People of all ages gathered at Heartwood Soundstage on Thursday for the second Sunshine Music & Arts Festival, an event that highlights local artists and businesses.
One of the attendees, Jan Nelson, 69, drove from Tallahassee to experience the city of Gainesville and the live music it has to offer.
“It was my birthday yesterday, so I'm kind of continuing the celebration,” Nelson said. “And why not come to a Gainesville music and arts festival. I just love Gainesville.”
Nelson, a University of Florida graduate, said she loved Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as they were Gainesville’s hometown band. Attending events like this allow people to discover and support new, local artists.
Over 60 people attended the event. The music styles ranged from jazz to indie to folk, which allowed all ages to appreciate the music. Little girls danced in front of the stage, while older couples hugged one another or sat in chairs listening to the music.
Graciela Silva, 25, met her friends at Heartwood, got to spend quality time with them and enjoyed the food from the vendors nearby. After two of the performances, Silva got a preview of what the rest of the night would look like.
“I would like to hear more of the music,” Silva said. “The music has been great so far, and I enjoy hearing more local music artists and groups, so I look forward to that.”
In total, there were six music sets, and three of them included artists from Gainesville.
Quil Darling is a folk pop artist from Gainesville who is also a member of Confession Kids. The group started the night off by performing a few of their songs.
Thomas Allian, another Gainesville native, performed next, offering an indie music style. Five Door Sedan from Charleston, South Carolina, followed and debuted music from a new album. Madwoman, the third local crew, took over after with Prizilla and Jacob Sigman closing.
Bob Messersmith, 71, said he is a regular visitor at Heartwood and attended the festival to be entertained by some of the artists he listens to.
“I remember seeing Madwoman here before, and they were good,” Messersmith said.
The Heartwood venue’s atmosphere also added to the ambiance of the night. Messersmith said his favorite part is that the venue is outdoors, and the music helped set the mood.
Another long-time Gainesville resident Gary Brooks, 72, said he enjoys going to events like these as throughout his life, he has seen many live music shows.
“This is a good show tonight,” Brooks said. “The bands are awesome and have a lot of talent on the stage.”
Brooks said he was looking forward to seeing Prizilla, one of the non-Gainesville music groups.
“Tonight is the first time I've seen them live,” Brooks said. “And I've seen them booked to play a number of times. I just never had the opportunity. But everyone has told me that they really rock the house.”
Although there were attendees who were there to hear specific artists, some came to enjoy the Gainesville weather and have a good night.
That was the case for 18-year-old Sydney Godasi. She said she attended with her friend to experience a small escape from reality.
“I loved walking around and enjoying the shops,” Godasi said. “This is really chill and a nice break from my life.”
