The Avenue

---

THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

‘Easter Bunny dump season’: Why this time of year poses a threat to rabbits

By Bonny Matejowsky | Apr. 1, 2024

Easter is a holiday known for sweet marshmallow chicks, pastel-woven baskets and, of course, the ever-mysterious Easter Bunny. But the impacts of this floppy-eared icon stretch beyond childhood memories of early morning egg hunts to a much more consequential extent — one that is particularly dangerous for domestic rabbits. 

---

THE AVENUE

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Spring Festival offers vendors and music

By Bea Lunardini | Mar. 25, 2024

Typically, visitors at the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens pay their admission fee and stroll through the Summer House into 68 acres of lush greenery. From March 23 to 24, though, they were greeted by more than 175 vendors from around Florida there for the annual Spring Festival. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  FOOD

Gainesville celebrates Taste The World International Food Festival 

By Alexandra Burns | Mar. 25, 2024

Nestled beneath a canopy of trees and twinkling lights, Gainesville residents came together to indulge in a comforting taste of home from cultures around the world. More than 150 Gainesville residents and food enthusiasts gathered at First Magnitude Brewing Company March 23 to celebrate Taste The World International Food Festival. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

‘It’s a sitcom until it’s not’: ‘White’ approaches debut at Hippodrome

By Bonny Matejowsky | Mar. 25, 2024

Some say art imitates life. For other’s it’s vice versa. But “White,” the Hippodrome’s latest production, looks at it both ways. The 2018 play hits the mainstage at 8 p.m. March 29 and runs until April 14. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

Florida Museum of Natural History’s opens first freshwater exhibit 

By Tanya Fedak | Mar. 24, 2024

Saturday morning, the Florida Museum of Natural History opened its new permanent exhibit, Water Shapes Florida. The exhibit is centered on Florida freshwater and its shape on human life over time. The exhibit, with interactive projector screens and physical replicas of underwater wildlife, aims to illustrate the evolution of the state's aquifers, rivers and most famous springs just north of the museum’s location in Gainesville.

---

THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Indie Night packs High Dive full of music and music-lovers alike   

By Benjamin Miller | Mar. 24, 2024

On Saturday night, local bands Half Gone, Quail Hollow, Rohna and Madwoman energized a colorful crowd of indie music fans in an exhilarating concert as part of the Indie Nights Florida tour. Indie Night, established in 2021 by Rohna bassist Andres Hernandez, seeks to bring local music together all across Florida. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  LITERARY CORNER

Barnes & Noble hosts grand opening at Butler Plaza

By Molly Seghi | Mar. 20, 2024

Generations of book enthusiasts lined up down the block outside Barnes & Noble on Wednesday morning, some jumping for joy in anticipation. As the clock struck 9 a.m. and the ribbon was cut, more than 100 people rushed into the brand-new store and got lost in the rows of crisp, colorful books for sale.

---

THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Big: Culture & Arts Festival brings creatives across the state to Gainesville 

By Benjamin Miller | Mar. 18, 2024

Big: Cultures & Arts Festival is set to take place in an empty lot between Porters Community and South Main Street, breathing life into the venue with Florida’s music, fashion, visual art and film scene. Musical artists based in Gainesville and cities across the state, including Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami, are set to appear in numbers April 13. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

Tom Miller announces retirement from 39-year open mic variety show

By Molly Seghi | Mar. 18, 2024

Tom Miller, a 58-year-old multidisciplinary performance artist and screenwriter, has graced Gainesville with open mic shows since his humble beginnings as a UF theater student. Decades later, he will step down as the king of entertainment in downtown Gainesville, a place he calls “the known center of the universe.” 

