This was the 10th year of this festival but my first time going - even though its been on my list…read more There were over 50 different vendors. How it worked this year was admission was free and each food ticket was $2. Some places would require more than one ticked while other places a ticket would get you a lot. There were a lot of different options from smoothies and desserts to savory options like tacos, sandwiches and even ribs. There were also non-food booths doing giveaways and handing out coupons. Would definitely go again next year.

This was my first GCM Food Festival, and it exceeded my expectations. In case you do not know, GCM…read morestands for Gift Certificates and More. The food fest was held at Celebration Pointe which was an excellent location for it, and the weather was perfect. This was a great way for me and my buddies to get our weekend started early. We arrived at 4:50 p.m. to secure a good parking space, and we had a great time meandering around to the different canopy stations. The DJ was fantastic and the live music was very good. I bought $10 worth of tickets which gave me 5 tickets. I spent one ticket on all the food offerings I had. I had a delicious brisket slider from 4 Rivers two separate times, a box of two Krispy Kreme donuts (my favorite donuts), a Ahi Tuna Sashimi mini plate from Bone Fish that tasted great, and a very fine comfort food mini plate from Texas Road House complete with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and pot roast with gravy. One of the best CM's in the world, Matt L., treated me to delicious savory meatball and pasta mini plate from Pomodoro's halfway through the experience. I was completely full by the time we left the food fest to go to see our 7PM blockbuster movie. We enjoyed ourselves; it was a nice 4.5 star event. We pre-registered online and still had to stand in line to receive tickets. Moments later the friendly Texas Roadhouse manager directed us to another line that made more sense having pre-ordered our tickets. The cashiers at ticket distribution tables we presented to initially should have given us the correct information when they saw us with the appropriate barcodes and receipts.

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.

Gator Stompin' is one of the great traditions of Gainesville. When you buy your ticket, you get a…read moret shirt that is your free admission into several bars in Gainesville as well as some tokens for food and drinks. I had 10 tokens when I went and that was more than enough to get all the food and drinks I wanted. Basically you barhop among the bars of midtown and downtown with thousands of your closest friends and Gator fans! Also, there is traditionally a kickoff concert/event in Bo Diddley Plaza with food trucks and drinks available. I've never heard anyone say a negative word about Gator Stompin' (and I've been when it was pouring rain)! Do yourself a favor and check out what it's all about!

If you know me you're not shocked that: a) I've been to a few festivals and b) I'm a huge fan of…read morelocal craft beer. This was not my first festival, but it was my first chance to go to Hogtown Beer Festival and I can say this one is well worth the price of admission. From planning to pours and plates, this event had a big festival's worth of awesome packed into a quaint, but bustling, space. The Location This year's festival took place in the Tioga Town Center, which provided a number of advantages including ample natural shading from trees, plenty of space for each beer/food tent, and comfy grass to walk on as the time ticks by (any fest-goer knows the woes of walking on hot asphalt for hours). I found the layout to be excellent in concept and decent in execution: 4 main sections where created, each providing numerous different beer/brewery options and a couple of different food choices. If you have a group and split up for any reason, it becomes really easy to find one another this way because you can reference the food options you see and sort it out. For me this location was perfect: so much shade to break the heat and so much room to move around. The other, larger festivals have several perks but comfort is typically not one of them due to overcrowding. If a line started to form at Hogtown's fest it was easy to deal with, but my past experiences generally require you squish against sweaty, suntanned limbs while frying in the sun. The Logistics From proper advertising and social media updates to well-informed staff and even a nifty beer booklet with maps and beer checklists, this crew worked very hard to be organized. Parking could have been a nightmare but they had a charter bus shuttling people from a roomy field for offsite parking (primetime for applying sunscreen too). Stations were positioned in numerous places for washing hands after a quick nibble and water coolers were all over the place to insure people were hydrated. The above said, there were some issues that I might even say are inevitable. To start, the locations of several beer tents were inaccurate on the beer booklet. Not a big deal, but it happened. The water coolers weren't marked or identifiable unless you knew they were there, but I don't recall any announcement about them. Another minor item, though I recommend clear labeling next time. The Libations & Stations There are two ways to win my heart at a festival when it comes to featured brews: go all-in on top-rated, diverse breweries or focus on all-local pours. Hogtown was more the latter, but did lean a little more on the macro-micro breweries than I prefer (think things you find at Publix versus your go-to beer shop). I know that these beers are helpful in transitioning new folk away from watery pilsners but for the price tag, it would be nicer to pull more quality into the mix (in the form of blossoming FLA breweries) than to inject average brands. For what was offered, I probably would only invite Floridians to travel into town for this one but all would get a solid showcase of Central Florida talent. I focused a bunch on getting to know some really great Florida spots like Infinite, Proof, and Coppertail as well as stopping by the Gainesville favorites to see what special goodies they blended up. This year many of the tents came with timed releases of unique/rare items which I love because it helps spread out the fun. One tent even had a few baskets to raffle and yours truly nabbed a growler bundle! As for the food, it was nice to see that largely the food was provided by local bizes as opposed to chains. A recently-closed German sausage hotspot made a guest appearance and generated a healthy buzz, which just goes to show the thoughtfulness of those in charge of the event. Most took cards for pay, and the choices were plenty diverse for any appetite. One vendor was even giving away pork sliders and mac n cheese for FREE! Final Thoughts Having this festival under my belt, I'm likely to go back next year especially if the same people are working on it. There were enough local breweries pouring to keep a vet enthusiastic and also some more common beers for those looking to go quantity over quality, which is fine. A little rough around the edges in some places, but largely an event put together by a group of well-seasoned beer fans. Next year I'd like to see a few more SOFLA beers invited up and I'd have enough to toss up an extra star.

