Community Calendar

Go nose to nose with Big John, the World’s Largest Triceratops, in an immersive and playful dinosaur exhibit at the Glazer Children’s Museum in Downtown Tampa. Whether you have a child at home or not, all are welcome to visit this colossal exhibit, 66 million years in the making.

A brand-new rendition of everything that makes Christmas and Hanukkah in Sarasota special. With all-new songs and sketches, Deck the Halls gets audiences ready to celebrate the holidays, Florida style! Get excited for palm trees with decorations, swimming in the sea, sand snowmen, and more. An annual Sarasota holiday tradition, Deck the Halls invites families to get into the holiday spirit and join in on the fun at this interactive family show.

Now in its sixth year! This year’s Arts Annual features some of Pinellas County’s most well-known artists as well as innovative up-and-coming creators. Each year, Creative Pinellas invites past Professional and Emerging Artist Grantees along with Mentors to participate in the Arts Annual to highlight some of the Arts Coast’s amazing artistic talent. Join us to view, buy, and engage in participatory arts experiences.

The Gallery at Creative Pinellas is open Wednesday-Sunday 10am - 5pm

Now in its sixth year! This year’s Arts Annual features some of Pinellas County’s most well-known artists as well as innovative up-and-coming creators. Each year, Creative Pinellas invites past Professional and Emerging Artist Grantees along with Mentors to participate in the Arts Annual to highlight some of the Arts Coast’s amazing artistic talent. Join us to view, buy, and engage in participatory arts experiences.

The Gallery at Creative Pinellas is open Wednesday-Sunday 10am - 5pm

Drawn from the Richard and Barbara Basch Collection, Contemporary/Traditional gives a glimpse into the dynamic world of international contemporary glass art of the late 20th and 21st centuries. This exhibition showcases a stunning range of glasswork styles, ranging from delicate figural sculptures to powerful abstract shapes. There are dynamic assemblages of organic forms that resemble living creatures frozen in time; pure geometric abstractions that dazzle with their perfection; and classically inspired vessels that recapture a vanished form of artistry.

For 30 years, Juana Valdés (b. Cuba, 1963) has transformed ideas, thoughts, and feelings into works of art anchored in stories, many of which are inspired by her personal experiences. The exhibition title, Embodied Memories, Ancestral Histories, encompasses many concepts and complexities. Beginning with Un saco para el Viejo (A Coat for the Old Man, 1993), a suit made from burlap by her mother, the artist addresses her Caribbean identity and introduces two recurrent aspects in her work: her Cuban roots and her African ancestry. With this installation as the prologue, the story Valdés tells unravels as the visitor moves through the galleries and becomes acquainted with three main topics that are not necessarily exclusive: “The History of Migration,” “Representation and Subjectivity,” and “Materiality.”

Judy Pfaff has been a renowned multimedia artist and pioneer of installation art for over five decades. Bursting with electrifying energy, the vast immersive environment she is creating for Sarasota Art Museum will captivate audiences as they navigate this hypnotic, otherworldly space. Pfaff’s largest installation since 2017, Picking up the Pieces will defy boundaries, mixing painting, sculpture, and architecture.

Join us in person to learn more about contemporary studio glass and see works featured in the Contemporary/Traditional exhibition through the eyes of the collector Barbara Basch. She shares her joy of collecting and illuminates us about a range of techniques that contemporary artists employ to create their signature glass artworks.

Behind the Curtain: Exploring the Van Wezel from the Art to the Stage
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236

2023: June 20, July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16, November 13, December 11
2024: January 22, February 12, March 11, April 15, May 20
1:30-3:00 p.m.

The paintings and sculptures within the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall were created by noted Florida artists and are on loan from Arts Advocates. In this two-part tour, a docent will guide you through the paintings and sculptures including those by Robert Chase, William Hartman, Eugene White, Ben Stahl, Julio de Diego, Thornton Utz, Frank Colson, Dean Mitchell, and more. Then you will step onto the stage where a Van Wezel guide will give you a peek behind the curtain to learn about the many hands that create the Van Wezel's shows. You will see the ropes and pulleys that "fly" the scenery on and off the stage, the movable orchestra pit, dressing room, and loading dock where traveling shows back up their 18-wheelers to move their shows onto the stage. All the while you'll be dazzled by stories and anecdotes about the colorful world of show business!

Tours cost $15 per person and begin in the main lobby and. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Van Wezel box office Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. or by calling (941) 263-6799. Private group tours can be arranged by calling (941) 955-7676. Proceeds benefit Arts Advocates and the Van Wezel's education/outreach programs.

This family-friendly City of Largo tradition features a dazzling holiday light display, enchanting carousel, Flying Santa's Sleigh Ride, and stunning 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel that offers a breathtaking aerial view of the 70-acre Largo Central Park and more than 2 million twinkling LED lights.

Park admission is free.

Rides are $6 each or 10/$50. The new state-of-the-art Ferris wheel features 24 gondola cars, each with a 6-person capacity to accommodate the whole family.

Food and beverage vendors will also be on site.

Additional festivities on Sat., Dec. 2 include the annual Holiday Tree Lighting (6 pm), a Holiday Market, various performers, and free photos with Santa (6:30-7:30 pm).

Event hours: 5-10 pm Thanksgiving Day through New Year's Eve

Parking is free every day except Dec. 2, when it will cost $10 to park on site or $5 to park and walk from the middle or high school.

More information: 727-587-6740 (ext. 5014) or PlayLargo.com/special_event_detail_T38_R411.php