---

THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

Jacksonville dice-maker brings handcrafted collections to Gainesville

By Bea Lunardini | Mar. 4, 2024

The time it takes Schweiner to handcraft his own dice amounts to more than 30 hours every week. Each hour is spent in his workshop, a small room in his Jacksonville home. The room has a workbench and table, a 36-square-foot cork board holding his tools and most importantly, around 450 dice. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

UF Center for Jewish Studies unveils annual film festival

By Molly Seghi | Mar. 4, 2024

The UF Bud Shorstein Center for Jewish Studies, at the Hippodrome State Theatre and Oak Hammock, will present its 13th annual Gainesville Jewish Film Festival throughout March. It will feature 12 film screenings about the Jewish experience and culture around the world.

---

THE AVENUE  |  FOOD

Gainesville’s Girl Scout cookie season remains price-stable in climate of rising costs

By Bonny Matejowsky | Mar. 4, 2024

On a rainy Saturday morning, Girl Scout Troop 2370 stood anxiously under the red awning of Winn-Dixie on Main Street. Though the day was gray and gloomy, 8-year-old Kate Sarnoski couldn’t help but smile a toothy grin while greeting grocery shoppers with a question difficult to resist:  “Would you like to buy Girl Scout cookies?” she asks.

---

THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

Gainesville art scene pushes for more outreach to underserved communities

By Nicole Beltran | Feb. 26, 2024

Arts and culture are present in Gainesville through museums, exhibits and music venues scattered around the city. Further developments like a cultural arts center in East Gainesville could continue catering to the expansion, providing people with a place to turn to for support. Community members are concerned more outreach needs to be done to fully immerse underserved communities into art outlets. There are opportunities for people to seek support through the arts, but the accessibility can vary.

---

THE AVENUE

UF public relations team celebrates hidden identities with Gainesville’s first Multicultural Day festival

By Henry DeAngelis and Alexandra Burns | Feb. 26, 2024

How Bazar became a hotspot for art and culture Feb. 24 as people joined to honor a combination of various cultures, backgrounds and identities at the Culturs Festival. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

Buchholz High School presents production of ‘The Three Musketeers’

By Bonny Matejowsky | Feb. 26, 2024

The ringing clangs of swashbuckling sword fights resounded loudly in Buchholz High School’s auditorium at a midweek evening rehearsal. In front of a white-columned set piece, two pajama-clad teens duel with careful choreography, jousting silver swords and dodging calculated swings.

---

THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

The 2024 leap year reveals local traditions, celebrations and superstitions

By Molly Seghi | Feb. 26, 2024

Jazzlyn Harrell eagerly punched her number into the keypad in her elementary school lunch line over 20 years ago. More satisfying than the lunch she was served, she savored the ‘Happy birthday’ message that lit up on the screen. Unlike her classmates, she would have to wait another four years to see it again. Harrell, now a 31-year-old Alachua County elementary school counselor, is a ‘leapling,’ a person born Feb. 29. For her, the date brings memories of both small delights and mild frustrations.

---

THE AVENUE  |  FASHION

Circus-themed fashion show for pets unleashes at the How Bazar

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez | Feb. 25, 2024

Under the fluorescent lights of Southwest Second Street’s How Bazar, dogs, cats, snakes and birds circled around the venue Friday, adorned in handmade crochet outfits. The proud owners accompanied each pet, stopping to let the crowd that lined the perimeter admire them, an event organizers call ‘Barkin' Market: A Night at the Circus.’ 

---

THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

New York based-comedian, social media sensation sells out seats at High Dive

By Benjamin Miller | Feb. 24, 2024

At 8 p.m. Friday night, Lucas Zelnick, a 28-year-old stand-up comedian from New York City, took the stage at the High Dive, aiming to deliver a memorable stand-up routine to a diverse audience.

---

THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

Independent Black talent push creative boundaries in Gainesville’s art scene

By Benjamin Miller | Feb. 19, 2024

Gainesville’s local art scene is home to a diverse array of fashion designers, musicians, writers and artists. An important component of its culture is the Black creatives that have paved the way for many following in their tracks. 

---

THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Gainesville musician finds success, one song a day

By Bonny Matejowsky | Feb. 19, 2024

The 33-year-old Gainesville musician has taken up an ambitious challenge: writing, producing and recording one song a day for an entire year.