The Avenue - The Independent Florida Alligator

Attendees chant and sing during Strike Anywhere’s set at Bo Diddley Plaza on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Gainesville FEST musical festival celebrates 20th anniversary

By Naomi Volcy | Oct. 31, 2022

FEST, the three-day, multi-venue event, celebrated its 20th anniversary Oct. 28-30. Performances were scattered across a variety of downtown Gainesville locations — with music venues like Heartwood Soundstage, bars like The Bull and other local establishments featuring lineups of punk rock, pop-punk and other musical genres — drawing in crowds from across the country.

Community members visit different vendors along Cholokka Boulevard at the Micanopy Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

‘The town that time forgot’: 47th Annual Micanopy Fall Festival returns

By Isabella Marzban and Luna Boales | Oct. 30, 2022

The 47th annual Micanopy Fall Festival, which took place Oct. 29-30, brought nearly 500 vendors and hundreds of visitors to the historic city’s main road. The arts and crafts festival was free to the public and featured a variety of north central Florida artists, musicians and food trucks. Music by local artists like the Chasing Rabbits Bands and Inisheer Irish Dancers greeted passersby as they browsed the festival’s offerings.

Doug Mackey, shown here as “Nine Foot Fauci," accepts his prize during the Dr. Fauci Lookalike Contest Wednesday Oct, 26, 2022

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Dr. Anthony Fauci look-alikes take over downtown Gainesville

By Jiselle Lee | Oct. 27, 2022

Julie Anspach was one of seven contestants who participated in the Oct. 26 Dr. Fauci Look-Alike contest. The contest was hosted by The Bull and Gainesville actor Glenn Terry.

Rob Ellis Peck plays with his band during the Tom Petty Festival at Heartwood Soundstage Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Gainesville celebrates rock ‘n’ roll legend Tom Petty despite last year’s controversy

By Isabella Marzban | Oct. 24, 2022

Between Oct. 20 to Oct. 22, more than 3,000 Petty fans gathered to celebrate the life and music of the rock ‘n’ roll legend, who died in October 2017. Tickets ranged from free general admission passes to VIP gold and silver packages, which cost up to $125.

Thousands of students, parents, children and Gainesville residents gathered in Bo Diddley Plaza Oct. 22 for Gainesville Pride Festival’s grand return. The festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but attendees came back in full force — adorned in all colors of the rainbow and representing all sectors of the LGBTQ community.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Gainesville Pride Festival returns for the first time since 2019

By Heather Bushman and Veronica Nocera | Oct. 24, 2022

Thousands of students, parents, children and Gainesville residents gathered in Bo Diddley Plaza Oct. 22 for Gainesville Pride Festival’s grand return. The festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but attendees came back in full force — adorned in all colors of the rainbow and representing all sectors of the LGBTQ community.

Mayor Lauren Poe, city officials and members of #UNLITTER line up around the bottle cap mural after its unveiling at City Hall Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

#UNLITTER bottle cap mural unveiling highlights need for recycling efforts

By Luna Boales | Oct. 21, 2022

About 30 students, city officials and residents gathered at City Hall Thursday in anticipation of the mural’s unveiling. Members also called for a change in the city’s refusal to recycle bottle caps, despite a recent zero waste ordinance.

Bob Beatty (left) discusses his new book with attendees at the Matheson History Museum on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022.

THE AVENUE

Matheson History Museum hosts author Bob Beatty’s Allman Brothers Band book talk

By Ben Crosbie | Oct. 20, 2022

Beatty gave his presentation Wednesday night at the Matheson History Museum to a crowd of about 40 people. During the talk, he discussed the writing process for his new book, which was published this month and is titled “Play All Night!: Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East.”

Dance Alive National Ballet has partnered with LifeSouth, a non-profit community blood bank that supplies hospitals in Florida.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

‘Dracula’ ballet adaptation encourages blood donations

By Naomi Volcy | Oct. 20, 2022

Dance Alive National Ballet is ready to welcome the Halloween season with its adaptive performance of Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula.” Dracula will hit the stage Saturday at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

A fear garden attendee prepares to enter the tent of terror, Gainesville’s latest spooky attraction the Fear Garden. Participants are asked to wear headphones and blackout goggles Friday, Oct. 14, 2022.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Halloween psychology experiment Gainesville Fear Garden studies fright, fun despite challenges

By Lauren Brensel | Oct. 17, 2022

The Gainesville Fear Garden is a sensory deprivation Halloween experience set inside a tent at 220 NW Eighth Ave. The attraction opened Oct. 6 and runs until Halloween night.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

Political comedy ‘Running Mates’ to debut at the Hippodrome weeks before midterm elections

By Valentina Sandoval | Oct. 14, 2022

The production will run through the end of the month, from Oct. 14 to Oct. 30, at The Hippodrome Theatre. The play makes light of American political polarization.

