MacDill Happenings

Start your Labor Day weekend out right by enjoying the great outdoors and fresh fruits, vegatables and baked goods at Ybor City! Buy fresh produce at a great price on Saturdays in Ybor City!   The Ybor City Saturday Market is located at the corner of 8th Ave and 19th St runs from 9am to 3pm.   There are plants and herbs, salsa, organic honey for sale.  You’ll love the smell the delicious fresh baked bread!  Also for sale are arts and crafts, jewelry and many other unique gifts. The unique jewelry will be a big hit for your special someone! Free admission and parking and your pets are also welcome!  There is always a couple of vendors selling something for you to snack on if you get hungry or selling something to quench your thirst. There is usually a live band providing entertainment and adding some soothing ambiance to the atmosphere. If you have something that you want to sell, there are always spots open for more vendors! When you get done with the Market, stroll around Ybor City and take in the unique neighborhood. In Ybor City you can choose from a variety of cuisine – Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Greek and French – just by strolling down La Setima, the main street of the Historic District. Share authentic tapas and a pitcher of Spanish sangria in a café atmosphere reminiscent of a Mediterranean village. Founded by Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar-manufacturing center, Ybor City today is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. Red brick buildings, wrought iron balconies and narrow brick streets give it an old-world charm.

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For an inexpensive night out this weekend, stop by the MacDill AFB movie theater.  Adult tickets (ages  12 and older) are only $4!  A child’s ticket is $2.  Plus, you can purchase refreshments at a great price!  A medium popcorn and large re-fillable soft drink is only $7.50!  On Friday at 7pm and again at 3pm on Saturday, the new Disney action movie “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” starring Nicholas Cage will be shown. This movie is rated PG for fantasy action violence, some mild rude humor and brief language and has a run time of 105 minutes. Balthazar Blake is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath. Balthazar can’t do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler, a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. On Saturday at 7pm, the new action movie “Predators” will be shown. This movie is rated R for pervasive language, gore and strong creature violence and has a run time of 115 minutes. Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they’ve been brought together on an alien planet… as prey. With the exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers – mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members – human “predators” that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators.

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FishHawk Ranch in Lithia will be hosting a Farmer’s Market on 5 September from 8:30am to 1:30pm. Wholesome items such as fresh seafood, vegetables, fruits, domestic and imported cheeses, breads, baked goods, nuts, trail mix, granola, jams, jellies, teas, coffees, herbs, honey, flowers, plants, spices, sauces, pet treats, clothing and more will be available for purchase. All vendors are licensed with the appropriate Florida agencies. Farmer’s Markets will take place on the first Saturday of each month. During August there will more than 30 vendors offering a vast selection of fresh goods! Located within a 40 minute drive to downtown Tampa and MacDill AFB, FishHawk Ranch is a unique community with walking and biking paths throughout the neighborhood. You’ll find shops and grocery stores all around the neighborhood for your shopping convenience with a wide variety of restaurants for every taste. There is a Publix and a SweetBay grocery store along FishHawk Blvd. Top rated elementary, middle and high school are nearby with a new sports park close to Randall Middle School. Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit also offers express bus service to MacDill AFB from FishHawk Ranch. MacDill AFB also provides free monthly bus passes to military and civilian personnel. FishHawk Ranch has a large number of military personnel who live there, so you might find someone you know or someone you work with there! There is a great running and bicycling path that meanders through the neighborhood which is great for those evening or weekend runs or rides!

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The September golf special at Bay Palms Golf Complex on MacDill AFB is 3 guests and 1 military sponsor can play 18 holes with a cart for $100!   Plus golf clubs are on sale for up to $100 off!  New clubs never hurt someone’s golf game!  If you play after 11am or on the weekends, the special also includes a hot dog lunch. Also cart and green fees for 18 holes are on sale. The Monday through Friday rates are 7am to 11am: E1 to E4 $17; E5 to O3 $23; O4 and up $26; guests $30, from 11am to 2:30pm: E1 to E4 $12; E5 to O3 $16; O4 and up $18; guests $22, after 2:30pm: E1 to E4 $10; E5 to O3 $14; O4 and up $15; guests $18. On weekends, the posted rates are good until 11am when a discount goes into effect. 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!

