MacDill Happenings

The Taste of Temple Terrace takes place today.  On the northeast side of the Tampa Bay area, the City of Temple Terrace is situated between three major interstates— I-4, I-75, and I-275. This ideal location makes Temple Terrace conveniently located to not only the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, but also within a short driving distance to Orlando and the Sarasota beach areas. Temple Terrace is about a 20-30 min drive to MacDill AFB depending on the time of day. The University of South Florida is right next to Temple Terrace. City residents also have convenient access to the area’s finest medical facilities, cultural activities, sporting events, shopping, and entertainment attractions, such as the neighboring Busch Gardens Tampa Bay family adventure park. The current population is about 23,000 contained within a city of 6.5 square miles. Temple Terrace is unique among cities in Hillsborough County because it is one of the few municipalities with its own mayor, city council and police and fire departments. To find more about the city, on Tuesday  from 4pm-7pm is the 20th Annual Temple Terrace: Business Expo & Taste of the Terrace sponsored by the Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce. It will be held at the USF Sun Dome. There is no cost to enter the Expo. The cost to enjoy the Taste of Terrace is $5. You will receive a wristband that allows you to stroll through the entire Business Expo and the taste the food and receipes of 24 different restaurants. The $5 cost is donated to local schools. The 24 food vendors include beer, wine and speciality drinks. Restaurants include: Antonio’s Pasta Grille, Edible Arrangements, Let’s Eat, Beef O’Brady’s, Emma’s Cakes, Lupton’s Catering & Restaurant, Café Kili, Empire Winery & Distillery, Miracles & Maggie’s Tea Room, Catering by Cox, Evos at USF, Panera Bread – USF, CDB’s Pizza Italian Restaurant, Gaspar’s Patio Grill, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Cilantro Indian Cuisine, Gator’s Dockside, Shell’s Seafood, Clubhouse Sports Grill, Guthries Fried Chicken, Smoothie King, Coldstone Creamery, Jimmy John Gourmet Sandwiches, and Time For Wine.

A Florida tradition since 1930, the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City runs until March 14.  It’s the 75th Annual because the Festival was not held during WWII. The world’s largest strawberry shortcake was created in Plant City, Fla in 1999 – it was 827 square feet, made with 7,800 pints of fresh Florida Strawberries. This annual event is one of the top strawberry festivals in the country and ranks as one of the top 50 fairs in North America. The Festival has something for everyone from headline concerts to rides on the midway to delicious foods found only at a fair! There are exhibits of agriculture, commerce, industry, livestock, fine arts, horticulture, and crafts. And don’t forget the ripe delicious strawberrys! Enjoy strawberry ice cream, strawberry pies, strawberry preserves and strawberrys and cream! Entertainers tonight include Mel Tillis and Bill Engvall.  Later during the week headline entertainment includes concerts by The Oak Ridge Boys, REO Speedwagon, the Smothers Brothers, Patty Loveless, Sara Evans and Lynyrd Skynyrd. These concerts cost a little bit extra. On Wednesday it is American Heroes Day with free admission to all active, reserve, retired military, law enforcement, EMS and fire fighters with a valid ID.  The Midway is open daily with various daily admission specials.  Normal admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. However, there are also special admission days. Parking is available at lots and homes near the Festival.  A fair price to pay for parking is about $5!

On Tuesday, Hillsborough County Public Schools is starting FCAT testing!  Students have to pass their FCAT to be able to move to the next grade.  It’s very important that your child gets a good  night of sleep and a good breakfast.  One of the best things about the Tampa school system is that the Hillsborough County Public Schools offer a free breakfast every morning regardless of income level! The schedule for FCAT testing is FCAT Reading and Science on Tuesday March 9th, FCAT Math on Wednesday March 10th, and FCAT Makeup on Thursday and Friday March 11th-12th. Grades 3 – 10 will have to do Reading and Math.  Grades 5, 8 and 11 will have to Science.  Grade 11 students who are new to the state or re-takes will do Reading & Mathematics.  MacDonald’s is trying to help during FCAT week by offering a complimentary Egg McMuffin, Apple Dippers and a milk or orange juice.  This offer is available from 6am-9am for students in grades 3 to 11.   Check your local MacDonald’s to make sure that they are participating.

