Community Events

Step right into a hilarious and interactive murder mystery where you might just be the killer! It’s the thrilling event everyone’s dying to attend. Don’t let this unforgettable night pass you by!

Get ready for a night of twists, turns, and tantalizing mystery! The Murder Mystery Co. by Scott Cramton welcomes you to a thrilling mystery experience where every clue brings you closer to the truth (or deeper into suspicion). Mingle with intriguing suspects, uncover shocking secrets and savor a mouthwatering three-course meal. But watch out! You could end up as the cold-blooded killer! Don’t miss this unforgettable evening of suspense and laughter. Grab your tickets now!

Participate in a new mystery every month! From the glitz of 1930s Hollywood in “Best Laid Plans” to the roaring 1920s with “Death of a Gangster,” each event offers unforgettable thrills. Boogie at a 1950s sock hop, solve a 90s crime in “Good Riddance,” or celebrate the season with “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.” Whether it's a billionaire’s masquerade, a 1980s bash, or a chilling wedding-themed whodunit, there’s a unique mystery waiting for you. Mark your calendar and join the fun. Each month brings a fresh adventure!

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We’ve all imagined what it’s like to live and work in space, but only a select few have done it. Opening on Oct. 10, those who have lived in space will share their experiences with visitors in our newest traveling exhibition, Journey to Space.

Using hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, Journey to Space gives visitors a glimpse at the extraordinary conditions of human space travel, as well as the unique challenges and rewards of life on board the International Space Station.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance presents "The Play That Goes Wrong," by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Feb. 13-21 at Brenau University's Hosch Theatre, inside the John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts.

An opening night reception, catered by Nothing Bundt Cakes, follows the Feb. 13 performance.

It’s opening night at the Cornley Drama Society, and everything that could possibly go wrong—does! The set’s collapsing, the actors are forgetting lines (or repeating them), and the corpse won’t stay still. This madcap comedy is a love letter to the chaos of live theatre, where disaster becomes delight and failure is fabulously funny. Expect pratfalls, missed cues and non-stop laughs in this Olivier Award-winning global sensation. Fun for the whole family!

Gainesville Theatre Alliance is an inter-collegiate theatre collaboration between Brenau University and the University of North Georgia.

For tickets or more information, visit GainesvilleTheatreAlliance.org or call the GTA Box Office at (678) 717-3624.

Seating is first come, first served. Gates open at 7 p.m. Concert starts at 8 p.m.

Before Ashleigh Smith won the 2014 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, she studied classical music at Georgia’s Columbus State University on a full-ride scholarship. After attending a jazz camp at the prestigious University of North Texas, she transferred to UNT and graduated with a bachelors degree in vocal jazz performance. 

Shortly thereafter, she was awarded a Concord Records recording contract that set the stage for her critically acclaimed 2016 debut album "Sunkissed," which blends her signature mix of R&B, funk and jazz with both original compositions and inventive cover interpretations.

For these Valentine’s weekend performances, Ashleigh and her band will grace the stage with an evening of delicious ballads designed to make their audiences feel the love!

PARENTS, ENJOY A WELL-DESERVED NIGHT OFF!

Send your kids to the Zoo for a wildly fun and educational evening with our trained Educators. 

Activities are purposefully designed for children ages 5-11 and include a guided after-hours tour of the Zoo, games and activities, crafts, story time, and a pizza dinner. 

Upcoming 2025 Dates:
February 14
April 4

Time:
5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Member Cost:
$35 per child

Non-Member Cost:
$42 per child

Themes:   

February 14: Curious Cats
April 4: Mystifying Mammals

Age Range: 5-11 years old

Petting Zoo Painters

Join the Animal Care Team and one of our talented animal artists, meeting either the Zoo’s “VanGoat” or “Baaahlo,” and take home a unique work of art in this unforgettable experience.

Learn about the positive reinforcement training process of becoming an animal artist. See firsthand the ways this enrichment activity fits into high standards of care for animals at the Zoo when you meet a goat or sheep and see their art creation in action. Please note that we cannot guarantee a specific animal for your program.

• Meet at the Petting Zoo area of Outback Station 15 minutes before the Wild Encounter start time. 
• Availability is limited for all Wild Encounters. Advance registration is recommended.
• Encounter spots may be available on the day of the program. Please meet the Wild Encounter Guide at the check-in location 15 minutes before the program begins to inquire about availability and to purchase tickets.
• Includes one (1) take-home canvas per registered group.

