10/08/2011
Florida Travel Calendar for October
Central Florida
Covering the I-4 corridor from Daytona to Tampa plus Sarasota and Brevard County
Sept. 23-Oct. 29: Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream, Tampa Bay. Howl-O-Scream is back this year with gut-wrenching scares. The theme is The Dark Side of the Gardens. Event runs every Thurs.-Sat. throughout the month of October. Howl-O-Scream is not recommended for young children.seaworldparks.com/howloscream_com_2011
Sept. 23-Oct. 31: Universal's Halloween Horror Nights 21, Orlando. Halloween Horror Nights transforms Universal Studios into a nightmarish maze of all new haunted houses, electrifying scare zones, and outrageous live shows, while a horde of mutants, monsters and maniacs roam the darkened studio streets. Each night is a separately ticketed event. Not recommended for children under 13. www.halloweenhorrornights.com
Oct. 14-16: 37th Annual Bicycle Festival, Mount Dora. Attracting 1,000 cyclists, this is Florida's oldest and largest bicycling event, featuring rides of varying lengths and skill levels. 352-383-2165. www.mountdora.com/festivals.php
Oct. 11-16: Ringling International Arts Festival, Sarasota. Splendid kick-off to the Florida Gulf Coast 2011-12 cultural season with nine performances in music, theater and dance, and two major art exhibitions. The five-day festival reflects a unique partnership between the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City and the Ringling Museum of Art, reflecting the former's commitment to presenting both emerging and established artists at the forefront of their fields, and envisions utilizing the latter's exceptional facilities as a home for this vibrant cultural gathering place for artists and audiences alike. The five-day festival will feature artists from Australia, Canada, England, France, Israel, Scotland, Spain and America, presented in the Historic Asolo Theater, Mertz Theatre, and Cook Theatre. Please note that all performances, except opening night concert, are offered at multiple times over the course of the six days. Tickets may be purchased in festival packages or in single ticket sales. 941-360-7399. A detailed schedule of events is available at www.ringlingartsfestival.org
Oct. 13-16: Clearwater Jazz Holiday, Clearwater. In its 31st year, the annual Jazz Holiday brings together all veins of jazz music in four days of free entertainment at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater. One of the longest-running and best-known free live jazz events in the country, it has presented in concert virtually every jazz luminary of our generation. This year's event features Little Feat, Norman Brown Storming Jazz, Eric Darius and more. And the signature celebration sets the stage for the most recognized Smooth Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, Fusion, Latin and local bands ever assembled. At Coachman Park. Free admission (lawn seating, so bring lawn chairs). 727-461-5200. www.clearwaterjazz.com
Oct. 22-23: Mount Dora Craft Fair, Mount Dora. This nationally ranked, juried event continues to attract more than 250,000 visitors and more than 350 of the best crafters in the country. In downtown streets. Free admission. 352-735-1191. mountdora.com/festivals.php
South Florida
Covering the Keys, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, the Treasure Coast and Southwest Florida including Naples, Fort Meyers and Punta Gorda
Oct. 1-Nov. 4: Festival Miami 2011, Miami. Festival Miami is the annual musical festival that opens the South Florida arts season, providing diverse musical programming while expanding academic opportunities and cultural enrichment to all of South Florida and its visitors. It presents 25 concerts over a five-week period, and each concert will fall under one of four themes - Great Performances, Jazz and Beyond, Creative American Music, and Music of the Americas. Gusman Concert Hall, University of Miami. 305-284-4940. www.festivalmiami.com
Oct. 21-30: Oktoberfest, Cape Coral. German tradition is alive and well in Cape Coral, home of Lee County's largest annual Oktoberfest. Hosted by the German-American Club, it is a huge celebration of German culture, food, music and dancing features. Highlights include authentic live entertainment from musical groups from Germany, along with enough German food and beer to make anyone do the Chicken Danc Friday 4 p.m.-midnight, Saturday noon-midnight, Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tickets $5 in advance, $6 at the gate. At German-American Club. 239-283-1400. www.gasc-capecoral.com
