A guide to our favorite monthly happenings and can’t-miss events.
Veterans Free Dental Care Events
Nov 8 | 8am-3pm, Grand Traverse Dental Care, The Villages
Nov 11 | 8am-3pm, Oakridge Dental Care, Ocala
Veterans in the Ocala/Marion County community and The Villages will have the opportunity to receive free dental services in two different practices on November 8th and 11th.
Dr. Christopher Bonesteel and the team at Oakridge Dental Care in Ocala, and Doctors Kenitra Kelly, Sara Shah, Pablo Sierra and team at Grand Traverse Dental Care in The Villages, will be honoring and supporting local veterans as part of Veterans Free Dentistry Day, a day dedicated to providing free dental care to the growing number of veterans without dental insurance.
“We understand that many veterans in our community and across the nation haven’t been to the dentist for a long period of time. Some veterans don’t have the financial means,” said Bonesteel. “This event is a great opportunity for us to share our time and resources with the men and women who have dedicated their lives to our country.”
During Veterans Free Dentistry Day, cleaning, filling and extraction services will be provided to veteran patients, accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Veterans are asked to please bring a valid form of veteran’s identification (veteran’s I.D., license with veteran’s stamp or DD214). For more information, visit www.FreeDentistryDay.org or call 352-237-2270.
Ocala Harvest Fest
Tuscawilla Park
Nov 9 | 1-10pm
With a bustle of live music, food trucks, artisan vendors and a beer garden, the City of Ocala hosts its fifth annual Harvest Fest Music and Food Truck Festival at Tuscawilla Park on Saturday, November 9th. Live music will ring out from two stages, including performances by Grammy-nominated country artist Cassadee Pope and country hip-hop artist Blanco Brown. Other musical performers include The Wailers, Apollo LTD, Flow Tribe, The Foxies, and The Artisanals.
You can stroll through artists’ booths and munch on goodies from some of the area’s most popular food trucks. Canned food donations will be collected for Project Hope to assist local families for upcoming holidays. General admission is $20, and VIP admission is $50. For more information, visit www.ocalafl.org/harvestfest
Champagne Dreams Casino Night
Hilton Ocala
Nov 9 | 6:30pm-midnight
Casino Night is coming once again to the Hilton Ocala to benefit Transitions Life Center. The evening will feature dinner, cocktails, casino games, entertainment by Charlie De and Dale “Paintman” Henry, who creates art from blank canvases in just minutes. His piece, along with other items, will be auctioned off and proceeds will help the center provide a safe and enriching community for intellectually impaired adults. Sponsoring organizations include CenterState Bank; Cox; Florida Express Environmental; Fontana Realty; Inter County Recycling; and Karob Instrument, Inc.
Rockin’ for The Rock
Brookdale Chambrel Pinecastle
Senior Living
Nov 14 | 5pm
The public is invited to an entertaining evening of music, food and drink, guest speakers and prize giveaways, all to benefit The Rock, a program that provides refuge, foundation and purpose to kids. Host Brookdale Chambrel Pinecastle will provide hearty hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, specialty drinks and raffle prizes. Jeff Brown will perform ’80s and ’90s rock ‘n’ roll hits. The Rock founder Rondo Fernandez and coordinator Pat Bailey will speak about how this outreach of Feed the Need Marion County provides needy Marion County Public Schools students with school supplies, food, toiletries, clothing and laundry access. Tickets are $10 in advance at the YMCA or at the door. For more information, follow @therockprogram on Facebook.
BHRS Sangria Dash 5K
Island Grove
Wine Company
November 16 | 8am
If running through hundred-year-old oak trees and a blueberry plantation on a crisp fall day appeals to you, join Island Grove Wine Company for its fourth annual Sangria 5k Dash and Jazz in the Grove Festival on Saturday, Nov. 16th. The race benefits the Heart of Florida Youth Ranch, a home for children who have suffered loss of parenting due to abandonment, abuse, neglect or death. The race and festival will be hosted at the winery and the property’s authentic 1897 Cracker house. Vendors and activities will take place under the trees, along with winery tours and wine tastings. The race will start and end at the grove’s house. This is the first race in the two-race Lucky Charm Challenge. For more information, visit BigHammockRaceSeries.com
Ocala Jockey Club International 3-Day Event
8720 W. County Road 318, between Irvine and Flemington
Nov 14-17 | 8am-finish
This three-day, world-renowned eventing competition, which includes dressage, cross-country and show jumping classes, returns to the Ocala Jockey Club this month. World-class horses and riders attend, and this is one of five qualifying events in the U.S for the 2020 Olympic games.
The club hosts the competition and offers a variety of farm tours, such as visiting the stallion barn, a clubhouse tour, or a morning nature photography tour. On Saturday, you can enter the Hip, Handsome and Hoakey Hats Day. There’s a $250 grand prize for Best Hat and categories include Most Hip, Most Handsome, Most Hoakey and Best Made by a Kid.
The Fall Family Festival on Sunday gives children the chance to run off some energy in stick horse races and jump courses, an arts and crafts area, and an equine simulator—kids can ride a mechanical horse. The Jockey Club also hosts a VIP tent, offers tailgating options and offers a vendor village. For more information, visit www.ojc3de.com
Feast Under the Stars
Appleton Museum of Art
Nov 16 | 6-9pm
Travel back in time to have dinner in the 1890s at the Appleton Museum of Art on Saturday, November 16th. To celebrate the museum’s exhibition of Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism Through the French Lens, guests are invited to enjoy a crafted, multi-course dinner combined with curated wine pairings and period décor.
The exhibition boasts more than 65 artworks and tells the story of the new style of painting that developed at the end of the 19th century. Artists used light and atmosphere, along with a focus on bright colors and scenes from everyday life to evoke a seasonal mood and an emotional response in viewers. This fundraiser benefits the museum’s programs throughout the year. For more information, visit www.AppletonMuseum.org
Light Up Ocala
Downtown
November 23 | 4-9pm
The square gets lit up this month with the annual Light Up Ocala celebration. A huge decorated Christmas tree will be turned on, launching a stunning display of holiday cheer. The square is draped with colors, decorations, lights on every tree, and the entire downtown area gets charged up. Food vendors, live bands, kids’ activities, booths, and a parade will pack your evening and get you in the mood to celebrate. This family-friendly event is fun for all. Parking in the city garage is free. Be ready to eat, drink, and be merry. For more information, visit www.ocalafl.org
