I love the fairgrounds! They are a really wonderful venue for many of the amazing events that come…read moreto Gainesville. The fairgrounds host the Annual Hoggtowne Fair, the Alachua County Fair and most recently the Inflatable 5k! The Fairgrounds themselves aren't much to look at, but they are well maintained, and I am so grateful that we have the space! I do wish it wasn't right next to the Jail, Grace Marketplace and the Airport, but what can you do.

I would say having this event at Depot Park is definitely an improvement. Although the event space…read moreis a bit more condensed, it's a much nicer space. The food vendor lines are incredibly long so don't come hungry. However, they do have some really good options. If you hit the dominos pizza line just right, you'll get a freshly delivered pizza with a low wait time. The bathroom lines were just as crazy. They do have porta potties that are much faster but if you want a real bathroom, you will need to wait. The shows seemed to be more entertaining than in previous years. All in all, it was a good time. Go into it expecting it to be packed with people and having to wait in lines but you will enjoy yourself. Depot Park is so much better of a venue than previous years and it was free...you can't really beat that.

So we missed a year of the fair because of the pandemic, but it has returned for 2022! With the…read morereturn comes a new location as well, as Alachua County has sold off the old fairgrounds by the airport. The new location off of Archer road near Haile Plantation has some things to be desired, but for a temporary location it wasn't so bad... at least, the fairgrounds themselves weren't that bad. The layout of the fair at the new location is different from the old two-lane model that was used at the airport. Now it is more of a quadrangle approach, with one quad assigned to vendors where you can buy all kinds of really expensive things that are half the price on the Internet, one quad assigned to food, one to the jousting field, and the final one assigned to the living chessboard and SCA fields. This actually presents a problem, because the location is the site of the old YMCA baseball fields, and the fences for the fields are still in place, creating barriers for a number of the areas and preventing the flow of people from one area to another. In addition, no longer is there a draw of people past some of the areas that they would normally have been drawn past in order to get to the jousting fields, which means that the SCA and living chess area had a lower flow of patrons, which is too bad because the living chessboard had its best year ever. Parking was also an issue, as the dirt road leading to the parking was rutted and kind of scary, particularly for those with lowered vehicles. Hopefully your suspensions are in good working order! Traffic to the fair is also an issue, with the line of traffic backing up along Archer Road all the way to the Interstate at a couple points during the day. As it is near Haile Plantation, a number of newer housing developments are in the area as well, and the added traffic was not a welcome thing to people living in the area, as could be witnessed by some signs along the road as you worked your way to the parking lot. It would be very surprising to see the medieval fair occur again at this location. As for the fair itself, it is about the same. Most of the same performers and vendors were there, and the horses did their thing by charging back and forth across the jousting field. Good times for those that want to see a good show and buy some expensive trinkets.

Coon Hollo Farm is a family run farm. It has been in the same family for 5 generations. This is the…read morefirst year that they opened their farm to the public and created a corn maze, had hayrides, a "farmyard" playground, and small pumpkin patch. I took my 2 year old son on Halloween. It was surprisingly not very busy that day but, apparently, that was not the norm. My son was too tired to explore much and just wanted to be held. So I decided to take him on the hayride. It was a nice ride out to a pasture where a herd of cows were grazing. The driver took us right into the middle of the herd and they swarmed us, knowing it meant food. Alex was scared by the cows, but I was impressed and enjoyed feeding the cows the feed they provided. I would say we were out there for at least 10 min before they took us back. Again I tried to get Alex to play, unsuccessfully. But we did take a short walk through the corn maze which he seemed to like because it was an easy path to follow. After that, he explored some tractors they had set up in the play area. I tried to get him interested in romping around in the hay play fort, but he wasn't very interested. The farm offered another little ride which we got on and I think he liked it. I know I did. I'm such a kid at heart. We didn't hang out long after that because Alex was just exhausted and so was I. I feel like it was a nice time shared with my son. It had potential to be much better if he had taken a nap that day and was well rested. I thought the pumpkin patch was small. The play area was really nice. They did offer a concession stand. One of my coworkers said the burgers were great and a good price. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to taste them myself. Since this was their first year, I definitely see room for improvement. It definitely has potential to become something really great. It was definitely worth the $8 spent.

What a great place to spend an afternoon outdoors enjoying fall in Florida. The $10 admission…read morecovers the maze, putt putt golf, a corn pit, hay ride, and several other entertainment activities. My kid had a blast playing for hours. The food is good (they have a barn/cafe) and plan on spending $10-15 on drinks, ice cream etc.