Had a blast at this year's Hogtown Craft Beer Festival. Honestly, one of the better beer festivals…read moreI've been to - and I've been to a lot, including much larger ones like Hunahpu's Day put on by Cigar City Brewing in Tampa. HCBF had a phenomenal selection of beers and the nice option of having some free food (smaller bites) or larger, pay-as-you-go selections from food trucks and local vendors. The organizers did a great job keeping the check-in line moving quickly and putting together the "Passport", but my only criticism would be to wait until a little closer to the event to print the latter next year, as some of the vendors were not listed in the accurate "tent/pod" and some beer selections had been replaced by the breweries. Can't wait to come back next year!

I had an intriguing time exploring Micanopy. The history here is so rich. It was founded in 1821…read more It is named after Seminole Chief Micanopy. Also, it is recognized as the Florida states oldest Inlet settlement. There are so many antique shops here with so many fun things to look at. It was a unique experience. I suggest whoever is in the area to stop by and feel the history here in this place.

Any fans of the movie Doc Hollywood (1991)? Well if you are then visiting this small historic town…read moreis a fun way to spend the afternoon. This charming community was founded in 1821 and is believed to be the oldest inland town in the state of Florida. The town was named for Chief Micanopy of the Seminole Nation. It's been recognized as one of America's top historic small towns. Population is 669 and the town itself is only 1.03 miles. Way too small for me but it definitely is quaint. Lots of antique shops, and other small businesses here along with some cafes featuring outdoor dining. We enjoyed walking around and visiting all the Doc Hollywood movie and historical sites. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at a place now called Pearl Country Store and BBQ. There are many Spanish oak trees lining the streets which makes you feel so comfortable while exploring. If you happen to be in the area, I recommend a stop here. It is a town that will have you step back in time when life was simple.

We hired Gainesville Circus Center and worked with Isabell for our Masquerade party. She was…read moreadaptive to our party needs and very professional. Her performance took our party to the next level. I highly recommend them! I wouldn't hesitate to hire her again.

I was a bit apprehensive to start circus classes, but I'm so glad that I did. Everyone is…read moresupportive and encouraging. The instructors are happy to modify skills for your abilities. There is a variety of classes available and monthly workshops.

I was in Gainesville and visited the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens. The gardens were a lot bigger than…read moreI imagined! Lots to see throughout. Various theme gardens. Very peaceful and beautiful. You can definitely get your steps in! Staff was helpful. There is also a little gift shop. Really enjoyed my visit. A great way to spend an afternoon.

We love visiting botanical gardens when we travel. However, much of the beauty in gardens can be…read moreseasonal. Early March is not a good time to visit much of this particular garden. The herb area, azaleas, camellia, bamboo, plus some of the water features were nice, but overall there wasn't very much to see. We were glad there were plenty of rain shelters in the garden, as they were needed during our visit.

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~~

Very nice outdoor concert venue. online for your specific…read moreshow but they often allow you to bring your own lawn chairs . Pro tip: stop next door to Grand Scheme Brewery to get a to~go to drink inline while you wait to get into your show.

We were passing through Gainesville and wanted to catch the World Cup match. Luckily we found this…read moreplace and we were able to bring the pup too. There were several seatings throughout the field and enough space for you to bring your own chairs/blankets as well. There was a server going around in case we wanted to order which was super convenient. Otherwise you could go in yourself to the bar that they have. There was a bit of issue with the sound and streaming at one point but they were able to resolve it without too much delay.

If there was an indoor stadium where Hippos went to watch shows, it'd be the Hippo Dome. This is…read moresadly not that. What it is, though, is a gorgeous theatre in Gainesville which has a lot of left-wing and liberal and really moving and interesting local pieces, a lot of which are connected to the college. So massive kudos to them for having a little theatre like this and it deserves nothing short of five.

Beautiful intimate venue for a candlelight string quartet concert. Really, no bad seats.read more