A Flurry of Activity to Enjoy in February

Niall Ferguson

Scottish-American historian and author Sir Niall Ferguson will be in Vero Beach February 9 as the second guest of the 28th season of Riverside Theatre’s Distinguished Lecturer Series. Ferguson is currently the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. His books include Empire, Civilization, The Ascent of Money, Kissinger, and his latest, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe. He is married to Somali-Dutch-American writer and human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Ferguson will speak at 4 and 6 p.m.; tickets are $145.60 for the Stark Main Stage and $83.20 for the Waxlax theater simulcast. Call the box office at 772-231-6990 or visit riversidetheatre.com.

“Into the Night”

At 7 p.m. February 12, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra will present its second Masterworks concert of the season, titled “Into the Night,” at Community Church of Vero Beach (1901 23rd St.). The program will include Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63; Modest Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, arranged by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; and the suite from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66a. The Prokofiev selection will feature violinist Hina Khuong-Huu. Barely in her 20s and already an accomplished soloist, she plays a 300-year-old Stradivarius instrument. Call the ACO box office at 772-460-0851 for tickets, which range from $55 to $80. See atlanticclassicalorchestra.com for more information.

Motor Car Exhibition

McKee Botanical Garden will hold its 17th annual Motor Car Exhibition February 14, with a range of interesting vehicles, antique and modern, foreign and domestic. This year’s focus is on convertibles, roadsters, hot rods, racers, and motorcycles, all of which will punctuate the lush garden from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regular admission fees apply: $20 for adults and $15 for children. Veterans and active military members are also admitted for $15. For more information, call McKee at 772-794-0601 or see mckeegarden.org.

Craft Brew & Wingfest

More than 250 craft beers and a multitude of imaginative wing recipes will draw crowds to Royal Palm Pointe February 14 as Sunrise Rotary Vero Beach puts on the 14th annual Florida Craft Brew & Wingfest from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and beer bracelets can be purchased for unlimited tasting at the craft beer tents. There will also be child-friendly food and beverages as well as live music, with four bands playing on two stages. And, for the first time, the event will include a cornhole tournament, beginning at 10 a.m. There’s a $50 entry fee, and participants will enjoy games and raffles. Proceeds benefit Sunrise Rotary’s charitable projects. For ticket purchases and more details, see floridacraftbrewandwingfest.com.

MHA Rocks!

February 21 will offer an opportunity to boogie the night away while supporting local mental health initiatives. Each year, the Mental Health Association in Indian River County selects a fabulous musical theme for its MHA Rocks! fundraiser, and this year it’s disco! So break out that gold lamé jumpsuit or bright, shiny bell-bottoms, perhaps some go-go boots, and definitely anything with sequins, and come out to Oak Harbor Clubhouse (4755 S. Harbor Drive) from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $250, and there will be an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert, a photo booth, raffles, a silent auction, and live disco music by the band Boogie Fever out of Orlando. Contact information is 772-569-9788 and mhairc.org.

Hope for Families Gala

The Hope for Families Center will hold its annual fundraising gala February 25 at Oak Harbor Clubhouse (4755 S. Harbor Drive). This year’s theme is “Passport to Hope: A Journey of Progress,” and the evening, which begins at 6 p.m., will have an international flair, with food from various countries. The event committee includes Lee Albro, Michele Downey, Lydia Lander, Lindsey Kross, and Barbara Rigby, shown here. Tickets are $250, and guests will also enjoy a mystery raffle, a silent auction, and a live auction with auctioneer John Moore. The center’s mission is to see that families facing homelessness do not have to do it alone, offering a safe, clean, supportive environment and services needed for them to make the transition to permanent housing. For more information, call 772-567-5537 or see hopeforfamiliescenter.org.

Celebrate Life

“Anchoring the Community with Women’s Healthcare” is the theme of this year’s Celebrate Life event benefiting A Caring Center for Women, to be held February 26 at Holy Cross Parish Hall (500 Iris Lane). The evening will begin with hors d’oeuvres at 5 p.m., followed by dinner catered by Elizabeth Kennedy. Guest speaker Antoine Johnson, the program success director for the National Fatherhood Initiative, will deliver a talk titled “Engaging Fathers and Transforming Families.” Tickets are $200. For more information about the event or the work of A Caring Center for Women, call 772-257-5390 or visit 772foryou.org.

“Made in America”

Ballet Vero Beach will celebrate American creativity with a performance of original dance works inspired by Vero Beach Museum of Art’s “American Made” exhibition, translating into movement the themes expressed in the artworks. Ticket includes admission to the museum’s galleries. Noon and 3 p.m.; $30 members, $36 nonmembers. Visit vbmuseum.org.