Gainesville arts to Nov. 25: eight free Harn Museum shows, Little Shop of Horrors at the Hipp, a Tom Petty ballet, the UF Symphony and The Bad Plus at Santa Fe.

From now to Nov. 25, Gainesville’s arts calendar runs from eight free exhibitions at the Harn Museum of Art to “Little Shop of Horrors” at the Hippodrome, a Tom Petty tribute ballet, the UF Symphony Orchestra and the 45th Downtown Festival and Art Show.

Last checked Oct. 14, 2026. Rebuilt each month. Dates come from each venue’s own page, linked below, or from the venue’s listing on the Visit Gainesville calendar, run by Alachua County’s visitors bureau. Confirm times and prices before you go.

For everything else on this month, see things to do in Gainesville this month.

Exhibitions now showing

The Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, 3259 Hull Road on the University of Florida campus, is free. It opens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday; it is closed Mondays. Shows with set dates, from the museum’s exhibitions page:

Exhibition Runs Gallery
Oliver Jeffers: Life at Sea Through May 30, 2027 Julia and Budd H. Bishop Gallery
Layered Lives Through Jan. 3, 2027 Gladys Gracy Harn Exhibition Hall
Ghanaian Fashion: An Exhibition in Three Chapters Through May 16, 2027 Richardson Gallery
One World Through Feb. 7, 2027 Rubin Gallery
Highlights from the Modern Collection Through April 16, 2028 S.F.I. Gallery
Japanese Abstraction Through Sept. 26, 2027 David A. Cofrin Asian Wing
Metamorphosis: Reshaping Contemporary Art Through March 7, 2027 Mary Ann Harn Cofrin Pavilion
Beyond the Brush (new) Opens Tuesday, Oct. 27, through Oct. 8, 2028 Harn Museum of Art

The Asian wing also shows “Beneath, Between and Beyond,” highlights from the Asian collection and ceramics on an ongoing basis.

Theater and dance

  • “Little Shop of Horrors,” Hippodrome Theatre, 25 SE Second Place, through Sunday, Nov. 1. The rock and roll horror musical. Hippodrome.
  • Dance Alive: “Rock On America! A Tom Petty Tribute Ballet,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 3201 Hull Road. Reserved seats from $37 for seniors and students. UF Performing Arts.
  • “Disenchanted!” the musical, Acrosstown Repertory Theatre, 3501 SW Second Ave., Suite O, Oct. 16 to Nov. 8, evenings at 8 p.m. Acrosstown Repertory Theatre.
  • RUBBERBAND, “Vic’s Mix,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, Phillips Center. Hip-hop, ballet and contemporary dance. UF Performing Arts.
  • Santa Fe College dance concert, 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, Santa Fe College. Free to $20. Santa Fe College tickets.
  • August Wilson’s “Fences,” Star Center Theatre, 11 NE 23rd Ave., opening weekend from 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25. Tickets.
  • “Capitol Fools,” 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, Phillips Center. Political satire. UF Performing Arts.

Concerts and classical

  • Béla Fleck, “My Bluegrass Heart,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, Phillips Center. UF Performing Arts.
  • Violinist Claire Wells, 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, Phillips Center. UF Performing Arts.
  • The Gainesville Orchestra, “Revolution,” 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall at Santa Fe College, 3000 NW 83rd St. $20 to $60. The Gainesville Orchestra.
  • UF Symphony Orchestra, “Symphonie Fantastique,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, Phillips Center. UF Performing Arts.
  • Santa Fe College Contemporary Pop Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. Free to $20. Santa Fe College tickets.
  • “Songs of the Season,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, Santa Fe College. Free to $20. Santa Fe College tickets.
  • The Gainesville Orchestra, “Paprika and Thyme,” 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, Jackson N. Sasser Fine Arts Hall. The Gainesville Orchestra.
  • The Bad Plus, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, Santa Fe College. Jazz. Free to $35. Santa Fe College tickets.

Art fairs and markets

Regular events

  • Artwalk Gainesville, 7 to 10 p.m. on the last Friday of the month at galleries and businesses around town: Friday, Oct. 30, and Friday, Nov. 27. Free. Artwalk Gainesville.
  • Harn Museum late Thursdays: the museum stays open to 9 p.m. every Thursday.

Send us your event

Opening a show, staging a play or hosting a concert in Gainesville? Email hello@gainesvillejournal.com with the date, time, venue, price and a photo. Listings are free, and they go on this page and in our events diary.

Frequently asked questions

What exhibitions are on at the Harn Museum of Art?

Current shows include Oliver Jeffers: Life at Sea through May 30, 2027, Layered Lives through Jan. 3, 2027, and Ghanaian Fashion: An Exhibition in Three Chapters through May 16, 2027. Beyond the Brush opens Oct. 27. Admission is free.

What is playing at the Hippodrome Theatre?

Little Shop of Horrors, the rock and roll musical, runs through Nov. 1 at the Hippodrome Theatre, 25 SE Second Place.

Is the Harn Museum free?

Yes. The Harn is free and open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, with late hours to 9 p.m. on Thursdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays.

When is Artwalk Gainesville?

Artwalk Gainesville runs from 7 to 10 p.m. on the last Friday of the month at galleries and businesses around town: Oct. 30 and Nov. 27 in this period.