Looking for fun events? Top 5 things to do around Tallahassee
Chain, chain, chain. Chain of art. LeMoyne's 24th annual festival spreads out under the oaks this weekend.
The Far Out Funk and Blues Fest jams at Tucker Civic Center in honor of Tallahassee's 200th on Friday, Blue Tavern gets jazzy and Retrofit Records brings in Beach Fossils for Record Store Day on Saturday.
Here's a roundup of entertaining events around Tallahassee, culled from emails, the Council on Culture & Arts online listings and elsewhere.
1. Get a taste of art at the Chain of Parks
From pottery to paintings, jewelry to jam, artisans will be selling their wares this weekend at LeMoyne’s 24th Annual Chain of Parks Art Festival, which gets underway at the Bloxham, Lewis and Randolph “Chain of Parks,” in Downtown Tallahassee from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. The weekend will be filled with interactive children’s art activities, street food, live entertainment, street art, folk art, and local heritage re-enactments.
This annual festival draws tens of thousands of people from the Big Bend Southeast region to see 150 artists who have traveled from all over the country to display their original fine art works. Visitor can check out the Chalk Art Oasis, where professional street artists will create 3D art on the pavement with chalk and temporary paint. Visit lemoyne.org.
2. Far Out Funk and Blues at Tucker Center
Indaba, Inc. presents the Far Out Funk and Blues Fest, a groundbreaking musical celebration in honor of Tallahassee's 200th anniversary on Friday, April 19, at the Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St., with performances running from 6 until 11 p.m. Tickets range from $35-$60. Here's the lineup: Keith Rodgers: Founder of Black On Black Rhyme/The Back Talk Poetry Troupe; Pharaohs of Funk: A dynamic ensemble Jazz, Funk, R&B, rock; DieDra Ruff and the Ruff Pro Band: The Alabama Blues Queen; Scottie Clinton: P-Funk royalty, R&B, Hip-Hop, and Pop; Nellie Tiger Travis: Renowned blues singer known for her powerful voice. Klymaxx: The iconic all-female band celebrates their 40th Anniversary; Zac Harmon: Award-winning blues artist. Loose Ends (headliner): British R&B sensation with hit records spanning the 1980s and 1990s. Visit tuckerciviccenter.com.
Restaurant: 'People’s faces light up': Baker brings joy with Sweet Boozy Cakes in Railroad Square
3. Rusty Wright at BBC at The Legion
Masterful storyteller Rusty Wright takes the stage with his band for the last show at BBC at The Legion, 229 Lake Ella Drive, at 8 p.m. Friday, April 19, with a sound fusing Texas-style blues; swinging boogie and Southern guitar rock. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 day of show. Visit bbclegion.com. The BBC at the Legion performances are coming to a close at the end of April.
4. Record Store Day at Retrofit Records
Retrofit Records, 439 W Gaines St., celebrates a big Record Store Day on Saturday, April 20. There will be celebrating with DJs, refreshments for patrons, swag, and tons of the special/limited edition Record Store Day releases/titles from noon to 9:30 p.m. Brooklyn, New York, band, Beach Fossils (Captured Tracks/Bayonet Records) will play a free, live in-store performance at 7:30 p.m.
5. JazzFest at Blue Tavern
Blue Tavern's spring jazz festival is a Mini-Fest on April 18-19 and is being produced as a special bicentennial event. Seating is limited and advance tickets will be daily only, with a $5 advantage if you purchase early. Tickets are $20 advance, $25 day of show.Visit bluetaverntallahassee.com. Friday's lineup features Clave at 5 p.m., RoboCromp at 7 p.m. and The Indefatigables at 9 p.m.
Players and lovers of Celtic music can join in for the 3rd Saturday Traditional Irish Session from 4-6 p.m. at the tavern. A doubleheader follows with Firefly Rebellion at 7 p.m. and Larry & the Reeftones at 9 p.m. Kaye Rhinehart and Domenick Yoney combine forces and harmonies to shine a little light. The late show features Larry McCraw (lately of Tao Jonz) with a special band put together just for this event, titled the Reeftones: Larry & Keith McCraw, Bluegill Bill Pollock, Scott Buchanan and Robby Turner. $10 cover. Visit bluetaverntallahassee.com.
