See What's "Bugging" Us at the FL Museum of Natural History

Do you ever feel like a fly-on-the-wall? You might want to rethink that after visiting the Florida Museum of Natural History's newest exhibit, CSI: Crime Scene Insects. It will be available May 8 to June 17 and give visitors the opportunity to learn how bugs like flies, maggots and beetles help in solving crimes every day. It's based on the fact that insects play an important role in decomposition.
For the particularly steel-stomached and morbidly curious, there will be a chance to view five stages of decomposition in morgue drawers that will hold models of cadavers in each stage. Then see if you can pick out the same details as someone investigating the actual crime.
**Suggestion: Don't go out for pizza after eyeing the decaying corpses**

You can also see the stages of a fly's life at "The Fly Wheel." It also gives information on how a forensic entomologist investigates cases and the tools they use.

Just when you thought it couldn't get more repulsive, there will be the filthy opportunity on opening day to paint a picture using maggots. Gross.

By the way, the National Science Education Standards deem this exhibit suitable for children 8 years and older.

Fruit, Vegetable, or Zucchini Festival?!

Come see if you can carve the kookiest courgette (that's what they call zucchini across the pond) at the 26th Annual Windsor Zucchini Festival! It will be Saturday, May 8 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Windsor which is located seven miles east of Gainesville on CR 234 between SR 20 (Hawthorne Road) and SR 26 (Orange Heights Road).

You'll be surprised at how many zucchini related activities there are:

• Zucchinithon Fun Run
• Duke of Zuke and Zuqueenie Pageant
• Arts and Crafts Vendor Show
• Cook-a-Zuke Contest
• Zucchini Carving Contest (judging categories include biggest and ugliest)
• Hay Rides
• Live bands

Let's not forget this is a festival about food, so there will be plenty of eating to be done. Tease your tastebuds with fried zucchini (we are in the South), zucchini ice cream and other goodies. Also, proceeds from the event go to help the local fire station.

Interesting facts about zucchini:

• Normally labeled as a vegetable, it is actually an immature fruit.
• It is low in calories, but a good source of potassium, vitamin A and folate.
• It comes from a flower (below).

First Annual Garden Bike Tour of Gainesville

Start stretching those quads and get ready for some biking and beauty! On Saturday, April 24 the Citizens Co-op will be leading its First Annual Garden Bike Tour of Gainesville. It will start at the Downtown Plaza and end at Citizens Co-op new location on 435 S. Main St.

The tour takes you on a 14-mile loop of public and private gardens throughout Gainesville. After the ride, there is a music festival from 5-11 p.m. at the store with live music, beer and local food.

Registration for the event is $20 for adults, $15 for students and free for kids (no age specified). This can be done prior to the event or between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. in the Bo Diddley Plaza on Saturday. Registered participants will receive a bike tour t-shirt, tour map, refreshments and free entrance to the music festival. It's $10 for those only interested in attending the festival.

Gator Gymnastics Flips to Host NCAA Champs in Gainesville

You'll get more "spring" than you bargained for this season. University of Florida gets to host the 2010 National Collegiate Women's Gymnastic Championship for the first time in over a dozen years. The event will take place at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on April 22-24. The schedule goes as follows:

Thursday, April 22

Semifinal #1 @ 1 p.m.

Semifinal #2 @ 7 p.m.

Friday, April 23

Super Six Teams Finals 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 24

Autograph Session 4-5:30 p.m.

Individual Event Finals @ 6 p.m.

Tickets for the event must be bought through ticketmaster for all three days; tickets for separate days are not available yet. Adult tickets are $45 to $55 and children and seniors are $30.

You can also attend the autograph session with the participating gymnasts between fan gates one and two on Saturday.

As of Monday, April 5 UF is ranked fourth in the nation. To see where the Gators train, click here.

Green Garden=Green Thumb

Get a greener garden this year--and I'm not talking about having the greenest grass in the neighborhood. Get all the makings of a true Florida paradise next weekend at the Spring Native Plant Sale. The Morningside Nature Center will host the sale on Saturday, April 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There will be plant experts there who will help you pick those perfect additions to your yard. The great thing about these horticultural treasures is the easy upkeep (no green thumb necessary). These plants are supposed to be in your back yard, so they need less care.

So how does this make a "green" garden? You're protecting the natural environment by not bringing in invasive plant species as well as using less water. Get flowers, shrubs, trees and grass that are all Florida natives. Yes, you can have the greenest grass in the neighborhood by getting "green" grass next weekend.

Orange, Blue and Spring Arts -- A Colorful Splash in Downtown Gainesville Next Weekend!

Circle the date and circle the fun-things-to-do wagons around downtown Gainesville `cause with all the activities on the calendar next weekend Gainesville's the place to be!

Sports fans, it's time again for the Orange and Blue Game at the University of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin stadium --this intrasquad Gator vs. Gator scrimmage next Saturday gives spectators a sneak peek at next Fall's Gator gridiron line-up and hopefully a happy hint of the 2010 season.

Just five minutes east on University Avenue, a different line-up is assembled as more than 250 artists from around the nation will display their works all along NE 1st Street in historic downtown Gainesville for the 41st (wow!) Santa Fe Springs Arts Festival.

The official festival poster created by the ever-talented local artist, Angela Hoppe, was just unveiled this week...and it's fantastic. A fitting foretaste of other masterpieces to be discovered at this year's festival, Saturday and Sunday (April 10 & 11).

Reminder -- It's Census Day Today

Pardon us while we temporarily remove our Visitor and Tourist Hats and replace them with our

Citizens Alert Beanies!

Remember today is no longer April Fool's Day -- now it's the official Complete & Return the Census Form Day -- no fooling.
For those of us who haven't had the chance to complete this important document, it's a quick and easy process.

Really.

Our hats are off to you all!

Eggcellent Easter Eating

We were a little surprised when a recent caller mentioned "I'm having a challenge finding restaurants in Gainesville serving Easter brunch." So pardon the pun, but we hopped right on the holiday brunch search mission.
In no time, and in true champion Easter Egg hunting mode, we found several restaurants that traditionally serve weekend brunches every Sunday and several that are putting on a special spread in honor of the Easter celebration. (And FYI each inquiry to each restaurant included "call for reservations" advice.)
So where to go for a special Easter Brunch in Gainesville?
Here's a sampling of a few we found that are adding a little something extra this Sunday:

• Paramount Plaza Hotel and Suites is serving an elaborate Easter Brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Hilton University of Florida Conference Center is putting out it's Easter finest by serving brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Sweetwater Branch Inn has a very special Easter Brunch from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Normally, brunch is only open to guests of the Inn, but this Sunday it has opened its doors to the public.
• Sisters , a popular breakfast haunt in the upscale Haile Village in Soutwest Gainesville, is whipping up egg-straspecial Brunch (you just had to know that was eventually gonna show up) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Emiliano's Cafe, where PanLatino cuisine reigns supreme, is spicing up their normal Sunday Brunch to fortify anybunnies appetite (okay, we'll stop).

Of course, bountiful and delectable breakfast spreads are on the Easter Sunday menu at:

• The Jones
• 43rd Street Deli
• Peach Valley Cafe
• Ivey's Grill

Before you hide or hunt for the golden egg, search no more for Easter Brunch in Gainesville.