The Avenue

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THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

St. Francis Pet Care, Grace Marketplace provide mobile pet care to vulnerable communities

By Molly Seghi | Jan. 28, 2024

Diamond and her litter were some of the 20 pets treated by the St. Francis Pet Care’s mobile outreach van. The nonprofit pet clinic in Gainesville partners with GRACE Marketplace, a one-stop shop for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness at 3055 NE 28th Drive  to provide monthly wellness clinics for pet owners. 

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THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Local hip-hop, folk duo Habit Forming debuts new single, ‘Rocks’

By Bonny Matejowsky | Jan. 23, 2024

Habit Forming is the two-year-old passion project of two Gainesville musicians: 37-year-old Maggie Clifford and 34-year-old Rayvon Rollins, also known as his musical alias, Purple Kloud. Though both seasoned musicians in their own right, their musical journey together has only just begun. 

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THE AVENUE  |  MOVIES AND TV

Rate and Review: ‘Poor Things’ depicts fantasy, feminism and freedom

By Bonny Matejowsky | Jan. 22, 2024

Labeled as a science-fiction, black comedy and coming-of-age story, Yorgos Lanthimos’ 2023 film, “Poor Things,” is a lot at once. 

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THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

Gainesville celebrates Black creative expression during Afrofuturism week

By Molly Seghi and Alexandra Burns | Jan. 22, 2024

In honor of Afrofuturism week, the Center for Arts, Migration and Entrepreneurship and the School of Art and Art History invited audiences Jan. 17 for a nine-day celebration of Black diaspora expression. 

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THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Sunshine Music Festival opens doors to free shows

By Bea Lunardini | Jan. 22, 2024

More than 200 people ate, drank and watched the four Gainesville-based artists who performed at the festival in its first year at First Magnitude. In addition to Roddam’s band Trustfall, the festival had performances from Prizilla, Speakeasy and Ricky Kendall.  

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THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Twelve local bands performed at sold-out Playground Music and Arts Festival 2024

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez and Benjamin Miller | Jan. 22, 2024

The Playground Music and Arts Festival Jan. 20 featured 12 band performances, food trucks, merchandise stands and clothing vendors. The sold-out event at the Heartwood Soundstage occurred from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., ending with a two-hour set from the group of UF alumni, Flipturn. 

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THE AVENUE  |  FOOD

Playa Bowls hosts grand opening for first Gainesville location

By Tanya Fedak | Jan. 22, 2024

Playa Bowls is a national health food chain corporation specializing in acai bowls, smoothies, chia seed pudding and oat and juice products. Founded by Abby Taylor and Rob Giuliani in 2014, the brand has over 200 locations and operates in 22 states. Now at 1260 SW Fifth Ave., the location is the company’s first in north central Florida. 

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THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

Historic buildings, modern problems: Gainesville’s oldest buildings

By Bea Lunardini | Jan. 16, 2024

The Hippodrome Theatre went from a humble post office in 1911 to one of Florida’s most successful historic preservation projects in just over 100 years. Work on it isn’t finished yet, and if the next 100 years are anything like the previous, it may never be. 

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THE AVENUE  |  FOOD

Millhopper Bagel Bakery remains open following series of violations

By Emilia Cardenas-Perez | Jan. 16, 2024

Bagel Bakery owner Ken Rembert confirmed the restaurant’s reopening after the mandatory 24-hour call-back inspection. The restaurant’s management hasn’t released a public statement addressing the violations and the temporary closure as of Jan. 15.

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THE AVENUE  |  FASHION

Second-hand, vintage fashion business owner shares love for Japanese style in Gainesville

By Alexandra Burns | Jan. 16, 2024

As a junior in high school, Shever, a 22-year-old UC Berkeley psychology and cognitive science graduate, established the online and pop-up shop Himitsu Vintage — a brand that works to share vintage styles and Japanese goods with customers throughout the country. 

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THE AVENUE  |  FOOD

Muñecas hosts grand opening for new location at 4th Ave Food Park

By Bonny Matejowsky | Jan. 16, 2024

A 1920s-themed grand opening party drew a glitzy and glamorous crowd Jan. 14, with many event-goers looking the part. Guests donning shiny flapper dresses, vintage fur coats and three-piece suits lined up through the parking lot, ready to attend the grand opening of Muñecas Taco Garden and Bar.

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THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

Gainesville parks, organizations perform prescribed fires to conserve the ecosystem

By Molly Seghi | Jan. 16, 2024

Leading the nation in prescribed fires, Florida parks and organizations perform prescribed fires to conserve the ecosystem.

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THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

#UNLITTER: The Snapchat caption that sparked a global movement

By Molly Seghi | Jan. 9, 2024

The global #UNLITTER Movement created by a University of Florida friend group empowers sustainable and positive living.

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THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Nashville artist with Top 40 singles, hundreds of concerts anticipates Gainesville debut

By Tanya Fedak | Jan. 8, 2024

Although he’s performed at a countless number of NASCAR venues, one dozen baseball stadiums and the Kentucky Derby, Reed Foley has yet to conquer one stage: the High Dive. 

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THE AVENUE  |  MUSIC

Swamp Records band Quail Hollow to perform at the Playground Music and Arts Festival

Jan. 8, 2024

On Jan. 20, the Playground Music and Arts Festival at Heartwood Soundstage will feature 12 independent bands from across Florida.

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THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

‘It’s just not worth it anymore’: Multiple Gainesville restaurants close, cite financial restraints

By Bonny Matejowsky | Jan. 8, 2024

During America’s holiday season, known for its boom in spending and time shared with loved ones, it would be easy to assume restaurants flourished along with the retailers. But Gainesville’s business landscape tells a different tale.

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THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

Gainesville pole dance studios find an empowering community, sisterhood with each other

By Kat Tran | Dec. 5, 2023

An array of colors reflect off of the Happy Kiss Pole Dance Studio as the studio’s dancers twirl and glide into a split. The crowd watching them immediately erupted into a roar of cheers. These are the sounds of an uplifting Gainesville community that has found one another through solidarity and respect for the artful skill of pole dancing

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THE AVENUE  |  FOOD

Halo Potato doughnuts says goodbye after six years, closes all Gainesville stores

By Bea Lunardini | Dec. 4, 2023

Halo Potato Donuts owners Drew and Leah Stuerman announced the closure of all three shop locations Nov. 27. The stores were closing because sales weren’t enough to cover the cost of operations, Stuerman said. 

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THE AVENUE  |  ART AND THEATER

Christmas past, present and future: The Hippodrome’s holiday season

By Bonny Matejowsky | Dec. 3, 2023

To some people, Christmas begins when a shining star is placed on the peak of an ornamented fir tree. For others, it starts when the radio decides it’s time to air Christmas music. But for many people in Gainesville, the holiday season doesn’t kick off until they view a theatrical spin of a classic tale. 

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THE AVENUE  |  LIFESTYLE

Miami Vice Mobile brings smoke shop on wheels to Gainesville

By Bonny Matejowsky | Nov. 20, 2023

For people stumbling out of the dark, drunken stupor of Midtown or leaving Raising Cane’s after a late-night snack, a bright blue van parked on University Avenue offers an enticing menu.