagles: The Long Run reproduces the sound that made the Eagles one of the most successful musical groups in rock and roll history. Performing at 3 and 7:30 p.m. March 5 at the Reilly Arts Center, 500 NE Ninth St., Ocala. Tickets and details at reillyartscenter.com or 351-1606.
A Disney Celebration: Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band: The band will perform Disney favorites at 3 p.m. March 14 a
t the Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, 2601 SE Fort King St., Ocala. Selections include “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “Beauty nd the Beast,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Bare Necessities,” and more. Free and open to the public; donations accepted. Details at kingdomofthesunband.org or call 624-9291.
Rainbow Springs Art Festival: The nonprofit Rainbow Springs Art Gallery plans a socially distanced art festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 20 in front of the gallery, 20804 W. Pennsylvania Ave., in downtown Dunnellon. Deadline for artists to apply is March 10. Food vendors and music. For information, call the gallery at 445-8547 during business hours (Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or visit www.rainbowspringsart.com.
More:COVID crisis: We need all hands on deck to save America’s arts and culture economy
‘Frida’ After Dark: The Tuscawilla Art Park Series at the Tuscawilla Art Park, 223 NE Fifth St., Ocala, will feature a showing of the motion picture “Frida,” a film about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, March 26 from 6-9:30 p.m. Enjoy a live musical performance, food truck, cash bar, artisan vendors, and movie concessions. Free general admission. Details at ocalafl.org/artpark or 629-8447.