Frequently Asked Questions

The Lineup is your local guide to everything worth doing, eating, and experiencing in Central Florida. We cover restaurants, live music, events, festivals, day trips, and hidden gems across The Villages, Ocala & Central Florida and surrounding communities. Think of us as your friend who always knows what's happening this weekend.

Villa+Cala Lineup covers a roughly 50-mile radius of Central Florida centered on The Villages and Ocala. That includes The Villages (Spanish Springs, Lake Sumter Landing, Brownwood), Ocala and Marion County, Mount Dora, Leesburg, Clermont, and Tavares in Lake County, Crystal River and Inverness in Citrus County, Brooksville in Hernando County, Bushnell, Wildwood, and Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County, Dunnellon, Belleview, Summerfield, Weirsdale and Ocklawaha on Lake Weir, and surrounding communities. If it's happening around here, it's on the lineup.

Yes. The site is completely free for readers. Browsing events, reading articles, and using the directory costs nothing. We also offer free event submissions and free basic directory listings for local businesses.

We add new events and update listings daily. Articles and guides publish throughout the week. And our email newsletter, The Weekend Lineup, goes out every Thursday with the best of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The Lineup is run by locals who got tired of hearing "there's nothing to do around here." We started this because friends, neighbors, and newcomers kept asking the same question — and the answer was always "way more than you think." Learn more on our About page.

Head to our Submit an Event page. Fill out the form with the event name, date, venue, and any other details. It's free and takes about two minutes.

We list live music, festivals, farmers markets, art walks, food and drink events, community gatherings, charity fundraisers, outdoor activities, family events, sports events, and nightlife. If it's happening in our coverage area and the public can attend, we want to know about it.

No. We only list events that are open to the general public. If an event requires Villages residency or a Villages resident ID to attend, it won't appear on our calendar. Our goal is to connect everyone in the area with things to do.

Usually less than 24 hours. We review every submission to make sure it has the right details and fits our coverage area. If you provided your email when submitting, we'll notify you when it goes live.

Not directly — but just contact us or email [email protected] and we'll update or remove it for you right away.

No — submitting an event is always free, and always will be. If you want an event to reach more people, an Upgraded Listing amplifies your events to the weekend audience — but getting it in the guide is free. See the options.

The Weekend Lineup is our free email newsletter that goes out every Thursday with the best events, food, and things to do across The Villages, Ocala & Central Florida for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It's the easiest way to plan your weekend without checking the site every day.

Use our Suggest a Listing form. Give us the business name, location, and category, and we'll take it from there. We research each suggestion, fill in the details, and publish it to the directory.

Restaurants, bars, cafes, breweries, wineries, bakeries, food trucks, event venues, attractions, outdoor recreation, shopping, art galleries, museums, entertainment venues, and more. If it's a place people go to eat, drink, play, or explore in our coverage area, it belongs in the directory.

We don't list MLMs or multi-level marketing businesses, adult content businesses, businesses outside our coverage area, or home-based businesses without a public-facing location. The directory is for places people can actually visit.

Find your business in the directory and click the "Claim This Listing" button on your page. You'll be asked to log in with your email (we use magic links — no password needed), then fill out a short form telling us your role at the business. We review claims and typically approve them within 24 hours.

Once approved, you can update your business description, hours, phone number, website, and other details from your dashboard. You can also submit events directly tied to your listing. Claimed listings get a Verified badge on their page.

No — a basic listing is free, always. If you want to make your page work harder, an Upgraded Listing (annual) adds a photo gallery, your menu, special offers, event amplification, and your own analytics dashboard. Service businesses can also own their category so no competitor of theirs can be tied to the guide. Both are annual, with a Founding rate you lock for as long as you stay a partner. See the options.

We pull concert and show data from Ticketmaster's event database and update the calendar weekly. This covers most major venues within driving distance of The Villages, Ocala & Central Florida.

We track venues across multiple metro areas within driving distance. Check our Regional Events page for the full venue list in the filter dropdown.

No. We're not a ticket seller. The "Buy Tickets" links on each event go directly to Ticketmaster or the venue's box office. We just make it easier to find what's coming up.

Our listings come from Ticketmaster, so if a venue sells tickets through a different platform (like AXS or their own box office), we may not have it yet. We're working on adding more sources over time.

Yes — email us at [email protected] with the details and we'll look into adding it.

If you're a local band or musician who plays gigs in our coverage area, we'd love to list you. Contact us or email [email protected] with your band name, genre, a photo, and any relevant links (website, Facebook, etc.). We'll create your band page.

Yes. You can submit events just like anyone else — it's free. If you claim your band page, you'll also be able to submit events directly from your dashboard.

It works the same as claiming a business listing. Find your band on our Bands page, click "Claim This Page," log in with your email, and fill out the short verification form. Once approved, you can manage your band info and submit shows from your dashboard.

Visit our Advertise page for the full rundown, or email [email protected] directly. We work with businesses of all sizes and customize packages to fit your goals and budget.

It's the paid (annual) version of your free listing — a photo gallery, your menu, your story, special offers, event amplification, a "Featured on The Lineup" badge for your own site, and an analytics dashboard showing how many people saw you and acted. It makes your page better; it doesn't buy you into our editorial picks. One owner with several listings gets a portfolio discount. See the options.

Yes — clearly labeled. A business can sponsor a seasonal "Best of" roundup or own its category in its market (one business per category — no competitor can buy in while you hold it). Sponsorships are always labeled as such and never change our independent editorial coverage. Learn more.

We use magic links — no password needed. Go to our login page, enter your email, and click the link we send you. That's it. If you don't have an account yet, one is created automatically when you verify your email.

First, check your spam or junk folder. Magic link emails come from The Lineup and sometimes end up there. If you still don't see it after a few minutes, try again from the login page. If it's still not working, contact us and we'll help you out.

You can reach us through our Contact page or by emailing [email protected]. We read everything and typically respond within 24 hours.