A guide to our favorite monthly happenings and can’t-miss events.
First Friday Art Walk
Downtown Ocala
Oct 4 | 6-9pm
With (hopefully) cooler temperatures coming this fall, the First Friday Art Walk is a delightful way to spend an evening. Artists set up tables and booths to show off their wares, the square has live entertainment, and all sorts of art activities are going on. Shops stay open late to serve you. Grab a bite to eat, enjoy the entertainment, and stroll through the festivities. For more information visit: www.ocalafl.org
Brick City Carnival
Brick City Adventure Park
Oct 12 | 5-8pm
The second annual Brick City Carnival once again fills Brick City Adventure Park with family-friendly entertainment, carnival games, and, of course, candy! Free to all, food and drink will be available for purchase. Costumes are encouraged, but organizers request that they be in tune with the family-friendly vibe, so nothing too gruesome or adult themed. For more information, please contact the Marion County Parks & Recreation main office at (352) 671-8560 or email parks@marioncountyfl.org
Dining in the Dark
The Hilton Ocala
Oct 18 | 5:30pm
The Florida Center for the Blind hosts this annual fundraiser featuring food service by Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Ocala Police Department SWAT teams. Event hosts work hard to create a light-free environment to create empathy for the blind and experience the world as the vision-impaired have to deal with it. SWAT members wear night vision goggles and use infrared tools to serve and maneuver, and attendees eat in complete darkness. The secret menu and charity element make this a can’t-miss event. For more information, www.flblind.org/Dining-in-the-Dark.html
Marion County Halloween Run
Paddock Mall
Oct 26 | 4pm
Be part of Season 4 of the Big Hammock Race Series (BHRS) and help the Marion County Children’s Alliance. This is race #4 of the yearlong series, and you can choose either a 5K or 10K route. Medals go to the top finishers, by age and category. The BHRS is a statewide award-winning series of foot races and nonprofit organization with a mission to make walking and running fun and to inspire participants to reach their fitness goals. For more information, visit www.bighammockraceseries.com
Ocala Arts Festival
Downtown Ocala
Oct 26 & 27 | 10am-5pm
Now in its 53rd year, Fine Arts For Ocala (FAFO)’s Ocala Arts Festival will offer patrons all types of artwork to peruse and a chance to interact with the artists, as well as festive live performances and some great area food vendors. There are even student art exhibits from public and private schools in Marion County. Additionally, five new emerging artists have been sponsored by the David and Lisa Midgett Foundation. This program supports artists who are new to showing their work to buyers. This year mixed media artist Michelle McDowell Smith is the festival’s featured artist. For more information, visit www.fafo.org
Loving Vincent
Nov 5
Appleton Museum of Art | 2pm
College of Central Florida,
Building 8, Room 100 | 7pm
The fifth film in the 2019-2020 CF International Film Series is one of the most intriguing documentaries ever to be released. Loving Vincent is an animated film comprised solely of oil paintings done by 125 professional oil painters who traveled to Poland and Greece to participate in the film’s production. The award-winning film tells the story of Vincent van Gogh and his mysterious suicide through animated paintings. For more information about this and other films in the series, visit www.cf.edu/community/arts/international-film-series
