Wow. Itäó»s another absolutely jam-packed week of big names, local and national, doing the big work here in Pinellas County. Weäó»ve got Garrison Keillor, the future of journalism, a tribute to Peter Gabriel äóñ and, of course, Santa Claus. Get out there and see it all, if you dare.
Dunedin Old-Fashioned Christmas and Holiday Parade–Saturday, December 10
Thereäó»s probably no better time to appreciate Dunedinäó»s small-town charm than during a holiday parade that evokes Itäó»s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. The parade and following festival will include Santaäó»s arrival, carriage rides, train rides, a snow slide, storytelling, games and crafts for kids, live music, and more.
4 p.m.-9 p.m.
Downtown Dunedin
Map Here
Letterpress Basics–Sunday, December 11
We donäó»t often feature classes in our listings here, but this oneäó»s just too cool not to highlight. Print St. Pete is part of a rising wave of craft printers reviving the beautiful old ways of bookmaking, and this five-hour workshop will take attendees through the basics of hand typesetting, ink mixing, and press operation. The courseäó»s instructors come from St. Peteäó»s Oma Darlinäó» Press and Southern Letterpress.
$150
Noon-5 p.m.
Print St. Pete, 4903 8th Avenue South, Gulfport
Info and Tickets Here
Red Rain: The Music of Peter Gabriel and Tori Amos–Sunday, December 11
Red Rain is a group of jazz and classical musicians dedicated to reinterpreting some of the most iconoclastic pop musicians of our time. The group grew in part out of Jeremy Douglassäó» Florida Bjorkestra, a 9-piece ensemble that for about a year has performed tributes to Kate Bush and, yes, Bjork. This is a chance to catch an intimate show from an ensemble that seems pretty clearly on an upward trajectory.
$20-$36
6 p.m.
Palladium Side Door Cabaret, 253 Fifth Ave. North, St. Petersburg
Info and Tickets Here
Garrison Keillor–Monday, December 12
Now that Garrison Keillor has handed over the reins of his Prairie Home Companion juggernaut, weäó»ll hopefully get more of what was always, if you ask me, the best part of that show äóñ the storytelling. Keilloräó»s whitefish-dry wit and rumbling, warm-blanket voice are a combo thatäó»s at once comforting and subtly challenging. He paints portraits of an America we wish we had äóñ but that, he also frequently hints, was never quite as perfect as it seemed.
$40-120
7 p.m.
Ruth Eckerd Hall, 111 North McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater
Info and Tickets Here
An Evening with Marty Baron of Spotlight–Tuesday, December 13
Baron, who was played by Liev Shcreiber in 2015äó»s masterpiece Spotlight, was editor of the Boston Globe during its world-shifting investigation of abuse in the Catholic Church. Today, journalism seems to be under ever-mounting pressure from fake news, shrinking revenues, and secretive leaders to give up its role as the Fourth Estate of American democracy. Baron is sure to have invaluable insights into where news organizations, and our entire culture, can go from here.
(This event followäó»s Fridayäó»s annual Bowtie Ball, which this year honors Tom Brokaw, but appears to be sold out).
$40-$100
5:30-9 p.m.
The Poynter Institute, 801 Third Street South, St. Pete
More Info Here
Honorable Mentions:
YES Art Exhibition Opening Reception, curated by Chad Mize and Kenny Jensen. Saturday December 10, 5 p.m., The Studio@620, 620 1st Avenue South, St. Petersburg
Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Celebration, featuring giveaways and cosplayers. Sunday, December 11, Emerald City Comics, Clearwater.
Viva Cuba, Juan Carlos Malbertiäó»s tale of star-crossed young love in Havana, is introduced by the director. Thursday December 15, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
