March 6-12 Happenings Calendar

EVENTS

SHERIFF’S ROAST
The fourth annual roast is held 5:45 p.m. March 7 at Hyatt Regency Riverfront, 225 E. Coastline Drive, Northbank. A reception, dinner and a silent auction are featured. Proceeds benefit programs of the Police Athletic League of Jacksonville Inc. Wally Lee, Jax Chamber president, is the honoree. Tickets are $125; $75 for ages 35 and younger. 854-6555 ext. 214. jaxpal.com
GUMBO COOK-OFF & FEST
PHiNS Parrot Heads Club holds its eighth annual event 10 a.m.-4 p.m. March 9 at The Jacksonville Landing, 2 Independent Dr., Jacksonville. Raffles and voting for gumbo are featured. Bands include John Friday 5-7 p.m., Tropical Soul 8-11 p.m. March 8; George Aspinall Band noon-4 p.m., John Friday 4:30-6:30 p.m., Jimmy Parrish & the Ocean Waves 7 p.m.-mid. March 9. Unlimited Gumbo servings for $10 each. Proceeds benefit Gleaners Dispatch, an organization that gathers fresh food and distributes it to those in need. phinsjax.org
FREE ORCHID SHOW
Flower displays, a raffle, a door prize and exhibits are featured at “What’s New in Orchids?” held 10 a.m.-5 p.m. March 9 and 10 at The Garden Club of Jacksonville, 1005 Riverside Ave., Riverside. jaxorchidsociety.org
VFW WOMENS’ CELEBRATION
A free “Celebration of Service for Women Veterans” is held 3 p.m. March 9 at VFW Post 1689, 3409 St. Augustine Rd., Mandarin. Amber Putnam, VFW Department of Florida Surgeon, is the featured speaker. RSVP: 525-6734.
JAX TALENT
Locals compete for cash prizes at two rounds of auditions held 10 a.m., check-in at 9:30 a.m., March 9 at The Florida Times-Union building, 1 Riverside Ave., Downtown. ecolatino.com
GATE RIVER RUN
The 36th annual Gate River Run, which is the U.S. 15K national championship, kicks off at 8:24 a.m. March 9 with the top 25 seeded women’s 15K, followed by the open 15K at 8:30 a.m., along with the 5K for Charity, starting on Gator Bowl Boulevard between EverBank Field and Metropolitan Park. The celebration starts 9:15 a.m., featuring food, drink, beer and live music by The Rick Arcusa Band and The Legal Limit Horn Section. The 1-mile Junior River Run is 11 a.m. on Duval Street. A Diaper Dash is held 11 a.m. left of the stage area at Jacksonville Fairgrounds. Entry fees start at $45 for the 15K, $35 for the 5K and free for the Junior Run and Diaper Dash. No day of race registration. Proceeds benefit local charities. 731-3676. gate-riverrun.com
ORGANIC WINE TASTING
Alex Elman, the “Blind Wine Chick,” offers samples of her organic, sustainably produced wines 2-5 p.m. March 9 at Nassau Health Foods and Mustard Seed Café, 833 TJ Courson Rd., Fernandina Beach. 277-3158. aewines.com
RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET
Bluemingrass 10:30 a.m., Donna Frost 11:45 a.m., John Longbottom 1:15 p.m., Pine Forest School of the Arts 2:45 p.m. March 9 at the market, under the Fuller Warren Bridge at Riverside Avenue, Downtown. Local and regional art and a farmers market are also featured from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. every Sat. Admission is free. 554-6865. riversideartsmarket.com
FRONT PORCH SERIES
Mandarin Museum & Historical Society wraps up the series with longtime Mandarin resident Billy Barwald 2-3 p.m. March 10 at the museum, 11964 Mandarin Road, Mandarin. Barwald discusses his WWII experiences. 268-0784. mandarinmuseum.net
MISS AGGIE AWARDS
The annual Miss Aggie Day is held noon-4 p.m. March 10 at the 1911 Store and Post Office, 12471 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville. Miss Aggie Jones was the proprietor and postmistress of the old Mandarin Store and Post Office for more than 40 years; the 2013 award honors Emily Retherford Lisska. 268-0784. mandarinmuseum.net
COSMIC CONCERTS
iPop 7 p.m., LaserOpolis 8 p.m., Laser Retro 9 p.m., Laser Vinyl 10 p.m. March 8 in Bryan-Gooding Planetarium, Museum of Science & History, 1025 Museum Circle, Southbank. Online tickets are $5. Saturday shows are held noon and 5 p.m. 396-7062. moshplanetarium.org
COMMUNITY LECTURE SERIES
Flagler College marks the 125th anniversary of the former Hotel Ponce de Leon with its 2013 Community Lecture Series, “The Hotel Ponce de Leon Deconstructed: Building the Future for Modern America.” Dr. Alan Woolfolk discusses “The Rise of the WASP Establishment,” 10 a.m. March 12 in the Flagler Room, 74 King St., St. Augustine. Tickets are $5. For reservations, call 819-6282.
BOSOM BUDDIES
Bobbi de Cordova-Hanks, a breast cancer survivor, is the featured speaker 11 a.m. March 13, FSCJ North Campus, Rm. E235, 4501 Capper Road, Jacksonville. Free. RSVP: 766-6785.
AUTISM SYMPOSIUM
Wolfson Children’s Hospital presents the fifth annual symposium 8:30 a.m. March 13 at University of North Florida’s University Center, 12000 Alumni Dr., Jacksonville. Autism experts address medical evidence about autism causes and treatments. Admission is $50, which includes lunch. 202-6039. wolfsonchildrens.org
FARMERS & ARTS MARKET
This market is held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on the second and fourth Sun. of the month at 2042 Park Ave., Orange Park. Everything is handmade or homegrown. Live entertainment, kids’ activities and food are featured. 264-2635. townoforangepark.com
ST. JOHNS RIVER FARMERS MARKET
Local produce, arts and crafts are offered 10 a.m.-2 p.m. every Sat. at Alpine Groves Park, 2060 S.R. 13, Switzerland. 347-8900.
FARMERS MARKET OF SAN MARCO
Fresh local and regional produce is offered 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. every Sat. at 1620 Naldo Ave., Swaim Memorial United Methodist Church parking lot, San Marco. Family fun day is the third Sat. 607-9935.
ANCIENT OAKS ARTS & FARMERS MARKET
An open-air farmers market, noon-4 p.m. March 10 and every other Sun. at Mandarin Community Club, 12447 Mandarin Rd. 607-9935.