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If you want to go out shooting on the weekend, then try out the MacDill AFB Skeet Range on Rattlesnake Road.  Don’t worry if you don’t have your own shotgun, you can rent a 12 or a  20 gauge over and under shotgun!  You can also buy shells, but you can get a better price on shells by buying some at the local Wal-Mart.  Bring eye protection or you can borrow some from the counter.  Hearing protection is available at the counter. You can also borrow a ammo pouch free of charge.  There are two firing points that are available with automated launchers.  Skeet shooting is one of the three major types of competitive shotgun shooting at targets along with trap shooting and sporting clays. There are 8 shooting stations arranged in a semi-circle between two skeet houses.  The house on the left is the high house and the house on the right is the low house. A round of skeet consists of 25 targets – 17 are shot as singles and 8 as doubles. The first miss is repeated immediately and is called an option. If no targets are missed during the round, the last or 25th target is shot at the last station, low house 8.  The hard thing about skeeting shooting is knowing the aim point and how much to lead the piegon.  Do a little research online before you go out, hitting the piegon makes skeet shooting very enjoyable!  The skeet range is open from 8am to 2pm on Fridays and Saturdays.  One round of skeet shooting costs $4.50.  Shotgun rental is $3.50.  If you not too familiar with the basics of skeet shooting, then someone at the range will be happy to help you!

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The classic black and white movie “Metropolis” will be playing at the Tampa Theatre today at 3pm. Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore a political theme of the day: the social crisis between workers and owners in capitalism. The most expensive silent film ever made, it cost approximately 5 million Reichsmark. Ticket prices start at $9 with military, senior and children’s discount price of $7. Tampa Theatre 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 Federal holilday so parking at street meters is free. Just across the street from the Marriot Courtyard at Cass and N. Florida is a self-service parking lot that charges $5 for parking before 6pm and $3 after 6pm. If you ever come to watch a show 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.

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How about taking out the pooch for a fun treat this Saturday! My dog doesn’t care for the water, but I know plenty of dogs do love the water. Today, the St. Petersburg Recreation Department is offering three sessions at Fossil Park Pool: 9-10:30 am, 11 am-12:30 pm and 1-2:30 pm of off leash-free swim and play for dogs before pool closes for season and maintenance. You just have to register at either start time with proof of dog’s current vaccination. Donations of dry Iams or Science Diet dog food, Nylabones, bleach, dish soap, trash bags, newspapers, clean towels and blankets accepted for the SPCA. Sorry no swimming for humans! The cost is only $5 per session dogs, but owners can watch for free! This pool is classic, with a one-meter and a three-meter diving board, two slides that reach around 20 feet tall, a basketball hoop set up in the shallow end and a baby pool option. The water in that pool sits between 2 1/2 to 3 feet deep and is a perfect splash area. Besides the pool, Fossil Park include: the Fossil Park Recreation Center, a playground, playcamp site, two lighted outdoor basketball courts, lighted regulation baseball field, two lighted youth-size baseball fields, a un-lite youth baseball field, six lighted tennis courts, a skate park and exercise trail. St. Pete is just across the bay from MacDill AFB and is about a 20 minute drive. The city is located on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is connected to mainland Florida to the north; with the city of Tampa to the east by causeways and bridges across Tampa Bay; and to Bradenton in the south by the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (Interstate 275), which traverses the mouth of the bay. It is also served by Interstates 175 and 375, which branch off I-275 into the southern and northern areas of downtown respectively. With a purported average of some 360 days of sunshine each year, it is nicknamed “The Sunshine City.”

