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~ The following is a press release provided by the Hippodrome Theatre. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

From Sundance Grand Jury winners to Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion, the Hippodrome presents a curated selection of must-see films throughout November

 GAINESVILLE, FL - The Hippodrome Theatre announces its November film series, showcasing an exceptional lineup of award-winning films from major international festivals alongside beloved classics. The carefully curated program features eight distinctive films, including multiple festival winners and highly anticipated releases starring some of cinema's most celebrated actors.

 "This November, we're thrilled to bring audiences a remarkable collection of films that have captivated critics and festival goers around the world," said Naheed Mojadidi, Cinema Director at the Hippodrome Theatre. "From the sweeping romance of The History of Sound with Paul Mescal to Benny Safdie's powerful The Smashing Machine starring Dwayne Johnson, these films represent the very best of contemporary cinema. We're especially proud to present Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident and the Sundance double-award winner Twinless."

 The series opens November 1-2 with Victor Kossakovsky's contemplative documentary Architecton, which explores humanity's relationship with concrete and stone. The weekend also features the heartwarming The Paper Bag Plan, about a father helping his son achieve independence, and multiple screenings of The History of Sound, the decades-spanning romance starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor, directed by Oliver Hermanus (Living).

 November's second weekend highlights include Twinless, which won both the Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at Sundance, and The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie's biographical drama that earned the Golden Lion at Venice. Also screening is It Was Just an Accident, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or-winning thriller that has been selected as France's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

 The series continues with Rose Byrne's Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear-winning performance in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, and Cocktails and Classics presentation of Richard Linklater's romantic masterpiece Before Sunrise on November 15 in which a specialty cocktail is included with every ticket purchase. The month concludes with Blue Moon, reuniting Linklater with Ethan Hawke for a biographical drama about lyricist Lorenz Hart and composer Richard Rodgers.

 NOVEMBER FILM SCHEDULE:

 Architecton: November 1 - 2

 The Paper Bag Plan: November 1 - 6:30 PM

 The History of Sound: November 1 - 2

 Twinless: November 7 - 16

 The Smashing Machine: November 7 - 16

 It Was Just An Accident: November 8 - 29

 If I Had Legs I'd Kick You: November 14 - 29

 Cocktails and Classics

Before Sunrise : November 15 - 6:30 PM

 Blue Moon: November 21 - 30

 Complete screening times and ticket information are available at the Hippodrome Theatre box office (352) 375-4477 or www.thehipp.org/cinema

 The Hippodrome Theatre is located at 22 SE 2nd Place in downtown Gainesville.

 About the Hippodrome Theatre: The Hippodrome State Theatre is a historic landmark and cultural hub in downtown Gainesville, Florida, dedicated to enriching the community through exceptional live theatre productions and curated cinema programming. As a professional, not-for-profit organization, the Hippodrome presents year-round performances and film series that celebrate artistic excellence and diverse storytelling.

Photo special to Alachua County Today

MICANOPY — Local artists are invited to capture the natural beauty of Alachua County’s landscapes during a plein air painting session hosted by the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department (EPD) at Barr Hammock Levy Loop on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, from 2 to 6 p.m.

The free outdoor event encourages painters to set up their easels amid one of the county’s most scenic conservation areas. Participants are asked to bring their own art supplies, though a limited number of chairs and community art materials will be available.

Organizers advise attendees to dress for the weather, wear comfortable clothing, and bring sunscreen and at least one liter of drinking water. There are no restroom facilities on-site.

The plein air event is part of a season-long celebration marking the 25th anniversary of Alachua County Forever, the county’s land conservation program. Established in 2000, the program has preserved thousands of acres of environmentally significant lands through partnerships and public investment. To commemorate the milestone, EPD is hosting a series of field trips and community events leading up to an anniversary celebration in December.

Artists and community members can learn more about the Alachua County Forever program and upcoming anniversary events through the county’s website.

Those wishing to participate in the Nov. 2 session should RSVP by emailing mneelands@alachuacounty.us. For additional details, contact Environmental Specialist Milo Neelands at 352-451-7818.

