Goin Back to Cali Art Show Mixer: Help fund the creators and cast of Mwamba Yeshitela’s Beatnik The Movie. Enjoy art, poetry, music, Champagne and refreshments. Friday, 8-11 p.m. $10. Studio 620, St. Pete. facebook.com/Beatnikthemovie.
Seminole Heights Art Happy Hour: In Tampa, artist/curator Vincent Kral invites you to be happy about art on Friday at his Hatchway Gallery at Florida Ave Florida Avenue Brewing Co. Kral will give a talk about the awesome exhibition Falling Over the Edge by Janett Pulido Zizumbo and Beth Plakidas, a show that marks 11 months of Hatchway's programming. Click here for info.
A Gothic Wonderland at The Castle: Everyone's favorite Goth club in a medieval-style fortress, aka The Castle, celebrates 20 big years in 2015 and begins its celebration with a black-and-white party
9 p.m.-3 a.m. at 2004 N. 16th St., Tampa. Features DJs Tom Gold, Mark Paradise, Sean and special guest DJ Danny Bled (Miami). Invite Only Pre-party at 9:30 p.m.; general admission at 10:30 p.m. $10. 21 and older $12; $18-$20. castleybor.com.
Nautical and Nice: Take part in a thoroughly Floridian holiday tradition by viewing one of a handful of lighted boat parades at local waterways this weekend. The Indian Rocks Beach Lighted Boat Parade has decorated vessels competing for cash prizes starts at the Holiday Inn Harbourside and heads north beneath the Walsingham Bridge. Meet up at an after party and award ceremony at Jimmy Guana’s, 401 Second St., at 7 p.m.. The Treasure Island Lighted Boat Parade departs 6:30 from the Club at TI and finishes at John’s Pass. Attend a pre-parade poolside party at the Club at TI at 4:30 p.m. The party includes a visit from Santa, a live band, hot dogs, chili, cake and cider (cash bar available). A new unwrapped toy or cash donation is requested for entrance to the party at 400 Treasure Island Causeway, TI. Other local aquatic processions include Lake Tarpon and Davis Islands. Read the CL Holiday Events Guide at cltampa.com/arts for more holiday fun this weekend.
Blue Muse Winter Solstice Celebration: Stop into Gulfport’s City of Imagination for a unique concert of Spanish 13th century chamber music meets progressive jazz, and new art on the walls. Sunday, 7 p.m. $10. 2726 54th St. S. cityofimagination.info.
Seasonal Sparkle Metropolitan Opera star Elizabeth Futral (pictured) and baritone Galen Scott Bower headline the St. Petersburg Opera holiday spectacular with the special guest act Operatini. Performances of arias, pieces and songs will be sung in various languages with English surtitles and include Mahler, Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Vaughan Williams, “Ding Dong, Merrily on High” and other holiday music, and selections from La Boheme. Sun., Dec. 21, 2 p.m.; Mon., Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m. Attend the Opening Day After Party, Sun., Dec. 21, at the Hollander Hotel, at around 5 p.m. Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-823-2040. stpeteopera.org.
St Pete Shuffle Hustle: Not just a hub of vintage Florida recreation, the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club will offer a wide array of eclectic fun this weekend. On Saturday, the all-ages St. Pete Maker Fest invites you builders out there to come up with a bot or device that can launch or push a biscuit down the length of the shuffleboard court. On Sunday, visit the courts for for the Local Buds Holiday Gift-Making & Market, where brews, brunch and live music offer a fun respite from the holiday hubbub, Gift-making workshops will be led by Bodhi Basics and O’Berry’s Succulents (register in advance), and if you’re feeling less hands-on, partake of vendors like The Urban Canning Company, Strands Of Sunshine, Pinellas Chocolate Company and several more. Urban Comfort Restaurant + Brewery, the sister restaurant of Urban Brew + BBQ, will offer some tasty grub and preview samples of their first batches of beer. The St. Pete Maker Fest is 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Dec. 20 ($5 admission), and Local Buds is noon-5 p.m. on Dec. 21 (free). 559 Mirror Lake Drive N., St. Petersburg. stpeteshuffle.com.
The Phantom of the Opera has been lurking about in playhouses since 1988. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Gothic spectacle returns to the Straz this weekend — which you may already know, thanks to the slew of promotions everywhere — and the Tony winner will enjoy a longer run than most Broadway touring productions, here until Jan. 4. It will be staged on New Year’s Eve with a special masquerade soirée during its run. The current revival promises to be “edgier” than earlier incarnations and stars Chris Mann, a top competitor on The Voice in 2012. Other changes will be in store to add a new spin on this “Music of the Night” — a new set design by Paul Brown and revamped choreography by Scott Amble, as well as new staging by director Laurence Connor. Shows just about every day through the holidays; times and ticket prices vary. Straz’s Morsani Hall, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. strazcenter.org.
The Family Blessing: This is no stuffy Christmas production, but your nanny and papaw may just love it anyway. The dance theater production and theatrical fave formerly known as The Chocolate Nutcracker and Nutcracker Twist, returns with some added zazz and another new name. Produced by Artz 4 Life Academy and Brighthouse Networks, the performance follows the story of a boy who realizes his wish for a loving family and showcases the talents of local community youth alongside professional choreographers and dancers. Expect to enjoy a spirited variety of performance styles and traditions, including ballet, African, Brazilian, Bollywood, Cuban and Mexican flourishes, and even hip-hop. The show has been touted as “an exotic tapestry of light, color and music.” If anything, see it for the kids. Sat., Dec. 20, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 21, 2 p.m. Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg. $17, $27, $37. themahaffey.com.
This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2014.