Days Available: Saturdays at 3:15 p.m.

Member Cost: $67.50  |  Includes one painting per group of four people.

Non-Member Cost: $75 per group of up to four people, + individual Zoo Admission  |   Includes one painting per group of four people.

Age Range: All ages

Step right into a hilarious, and interactive murder mystery where you might just be the killer! It’s the thrilling event everyone’s dying to attend. Don’t let this unforgettable night pass you by!

Get ready for a night of twists, turns, and tantalizing mystery! The Murder Mystery Co. by Scott Cramton welcomes you to a thrilling mystery experience where every clue brings you closer to the truth (or deeper into suspicion). Mingle with intriguing suspects, uncover shocking secrets and savor a mouthwatering three-course meal. But watch out! You could end up as the cold-blooded killer! Don’t miss this unforgettable evening of suspense and laughter. Grab your tickets now!

Participate in a new mystery every month! From the glitz of 1930s Hollywood in “Best Laid Plans” to the roaring 1920s with “Death of a Gangster,” each event offers unforgettable thrills. Boogie at a 1950s sock hop, solve a 90s crime in “Good Riddance,” or celebrate the season with “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.” Whether it's a billionaire’s masquerade, a 1980s bash, or a chilling wedding-themed whodunit, there’s a unique mystery waiting for you. Mark your calendar and join the fun. Each month brings a fresh adventure!

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Beyond the Plate: Sea and Sky,” an exciting new solo exhibition featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by Rob Strati, from September 25, 2025, through April 12, 2026. 

“Beyond the Plate” will showcase new work by one of America’s hottest contemporary artists. Strati has recently enjoyed sold-out exhibits at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and FREMIN Gallery in New York and has sold work to top international art collectors in New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and beyond.

Strati’s art incorporates broken porcelain plates that have been embellished and adorned with creative details. The exhibition features the artist’s latest bold, kinetic mixed-media works and limited-edition prints as well as an ambitious site-specific installation that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Ships of the Sea atrium.

All of the art in “Beyond the Plate” will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

Step right into a hilarious and interactive murder mystery where you might just be the killer! It’s the thrilling event everyone’s dying to attend. Don’t let this unforgettable night pass you by!

Get ready for a night of twists, turns, and tantalizing mystery! The Murder Mystery Co. by Scott Cramton welcomes you to a thrilling mystery experience where every clue brings you closer to the truth (or deeper into suspicion). Mingle with intriguing suspects, uncover shocking secrets and savor a mouthwatering three-course meal. But watch out! You could end up as the cold-blooded killer! Don’t miss this unforgettable evening of suspense and laughter. Grab your tickets now!

Participate in a new mystery every month! From the glitz of 1930s Hollywood in “Best Laid Plans” to the roaring 1920s with “Death of a Gangster,” each event offers unforgettable thrills. Boogie at a 1950s sock hop, solve a 90s crime in “Good Riddance,” or celebrate the season with “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.” Whether it's a billionaire’s masquerade, a 1980s bash, or a chilling wedding-themed whodunit, there’s a unique mystery waiting for you. Mark your calendar and join the fun. Each month brings a fresh adventure!

Atlanta-based Jazz vocalist Karla Harris and big band leader Joe Gransden serve up their wildly popular, fun-for-the-whole-family Valentine’s Day performance.

Soulful and swingin’ from start to finish, this isn’t your average holiday concert. Expect timeless romantic classics, heartwarming ballads and a perfect night of music, laughter and love.

Karla is renowned for her ability to wash over an audience with beautiful vocals on timeless standards and then light up the room with a blues number that sticks to your ribs. Joe is known for his hard bop approach with his trumpet, and his singing voice has been compared to that of Chet Baker and Frank Sinatra.

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We’ve all imagined what it’s like to live and work in space, but only a select few have done it. Opening on Oct. 10, those who have lived in space will share their experiences with visitors in our newest traveling exhibition, Journey to Space.

Using hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, Journey to Space gives visitors a glimpse at the extraordinary conditions of human space travel, as well as the unique challenges and rewards of life on board the International Space Station.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance presents "The Play That Goes Wrong," by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Feb. 13-21 at Brenau University's Hosch Theatre, inside the John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts.

An opening night reception, catered by Nothing Bundt Cakes, follows the Feb. 13 performance.

