the-avenue - The Independent Florida Alligator

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Playground Preshow highlights local indie artists at backyard show

By Juliana DeFilippo | Jan. 19, 2025

Playground Preshow took place Jan. 17, the night before the Playground Music + Arts Festival. Hosted by Swamp Records, Golden Ratio Booking and Indie Night live, the event featured four bands and brought in an audience of around 100 people. This is the event’s second year preceding Playground festival, Gainesville’s largest indie music festival. It highlights bands playing at Playground as well as other local groups.

The Avenue

How do UF students feel about the TikTok ban?

By Sabrina Castro | Jan. 18, 2025

On Friday, the United States Supreme Court upheld a controversial law banning TikTok, the popular social media app, leaving many students stunned and frustrated.

Members of the Driveway Theatre Project perform a radio play with a foley artist to create live sound effects.

The Avenue

Driveway Theatre Project aims to connect communities

By Juliana DeFilippo | Jan. 15, 2025

Driveway Theatre Project serves as a modern take on the traveling acting troupe, such as Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the troupe to which Shakespeare belonged. However, the 21st century iteration of a traveling acting troupe runs differently, by not charging its venues’ hosts for their performances and instead operating as a nonprofit looking to make live theater more accessible.

A drag artist a part of The Boheme Coven performs at How Bazar on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. Credit: Autumn Johnstone

The Avenue

Organized chaos: Gainesville punk scene draws on history and community

By Autumn Johnstone | Jan. 10, 2025

Respite Events hosted a concert Wednesday at How Bazar, located at 60 SW 2nd St., aiming to showcase three punk rock bands and a performance from drag artists, “The Boheme Coven.” In downtown Gainesville, where energetic nightclubs and lavish restaurants meet, lies a passion for punk rock not only as a genre, but as a way of life.

The Avenue

Affordable holiday gift ideas for college students

By Rachel Mish | Dec. 10, 2024

The closer the holiday season comes to fruition, the more stressful it can be to find the perfect gift, especially for loved ones or a person who appears to have everything they could want.

Drag queen and musician Flamy Grant is known for her Christian music.

The Avenue

Drag musician Flamy Grant discusses religious trauma with new album “Church”

By Juliana DeFilippo | Dec. 6, 2024

Grant released her most recent album, “Church,” in October and performed at the United Church of Gainesville 一 1624 NW Fifth Ave. 一 as a part of her No More Drama tour Tuesday night. Grant described her new album as truly her own.

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The ultimate Gainesville holiday bucket list

By Sabrina Castro | Dec. 4, 2024

Ready to dive into the festivities? Here are five must-do activities to sprinkle some holiday cheer into your life.

Barnes and Noble bookshelf lined with "Wicked" books and merchandise.

The Avenue

It’s gonna be popular: ‘Wicked’ movie hits Gainesville theaters

By Sabrina Castro | Dec. 4, 2024

Clutching pink-and-green-themed drink cups, moviegoers flocked to Gainesville theaters as early as Wednesday and Thursday to catch advance screenings of “Wicked” before its official Friday premiere.

UF Trigators team poses for a team picture at the Miami Man Meet on Nov. 17, 2024.

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UF Trigators team takes overwhelming victory at Miami Man Meet

By Rachel Mish | Dec. 2, 2024

The UF triathlon team took home first, second and third place in the men’s division and first, second and fourth in the women’s division of the Miami Man Meet.

How can you make cooking easier and more enjoyable?

The Avenue

‘Food Network is lying to you’: How to turn cooking into a more enjoyable experience

By Rachel Mish | Nov. 22, 2024

Cooking at home can provide an inexpensive and creative experience. Here are five quick tips for the less-than-Michelin chef.

Worker feeds tiger at Carson Springs Wildlife on Nov. 9, 2024.

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Gainesville endangered animal sanctuary harbors lions, tigers and more

By Tanya Fedak | Nov. 21, 2024

Carson Springs is a nonprofit organization working to combat the increasing risk of extinction by keeping wild species in environments similar to their native habitats.

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Gobble down in Gainesville: Five Thanksgiving events to celebrate the holiday season

By Noor Sukkar | Nov. 20, 2024

Look no further than these five events throughout the rest of November.

Gainesville Peak Pulse Run Club meets at Depot Park for a pre-run group photo on Nov. 14, 2024.

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Peak Pulse Run Club Gainesville joins trend of emerging Generation Z run clubs

By Sabrina Castro | Nov. 18, 2024

What do you get when you mix sneakers, serotonin and socializing? For Gainesville’s Generation Z crowd, the answer is Peak Pulse Run Club.

The Lynx manager Jackie Davison speaks about election stress.

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The Lynx Books offers a safe space on Election Day

By Juliana DeFilippo | Nov. 18, 2024

The Election Day event offered an all-day happy hour, board games and a “mood mending meditation” session led by a Lynx employee and yoga instructor. The event was intended to give those dealing with political stress a safe space to cope before election results were announced.

The 2024 election results are in, and social media is abuzz with discussion on this year’s winners and losers.

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Young voters discuss whether disagreements are deeper than a bubble on a ballot

By Rachel Mish | Nov. 12, 2024

As an area with a largely democratic majority, Alachua County faced an influx of Instagram stories from students expressing their election disappointment or celebration, and not all of them were ready for peaceful discourse.

With music and strobe lights, students were transported to early voting locations on Oct. 22, 2024.

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Lattes, Pizza and Memes: The wild, witty ways Generation Z is being wooed to the polls

By Sabrina Castro | Nov. 6, 2024

Organizations across the county rallied young voters in the college town with incentives and online promotions. On Tuesday, Farah & Farah Personal Injury Lawyers offered free coffee to voters at over 30 coffee shops across Florida and Georgia, including four Gainesville locations.

Lead Ethan Garrepy puts on his wig for the Music Man show at the Constanz Theater on Oct. 26 2024.

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A glimpse backstage with stars of “The Music Man” as they prepare for closing weekend

By Tanya Fedak | Nov. 4, 2024

From Oct. 16 to Oct. 27, the UF School of Theatre and Dance put on a nine-show run of the musical, which follows traveling conman Harold Hill, played by Ethan Garrepy, who goes from town to town persuading citizens of his “plan” to form a boys marching band. After collecting payments for instruments and uniforms, he skips town, starting his pursuit of his next victims. But this time, it’s a little different.

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‘Party to the Polls’: Students ride party bus to early voting site

By Caroline Kwara | Oct. 29, 2024

During the organization's Party to the Polls event on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a party bus transported UF students from La Casita, UF’s Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, to the Reitz Union, an early voting location for Alachua County.

Gainesville residents celebrate fall with a range of pumpkin-flavored food and drinks.

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Ave Roundtable: Gainesville’s guide to cafes with fall flavors

By Avenue Staff | Oct. 28, 2024

Juliana DeFilippo

Attendees walk during the Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.

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Walk to End Alzheimer’s offers support and connection to Gainesville’s caregiver community

By Juliana DeFilippo | Oct. 27, 2024

The Alzheimer’s Association hosted its annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday morning, with 756 participants walking together to show their support. The Gainesville event aimed to raise money to fund research and provide resources to those affected by the disease.