Last spring, the City of Ocala Municipal Government Ocala Cultural Arts, in partnership with the Marion Cultural Alliance, was primed to kick off another year of the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series when COVID-19 shut down public events throughout our community. Thankfully, they were able to work with the Levitt Foundation and artists originally in the 2020 lineup to bring back the music series starting this month.
Funded in part by a grant through the national Levitt AMP Foundation, cities are selected through an application process that includes community voting to host free, family-friendly concerts for the public. The Ocala series features 10 concerts every Friday night and will run April 16 through June 25 (excluding May 28 for Memorial Day) from 7-9pm. Concerts will take place at Webb Field at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
Weekend Planner : 4/30/2021 Mike Potter
Happy Friday everyone!
The World Equestrian Center in Ocala is host to the Festivals of Speed Thoroughbred Weekend from 10 am to 4 pm Saturday. You can browse over a hundred luxury and exotic cars including Ferrari, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini, and more. General admission tickets are 20 dollars. You can also get a bite to eat, and be part of the Kentucky Derby watch event after 5 pm.
Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens in Williston is having its Garden Show and Spring Festival this weekend. This is the sixth year for the event where you can visit plant and arts and crafts vendors, sample food from food trucks, and enjoy live music. And you can tour the botanical garden at a discounted price. It’s Saturday from 9:30 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 9:30 to 4.
“Now. Here. This.”: The
College of Central Florida Musical Theatre Department will host a virtual spring production of “Now. Here. This.” at 7:30 p.m. May 7-9, online. The show follows the evolution and adventures of a group of friends as they journey through time, from the present to the past and back again, sharing stories about friendship, love, hiding, laughing, living, dying and middle school in an attempt to step directly into that elusive “present moment.” Tickets, free, can be ordered at cf.edu/now. Email longtinj@cf.edu for more details. Twelfth Night : A production of this Shakespeare play will run May 7-16 on the outdoor stage at the Ocala Civic Theatre, 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. For information and tickets, https://ocalacivictheatre.com/ or 236-2274.
“Crimes of the Heart”: This is the final weekend for the Ocala Civic Theatre s presentation of “Crimes of the Heart,” a Southern Gothic comedy. It runs through May 2. Tickets and show times at ocalacivictheatre.com or 236-2274. The theater is located at 4337 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala.
Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series: A series of live, free music concerts continues on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. The April 30 performance will be Tiempo Libre Bohemia, supported by Trio Rosal. The shows, at Webb Field, 1501 W. Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala, are part of the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series. Concerts will feature an array of cultural performers each week, with a grand finale June 25. Details at ocalafl.org/levittamp.