Before we begin September and a new month of events, we have one more weekend in August, with a particularly busy Friday here in the Sarasota area.
Options include a food truck rally at Big Top Brewing Company and a screening of one of this year's biggest box-office hits at University Town Center — both events free and outdoors — as well as a classic children's movie playing at the century-old Sarasota Opera House.
In Manatee County, you can see a former "Saturday Night Live" cast member perform stand-up Friday or, from Thursday to Saturday, see laser light shows set to a decades-spanning selection of rock music. Here are this week's highlights. Event details are subject to change.
plus info on things to do every Friday
1. Food Truck Rally at Big Top Brewing Company in Sarasota
Sarasota brewery Big Top Brewing Company will host another food truck rally in partnership with a barbecue purveyor that USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida recently named one of the state's best food trucks.
Smokin Momma Lora's BBQ will be there along with Crust n' Crumb, Dirty Sara-Soda, Windy City Chowdown, Chasin' Chicken, Momma Lora's Burgers and Red Chillez Indian Cuisine. Big Top will have cold brews to wash that food down with, while other offerings will include live music and local vendors.
5-10 p.m. Friday; Big Top Brewing Company, 3045 Fruitville Commons Blvd., Sarasota; free entry; 941-225-8438; bigtopbrewing.com
2. 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' at The Green at UTC
University Town Center's Movies Under the Stars series will show one of this year's biggest box-office hits with a free outdoor screening of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie."
Based on the Nintendo video games and the sequel to 2023's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," the animated film features the return of characters like Mario (Chris Pratt), Luigi (Charlie Day) and Bowser (Jack Black) alongside additions such as Yoshi (Donald Glover) and Rosalina (Brie Larson). Arrive early for pre-show fun including face painting, on-site concessions and character visits from Mario and friends. Seating is limited, so bring your own blankets and lawn chairs.
7 p.m. pre-show, 8 p.m. movie Friday; The Green at UTC, 125 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota; free; utcsarasota.com
3. 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' at Sarasota Opera House
Sarasota Opera House's Classic Movies at the Opera House series invites you to see a world of pure imagination when it next screens 1971's "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory."
Based on a 1964 Roald Dahl children's novel, the film follows a group of children who win a golden ticket to the factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka (a Golden Globe-nominated Gene Wilder.) The movie was also nominated for the Best Original Score, inducted into Library of Congress' National Film Registry, and followed by films including 2005's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," 2023's "Wonka" and next year's "Charlie vs. the Chocolate Factory."
7 p.m. Friday; Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota; $12; 941-328-1300; sarasotaopera.org
4. Chris Kattan at Oscura
Along with concerts, Oscura in Bradenton has increasingly become a venue for comedy shows, including Chris Kattan on Friday.
Kattan rose to fame as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," where the Roxbury Guys sketch he co-starred in spawned the 1998 film "A Night at the Roxbury" and started a film career that also included "Monkeybone," "Corky Romano" and "Undercover Brother." Kattan also does stand-up comedy, which brings him to Oscura, with Donnie Stopa also performing.
7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show Friday; Oscura, 816 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton; $28-$32, $38-$42 premium up front seats, $25-$30 meet-and-greet add-on, additional $5 at door under age 21; oscura.live
5. Laser Light Nights at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature
The summer series of laser light shows set to music, held in the planetarium of The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton, will continue this weekend with a decades-spanning selection of rockers.
Kicking things off Thursday will be a blend of '60s rock with The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, followed by '80s arena rock bands Van Halen and Journey on Friday. Then on Saturday will be two bands that have also been around since the '80s, but reached their commercial peak in the '90s and remain active today: Metallica and Nine Inch Nails.
6 p.m. Thursday and 6 and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton; $15 per show; 941-746-4131; bishopscience.org
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Top Sarasota area events this weekend include food trucks, free movie