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Flames light up the night sky north of Alachua on Friday as firefighters and forestry crews work to contain a five-acre brush fire near County Roads 241 and 236. / Photo special to Alachua County Today

ALACHUA — Units from Alachua County Fire Rescue (ACFR), LaCrosse Fire Rescue, and the Florida Forest Service responded Friday night to a large brush fire in a rural area north of Alachua.

The fire was reported around 7:30 p.m. in the vicinity of County Road 241 and County Road 236. When crews arrived, they found approximately five acres of vegetation burning in a location that was difficult to reach.

Three bulldozers from the Florida Forest Service were deployed to assist firefighters in containing the blaze. With their help, the fire was brought under control in just under three hours.

Authorities said no injuries were reported and no structures were threatened during the incident.

ACFR officials are reminding residents to exercise caution when burning outdoors. Before conducting any outdoor burns, citizens are encouraged to visit the Florida Forest Service website to review the state’s regulations and safety guidelines.

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~ The following is a press release provided by Alachua County on Oct. 17, 2025. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

With all the discussion happening across Florida about local government budgets, Alachua County is joining the conversation through this series: Cents & Sensibility: Alachua County’s Budget in Eight Chapters.

Chapter 2: What is the General Fund

 Every year, Alachua County builds a budget that helps keep our community running smoothly. At the heart of this effort is the general fund, the county’s primary operating fund, which pays for essential/core government services that residents rely on every day.

 Read Chapter 2: What is the General Fund in full.

 Read Chapter 1: How You Shape the County Budget.

For more information, contact Alachua County Communications Director Mark Sexton at 352-264-6979 or msexton@alachuacounty.us.

~ The following is a press release provided by the City of Gainesville. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2025) – While tens of thousands of Gator fans arrive in Gainesville to attend the slate of weekend events marking this year’s University of Florida Homecoming, dozens of city employees are working behind the scenes to keep the celebration safe, clean and moving.

“Homecoming unites our city and university in a celebration of pride and tradition,” said Gainesville Mayor Harvey L. Ward. “Every City of Gainesville employee who works this event—whether managing traffic, directing buses, patrolling streets or responding to emergencies—helps show what community partnership looks like in action.”

In this case, the action begins late Thursday and early Friday, as City of Gainesville Public Works crews start installing barricades, signage and message boards along 27 streets in advance of Gator Gallop and the UF Homecoming Parade. The parade route covers two of Gainesville’s busiest thoroughfares—University Avenue and 13th Street—making the closures at cross streets a substantial operation. To ensure safety as crowds begin to gather Friday morning, officers from the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) remain on location to direct traffic and provide security.

Also in the picture is Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR), which works alongside UF Emergency Management and other partner agencies to monitor events and coordinate any necessary emergency response. For injuries or medical incidents, GFR keeps two of the city’s Mobile Response Units (MRUs) on standby. Each is staffed with an EMT and a paramedic and will be stationed near high-traffic areas during the parade, Gator Growl and Saturday’s matchup against Mississippi State.

“Homecoming is one of Gainesville’s great traditions, and it takes teamwork at every level,” said Gainesville Fire Chief Shawn Hillhouse. “Our first responders consider it a privilege to help create an environment where students, alumni and all Gator fans can celebrate safely, and we appreciate our partners across the community who make that possible.”

Along with supporting parade safety, Gainesville’s first responders are proud to appear in the lineup, as well. The GPD Honor Guard and Motorcycle Unit will roll at the front of the parade, joined by representatives from fellow Alachua County law enforcement agencies to demonstrate their collaborative commitment to community safety. GFR will appear with two of the department’s heavy vehicles—a tower truck and a hazmat truck—carrying the UF Dazzlers and Cheerleaders.

After the festivities are over, Gainesville’s Public Works Department reappears to immediately deploy the city’s sweepers, dump trucks and loaders to clear debris and reopen streets. Two teams of 20 staff members walk each side of the route, removing litter, trash and recycling containers, and the portable signs, barricades and other temporary traffic control devices. This is a large-scale effort and the cost is one indicator of the labor involved. In 2024, Public Works devoted more than $44,000 in staff hours, equipment and materials to supporting the parade, a cost repaid to the city by the parade organizer, Florida Blue Key.