This weekend is the Raymond James 40th Annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in downtown Tampa. The Festival will be on the waterfront along the Hillsborough River at the new Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. The Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is located along Ashley St between the Tampa Museum of Art and the Sykes building. National and local artists will be vying for the $15,000 Best of Show Award and an additional $60,000 in prize money. The Festival will showcase works of local and be a weekend full of live entertainment. Listen to live musical performances from PCCA Steel Band, Shelia Kisten Hughes & The TSP Orchestra, Todd Plant Band, Voodoo Soup, Denise Moore & Then Some, Acoustic Harmony, Group Havana Swing, Bunko Squad, Opera Tampa There will be a children’s art activity area. If you need a snack, there will be refreshments at a food court and other various locations on the Festival grounds. Pets, alcohol, skateboards, roller skates and bicycles are not allowed at the Festival because it will be crowded! Parking is available at the Curtis Hixon parking garage or at nearby public parking lots.

Drivers Edge will be presenting a free driving class for drivers under 21 years of age in Tampa on 20 & 21 March. Driver’s Edge provides a free educational program for young drivers (aged 15-21) teaching real life emergency avoidance and response techniques and overall driver safety. However, donations can be made to support the program. Over 70,000 young drivers have been educated so far! Every student has a chance to get behind the wheel of a car with a true professional instructor sitting next to them at all times. Taught by professional racecar drivers and professional performance driving instructors from some of the world’s most famous and respected driving schools, each student has a behind the wheel experience that includes evasive lane change maneuvers, ABS and non-ABS braking exercises and comparisons, panic braking instruction and skid control instruction. Students will also learn about vehicle maintenance, tire safety and preventative vehicle care as elements of safe driving. Registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The class is open to anyone age 21, or younger, and they must have a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license. The class schedule is Saturday, March 20, 8:00am - 12:30pm, and Sunday, March 21, 8:00am - 12:30pm. The afternoon sessions are already full for Saturday and Sunday, so hurry up and register before the morning classes fill up! Driver’s Edge is a non-profit organization only funded by charitable donations,public grants and corporate sponsorships. This is class is taught behind the wheel and in the classroom with an “MTV” flavor to appeal to young drivers. Driver’s Edge was developed to fight the larger number of automobile accidents and fatalities that so many young inexperienced drivers are involved in. The class will taught at Derby Lane at 10490 Gandy Boulevard in St. Pete.

The MacDill AFB movie theater will not have a show on Friday, but on Saturday there will be two movies playing.  On Saturday at 3pm, the new Jackie Chan comedy movie, “The Spy Next Door” will be playing. This movie is rated PG for sequences of action violence, and mild rude humor and has a run time of 92 minutes. Bob Ho, an undercover operative for the CIA, decides to give up his career and marry his girlfriend, Gillian. However, before Bob can do that, he has one more mission to complete: gain the approval of Gillian’s children. Bob volunteers to babysit when Gillian is called away, but the operation hits a snag when one of the kids mistakenly downloads a top-secret formula, and a Russian terrorist takes aim at Bob’s prospective family. At 7pm, the new Daniel Day-Lewis movie, “Nine” will be playing. This movie is rated PG-13 for sexual content and smoking and has run time of 110 minutes. Famous film director Guido Contini grapples with epic crises in his personal and professional life. At the same time, he must strike a balance among the demands of the numerous women in his life, including his wife, his mistress, and his confidant. You can’t be the price of admission. It is $4 for ages and 12 and older and $2 for 4-11. A medium popcorn and large soft drink only costs $7.50.

Not everyone gets to go to Hollywood to see the Oscars.  But don’t let something like not getting an invitation to the Hollywood show, stop you from getting to walk on the red carpet!  The Tampa Theatre is having is 11th Annual Oscar Night Party where you are the star!  This event is officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This event is one of only 50 such events nationwide. This will be a fun-filled evening featuring red carpet festivities, delicious food and wine samples, and exciting merchandise. Plus, free popcorn, soda and coffee throughout the show! All proceeds benefit Tampa Theatre’s artistic and educational programs. This is not you not your run of the mill Oscar party. For this event, you’ll be whisked around the block in a limo, cheered by fans on Tampa Theatre’s red carpet, surrounded by fans for your autograph, hounded by the paparazzi, interviewed by our own zany red carpet hostess, “Roan Jivers”, treated to delicious food and wine samples from area restaurants, tempted with merchandise like jewelry and shoes from local vendors and finally get to see the82nd Annual Academy Awards live on Tampa Theatre’s Big Screen. Cost is $40 for General Admission including an official Academy Awards® program (limited quantity of tickets), $30 General Admission with no program and $15 Student with valid student ID at Tampa Theatre box office only. Wear you best Hollywood dress up or dress down! Built in 1926 as one of America’s most elaborate “movie palaces”, the Tampa Theatre today is a historical treasure of Tampa. Located in downtown Tampa, the Theatre is easily accessible from I-275 and I-4. Designed by famed theatre architect John Eberson, the Tampa is a superior example of the “atmospheric” style of theatre design. Inside the Tampa, audiences are transported to a lavish, romantic Mediterranean courtyard replete with old world statuary, flowers, and gargoyles. Over it all is a nighttime sky replete with twinkling stars and floating clouds. Tampa Theatre was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, is a Tampa City Landmark, and is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres. There is on street parking nearby and parking lots within walking distance. Remember the street parking meters are not in service during the weekend so parking at street meters is free. It’s a tradition to hang out at The Hub, downtown Tampa’s classic dive that’s located two doors down, before or after a theater outing.