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Go Rays!! The Rays take on the Red Sox tonight at the Trop. There is free Matt Garza t-shirt giveaway to the first 10,000 fans. This is the home opener of a 3 game series with Red Sox. The Rays are just getting back from a West Coast swing. Get to the game early and have a tailgate party! If you do get to the game early, then the first 50 cars with 4 people or more can park for free in the Trop parking lots. Normal parking price is $20 at the Trop. There are private lots nearby the Trop that charge $10 for parking. The Trop is easily accessible from I-275. Inside the Trop, check out the Ray tank in centerfield. In the Left Field Street area, fans can participate in a baseball-themed game show, take their picture on a Topps baseball card, have their name inscribed onto a Louisville Slugger bat, touch and feel real game-used equipment, and broadcast play-by-play of baseball highlights. At Right Field Street kids can experience the magic of baseball in the Rays Baseball Carnival, a real working carnival that includes plinko, spin the wheel, ring-a-bat and skee ball. Or take a swing against a computer images of real Major League pitchers in a batting cage or test their arms in the speed pitch, both found in the T.G. Lee Rookie Challenge area of the Carnival. There is also kids-themed areas such as “Bats, Balls, and Brushes”, “St. Petersburg Times Pressbox” and “The Science of Baseball.” Centerfield Street has the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar, baseball’s first in-stadium cigar bar, as well as the Batter’s Eye Restaurant, located in the “batter’s eye” in center field. Centerfield Street also has the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall-of-Fame. For the 2010 season for every Rays Gold, Silver and Bronze games, the Rays offer a military discount of half off outfield tickets with a four ticket limit, when presenting an active military ID at the Tropicana Field Box office. This is a platinum game, so the discount is not available. To save money, make sure you purchase tickets earlier. If you purchase tickets on game day at the stadium, the price increases about $3 per ticket! If you buy tickets at the Ray downtown Tampa store, the service charge is only $1.75.

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If you are new to Tampa or just haven’t had a chance to see how beautiful the downtown area of Tampa is, then Thursday night is your chance!  City Bike Tampa is sponsoring free evening bike rides through downtown on Thursday evenings. The downtown empties out pretty quickly after work so traffic will not be a problem. There is still so much to see and do in downtown in the evening from enjoying Curtis Hixon Park, stopping by a restaurant or just enjoying a bike ride or walk. The weekly guided fun bike ride breaks into groups for slow and fast riders. Rides end at a bar or restaurant for socializing after the ride. Make sure you bring a light since it the sun will be setting. Helmets although not mandatory are suggested. City Bike Tampa is a full service specialty bicycle shop with two locations in Downtown Tampa focused on rentals, tours, sales, service, repairs, parts and accessories. As an authorized dealer for Kona, Jamis, Eastern, Civia and KHS Bicycles, City Bike Tampa offers a broad selection of products and services for active cyclists and those looking to explore bicycling as a new part of their active lifestyle. City Bike Tampa is located at 212 E. Cass Street, Tampa, FL between Tampa and Franklin Street across from the Element luxury high rise apartment building. They also have a rental shop On the Riverwalk at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina.

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For an inexpensive night out this weekend, stop by the MacDill AFB movie theater.  An adult ticket for ages 12 and older is only $4 and for ages 4 to 11 the price is $2.   A medium popcorn and a medium soft drink is only $7.50 with free refills on the soft drink.  This Friday at 7pm  and again at 3pm on Saturday, “Toy Story 3” is playing. This movie is rated G and has a run time of 103 minutes. Woody and Buzz had accepted that their owner Andy would grow up someday, but what happens when that day arrives? In the third installment, Andy is preparing to depart for college, leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain future. On Saturday at 7pm, the movie version of the hit 1970′s TV series “The A-Team” will be shown. This movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking and has a run time of 117 minutes. A group of Iraq War veterans looks to clear their name with the U.S. military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.

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