Groove to the hot and steamy vibes for August’s First Friday with cool doings at Railroad Square.
Check out the plant-filled garden bar at NorthFlora Collective along with performer Due Artisti, fresh art at 621 Gallery, and Flamingo Party playing the hits at Flamingoz.
The fall concert season warms up with ticket sales for the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra’s “season of dreams,” which begins Sept. 12.
Here’s a roundup of entertaining events around Tallahassee, culled from emails, press releases, the Council on Culture & Arts, online listings and elsewhere.
1. Friday night lights with Of a Feather, Pat Puckett
Flock to happy hour at Blue Tavern, 1206 N. Monroe St., at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, for Of a Feather, a duo project that Sara Morgan and Kelly Hunt have been dreaming up since an accidental (providential) tour together.
Then don’t miss Pat Puckett, one of Tallahassee’s best-known songwriters since the iconic band The Casual T’s, who will deliver a rare solo performance at 8 p.m. Aug. 7. Puckett will be playing new songs from some recent recordings that will be on his next release. $10 cover.
The Old Time Jam gets jammin’ at the tavern at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. Open to all ages; play along or listen to some old traditional fiddle-and-banjo music, followed at 8 p.m. by the Dolce Trio for an evening of original tunes, old-timey, jazzy and bluesy tunes. $10 cover.
2. Hop on down to First Friday at Railroad Square
Check out what’s new this First Friday at Railroad Square Art District, 602 McConnell Drive. Reggae Rail, the red caboose at the corner, is cooking up Jamaican and Caribbean fare and the Flamingo Party band is cranking at Flamingoz A Taste of Miami. The 621 Gallery is opening a new show. “Playing House,” a co-exhibition by FSU Art MFA Alums Ysabel Flores + Alexia Benavent-Rivera. It opens from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at 621 Gallery.
The NorthFlora Collective, at 609 Railroad Square, is featuring Due Artisti/Mary Ann Hoffman from 6-9 p.m.
The 621 exhibit, which runs through Aug. 30, visualizes the collision of their two worlds by deconstructing childhood memories of home and family. Alexia Benavent-Rivera pulls from her Latin American heritage and experience living in Puerto Rico, while Ysabel Flores is a second-generation Filipino-American decoding her experience in the diaspora.
3. Sean of the South is back
Sean of the South returns to the Opera House, 185 W. Washington St., in Monticello for a show at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7. Dietrich was in Tallahassee this spring for a performance at Word of South in April.
Dietrich is a multi-instrumentalist, novelist, and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Newsweek, Southern Living, Reader’s Digest, Garden and Gun, The Tallahassee Democrat, the Birmingham News, The Mobile Press Register, and his column appears in newspapers throughout the U.S. He has authored 18 books, he is the creator of the Sean of the South Podcast, and makes appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. His stories can make you laugh and cry, sometimes within the same sentence.
Expect a night of laughs and good ole southern entertainment. Tickets are $57, $47, and $37. Visit monticellooperahouse.org or calling the Opera House box office at 850-997-4242. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. The MOH full bar – premium beer, wine and cocktails – will be available one hour before curtain.
4. It’s lucky No. 8 for 2026 Tallahassee Beer Festival
It’s a triple-8 event from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, with the 8th annual Tallahassee Beer Festival continuing the tradition of being the largest beer festival in North Florida and South Georgia. The event welcomes more than 3,000 patrons, vendors, volunteers and more into the air-conditioned and weather proof Tucker Civic Center. The Festival features 400+ fermentations of all kinds. Every year, the event gives patrons unlimited sampling, access to food and entertainment, and the opportunity to DO GOOD by supporting the United Partners for Human Services. General admission is $60. Visit tlhbeerfest.com.
Have fun tasting unlimited samples from hundreds of brews in both the arena and exhibit hall at the Tucker Civic Center. Beer, seltzers, and ready to drink cocktails are everywhere. (Soft drinks and water, too.) Food available for purchase. Designated Driver: $20 (+ taxes & fees)
5. Javacya welcomes home violinist for concerto
Phillip Rumlin-Bond left Gadsden County with a scholarship and a violin. On Aug. 13, he returns to show what a county’s belief can build.
An Evening of Chamber Music with Phillip Rumlin-Bond headlining the Javacya Elite Chamber Orchestra’s Season Finale is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral, 4784 Thomasville Road. The cathedral is entering its ninth season as the orchestra’s host.
The centerpiece of the evening is Haydn’s rarely performed Violin Concerto in A Major, a work most concertgoers will be hearing live for the first time. The program also features two works by the trailblazing composer Florence Beatrice Price: her beloved “Adoration” and the Piano Quintet in A minor.
Admission is free; donations support the Javacya Scholarship Fund at JavacyaArts.com.
Bonus event: Meowwww! It’s time for the Cat Video Fest
Tallahassee Film Festival presents the “Cat Video Fest” for the next two weekends at the Challenger Learning Center IMAX, with the show starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.
The Cat Film Festival is a family-friendly theatrical compilation of the best cat videos of the year. The film combines unique submissions, animations, and internet classics. Additional showtimes are 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15; 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16; and 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. General admission is $11; $9 for members and students. Visit tallahasseefilms.com.
OTHER EVENTS
American Legion: Crooked Shooz, 7:30-10:30 p.m., Legion Hall, 229 Lake Ella Drive.
Bird’s Shack: Grateful Dead Night with Mechanical Lincoln, 7-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, 325 North Bronough St.
Blue Tavern: Rhys Bennett plays happy hour at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, follow at 8 p.m. by Bluesday Tuesday: Jon Copps. $5 cover. Rad Reading for happy hour at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, followed at 8 p.m. by Open Mic Night. Mes Amis plays happy hour at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, followed at 8 p.m. by Open Jazz Jam with Jacob Wright’s combo. 1206 N. Monroe St.
Burned Beard Brewing: Hot Tamale will be putting on a live show at Burned Beard Brewing, 10 N. Adams St., on the square in Quincy from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8. They are promising plenty of family-friendly, foot-tappin’, fun-lovin’ music in their trademark upbeat acoustic style.
Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub: Colby Scheib, 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, 1122 Thomasville Road.
Fish Camp Tally: The Elements, 2:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 12062 Waterfront Drive.
The Getaway Grille and Bar: Queen High Straight, 7-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, 2386 Allen Road. Saturday Night Bikes & Trikes with Brett Wellman and the Stone Cold Blues Band, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.
Monticello Opera House: “Good People,” a play by David Lindsay-Abaire, presented by Monticello Opera House at Monticello Opera House, Monticello, at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9. Tickets are $25. Visit MonticelloOperaHouse.org.
Outzts Too Oyster Bar and Grill: Roadhouse, 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9, 7968 Coastal Highway, Crawfordville.
Oyster City Tallahassee: Firewall, 7-10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, 603 West Gaines St.
Salty Dawg Pub and Deli: The Famous Acoustic Jam, 6-9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, 3813 North Monroe St.
Thursday Night Music Club: Annual Jazz Showcase. The band will perform in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13. Tickets are $17. Visit thursdaynightmusicclub.org.
The Winehouse on Market Street: Corine Samwel with Chanson Blue, 7-9:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, 1355 Market St.
Have an event coming up? Email details to limelight@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Looking for fun events? Top 5 things to do around Tallahassee
Reporting by Martha Gruender, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Martha Gruender, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