Okay, St. Patrick’s Day is on the 17th of this month.  But this St. Patrick’s Day 5k run is free!  The event is sponsored by the MacDill AFB Fitness Center.  It starts at the MacDill AFB Fitness Center at 7am, so it is a great way to start the day.  Make sure you come out early to register for the event.  The 5k course normally starts on the north side parking lot and goes towards the 2nd hole of the north course of the golf course and back.  It may be a little chilly, but the wind should be minimal during this time of day. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the fitness center, then this is a great time to take a look. The Fitness Center that has everything needed for a complete workout! Use the large cardio workout room, the huge weight room or take aerobic or cycling classes. A portion of the cardio room has a children’s play area so that you can use a bicycle, treadmill or stairmaster and keep on eye on your child at the same time. There is also a gym setup for basketball and volleyball. For runners, there is a cushioned 1/4 mile track right outside the Fitness Center, and a nearby 4 mile cushioned trail along the bay with some great views of the water! During the weekday lunch hours, the Fitness Center has the most people using it so any other time it is pretty empty. Make an appointment with a personal trainer to help setup your workout program.

The Bay Palms Golf Complex at MacDill AFB has a great special on golf outwear and golf club re-gripping during March.  Any in stock outerwear at the pro shop is 10% off the listed price.  When you consider that you also do not pay taxes on anything bought in the pro shop, the savings really add up!  Plus during March, if you have 8 or more clubs re-gripped then you get a $1 off the cost for each club. For a golf outing, the special is $145 for 3 guests and 1 military for 18 holes, carts and a hot dog lunch. The Bay Palms Golf Complex was named ‘Best Golf Program in the Air Force’ for 2002. There are two 18-hole, par 72 courses. The challenging South Course runs along the bay. The North Course offers a prefect opportunity to work on your game. The complex has a lighted practice putting green, a 24-hour-a-day lighted driving range where a bucket of balls is only $1, a practice chipping green and sand trap areas. The clubhouse has an excellent pro shop with a great friendly staff ready to help you. The snack bar serves a great variety of food and has an especially nice breakfast menu!

During the first couple days of each month Old Navy offers a Military Appreciation discount of 10% on your purchase. An ID card is required. This is not a well publicized offer, but you can see can see an advertisements on the front of the Marine Corps Times or the other service Times papers. In Tampa there are two Old Navy stores. One store in West Shore Plaza in south Tampa. The other store is in University Mall by USF. West Shore Plaza is located right off of I-275 and is at the intersection of Kennedy and West Shore Blvd. The mall has a good mix of median value stores and high-end shopping. There is an AMC movie theater complex attached to the mall so you can smell the fresh popcorn smell wafting in the air when you are going to Old Navy. You can choose from a wide variety of stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Just Dogs Gourmet, Old Navy, bebe, Sunglass Hut International, Banana Republic, White House Black Market, Ann Taylor Loft, Bandolino, Gap, Brookstone, Cache, Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Bond Jewelers, Finishline, Gymboree, JCPenny, and Sears. There is a food court with a wide of variety of tastes available. Besides high-end shopping, there are high-end restaurants available including PF Chang’s, the Palm Cafe and Maggiano’s Little Italy. University Mall in the north end of Tampa on Fowler Ave. Conveniently near I-275 and I-75, University Mall is located near the University of South Florida, Busch Gardens Theme Park and The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). The first phase of the center’s $10 million interior and exterior renovation is now complete. New amenities added include children’s soft play area, family restrooms, computer Wi-Fi lounge and soft seating areas. With over 160 retailers University Mall offers a complete shopping experience. The mall is anchored by Sears, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Burlington Coat Factory, Old Navy, and K&G Fashion Superstore. You can find a food court with something for all tastes and budgets and a Regal Cinemas theater.