The Avenue | Lifestyle - The Independent Florida Alligator

The current exhibit at Matheson History Museum, Trailblazers: 150 Years of Alachua County Women, is seen on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. The exhibit was originally supposed to open on March 24, 2020, but the museum closed due to COVID-19 on March 17, 2020. The exhibit opened in April of this year instead.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Matheson History Museum celebrates accomplishments of historic Alachua County women

By Alexis Carson | Sep. 2, 2021

The Trailblazers: 150 Years of Alachua County Women exhibit highlights the stories and accomplishments of eleven women from Alachua County including Sarah Hamilton Matheson, Dr. Sarah Lucretia Robb, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Marjorie Harris Carr, Vivian Washington Filer, Daphne Duval Williams, Judith Brown, Margaret Tebeau, Clara Floyd Gehan, Mary Etta Cubberly, and Emmaline Buchholz.

Plantstay, a local plant shop, is having its one-year anniversary on Friday, Sept. 3, 2021. To celebrate, the director and owner, Bren Strickland, will give away two gift cards and 100 gift bags.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Local shop Plantstay celebrates its first 'birthday party'

By Luigi Bencosme | Sep. 2, 2021

After a successful first year in business, local plant shop Plantstay has decided to go all out for their one-year celebration — or, as the shop would refer to it, their 'birthday party.'

The Avenue staff's favorite locations to get to work, including Newell Hall, Wyatt's Coffee, Library West and The Hub.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Avenue recommendations: Gainesville's best study spots

By Avenue Staff | Sep. 2, 2021

With the first week of the Fall semester coming to a close, the Avenue compiled a list of our favorite on- and off-campus study spots to settle into a study routine.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Alumnus’ debut novel is a nostalgic homage to UF student life

By Brenna Sheets | July 26, 2021

Described as “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” meets “The Catcher in the Rye” on Amazon, Dan Ymas’ debut novel is UF’s newest coming of age story.

Genderful Toolkit, an online video series for gender-nonconforming individuals to share their personal stories about their identities, intends to increase representation for the gender-nonconforming community as well as educate the cis-gendered population on the lives of gender-nonconforming people.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Genderful Toolkit breaks down barriers through video series

By Brenna Sheets | July 19, 2021

Kai Telhiard was assigned a semester-long project in their graphic design class at UF in August 2020. The prompt was general: create a toolkit for a contemporary problem in the world.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Papo’s Pop Shop to hold ‘Snack Attack’ market

By Brenna Sheets | July 8, 2021

Papo’s Pop Shop will hold its second vendor market on July 10 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 808 NW 13th St. In addition to Papo’s exotic snacks, the Snack Attack event will feature a variety of items from 12 local vendors, such as throwback clothing from Beasy Vintage, handmade jewelry from Whole Heart Goods and art from Fillup G.

Curvy Confidence members at the Summer Swim Soiree on Saturday, June 12, 2021, at Mickler Landing, Florida. (Photo by Jonathan Vickers | Courtesy to The Alligator)

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Curvy Confidence meetups celebrate body positivity across Central Florida

By Brenna Sheets | July 6, 2021

Curvy Confidence is a social group that organizes dinners, pool parties and beach get-togethers to promote the acceptance of all body shapes and sizes. Currently, the group’s meetups are held in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Orlando.

Wanda Lloyd, 47 (center), teaches students line dancing outside Muñecas Downtown Taco Garden after rain forced the class to avoid the slippery surfaces at the Bo Diddley Plaza amphitheater on Tuesday, June 22, 2021.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Smooth Flava brings line dancing to Bo Diddley Plaza

By Brenna Sheets | July 1, 2021

All profits made from Smooth Flava's line dancing lessons go towards helping K-12 students pay tuition at this summer’s I AM STEM camp, which provides children with early exposure to STEM resources, skills and careers.

Salem Commander brought her homemade candles to 4th Ave Foodpark's Juneteenth celebration on June 19, 2021. Commander makes the candles herself and sells them at local markets.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

4th Avenue Food Park Juneteenth celebration highlights Black-owned businesses

By Heather Bushman | June 21, 2021

4th Ave Food Park’s Juneteenth celebration featured five black-owned businesses Saturday. The event had live music and cuisine from the surrounding restaurants and food trucks.

The Gainesville location will be Buff City’s twelfth Florida store.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Buff City Soap to open in Butler Town Center

By Heather Bushman | June 17, 2021

Buff City Soap, coming to Butler Town Center, specializes in vegan-friendly, cruelty-free soaps, handcrafted daily in each store.

Kristyn Lopez, 37, (right) gives a tattoo designed to emulate a tarot card to Franciso Martinez, 31, a Gainesville resident (left) on Sunday, June 13, 2021.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Walk-in tattoo event gives local community a way to support victims of sexual assault

By Karter Nancy | June 14, 2021

In an effort to raise money for victims of sexual assault, community members had their bodies marked with ink at the Still Not Asking For It tattoo flash event on Sunday.

