Category: Pop Culture

Beyond Van Gogh

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The Immersive Art Space in Jacksonville is hosting a temporary Beyond Van Gogh experience until November 27th. The exhibit offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the work of Van Gogh. Over 300 works of art are projected in more than 4 trillion pixels over 30,000 square feet of exhibit space from the floors to the ceilings. The projections are not simple renderings but flexible and living; they morph in conjunction with a soundtrack available on Spotify. The exhibit also shows a half-hour film that traces Van Gogh’s life through his paintings.

Tickets must be purchased in advance on the event website (HERE) as ticket prices are affected by peak time, ticket packages, and more. 

Famous From Florida: Faye Dunaway

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Faye Dunaway is an Academy Award-winning actress best known for movies such as Bonnie & Clyde (1967), Chinatown (1974), and Mommie Dearest (1981). She is currently working in film and television. 

Dunaway was born on January 14, 1941 in Bascom. She spent her childhood years in a small house just north of Two Egg. After graduating from Leon High School in Tallahassee, she studied first at Florida State University, then the University of Florida, and ultimately graduated from Boston University.

Dunaway is regarded as one of the greatest and most beautiful actresses of her generation, as well as a powerful emblem of the New Hollywood. New Hollywood refers to the movement in American film history from the mid-1960s to the early 1980s. It was also known as the American New Wave or Hollywood Renaissance. 

 

Caribe Family Festival

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This Saturday from 12pm – 6pm, the FAMU Way Market Area will be hosting Caribé! Also called A Festival of Colors, this event celebrates the history, culture, music, and folklife of the Caribbean islands. Guests are encouraged to express their creativity by creating and wearing masks and costumes for the parade. The event is FREE and will feature a parade in which guests are allowed to partake in, music, dance, food, performances, vendors, displays, and more!

Featured performers include: DJ RRane, Gyasi Clarke, The Forgotten Coast Dancers, DJ Dean, Excellence Dance Studio, Breanna Jade, DJ Zoe, Miriam Watkins & the Tallahassee Salsa Dancers from Studio D, Elio Delgado, DJ Ju, Lion Steel Band from Leon High School, DJ Vizyon, and DJ Stan Man. It is being produced by the Tallahassee-St. Maarten Foundation with partial funding from Leon County/Visit Tallahassee.

Blountstown Rocks

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In 1963, a group of talented young musicians from small towns across the Florida panhandle would visit Blountstown on Friday nights to play songs of the ’60s at the American Legion Hall. More than 50 years later, Saving Downtown Blountstown and Main Street Blountstown are teaming up to host the “Return of the Villagers.” Come down to the 20 West Saloon (formerly J Milley’s) tomorrow, August 13th, at 6:30 pm for Blountstown Rocks! The dance will provide a nostalgic shimmy down memory lane with the band starting promptly at 7 pm. Food will not be provided but the dance is conveniently located by a number of local restaurants. There will be an open bar available at Return of the Villagers. Please note that the dress code is casual. 

Wausau Funday & Possum Festival

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Click the image for a detailed itinerary.

The Wausau Funday and Possum Festival is coming to Wausau this Friday and Saturday, August 5-6th! The event will be held at 3116 Possum Palace Dr Wausau, Florida 32463. The Festival will feature a pageant, four different concerts, a parade, a 5k run/walk, pancake breakfast, and more. There will also be kid-friendly activities such as inflatables and pony rides. Call (850) 638 – 1781 with questions or visit the Wausau Possum Festival website here.

On This Day in History

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On July 29th in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Act (NASA) was established. The establishment of NASA was largely a response to the launch of Sputnik and the beginning of the ‘space race.’(1) In the 1960s, NASA had the budget, the political will, and the momentum provided by the Cold War to create a moon program that lead to Americans landing on the moon in the small span of eight years. Nowadays, there are a few motivations driving the interest in American space travel: national prestige, geopolitical power, economic opportunity, and scientific knowledge.

Unfortunately, the private sector of space travel (think Jeff Bezos and Elon musk) is receiving more funding than the public sector aka NASA. This is largely due to an increasing sense of ambivalence towards space travel amongst the majority of America; space travel is subjected to the whims of politics and there are more immediate concerns planetside for citizens to worry about. However, NASA does have a number of exciting research programs and missions in place. Additionally, there is a current moon effort named Artemis. NASA recently announced that they are aiming to send a crew to orbit the moon in May 2024, and land astronauts on the surface in 2025. American astronauts haven’t been on the moon since 1972, and Artemis is designed to allow them to plant another flag, build habitats, and apply new knowledge of the lunar surface to use for future missions to Mars. 

Firework Celebration in Marianna

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The City of Marianna and Main Street Marianna are hosting the 12th Annual Fireworks celebration this weekend! The event will be hosted at the MERE Complex on Caverns Road on Sunday, July 3rd.

There will be food vendors, live music, vendors, and kids’ activities. Nashville’s Bryan White and Andy Griggs will be performing this year from 7 – 8:45 pm. There will be local acts opening the show from 5-7 pm. The fireworks show will begin at 8:45 pm from behind the t-ball field on the right side of FCI Road. Parking will be available on both sides of the MERE. For more information, please visit the Annual Fireworks Celebration event page on Facebook here. 

1st Annual Altha Independence Day Festival Car Show

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The 1st Annual Altha Independence Day Festival Car Show is happening this Saturday, June 2nd from 1 – 4 pm! It will be hosted at 15727 NW Bodiford Road in Altha. If you would like to partake in the event with your own vehicle, the fee is $20 via Cashapp (CarsAndCoffeeKings), Venmo (CarsAndCoffeeKings), or Paypal (CarsAndCoffeeKings@gmail.com) for pre-registration. Registration on the day of the event is still $20 but must be paid in cash. The Top 25 vehicles will receive rewards. Day-of registration and check-in are from 1 – 2:30 pm, judging will occur 2:30 – 3:30 pm, and the awards will be announced around 4 pm.

Fernandina Beach Pride

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After a two-year hiatus due to Coronavirus, Fernandina Beach will be hosting its second annual Pride Parade and Festival. The event will be held on June 11th from 10 am – 6 pm. Fernandina Beach Pride will kick off with the parade before hosting a plethora of other fun activities. There will be live music, food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, and more! Come down to Central Park, Fernandina for a fantastic day celebrating the local and surrounding LGBTQ+ community!

Learn more by visiting the official event website HERE.

Local Artist Spotlight

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Morgan Summers is a local muralist based in Lynn Haven. Summers currently splits her time between client-directed work, creating content, and working on her passion project Small Town Walls. You may have seen her murals at local favorites such as the Bay Arts Alliance, The Lovely Project, UCF Downtown, Modern Orthodontics of Clermont, and more. In a recent article, she stated that she has “been pleasantly surprised that if I could just do a good job at what I do, people seem to enjoy it.”(1)

Learn more about Morgan Summers by visiting her official website here.