Bay area fashion designer and CL '07 Best of the Bay winner Ben Chmura presents his new "Venom" collection of vibrant handmade cocktail dresses inspired by venomous snakes this Saturday night at Czar Bar. (Pictured at left: A diamond back dress made of gunmetal silk taffeta with black cotton nylon overlay; modeled by Soleil.) Sat., Mar. 14, 9 p.m., Czar, Ybor City, $10 ages 21 and up/$15 ages 21 and under.
ARTpool stages its second annual Local Film Festival & Hollywood Fashion Show. Sat. March 14, 8 p.m.-midnight, ARTpool, St. Petersburg, $10.
For this weekend's Dance Ybor Series, HCC Student Choreographers showcase original dance works in an hour-long program. 7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., March 13-14, HCC Dance Studio 1505 E. Palm Avenue, Ybor City. Also scheduled is NYC choreographer/dancer Karen Fuhrman's Grounded Aerials, an evening-length work that combines modern dance with uniquely rigged aerial elements. 8:15 p.m. Fri.-Sat., March 13-14, HCC Mainstage Theater, Palm Avenue and 14th Street, Ybor City; $10 for both concerts.
While not billed as a CD release party, tonight's gig by The Mojo Gurus coincides with their new disc, Let’s Get Lit with … The Mojo Gurus, out on the Canadian label True North March 24. The disc builds on the Bay area band’s blend of rowdy country, Skynyrd-esque boogie and Stonesy rock. Good-time music delivered with party-hearty verve in a shoulder-to-shoulder club. It’s the third date in a March tour that takes the band through Texas, Louisiana and up into Michigan. Fri., March 13, 9:30 p.m., Dave’s Aqua Lounge, St. Petersburg, $5. —Eric Snider
Sweetwater Organic Community Farm stages a screening of Food Matters, a doc abotu food and health, as part of its Outdoor Movies Series. Fri., March 13, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Tampa, $5 suggested donation per person.
Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries continues its "Florida Humanities Council Road Scholar" series with award-winning columnist Jeff Klinkenberg, who discusses encounters between man and alligator from the 16th century to the present. Afterwards, the writer will sell and sign copies of his book, Pilgrim in the Land of Alligators and Seasons of Real Florida. Sat., March 14, 1 p.m., Jan Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa.
freeFall Theatre Company stages Charles Way’s entertaining adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, the classic tale about Briar Rose, who becomes the sleeping center of the battle between "bright witch" Branwen and her sister, dark witch" Modron. The play is part of a project that provides underprivileged children and families who'd otherwise be unable to experience live theater the opportunity to see the production for free. Visit freefalltheatre.com for more info. March 13-29, 7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 and 6 p.m. Sun., TECO Theater, Patel Conservatory @ Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, downtown Tampa, $18, 813-229-7827.
Comedian Brian Posehn (Mr. Show, NewsRadio, Just Shoot Me!) performs at Tampa Improv this weekend. March 13-14, 8 and 10:30 p.m. Fri., 7:30 and 10 p.m. Sat., The Tampa Improv, Ybor City, $20.
