The Gainesvillains » Florida

Florida Spring Break Options

Lazaroc — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:22:03 +0000

With March right around the corner, it has been time to make plans, put down deposits, and hoard “goods” for the week long celebration known formally as “SPRRRRINNGGG BREAAAAAKK 2K10!!!!!!!!!!!.” Where many people swear that they party enough during the semester that when Spring Break comes around they just call it quits at mom’s and dad’s, some of us are still up for putting our bodies through the most extreme physical test since last years go around.

The typical Spring Break requires lots of beach, babes, and booze, lots and lots of booze. Luckily, we live in Florida and this should be a relatively easy and inexpensive endeavor. However, there is always some sister in your house who has been begging people since september to drop a few hundo on a party cruise deposit or your bros begging you to purchase airfare to Costa Rica and that kid from class trying to get you to go in on that Key West beach house.

All of these options take some dollars and if you’re not willing to throw down, chances are your “friends” aren’t willing to hang. Well not all of spring break options cost a ton of money, there is always The Desert Inn <3 Daytona Beach...

Pluses about the typical spring break are:
- lots of sun, sand, and sex
- plenty of photo ops of you and your friends looking right in bathing suits to add to facebook
- free booze

Downsides to the typical spring break are:
- sunburns, sand irritation, herpes, gonorrhea and chlamydia
- lots of embarrassing/incriminating photos and videos for other people to post of you on facebook
- plenty of hangovers

If you’re one of those people who would like to forgo sandy beaches, muscles, and t & a, you can always trade those in for some live music. Festival environments are always a fun way to vacation from reality for the weekend and enjoy some new tunes and camp with friends. Luckily, this year Spring Break is sandwiched by two new and rather inexpensive music festivals in town. La Viance Music Festival and Harvest of Hope.

La Viance Music Festival is taking place March 5th-7th on 180-acres of pristine real estate in central Florida. Featuring 60 hours of non-stop music, this should be the perfect start to any Spring Break. Plenty of Electro, House, and DnB to keep you dancing all night as well as some hometown heroes like The Supervillains and Mirrorpal. It also looks like they will have tons of professional sound and lighting to keep you visually stimulated. Check here for tickets they are cheap right now too, only $30.

Pluses about this festival are that:
- Its central location puts it right in the middle of the state
- It is honestly the cheapest 3-days of music I have ever seen
- the music doesn’t stop for 60 hours
- the venue looks amazing

Downsides to this festival are that:
- the music doesn’t stop for 60 hours, good luck sleeping
- Dnb and Dubstep

Harvest of Hope. takes place the following weekend, March 12th-14th at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds in St. Augustine. This years line-up will feature Anti-Flag, The Mountain Goats, Strike Anywhere, and Dr. Dog to name a few. It can get kind of dusty out there so be sure to have your surgeons masks or bandanas handy.

Pluses about this festival are that:
- Its pretty cheap at $50
- you get to time travel back to High School
- anti-flag will let you know what they think about the current state of politics

Downsides to this festival are that:
- its literally in the middle of no where
- the beaches in North Florida aren’t “all that” if they’re even warm
- if you don’t plan on camping be prepared to drive a few miles back and forth and pay for parking

What are you doing for Spring Break?

Any plans out of the ordinary?

Have any good Spring Break stories?

Gators on Top

Lazaroc — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:43:03 +0000

After a week long extravaganza of homecoming parties, parades, Gator Growl, Football, and more parties, The first week of Bowl Championship Series rankings have been determined with none other than The Florida Gators on top!

The Gators pulled out a close win Saturday against Arkansas with a 23-20 victory. This has many gator fans worried about the ability of Florida offense to keep their head in the game and hands on the ball. There are even more Gator Haters complaining about Florida’s “weak” schedule and overrated standing. Regardless, The Florida Gators are currently sitting on top of the BCS and anxiously awaiting trips to Atlanta and Pasadena

Here are the top 10 teams of the B.C.S. standings:

1. Florida
2. Alabama
3. Texas
4. Boise State
5. Cincinnati
6. Iowa
7. Southern California
8. Texas Christian
9. Louisiana State
10. Miami

Click here for a full list of Rankings

Who’s planning on going to the SEC or BCS championship game?

How do you normally respond to Gator Hate?

I just rip out their tongue and beat them to death with it, but that’s just me.