Pride Week: Tallahassee Pride Week celebrates joy, explores LGBTQ history
Bonus event: Pride in the Plaza
Celebrate the pride and joy of the diverse Tallahassee LGBTQ+ community at Tallahassee Pride's annual Pride in the Plaza from noon-5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Kleman Plaza. Presented in partnership with Visit Tallahassee and the City of Tallahassee, this inclusive, family-friendly festival features musical performances, delicious eats and food trucks, and local and regional vendors all in the name of celebrating with Pride. Visit tallahasseepride.com.
Bonus Event: 3rd Tallahassee Earth Day Festival
Citizens for a Sustainable Future and Earth’s Garden LLC will hold the 3rd Annual Tallahassee Earth Day Festival: People vs Pollution from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 2024, at The Hole, 3030 South Adams St. The festival will feature eco-workshops, hands-on activities, and live performances, all designed to foster a deeper connection to sustainability practices and environmental justice.
Highlights include the "Decolonize = Decarbonize" panel discussion and a sustainable cooking demonstration by Smarter By Nature. This year's festival, supported by The Foundation for Leon County Schools, The FAMU-FSU Gulf Scholars Program, Lola Hampton and Lewis Pinder Center for Agro-Ecology, and Florida Humanities. Visit tallahasseeearthdayfestival.com.
OTHER EVENTS
Blue Tavern: Join the Earth Day Sing-Along from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, at Blue Tavern, 1206 N. Monroe St. "Tally Green Sing" will feature Hot Tamale, "Pastor Kim" Buchanan, Tim Lynch, and others. Bluesday Tuesday with John "JB" Babich runs from 8-10 p.m. Babich is the keys player for Revival. $5 cover. Grant Peeples is up for happy house from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, followed at 8 p.m. by Open Mic Night. Rachel's Reading Club plays 5-7 p.m. THursday, followed at 8 p.m. by Free Movie Night with "Radio Bikini."
The Bark: Bambi Lamb w/ Copyright Claim, Faro, Almost at The Bark on Friday, April 19. Doors @ 8:30 p.m., show @ 9 p.m., $10, all ages. Sat April 20 - Loudass Country Band, Pat Puckett, Brett Eugene, Durty Suns on Saturday, April 20, @ The Bark. Doors @ 8 p.m., show @ 8:30 p.m., $10, all ages.
Great Oaks Pub in Southwood: Elements Band makes a debut performance Friday, April 19, at Southwood’s Great Oaks Pub, 3750 Grove Park Drive. This group is fronted by Jennifer Parks, a New Orleans transplant. Parks honed her musical skills during a lifetime of playing in the Big Easy. Jennifer provides the vocals, and saxophone, alongside veterans Erik Luoma (guitar), Chip Mikell (bass), Don Gormly (keys and harmonica), Bill Landing (sax), and Jeff Sumerall (percussion). No cover, full restaurant and bar. Call 850-942-4653 for reservations.
House of Music: Dixon's Violin, plays at 8 p.m. Friday, April 19, at House of Music, 2011 S. Monroe St. Tickets are $25 at eventbrite.com; $30 at the door if still available. Dixon's life mission is to inspire people, which he has done at over 1,000 concerts across North America, including TED talks/performances, 10 years at Burning Man and Electric Forest, plus radio, TV, and film appearances. Blues guitarist Selwyn Birchwood is back for a show at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 25. Tickets are $25-$35. Visit houseofmusictally.com.
J School Journals: The award-winning film platform for journalism students at Florida A&M University presents its bi-annual screening with five thought-provoking documentaries premiering at noon Saturday, April 20, in Lee Hall Auditorium, 1601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Curated by JSchool Journals Director Kenneth Jones, the selection of documentaries represents a diverse range of untold stories, highlighting the talents and critical thinking abilities of student filmmakers. The documentaries slated for premiere cover a wide array of compelling topics. For more information about the event, please visit SJGCMEDIA.com.
The Sound Bar: Soul Medicine, 8 p.m. Friday, at 1105 W Tharpe St. Tim Russell, 8 p.m. Saturday. $5 cover. Visit thesoundbartallahassee.com.
The Wine House: Corine Samwel and Douce Ambiance will be performing at The Wine House on Market Street from 7-10 p.m. Friday, April 19, for an evening of European art songs, standard jazz songs, and Gypsy Jazz instrumentals in a warm ambiance with good food and drinks. Cover is $10.
Have an event coming up? Email details to limelight@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Top 5 fun things to around Tallahassee this weekend