POLITICS, BUSINESS, ACTIVISM

SOUTHSIDE BUSINESS MEN’S CLUB
Don Harris, Downtown Investment Authority, is the featured speaker 11:30 a.m. March 6 at San Jose Country Club, 7529 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin. Admission is $20 for members, with lunch; $25 for nonmembers, with lunch. TPC’s Matt Rapp is the speaker on March 13. 396-5559.
JACKSONVILLE JOURNEY
The oversight committee of this crime-fighting initiative
meets 4 p.m. March 21 in Eighth Floor Conference Room 851, Ball Building, 214 N. Hogan St., Jacksonville. 630-7306.
coj.net


BOOKS & WRITING

RANDY WAYNE WHITE
New York Times bestselling author White talks about and signs copies of his new Doc Ford book, “Night Moves,” 7 p.m. March 9 at The BookMark, 220 First St., Neptune Beach. 241-9026.
MELANIE NEALE
Local author Melanie Neale discusses and signs copies of her new book, “Boat Girl: A Memoir of Youth, Love, & Fiberglass,” 7 p.m. March 12 at The BookMark, 220 First St., Neptune Beach. 241-9026.


UPCOMING

RUMBLE IN THE ANCIENT CITY
March 16, Ketterlinus Gym
YO GABBA GABBA LIVE: GET THE SILLIES OUT!
March 22, St. Augustine Amphitheatre
GABRIEL IGLESIAS
March 24, Moran Theater, T-U Center
JAX BEER WEEK
April 1-6, Jax Urban Core
ROCK OF AGES
April 2, T-U Center
DISNEY ON ICE: DARE TO DREAM
April 4, Veterans Memorial Center
MIKE EPPS
April 12, T-U Center
GUNS-N-HOSES
April 13, Veterans Memorial Arena
ISLE OF EIGHT FLAGS SHRIMP FESTIVAL
May 3-5, Fernandina Beach
KEVIN JAMES
June 9, The Florida Theatre


