The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, in cooperation with Shakerag Culture Center, Inc., is pleased to announce the next Jewel Box Summer Concert at the Historic Thomas Center. The next concert in the series is Friday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m. featuring Nothin’ Fancy. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door the day of the show (cash or check only).

“Free Fridays” hosts the popular local band Idylwild Friday, July 8. Idylwild’s repertoire is about half originals and half covers. In addition to their originals, they perform songs by Dave Mason, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bill Withers, Fleetwood Mac, Etta James, Wings and Chuck Prophet.

UPDATE 6/29: All facilities at Albert "Ray" Massey (Westside) Park are open to the public today. Thank you for your patience.

The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, in cooperation with Shakerag Culture Center, Inc., is pleased to announce the next Jewel Box Summer Concert at the Historic Thomas Center. The next concert in the series is Friday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. featuring The Gatorbone Band. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door the day of the show (cash or check only).

The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, together with the Friends of Nature Parks, are commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Living History Farm at Morningside Nature Center with a historical celebration Saturday, July 2 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. While this morning of family fun is free, we hope attendees will consider a donation to support the future of the farm. Ice cream and old-fashioned wagon rides will also be available for attendees to purchase.

The water slide at H. Spurgeon Cherry (Westside) Pool, located at 1001 NW 31st Drive, is closed for repairs. The motor on the water pump will be replaced. We apologized for the inconvenience to our patrons, however water slide at Dwight H. Hunter (Northeast) Pool is fully operational. Northeast Pool is located at 1100 NE 14th Avenue. Please check back for updates.

The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, in cooperation with Shakerag Culture Center, Inc., is pleased to announce the upcoming Jewel Box Concert at the Thomas Center, Friday, June 24 at 7:30 p.m. featuring the legendary Tony Trischka and virtuoso violinist Shad Cobb. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 at the door the day of the show (cash or check only).

The Gainesville Big Band kick offs the Fourth of July weekend at “Free Fridays” with the All-American Song Fest Friday, July 1.

Don’t hit the snooze button this Saturday morning! Grab your running shoes, swimsuit and a friend to take up the 2016 Gainesville Biathlon Challenge. The third race of the 2016 Gainesville Biathlon Challenge is this Saturday, June 25 at H. Spurgeon Cherry (Westside) Pool, which is located at 1001 NW 31st Dr.

The 35th Annual Downtown Festival & Art Show is proud to present this year’s poster and t-shirt image created by Gainesville graphic artist Jim Harrison. This all-new design, created exclusively for the Downtown Festival & Art Show, features Harrison’s signature typographic flair and a bold graphic composition that balances the festival's unique atmosphere of art and music with an icon of Gainesville's natural beauty. A continuation of the artist's commitment to celebrating the nature of the Gainesville community, the design symbolizes the mix of nature and culture that the Downtown Festival has come to embody.