This museum for creativity and invention established in 2018 and located in a corner of Depot Park…read morein Gainesville inspires future inventors, entrepreneurs and visionaries. Open four days a week Thursday to Sunday 10am to 4pm. Admission $15 for adults, 5-17 $10, college students snd seniors $12.50 and under 5 is free. Established and named after Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, reflects his view of combining science and art in a manner of purposeful creativity. There are exhibits on inventions and technology that came from University of Florida. The museum caters to people of all ages and young children. STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) workshops are available where attendants can meet living inventors. A little gift shop located at the front lobby. Parking is free.

We were back in Gainesville, and since it was a cold, rainy day, we decided to h go again using our…read moreNorth American Reciprocal museum membership. In exactly one year, they had changed and updated practically the whole museum except the Cade/Gatorade section which was partly updated. I was impressed. This is a great museum for kids of all ages ,and adults too, especially if they are interested in STEM, creativity and inventing. Plenty of fun, hands-on learning and inspiration for future careers.

The first time I visited this museum was in 2017. It was awe and there's so much to see here and…read morenew things to learn about. This facility also includes a butterfly garden, which is very interesting. I have managed to visit every year. There plenty of parking at this facility, to include a parking garage as well. If you love museums and live in Florida, I highly recommend visiting this museum.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is absolutely amazing! They have different seasonal exhibits…read morewhich are always pretty interesting. The exhibits are beautifully curated, educational, and captivating. The butterfly rainforest is a must-see and well worth the extra charge- it's magical walking among so many vibrant butterflies. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and the whole experience was both fun and inspiring. Great to bring kids and my niece who is 4 years old loved the area for kids , she didn't want to leave . It was engaging and creative of them to have a little area dedicated for kids. Whether you're a nature lover, history buff, or just looking for a great day out, this place won't disappoint.

Among the best in small theaters in Gainesville. This African American run theater presents unusual…read moreplays dealing with contemporary issues or history that shines light on the present. Every play we've seen has been well staged with incredibly fine acting. They're housed in a converted church, and make the most of their small stage and clearly low budget sets. We try not to miss a performance - check it out and I'm pretty sure you'll be a fan too! Pro Tip: Arrive early for the performance. Parking is on-street in a residential neighborhood, so you may have to walk a bit if you don't get there early.

SwampCon is a multi-genre convention held in the Spring semester at the Reitz Union at the…read moreUniversity of Florida every year. Looking to do some CosPlay? They have it. Want to do some dragon busting (as my old Navy shipmates used to say) and defeat the evil wizards? Come on in, there will be a room full of players. There really is sort of everything you could want at this smaller convention if you are into geeky or nerdy things. Anime viewings pretty much the entire time, panels on a bunch of different things, and a general coming-together of people from all aspects of life who have similar interests in things that are not so mainstream. The entrance fee is free, they just ask that you register in order to get into the various panel rooms and vendor areas. The registration acts as a way for them to show how many people attend each year so that annual funding of the event can be justified. It was unfortunate that the various food vendors entrenched in the Reitz Union did not take note that SwampCon was going to be happening, as they had decided to keep their normal hours. This meant that half of the food vendors (Papa John's Pizza, the Orange and Brew, etc.) were closed up completely, so the rest had to handle the load. The line for Subway was out the door and across to the elevators, with only one make line open. However, I cannot fault SwampCon for that. That is just piss-poor management on the part of the various store locations that serve food for not scheduling enough people or even opening in the first place. The convention itself is a fun time, and I was there both days, all day long. I caught a panel or two, saw a bunch of cosplay getups, and just generally enjoyed myself. I certainly plan on returning again next year!

SwampCon is an awesome convention and the best part is that it is FREE!…read more Saw a lot of cool cosplay and Doctor Who Musical was cute~~

While visiting Gainesville today we stopped by the Harn Museum of Art. This is a FREE admission…read moremuseum which we love. This place is great and they have so many great pieces. Didn't take many photos because I was involved in the moment with my wife and friends and amazed at all the nice art work they have. We stopped and asked the security officer a few questions. One was how long do these art pieces stay out for viewing and also do they transfer them to other museums around the country. He said they rotate out art work about every few years so it keeps things fresh and no they don't transfer pieces. All pieces stay in house. If you are ever in the area you must stop by the Harn Museum of Art! Also next the year Florida Museum of Natural History will reopen after a full renovation and you also must see that!!! Definitely recommend you visit this!

The Harn Museum of Art is one of my favorite places in Gainesville when I want something calming,…read morebeautiful, and grounding. The galleries are thoughtfully curated, the space feels open and inviting, and there's always a good mix of contemporary pieces, cultural exhibits, and rotating collections that keep things interesting. Their Art After Dark events on Thursday nights are such a nice bonus, the museum feels even more alive, and it's a great way to enjoy art in a relaxed, social setting without it feeling overwhelming. Perfect for a solo night, a date, or something different to do after work. I also love the outdoor garden area; it adds to the peaceful vibe and makes the whole experience feel refreshing. I always leave feeling inspired and reset.