Arbor Day activities

This Friday is Arbor Day, the annual civic holiday observing the importance of trees, and Sarasota’s parks and nonprofits are going out on a limb to celebrate. Between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on April 26, the Bay Sarasota will welcome local arborists Don Ullom and Jeremy Wilhelm for a free lunchtime discussion on trees and landscaping at 1055 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota. Then at 6 p.m. on April 26, Twin Lakes Park will present “Florida-Friendly Landscaping: Planting Trees for the Suncoast,” an hour-long class on the best trees to survive and thrive on our coast. Each participant will receive a sapling to plant, part of the University of Florida’s efforts to replant many of the trees lost to the impacts of Hurricanes Ian and Idalia. For the latter, contact (941) 861-5000 or email [email protected]

Great Escapes: Fantastic Voyage

A journey around the continents that doesn’t leave the friendly confines of Holley Hall, this latest program from Sarasota Orchestra thinks globally. The program for “Great Escapes: Fantastic Voyage” is themed around the idea that great music is borderless, and its selections will include Joan Strauss II’s immortal The Blue Danube, inspired by the second-largest river in Europe, as well as similarly place-centric compositions from Puccini and Elgar. The program also toasts the 25th anniversary of concertmaster Daniel Jordan with a performance of Johan Svendsen’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra, all under the baton of guest conductor Christopher Confessore, music director and principal conductor of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. Performances run at 7:30 p.m. April 25 and 27, with a slightly shorter program at 5:30 p.m. on April 26. Holley Hall is at 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 953-3434, sarasotaorchestra.org

The Beast

One of the best-reviewed films of this young year, The Beast has earned praise for its audacious science-fiction conceit as well as what many have called a career-defining performance from lead actor Léa Seydoux. In the French-Canadian co-production directed by enfant terrible Bertrand Bonello (Nocturama), Seydoux lives in a dystopian future in which emotions have become a threat to an A.I.-driven world. In a move to “purify” her DNA, she enters a machine that transports her to two of her past lives—in Belle Époque Paris and 2014 Los Angeles—where she falls in love with different iterations of the same damaged soul. A thriller with a bonkers premise and an inventive time-jumping narrative, The Beast opens April 26 at Burns Court Cinema, 506 Burns Court, Sarasota. (941) 955-3456, filmsociety.org

The Price Is Right Live

Knowing the value of a refrigerator or a luxury sedan or a weekend in Acapulco makes good financial sense—and, with a little bit of luck and skill, it can also reap material benefits. Such has been the appeal of the seemingly eternal The Price is Right, a game-show powerhouse since 1972. At this live stage version of the series, randomly selected ticketholders will be invited to “come on down” to play fan-favorites like Plinko, Cliffhangers, the Big Wheel and Showcase, with winners walking away with appliances, vacations and possibly cars. Try your fortunes at 8 p.m. on April 26 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 263-6799, vanwezel.org

Sarasota Ballet: Inspirations

Sarasota Ballet concludes its season with another triumphant program of works that, as its title suggests, find inspiration from places as divergent as rural America and the lunar surface. Set to a string quartet by Dvorak, Tony winner Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet The American opens the program with its tribute to the ecstasy and tranquility of the United States’ Great Plains region. It’s followed by the company premiere of Lyric Pieces, which builds on the Sarasota Ballet’s ongoing relationship with pioneering choreographer Jessica Lang; and Sir Frederick Ashton’s sprawling, abstract three-part ballet Sinfonietta. Performances run 7:30 p.m. on April 26 and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on April 27 at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota. (941) 359-0099, sarasotaballet.org

Sarasota Anime-Fest

The Gulf Coast’s beloved gathering SarasotaCon won’t return until August, but Anime-Fest, produced by the same organizers, should scratch a similar cultural itch. Fans of all things anime, from manga and candy to toys, video games, comic books, jewelry and clothing are invited to enjoy a full day of panels, trivia, movies, a cosplay contest, and a Super Smash Brothers tournament, among other revelries. Special guests include Tiffany Grant, a voice actor from Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Phil Parsons, whose voice can be heard on DBZ, Attack on Titan and Tokyo Ghoul. It goes down from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 27 at Carlisle Inn, 3727 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota. sarasotaanimefest.com

Bradenton Punk Rock Flea

At first blush, the punk rock and flea market cultures may not seem to share the same demographics. But both thrive on thrift, a commonality that has helped propel this periodic gathering, which launched in Lakeland and celebrates its third event in Bradenton from noon to 6 p.m. on April 28 at Oscura. The punk part comes in the form of six live bands, some traveling from as far as Jacksonville, with Tampa act Chasing Airplanes headlining at 5:30 p.m. The whole time, upwards of 50 vendors will be set up in the parking lot offering vintage vinyl records, band merchandise, artwork, up-cycled and custom clothing, handmade jewelry and plenty of collectibles and oddities. Five food vendors will be onsite, too; leave plenty of time to soak it all in. Oscura is at 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton. (941) 201-4950, oscura.live

George Thorogood and the Destroyers

It was only a year ago that George Thorogood fans were on tenterhooks after the seminal ‘80s rocker announced the cancellation of a major leg of a tour due to a “very serious medical condition.” Whatever the ailment, Thorogood has evidently recovered, because the 74-year-old singer and guitarist is back in full force and visiting Sarasota with his four-piece band the Destroyers. Titled the “Bad All Over the World Tour,” it marks a momentous anniversary for the “Bad to the Bone” songwriter: his 50th year in the road, a half-lifetime that's included upwards of 8,000 performances. See him at 7:30 p.m. on May 1 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. (941) 263-6799, vanwezel.org