Margaret Barbieri Conservatory

The next best thing to seeing a performance by the Sarasota Ballet is to catch a production from its rising stars in the Margaret Barbieri Conservatory, whose pupils take instruction from its world-renowned namesake, a prima ballerina from London’s Royal Ballet. Only the most promising dancers make it into this audition-only conservatory, and many of them will showcase their artistry at this “major exhibition evening” at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. With the Sarasota Ballet having wrapped its 2023-2024 season, this is one of the last opportunities to see world-class ballet until the fall, in an intimate sunset performance that includes a reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from Michael’s on East and extended hours to view the Gardens’ blockbuster exhibition, Yayoi Kusama: A Letter to Georgia O’Keeffe. The event runs 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 15 at 1534 Mound St., Sarasota. (941) 366-5731, selby.org

Cinema at The Bay: Bohemian Rhapsody

The impact of the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody on Queen’s career cannot be overstated. The 2018 film became a somewhat unexpected blockbuster: It made an A-list star out of Rami Malek, grossed more than $910 million worldwide, and set the all-time box-office record for a biopic. In the process, Bohemian Rhapsody catapulted its glam-rock subjects back into the spotlight, generating renewed album sales and tour revenues among demographics as disparate as boomers and zoomers. There’s no better environment to revisit the Oscar-winning feature than under the stars at The Bay Park, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, where it screens for free at 7 p.m. May 16. (941) 203-5316, thebaysarasota.org

Art & Health Fair

One of the Gulf Coast’s cultural treasures, the Ringling Museum, opens free to the community, complete with guided tours, at this fair supporting healthy living and the local arts. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 18, the Ringling, in collaboration with MCR Health, will also host a Zumba class, live music, kids’ activities, and a clown entertainer alongside a variety of basic checkups, such as dental, vision, blood pressure and blood sugar screenings; 3D mammograms; and immunizations. There will be refreshments provided, alongside educational programs, healthy food distribution, a book giveaway, and the possibility to win door prizes, all of it at no cost. The Ringling is at 5401 Bay Shore Drive, Sarasota. (855) 253-9098, ringling.org

Venice Brew Fest

Local, local, local: That’s the repeated buzzword surrounding this inaugural hometown festival, which celebrates our region’s rich craft brewing tradition. More than 20 breweries from Tampa to Venice will be represented, including Sarasota’s Brew Life, Fat Point, Sun King and Calusa; and Bradenton’s Darwin Brewing, 3 Keys, 3 Car Garage and Flamingo Bay. Three local bands will perform 90-minute sets throughout the day, with local nosh available from four on-site food trucks. Enjoy the festivities at Centennial Park in historic downtown Venice, 200 W. Venice Ave., from noon to 4 p.m. May 18. (941) 445-4067, venicebrewfest.com

Joanna Connor & the Wrecking Crew ‘23

Raised in Worcester, Mass., singer, songwriter and guitarist Joanna Connor recalls becoming enraptured with Louis Armstrong’s “Hello, Dolly!” on the radio at age 2. By 17, she was performing the blues professionally, ultimately moving to Chicago and immersing herself into the city’s legendary blues culture and even earning the title “Queen of Chicago Blues Rock Guitar.” To date, Connor has shared stages with Etta James and BB King and recorded 15 albums, including her latest, Best of Me. She’s bringing her Wrecking Crew, comprised of Shaun “Gotti” Calloway on bass and Delby Littlejohn on keys, to Birdrock Taco Shack, 1213 13th Ave. W., Bradenton, at 7 p.m. May 18. (941) 545-9966, birdrocktacoshack.com

Liz Cole: It’s Primary

Few could accuse artist Liz Cole of holding back. Cole’s geometrically driven paintings are flush with color, especially blues, reds, yellows and oranges in hues both earthy and whimsical, and she takes a maximalist approach to filling her canvases. Works such as Neighborhood Color and Red Door typify Cole’s semi-abstract, partly figural approach, as familiar images such as houses, astral bodies and trees catch the eye amid Cole’s boxy patchwork visions. See these pieces and more at her solo exhibition It’s Primary: Celebrating the Power of Color in Art, which opens from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 19-June 13 at Lexow Gallery at Unitarian Universalist Church, 3975 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, (941) 371-4974, uusrq.org.

MindTravel Live-to-Headphones Silent Piano Concert

You’ve probably heard of silent discos, where participants listen to a DJ’s selections through private headphones. But MindTravel, an experiential concert created by composer Murray Hidary, is perhaps the next level up: a live improvised piano performance beamed directly into the earphones of, in this case, beachgoers. At 7 p.m. May 19, Hidary will perform a solo piano concert live on Siesta Beach, backed by (hopefully) a radiant Gulf Coast sunset, with attendees receiving wireless headphones to immerse themselves in the contours of his compositions. While watching the ocean is its own reward, many listeners prefer to close their eyes and meditate to the music, leaving the concert serene, refreshed and ready for the workweek ahead. It goes down at 948 Beach Road, Yellow Lifeguard Tower, Sarasota, eventbrite.com/o/mindtravel-8012446243

Rhinestone Cowgirls

This summer, Florida Studio Theatre (FST) will let its hair down, so to speak, with a series of fun and exclusive cabaret productions that celebrate more than a century’s worth of American music. The three-show mini-season begins May 21 with Rhinestone Cowgirls, a show created by theater-industry veteran Nancy Allen that mines the rich vein of female-fronted country music. Genre-defining (and occasionally genre-transcending) favorites such as Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man” and Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” join more contemporary offerings performed by three powerhouse vocalists: Gianna Maria, Charity Farrell (a semifinalist on Fox’s I Can See Your Voice), and Samantha Duval, who appeared in FST’s most recent production of The Little Shop of Horrors. Rhinestone Cowgirls runs through July 28 at FST’s Goldstein Cabaret, 1241 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. (941) 366-9000, floridastudiotheatre.org