Heather Halak greets a customer inside Third House Books.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Independent bookstore Third House Books reopens after pandemic closure

By Lauren Brensel | Oct. 11, 2022

Heather Halak, 28, is the sole staff member at Third House Books, which held its grand reopening Saturday. The bookstore closed in March 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, just three months after relocating to 400 NW 10th Ave. About 20 people filtered in and out of the store Saturday afternoon.

The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science tables and talks to visitors at the Florida Museum of Natural History Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Hispanic Heritage Month prompts reflection on colonialism’s legacy, inclusive labels

By Isabella Marzban | Oct. 10, 2022

In Gainesville, where about 12% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, Hispanic Heritage Month is focused on embracing the rich Hispanic and Latinx culture within the community. But among the celebrations, there’s also reflection upon the history of colonialism in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and Latin America.

Andrew Pentland stands behind the counter at Gator Beverage Monday morning.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Liquor, laughs and lessons: Gator Beverage workers go viral on TikTok

By Naomi Volcy | Oct. 10, 2022

The TikTok account, @liquorstore352, is the product of two Gator Beverage workers: Andrew Pentland and Dylan Phelps, who started the account together in January. In the 10 months since its debut, the account has accumulated about 371,500 followers and 19.7 million likes on its videos — most of which feature short, comedic sketches on the owners’ daily interactions, as well as how-to tips on buying and drinking alcohol.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

From classroom to stage, UF students, alum work tirelessly to make music a reality

By Isabella Marzban | Oct. 7, 2022

Gainesville’s local music scene is filled with UF students and alum who are juggling a full course load, work and aspiring music careers. Aside from balancing different responsibilities, college musicians also grapple with the business aspect of their craft — creating digital advertisements, promoting social media content, finding venues for performances and handling music production. Essentially, they become their own manager, publicist and producer.

THE AVENUE | MOVIES AND TV

Rate and Review: Olivia Wilde’s ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ repackages feminism with a flashy cast

By Averi Kremposky | Oct. 6, 2022

Relationship scandals, murky press tours and masses of online gossip had no effect on director Olivia Wilde’s sophomore feature, “Don’t Worry Darling.” With $35 million in box office totals as of Oct. 1, the psychological thriller sits as the exemplar that all press is indeed good press — and casting Harry Styles as one of the lead protagonists can’t hurt either.

A child poses with Lyle the Crocodile and Albert the Gator at a UF Health Shands Hospital event where President Kent Fuchs and his wife read "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" to a group of children Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Double the reptiles, twice the fun: Lyle the Crocodile visits UF Health Children’s Hospital

By Lauren Brensel | Oct. 5, 2022

Lyle the Crocodile from the popular children’s book series “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” greeted seven child patients at the UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital alongside Albert the Gator, UF President Kent Fuchs and his wife Linda Fuchs Tuesday morning.

THE AVENUE | ART AND THEATER

The Amazing Acro-Cats return to Gainesville

By Luna Boales | Oct. 3, 2022

Audiences can expect a live 90-minute performance featuring trained rescues, as well as a musical finale by all-cat band The Rock Cats. The feline group will play five shows at The Hippodrome Theatre between Oct. 7-9, with shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are between $48 and $60 and can be purchased online.

Gainesville community members gather at Heartwood Soundstage in protest of Florida’s Don’t Say Gay bill Saturday, March 19, 2022.

THE AVENUE | LIFESTYLE

Gainesville Pride to return after 3 years despite hate crime investigation

By Lauren Brensel | Oct. 3, 2022

The annual festival hosted by the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida will return Oct. 22 at Bo Diddley Plaza, nearly a month after the center was vandalized. The center has celebrated Pride in Gainesville every year since 2008 aside from the last two years.

A sketch of the Florida-based band Driveaway.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Local band Driveaway explores rock sound in new single 'Wishing Well'

By Luna Boales | Sep. 29, 2022

Following the release of their previous six-track EP, “Feel Better Soon,” Driveaway is releasing a new single available for streaming and download Friday. The band has strayed from their usual pop genre, instead opting for a more rock ‘n’ roll sound.

THE AVENUE | WEB

Gators get real: UF professors, students reflect on social media app BeReal

By Lauren Brensel | Sep. 26, 2022

BeReal is a social media app where users have two minutes to snap an unfiltered front-and-back-facing photo once a day. All 10 million of its daily active users receive the BeReal notification at the same time, but the alert is sent at different times every day — ideally offering a candid glimpse into the average person’s life. The app prides itself on its authenticity, but some UF faculty and students aren’t confident that goal is possible in a developed, digitalized world.