It’s opening night at the Cornley Drama Society, and everything that could possibly go wrong—does! The set’s collapsing, the actors are forgetting lines (or repeating them), and the corpse won’t stay still. This madcap comedy is a love letter to the chaos of live theatre, where disaster becomes delight and failure is fabulously funny. Expect pratfalls, missed cues and non-stop laughs in this Olivier Award-winning global sensation. Fun for the whole family!

Gainesville Theatre Alliance is an inter-collegiate theatre collaboration between Brenau University and the University of North Georgia.

For tickets or more information, visit GainesvilleTheatreAlliance.org or call the GTA Box Office at (678) 717-3624.

Seating is first come, first served. Gates open at 7 p.m. Concert starts at 8 p.m.

Before Ashleigh Smith won the 2014 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, she studied classical music at Georgia’s Columbus State University on a full-ride scholarship. After attending a jazz camp at the prestigious University of North Texas, she transferred to UNT and graduated with a bachelors degree in vocal jazz performance. 

Shortly thereafter, she was awarded a Concord Records recording contract that set the stage for her critically acclaimed 2016 debut album "Sunkissed," which blends her signature mix of R&B, funk and jazz with both original compositions and inventive cover interpretations.

For these Valentine’s weekend performances, Ashleigh and her band will grace the stage with an evening of delicious ballads designed to make their audiences feel the love!

Time: 12-5 p.m.

Come be part of the Fire & Ice Chili Cook Off and Craft Beer Festival in Downtown Blue Ridge. It's a wonderful family-friendly affair!

Warm up with the cozy goodness of chili made by local chefs, then set out on a frosty adventure, hunting for enchanting ice sculptures as you explore our charming shops.

Savor the perfect blend of fiery chili, frosty ice sculptures, craft brews and mesmerizing entertainment.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum—an acclaimed museum dedicated to celebrating and preserving America’s maritime legacy—is delighted to present “Beyond the Plate: Sea and Sky,” an exciting new solo exhibition featuring nautical-inspired, mixed-media art by Rob Strati, from September 25, 2025, through April 12, 2026. 

“Beyond the Plate” will showcase new work by one of America’s hottest contemporary artists. Strati has recently enjoyed sold-out exhibits at Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and FREMIN Gallery in New York and has sold work to top international art collectors in New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai and beyond.

Strati’s art incorporates broken porcelain plates that have been embellished and adorned with creative details. The exhibition features the artist’s latest bold, kinetic mixed-media works and limited-edition prints as well as an ambitious site-specific installation that will be suspended from the ceiling of the Ships of the Sea atrium.

All of the art in “Beyond the Plate” will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

How many chickens do you weigh?

How tall are you in apples or inches or pennies? Can you use your foot as a ruler?

Explore these and other questions in this new interactive exhibit in the Discovery Garden!

It may be common to measure using standard tools such as measuring tapes and cups, but Measurement Rules explores non-standard tools such as balancing scales, odometers, calipers, 3-D imaging and counting “Mississippis.” Explore this exhibit and become confident in the language of measurement through length, weight, volume and time.

The museum is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

We’ve all imagined what it’s like to live and work in space, but only a select few have done it. Opening on Oct. 10, those who have lived in space will share their experiences with visitors in our newest traveling exhibition, Journey to Space.

Using hands-on and large-scale interactive exhibits and multimedia components, Journey to Space gives visitors a glimpse at the extraordinary conditions of human space travel, as well as the unique challenges and rewards of life on board the International Space Station.

Gainesville Theatre Alliance presents "The Play That Goes Wrong," by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Feb. 13-21 at Brenau University's Hosch Theatre, inside the John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts.

An opening night reception, catered by Nothing Bundt Cakes, follows the Feb. 13 performance.

It’s opening night at the Cornley Drama Society, and everything that could possibly go wrong—does! The set’s collapsing, the actors are forgetting lines (or repeating them), and the corpse won’t stay still. This madcap comedy is a love letter to the chaos of live theatre, where disaster becomes delight and failure is fabulously funny. Expect pratfalls, missed cues and non-stop laughs in this Olivier Award-winning global sensation. Fun for the whole family!

Gainesville Theatre Alliance is an inter-collegiate theatre collaboration between Brenau University and the University of North Georgia.

For tickets or more information, visit GainesvilleTheatreAlliance.org or call the GTA Box Office at (678) 717-3624.