Future Joy to present Joyful music, arts festival

ST. PETERSBURG — Joyful, a music and arts festival, will take place on Saturday, Jan. 31, 4 p.m. to midnight, at Synergy Arts Collective, 415 20th St. S., St. Petersburg.

Tickets start at $45. Visit https://ezregister.com/events/42091/ or www.futurejoymusic.com.

Joyful is presented by the dance music duo Future Joy. The lineup will feature performances by Future Joy, Disco Cowboy, and J-Rose Loops with special guests Maddy O’Neal, Marvel Years, Sacred Snow and Sugar Nova. There will be live art, fire dancers, and vendors.

Future Joy is the vibrant power couple of Emily Cooper and Zach Simms, a genre-blending, high-energy fusion of DJ performance and live instrumentation. Hailing from both Denver, Colorado, and St. Petersburg, they’ve been igniting and uniting dance floors and festival stages for years. Combining the best of funk, house, bass, pop, drum and bass, hip-hop, techno, jazz, dubstep, and beyond, Future Joy delivers a boundary-breaking sound that turns every set into an explosive, joyful experience. Both members sing, DJ, and play keys, while Zach brings an extra blast of energy on tenor, baritone, and bass saxophones.

Future Joy has brought their sonic celebration to iconic festivals like Bonnaroo, Hulaween, Treefort, Elements, Secret Dreams, Oregon Country Fair, Resonate, Joshua Tree Music Festival, and Memphis RiverBeat, among many others. They’ve shared the stage as direct support for artists such as The Polish Ambassador, Moon Hooch, BoomBox, SunSquabi, Manic Focus and Marvel Years.

Dunedin Fine Art Center to host open house

DUNEDIN — The Dunedin Fine Art Center will kick off the holiday season with an annual open house on Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 1143 Michigan Blvd, Dunedin.

This free, family-friendly event is the perfect way to discover new creative opportunities, shop local, and enjoy a festive Saturday surrounded by art.

Guests will have the chance to meet and watch 20-plus DFAC faculty members as they demonstrate techniques across a wide range of mediums. From painting, weaving, ceramics, and pastels to jewelry, wood turning, drawing, and more, visitors can see firsthand what DFAC’s Winter Session classes offer. It’s an ideal opportunity to connect with instructors and find the perfect class to kick off the new year.

This year’s open house also features special area sales by the ceramics department, printmaking department, and the jewelry studio. Students and faculty have been creating and collecting work all year for these once-a-year sales. Proceeds help support and grow DFAC’s beloved studio programs.

Don’t miss DFAC’s 39th Annual Holiday Invitational, “Deck the Halls & Walls,” still on display. Wander through galleries filled with original artwork and browse more than 1,000 handmade ornaments, each crafted by local artists and ready to take home. It’s the perfect companion experience to the Open House — and the perfect way to spend a Saturday in Dunedin.

Plan to spend the day exploring demos, shopping handcrafted art, and enjoying the creative energy of DFAC during one of its most cherished annual traditions.

For more information, visit www.dfac.org.

Author reading set at Barnes & Noble

ST. PETERSBURG — Local author Donna Parrey will be the featured Storytime reader on Saturday, Dec. 13, 11 a.m., at Barnes & Noble, 2501 Tyrone Blvd., St. Petersburg.

Parrey will be reading her children’s holiday giftbook, “The MuttCracker.”

“My book features 15 breeds of dogs in the classic ‘Nutcracker’ storyline,” said Parrey. “It appeals to dog-lovers of all ages as well as fans of the holiday ballet.”

Parrey was first inspired to write the book back in 2002 when her daughters were rehearsing for “Nutcracker in the Park,” a beloved annual outdoor production that was staged in Straub Park back then.

“I’d be sitting in the park with other performers’ parents, some of whom brought their pets to romp,” she said. “Every once in a while I’d see a dog that seemed like a great fit for one of the dancing roles, and my mind started churning.”

The first edition of “The MuttCracker” included Parrey’s hand-drawn and colored drawings.

“I’m no artist, but I knew what I wanted,” she said. “I took the pages to a print shop, had them copied, cut, collated, and punched for spiral binding. Then I hand-assembled them and tied a red raffia bow at the top. Voila! My book was created!”

She distributed them to the dancers and family members.

It wasn’t until Parrey retired that she revisited “The MuttCracker” and decided to pursue publication.

While Parrey has authored other books, “The MuttCracker” holds a special place in her heart.

“It’s hard to believe that I’m now celebrating the 10-year anniversary of ‘The MuttCracker’ becoming a published holiday giftbook.”

TIGLFF announces format changes

Due to funding changes and challenges facing LGBTQ+ arts spaces, the Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival announced recently that it will be pausing the separate St. Pete festival planned for January 2026. Instead, the 36th Tampa and St. Pete Annual Festival programming will return together in September 2026, restoring the pre-pandemic format.

In a press release, the TIGLFF board of directors said: “This change is part of a larger evolution of our beloved organization. We are rebranding to just TIGLFF, keeping our name while introducing a fresh logo and new colors, and dropping the acronym to mirror other longstanding organizations like PFLAG and GLSEN. This change honors our history while embracing a broader, more inclusive vision beyond just ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian.’”

The organization also plans to expand its programming beyond film to include other queer arts experiences such as art markets, fine art experiences, and other community-centered events. Recent initiatives, such as the community picnic added to the Trans Film Festival, have demonstrated the power of shared experiences in strengthening the local arts community. The organization seeks to expand on this model.

“Your voice matters, and we want your input on what kinds of experiences and programming you would like TIGLFF to provide to the community,” the press release said. “We will soon be launching a public form to accept submissions for your input on what kinds of films and additional events you’d like to see.”

For information, visit tiglff.com.

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