Your Top 8 Things to Do: April 13-19
Image: Courtesy TheRingling
April 15
World Circus Day at The Ringling
The John and Mable Ringling Museum is throwing open the doors of its Circus Museum and Tibbals Learning Center for free Saturday in honor of World Circus Day, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. it’s offering extra-special art activities for families, too. While you’re there, check out the wonderfully creative outdoor Bolger Playspace.
Image: Shutterstock
April 14
Jungle Trails and Bunny Tails at Sarasota Jungle Gardens
A whopping 40,000 candy-filled Easter eggs will be hidden all around Sarasota Jungle Gardens at its annual Jungle Trails and Bunny Tails party Friday. Egg hunts take place at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Half-price admission for kids. Bring your own basket.
Image: Courtesy The Black Honkeys
April 16
Selby Gardens’ Garden Music concert: The Black Honkeys
The Tampa-based Black Honkeys will bring their ’70s groove to Selby Gardens Sunday afternoon for the monthly outdoor Garden Music concert. Wear your dancing shoes!
Image: Kamal Asar
April 17
You’ll have “More Than a Feeling” when the hit-making ’70s rock ‘n’ roll band brings its Hyper Space Tour to the Van Wezel for an out-of-this-world evening.
Image: Ingrid Christie
April 19
David Sedaris at the Van Wezel
If you’ve been following Sedaris’ humorous radio contributions, essays and books (Me Talk Pretty One Day, SantaLand Diaries) for the past couple of decades, you’ll jump at the chance to laugh with him in person when he makes a stop at the Van Wezel.
April 14-15
Get your fill of mouthwatering BBQ from 40 of the country’s best professional barbecue pitmasters when they converge on the Venice Airport festival grounds for this eighth annual BBQ competition. Lots of live bluegrass music, too, courtesy of the Grammy-nominated Boxcars, The Grascals and The Lonesome River Band, plus there’s a cornhole tourney and more. Admission is free, and the fun starts Friday night.
April 15
Food from 40 area restaurants; 60 craft beers; live music from Reverend Barry & Funktastic Soul, Twinkle and Rock.Soul.Radio and Strangeways; stand up paddleboard, kayak and RC sailboat demonstrations; the Tampa Bay Rays kids zone and Tampa Bay Lightning Thunderbug mascot—all that and more taking place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at Nathan Benderson Park. Proceeds benefit Sertoma Kids Clinics.
April 19-23
Interviews with more than three dozen former death-row inmates, who all were eventually proven innocent and released after spending as long as 22 years behind bars, went into the writing of The Exonerated, the final play in FST’s gritty and thought-provoking Stage III series.