As the calendar flips to Saturday, the entire process begins again as GPD, GFR and Public Works close the roads and provide security for Game Day. To assist with traffic and parking, the city’s Regional Transit System (RTS) supplies roundtrip GatorAider shuttle service for fans to travel to and from campus. Park-and-ride stops include the UF Health Professional Park at 3300 SW Williston Road; 3450 Hull Road; and Celebration Pointe. Tickets are required to ride. For more information, visit RTS GatorAider.

It’s no surprise the city organization is filled with Gator fans who celebrate alongside our university community. Memories will be made, friends will reunite, and the City of Gainesville is here for it. From the first barricade going up to the last fan stepping off an RTS shuttle after the big game, city departments will pull out all the stops to make sure every Gator fan has a safe, happy and (hopefully) triumphant Homecoming in the City of Gainesville.  

~ The following is a press release provided by the Gainesville Fine Arts Association. It has been published here as received, without additional reporting or editing by Alachua County Today staff. ~

 An Artistic Game of Chance and Collective Creativity

Gainesville, FL – On October 30^th, 2025, the Gainesville Fine Arts Association will take their support for artistic creativity to a new level - with an old game - that promises inspiration, intrigue and satisfaction for the community’s collective passion for creativity.

Exquisite Corpse Art-A-Thon is a collaborative art-making game developed by Surrealist artists in the 1920s. Each artist adds to the piece without seeing the whole work - only a small portion of the previous section is visible as a guide. The artwork is passed from one artist to the next, creating unexpected juxtapositions and dreamlike compositions as each adds their own vision. The process celebrates chance and collective creativity. There will be 8 large pieces, with three artists working on each one. 

Beginning October 28^th, the artists will set up in front of GFAA Gallery, 1314 S. Main Street, Gainesville, and each artist will have 24 hours to complete their assigned section. Just like a marathon, you can directly support each artist by sponsoring their specific fundraising page. All proceeds raised will go to the artist (30%) and to our nonprofit programming here at GFAA (70%). Donation portal is https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/peer-to-peer/exquisite-corpse-art-a-thon.

Overview:

From Tuesday to Thursday, October 28 to 30^th, 2025, twenty-four artists will take over GFAA to participate in Exquisite Corpse Art-A-Thon, an artistic game of chance and collective creativity to inspire the community to sponsor the local artists involved as well as GFAA’s work to promote and encourage local artists. Public viewing of the artists creating is from 11am to 4pm each day.

Details:

Twenty-four artists will be working on eight 3 x 6.5 ft panels. Works will be revealed on Halloween night, October 31^st at 7:30pm during Gainesville's Artwalk from 7pm to 10pm and auctioned at a Silent Auction with bidding through Small Business Saturday, November 29th, during GFAA's first 'MADE Art Market.' Exquisite Corpse bidding will close and winners announced at 4 pm. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Watch the artists at work on October 28^th– 30^thfrom 11am to 4pm at GFAA
• See the big reveal on Halloween evening, Friday, October 31^stat 7:30pm, (Art Walk Artist Reception will also be held from 7pm to10pm) at GFAA
• Exquisite Corpse exhibit on view with silent auction bidding open from October 31st – November 29th, 2025
• Silent auction bidding closes: November 29^th, at 4pm (during MADE: Art Market, 11am - 5pm) at GFAA

All exhibitions are free and open to the public. If interested, volunteers are needed to assist in the artists’ hospitality. Contact Katy at director@gainesvillefinearts.org for more information.

This project is funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County, the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida, the City of Gainesville, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department and the Community Foundation of North Central Florida.

EXQUISITE CORPSE ART-A-THON

An Artistic Game of Chance and Collective Creativity

The Artists

Work #1:

Lexi Braun

Ursa Johnson

April Burk Clark

 Work #2:

Avery Oquinn

 Arianna Leon

Charis Cochran

Work #3:

Daniel Horak

Frank Curtis

Frank Barone

Work #4:

Sarit Sela

Heidi M. Stein

Michelle Nagri

Work #5:

Lisa Klug

Sylvia McIntyre-Crook

Stephanie Perez

Work #6:

1. Shannon Sweeney

Linda McVay

Jasmine Laska

Work #7:

Mandy St. Peter

Cheryl Russell

Andrew Hix

Work #8:

 Ryan Griffin

Brian Moody

Peter Senesac