With Thanksgiving right around the corner, here are some of the top events in Gainesville and Ocala this Weekend before it's time to sit down to carve the turkey. 

Thursday, November 21st

A Dickens Christmas: The Urban Family Holiday Exhibition

If you're already looking past Thanksgiving and straight towards Christmas, this event might be the place for you! The College of Central Florida will be presenting "A Dickens Christmas: The Urban Family Holiday Exhibition." "This annual holiday display adorns the first floor of the museum with themed trees and other holiday decors. In addition to ornately decorated trees, the first floor will feature miniature villages, nutcracker soldiers, caroler dolls and more." What started on November 9th will be continuing through until January 5th! The event will be open from 10AM-5PM.

Friday, November 22nd

Santa's Arrival

We are rolling out the red carpet because Santa's on his sleigh and making his way to the Paddock Mall on Friday, Nov. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Saturday, November 23rd

The 5th Annual Rainbow Springs Art Festival in Dunnellon will be kicking off this weekend. If you're not familiar with the area, Dunnellon is just 30 minutes southwest of Ocala. The festival will include, "fine art and fine craft, classic and antique car show, food, entertainment, music, and great shopping! The Famous Chinese Auction benefits the Rainbow Springs Art Scholarship." From November 23-November 24 come out and see some of the best art from over thirty local talents from 10AM-4PM. 

Have you "ever wondered how milk jugs morph into beautiful wading birds or how gears and gadgets become gigantic bugs? See how Alachua County middle school, high school, and college students transform “waste” into creative works of art!" Make a visit over to the 21st Annual Trashformations Art Display at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The event will be held on Saturday November 22 until Monday, December 2. The museum is open from 10AM - 5PM Monday through Saturday and 1PM - 5PM on Sunday. Admission to the museum is free for adults and children!

If you're looking for a market a little bit closer to Ocala than Dunnellon's, check out the Ocala Downtown Market! "The Ocala Downtown Market is the place where a diverse array of farmers, artisans, craftspeople, and food trucks come together to sell their products to customers from Ocala, Marion County, and beyond. Vendors have a variety of booth choices to choose from, including both indoor and outdoor, booths with water and/or electric, and more!" The Ocala Downtown Market will be held on Saturday, November 23 from 9AM-2PM. Come out and enjoy the beautiful Florida sunshine here.

Thanksgiving Banquet for Internationals

Getting into the holiday spirit can be hard if you're not from the United States. The Thanksgiving Banquet for Internationals is held by International Friendship at the University of Florida and encourages International students and scholars to dine for free! Professors will also be there to give a lecture on the history of Thanksgiving. The banquet will be held on Saturday, November 23rd at 6PM. "Over 500 people attend this event, so reservations are required."

Thanksgiving Pub Crawl!

Let's kick Thanksgiving off and go have a drink or two! (or 3) Meet at the shop Saturday afternoon and we'll head out to a few local establishments!

Sunday, November 24th

The Beatles - Abbey Road Classic Albums LIVE

The Beatles - Abbey Road Classic Albums LIVE comes to The Savannah Center November 24th at 7pm. Classic Albums Live takes classic albums and performs them live, on stage – note for note, cut for cut –

As temperatures begin to drop, be sure to bundle up especially if you plan on making a visit to some of these outdoor events this weekend.

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