Heart of Florida Asian Festival

Shaan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:31:55 +0000

Sunday, October 25th marks the day of Gainesville’s Asian Cultural Arts Festival. The festival is said to include “music, Thai Elvis, Japanese Shamisen and Taiko Drumming, Dance, Acrobatics, Martial Arts, Kimono Fashion Show, Asian Cuisine, and more.”

Now, if you’re like me, “Thai Elvis” probably caught your attention. A quick Google search resulted in this:

"I eat nothin' but hound dogs..."

I was never an “A” student in my AP English classes, but you’ll also notice that “Thai Elvis” was listed almost first in the list of events offered at the festival. The careful juxtaposition of the act compared to the other acts leads me to believe that Thai Elvis may be the most important thing to have ever happened to the Asian Cultural Arts over the last couple thousand of years. Certainly more so than this guy:

"I feel like Tom Cruise in 'The Last Samurai'"

In any case, the festival looks like a lot of fun. If you’re looking for something to do in Gainesville besides blacking out at Grog, then mark your calendars.

Sunday, October 25, 2009
12 – 6 PM
Historic Thomas Center
302 NE 6th Ave.
Gainesville, FL 32601
352.393.8746

Festival Website

How to survive your first College tailgate…

Lazaroc — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:44:06 +0000

This Saturday marks the beginning of what is predicted to be another great season for the Florida Gators. Game Day is a rite of passage for those of you who are just arriving on campus and making their first steps into the swamp. On game day, most if not all of the pretentious douchebaggery is dissolved from fellow gator to gator and instead focused onto the opposing team and fans. Hordes of alumni and students gather around campus to booze and schmooze before kick off. It might become a bit overwhelming at some points, but here are some survival tips to make sure that your game day is a successful one.

1. Be sure to go out Friday night regardless of what time kick off is the next day. And by go out, I really mean go out. Make sure you let any visiting fans who are checking out the wonderful options Gainesville night life has to offer what they are in for. You want to wake up hungover so you can immediately start remedying by more drinking.

2. Clothing is Key, be sure to wear something comfortable and light in order to stay cool during day games. This could mean that new pair of khaki pants you picked up along with that button down and tie. If its really hot out there you might even want to put on a jacket or a blazer. If you are more of a jeans kind of guy, go for a nice mid-thigh cut. Now if you’re a lady, a sundress is most appropriate to keep you stylish and cool. Nothing like a constant flow of air to the booty to minimize any swamp ass.

3. Alcoholic Beverages. Its always important to carefully select what it is that you will be drinking on. You don’t want anything that is too heavy and will slow you down on the foot race. But then again anything too light will have you knocking on random doors trying to find the pisser. Tequilas and Whiskeys make for an interest day partying in the sun. I would start and end with these, and chill on some domestic beers in between. GO AMERICA!

4. Gear & Equipment. If you are taking the responsibility upon yourself to set up the tailgate, good luck. It must be EPIC or else those cute girls from lab that you got the balls to ask over for you and your buddies hot dogs might keep on walking. There is plenty of competition between the best tailgates in town. But the bare necessities are as follows
- Coolers to keep the beers cold
- Radio/stereo to kill any awkward silences
- Grills to cook up those game day bratwurts
- Tailgate and/or a table to serve and drink off of.
- Games…footballs, cornholio, pong, any and all of it.
- ICE… and plenty of it, enough for drinks and to keep the kegs cold unless you have one of these keg koozies

5. BUY A FLASK!! This is most important for those mobile tailgators and people trying to get an extra drink or two in the stadium. Flasks come in a range of varieties from disposable plastic to engraved stainless steel. There are even some clever disguises hiding liquor in fake bellies, boobs, and cell phones.

6. A Really big fucking truck. It helps when you are trying to lug around all this gear or just trying to find a parking spot. People won’t daringly jump out in front of your vehicle if it strikes fear in their souls. All the girls want to get in bed with the big truck.

7. Scalping Tickets @1000% face value. A key to making money in Gainesville if you are a broke college kid is reselling tickets. The University has tried to pass ordinances to keep the scalping solely around midtown. However, if you see anyone saying they are looking for tickets they are probably selling some too. Don’t feel bad for jacking up the rates. Most alums have jobs, and you don’t.

Overall, your Saturdays are going to be quite unmemorable but still very memorable via facebook/flickr uploads. You are going to most likely drink copious amounts and strange mixtures of spirits, wines, and brews. The people you begin tailgating with will not be the same group of people you are with by the end. You will make new friends, and tragically lose others to vomflu. You might skin your knees, elbows, or just end up with grass stains. But at the end of the day, when Florida is up by at least twice your age, you know its worth it.