COMEDY

HENRY CHO
Cho says the fact that he’s an Asian with a Southern accent is funny in itself. Cho appears 8 p.m. March 7 and 8, and 7 and 9 p.m. March 9 at The Comedy Zone, 3130 Hartley Road (in Ramada Inn), Mandarin. Tickets are $20 and $25. Comedy Zone All Stars 8 p.m. March 12. 292-4242. Karen Mills is in March 13-16. comedyzone.com
COMEDY CLUB OF JACKSONVILLE
IMPROV Effect 7 p.m. March 7, $8. Collin Moulton appears 8:34 p.m. March 7, 8:04 p.m. March 8 and 8:04 and 10:18 p.m. March 9 at the new club, 11000 Beach Blvd., Ste. 8, Southside. Tickets range from $6-$15. 646-4277. jacksonvillecomedy.com
NEIL HAMBURGER
Neil Hamburger, aka Gregg Turkington, appears 10 p.m. March 10 at Sun-Ray Cinema, 1028 Park St., Five Points, 359-0047. sunraycinema.com
MAD COWFORD
Mad Cowford Improv performs 8:15 p.m. every Fri. and Sat. at Northstar Substation, 119 E. Bay St., Downtown. Admission is $5. 860-5451.


NATURE, SPORTS, OUTDOORS

DINOTREK AT THE ZOO
The new exhibit is opens at Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens, 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville. Lifelike animatronic “dinosaur” creatures are featured. Admission is $3 for members, $3.50 for non-members, in addition to Zoo admission. Zoo hours are extended until 6 p.m. weekends and holidays starting March 2, through Labor Day. 757-4463. jacksonvillezoo.org
ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE TALBOT ISLANDS
A park ranger discusses the rich cultural history that dates back more than 5,000 years, 2 p.m. March 9 at Ribault Club, Ft. George Island Cultural State Park, 11241 Ft. George Road. Free. 251-2320. floridastateparks.org/littletalbotisland
COMMUNITY EVENTS
LGBT WORSHIP SERVICES
Services are held 10:30 a.m. every Sun. at First Coast Metropolitan Community Church, 2915 C.R. 214, St. Augustine. 824-2802.
JEWISH ETHICS COURSE
The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute offers the course “Living with Integrity: Navigating Everyday Ethical Dilemmas,” conducted by Rabbi Nochum Kurinsky of Chabad @ the Beaches, held 7 p.m. March 6 at The Aaron & Blanche Scharf Chabad Center, 521 A1A N., Ponte Vedra. The course challenges students to articulate their opinions, while providing practical Talmudic wisdom to help navigate through life’s ethical challenges. All JLI courses are open to the public; you needn’t be affiliated with any house of worship. 543-9301. myJLI.com
OLD TIME JAM
Mountain-type folk music is played 7 p.m. every Tue. at Underbelly, 113 E. Bay St., Downtown. Open to players of all skill levels. Admission is free. facebook.com/JacksonvilleOldTimeJam


CLASSES & GROUPS

SMALL SCALE POULTRY PRODUCTION WORKSHOP
Duval County Extension Office, Standard Feed & Seed, Dinsmore Feed & Supply and Purina Animal Nutrition offer a free Small Scale Poultry Production Workshop 6-8:30 p.m. March 12 at Duval County Extension Office, 1010 N. McDuff Ave., Jacksonville. To register, call 255-7450. raisingpoultry2013.eventbrite.com
MEMORY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
Learn simple strategies that focus on cognitive stimulation, education and socialization. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every Tue. and Thur. at Christ Episcopal Church, 400 San Juan Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach. 729-9535.
DEBTORS ANONYMOUS
12-Step meetings are held 7 p.m. every Thur. at Christian Family Chapel, Bldg. D, 10365 Old St. Augustine Rd., Jacksonville. 269-8010.
COMBAT MARTIAL ARTS
Six-week martial arts classes for men and women are offered 7-8 p.m. every Tue. and Thur. at 4083 Sunbeam Road, Southside. The fee is $40 a month, which includes access to fitness center. 343-6298.
MARINE VETERANS GROUP
The Oldest City Detachment 383 gathers 7 p.m. on first Tue. of the month at Elks Lodge 829, 1420 A1A S., St. Augustine. 461-0139. mclfl383.org
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA
The Duval County Chapter No. 1046 gathers 7 p.m. the first Wed. of every month at the Elks Lodge, 1855 West Road, Southside. 419-8821.