A Pride Tree sticker at Swamp City Gallery Lounge on Sunday, June 13, 2021. Swamp City is running a pride month campaign, where patrons can take a photo of pride tree stickers placed in different locations for a chance to win $300 worth of accessories and products.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Gainesville cannabis and art lounge launches Pride Month campaign

By Heather Bushman | June 14, 2021

Swamp City Gallery Lounge is all about the green, but this June, they’re embracing the rainbow. The local glass art gallery and cannabis lounge is celebrating Pride Month with its #plantapridetree raffle campaign.

Aubrey Dolbeck, 21, a Gainesville business owner, looks at products she made on Friday, June 11, 2021. She sometimes searches for gems at Lake Alice.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

From dirt to amethyst, local crystal shop owner dedicates herself to uncovering nature’s beauty

By Melissa Hernandez de la Cruz | June 14, 2021

Aubrey Dolbeck uncovered her first gems in the mountains of Tennessee in February 2020. To most people, Dolbek’s initial finds were blobs of dirt. But after tediously cutting and polishing, Dolbeck birthed a captivatingly-cut Amethyst.

Chase Morris, 25, a Gainesville resident and DIY content creator applies transfers to an antique sewing machine drawer to repurpose into a planter on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Trash becomes treasure with help from local artist

By Karter Nancy | June 10, 2021

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, at least according to Chase Morris. She repurposes old furniture that would otherwise end up in the dumpster, giving these old fixtures new lives. The local artist promotes sustainability, inspiring people to “Get Crafty Bestie” and repurpose old furniture instead of throwing it away.

A Pac-Man wall painting that reads "I Love the 80s" sits on a wall of That 80s Bar Gainesville, located on West University Avenue on Friday, June 6, 2021.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

That ‘80s Bar takes Gainesville residents back in time

By Karter Nancy | June 7, 2021

If you “Just Can’t Get Enough” of synthwave, the arcade and all things ‘80s, Gainesville’s newest bar may have you drinking your way back in time. The new bar opened its doors May 28.

UF-lecturer Kelly Medley, 35, sifts through racks of used clothes at the Humane Society's new boutique thrift store, located at 5403 Southwest Archer Road on Sunday, June 6, 2021. The boutique store receives some of the local Humane Society's higher-end items, such as designer handbags and vintage musical instruments.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

The Humane Society of North Central Florida to open south campus thrift boutique

By Brenna Sheets | June 7, 2021

From popcorn machines to winter coats, the Humane Society of North Central Florida’s new south campus Thrift Boutique received a wide variety of donations to help support animals in need.

Jeremy Mall, 25, a culinary teacher at East Side high school, practices rock climbing in a homemade crop top at The Knot Climbing Gym on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Mall is an avid "Crop Top Tuesday" participant, and he said climbing in crop tops is fun and freeing.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Crop Top Tuesdays: A weekly tradition combines crop tops and rock climbing

By Abigail Hasebroock | June 7, 2021

“Crop Top Tuesdays,” a weekly tradition at The Knot climbing gym, gathers students and locals wearing homemade crop tops to rock climb.

At the corner of Flaco’s and Vecino’s, a Block Party Weekend transformed 2nd Street into an ambient gathering space for two nights of live music, Cuban food, craft cocktails and more.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Like a good neighbor: Flaco’s and Vecino’s host block party weekend

By Heather Bushman | June 1, 2021

At the corner of Flaco’s and Vecino’s, a Block Party Weekend transformed 2nd Street into an ambient gathering space for two nights of live music, Cuban food, craft cocktails and more. As Flaco’s expands and live shows make their return, the block party was just one event among the many Flaco’s plans to host in the future.

Members of Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida at The Hatchetbury, May 13, 2021. (Courtesy to The Alligator)

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

A collaboration with a cause: The Hachetbury partners with Azazus to fundraise for Ronald Mcdonald House Charities

By Brenna Sheets | June 1, 2021

Alachua County’s first ax-throwing venue teamed up with local musician Azazus to create a song titled “Best Damn Moment.” Azazus will perform the single live at The Hatchetbury’s fundraising event on June 16. All proceeds will go toward supporting the families at Ronald McDonald House Charities of North Central Florida, a nonprofit charity organization that helps house the families of critically ill children at Shands Hospital.

Drag Queen performer Ceazia Giovanni Kreshé gets tipped for her dance moves.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Curia on the Drag brings newest drag show to the Gainesville community

By Alexis Carson | May 24, 2021

Lip syncing, dancing and fashion statements brought Gainesville community members together for food and entertainment during Drag Brunch Saturday.