The First Friday Gallery Stroll this week will take you into the Crystal Jubilee Invitational at Gallery 14. The gallery is celebrating its 15th year anniversary this summer with special receptions on the First Friday Gallery Stroll events. The special reception this month will be 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, July 7. There will be more receptions 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, and Friday, Sept. 1. The juried show features works inspired by the gallery’s Crystal Jubilee theme. The many artists include Quentin Walter, Mark San Souci, Carla Golembe, Mark Wygonik, Susan Rienzo and many more. Gallery 14 is at 1911 14th Ave., Vero Beach. Regular summer hours in July are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 772-562-5525 or visit Gallery14VeroBeach.com. The First Friday Strolls will take you into galleries along 14th Avenue through the Arts District in historic downtown Vero Beach. For more information about the stroll, visit MainStreetVerobeach.org or call 772-643-6782.
Riverside Theatre will be where all the action is this weekend when it brings back its popular Vegas Nights running in tandem with its Comedy Zone and Live in the Loop concerts. The event turns the theater’s spacious Orchid Lobby into a Las Vegas casino of sorts, where guests can play blackjack, roulette, craps, slot machines, 3-card poker, “Let It Ride” poker and “Big Wheel.” It’s free to enjoy the Live in the Loop concerts or to enter into the lobby to watch all the action with Vegas Nights. But if you want to play the games, you need to purchase special Casino Dollars. And, of course, tickets are required for the Comedy Zone (more information about that follows). The special packages for Vegas Nights include: Comedy & Casino Package, $85 (you get $150 worth of Casino Dollars, half-priced drinks, a ticket to the Comedy Zone); Comedy & Casino Package 2, $65 ($100 worth of Casino Dollars, half-priced drinks and a ticket to the Comedy Zone); Casino Package 3, $50 ($100 worth of Casino Dollars and half off drinks); or a Casino Only Package, $20 ($40 worth of Casino Dollars). If you don’t want to play any casino games and just want to enjoy the Comedy Zone, tickets for that are $25. The casino gaming is for entertainment purposes only. You need to be at least 18 years of age to play. There are also raffle prizes to great places including Capt. Hirams Resort, the Environmental Learning Center, Majestic 11 Movie Theatre, the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa and much, much more. All proceeds from Vegas Nights will benefit the youth tuition assistance and the new community programs. The Riverside Theatre Vegas Nights runs 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8, and 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15. If you’re just looking for laughs, Riverside’s Comedy Zone is definitely the place for that. This weekend, it features stand-up comics Al Ernst and Dylan Vattelana plus emcee Josh Armenteros. The comedy shows start at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8. Tickets are $25. Live in the Loop concerts feature Johnny & The Blaze 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, July 7, and Terri Rock & Pop Dance Party 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 8. Riverside Theatre is at 3250 Riverside Park Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-231-6990 or visit
RiversideTheatre.com.
The Vero Beach International Music Festival begins Wednesday, July 12, at the First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach. The event features the faculty of the Mike Block String Camp, its participants, students of area public schools and local music personalities. Show 1 begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, and will feature the Mike Block Spring Camp faculty members including multiple Grammy Award winners performing in multiple folk/jazz styles. Tickets to that are $25. The Show 2 concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, and also features multiple Grammy Award winners performing in multiple folk/jazz styles. The festival culminates at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15, with a free concert performed by camp participants and more. Although the Saturday concert is free, a $20 donation is suggested. Mainstage performers are Zachary Brown, Jeremy Kittel, Hanneke Cassel, Casey Driessen, Natalie Haas, Joe Walsh, Taylor Morris, Lauren Rioux and Jacob Craig. The First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach is at 520 Royal Palm Blvd. To buy tickets online or for more information, visit MikeBlockStringCamp.com or VeroBeachInternationalMusicFestival.com.
