[Photo: courtesy of the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival]
The Red, White and Bluegrass Festival will be June 25-27 in Hollywood.
[Photo: Discovery Cove]
Despite the expense, SeaWorld Orlando’s Discovery Cove swim-with-dolphins experience is so popular it has been expanded to an evening event.
MONDAY-JUNE 19: SARASOTA MUSIC FESTIVAL. For its 40th anniversary, this premiere chamber music festival will bring in a distinguished guest faculty of international artists to work with students. The three-week festival will feature many concerts by teachers and students. Works by Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Mozart and Mendelssohn will be performed throughout the festival, which is hosted by the Florida West Coast Symphony. The closing-night performance will feature Mozart's Symphony No. 40. Other events include a festival birthday party June 19, lectures and master classes. Ticket prices vary. 941 953-3434 for tickets; (941) 953-4252 for information; www.fwcs.org
TUESDAY-JUNE 7: GAY DAYS, ORLANDO. The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort has become the unofficial center of activities for the festival, which draws more than 100,000 gay and lesbian tourists. It started as Gay Day at Disney and has grown into one of the largest gay and lesbian events in the United States. 407 896-8431 or www.gaydays.com
JUNE 11-13: DREAMCON, JACKSONVILLE. A three-day multigenre convention featuring anime, science fiction, fantasy, comic books, horror, gaming, technology and music. The convention also will feature two 24-hour anime rooms, two 24-hour gaming rooms, an art show, costume contests, Cosplay, AMV contests, a charity auction and nightly dances. Ron Perlman Hellboy, Beauty and the Beast is the guest of honor. Admission fee. (904) 910-0518 or www.dreamcon.net
JUNE 25-27: RED, WHITE AND BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL, HOLLYWOOD. This three-day festival features traditional and contemporary bluegrass, barbecue, arts and crafts, and old-time fun and games. There also will be a three-day travel and tourism consumer and trade show. Little Pickers Play Area and A Taste of Hollywood Beach. Hours are 7-11 p.m. June 25, 1-11 p.m. June 26 and 1-9 p.m. June 27. At the Hollywood Beach and Broadwalk. Admission is free. 954 923-4000, (954) 921-3404, (954) 924-2980 or www.hollywoodfl.org/Parks_rec/special_events.htm
