Forks & Corks Bring your appetites to this year’s four-day Forks & Corks Food & Wine Festival, which includes winemaker dinners, interactive seminars and the Grand Tasting in the Ringling Museum courtyard. But buy your tickets early; last year’s events sold out weeks in advance. Jan. 27-30; 955-3663 or freshoriginals.com/forksandcorks.

God of Carnage Yasmina Reza’s Tony-winning play about supposedly civilized parents whose meeting to discuss their children’s playground fight quickly becomes a knockout battle is now an Asolo Rep production, directed by FSU/Asolo Conservatory head Greg Leaming. On the mainstage Jan. 13 through April 6; 351-8000 or asolorep.org.

Town Hall Lectures Laura Bush kicks off the 2012 Ringling Town Hall Lecture Series, speaking at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Van Wezel. A champion of early childhood education and various health initiatives, she’s also an author; her memoir, Spoken from the Heart, is a best seller. Tickets, 925-1343.

Sarasota Ballet: Made in America The ballet company reprises Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations and Will Tuckett’s Spielende Kinder, Jan. 27-29 at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, but the big news here is the company premiere of Salute, a new work by Royal Ballet star Johan Kobborg. 359-0099 ext. 101 or sarasotaballet.org.

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