MacDill Happenings

If you’ve caught the acting bug then the Avenue Players Theatre is holding auditions for the drama “Awake and Sing” from 6:30pm to 9pm Jan 8 in the auditorium of Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs. First performed on Broadway in 1935, “Awake and Sing” tells the story of the impoverished Berger family and their conflicts as the parents scheme to manipulate their children’s relationships to their own ends, while their children strive for their own dreams. Tarpon Springs, located right on the Gulf, with a population of almost 23,000 people is noted for its celebration of elaborate religious ceremonies related to the Greek Orthodox Church such as Epiphany celebrated every January 6 with the blessing of the waters and the boats. Tarpon Springs is also noted for having the highest population of Greek-Americans in the United States which can be traced to 1880′s with a large influx of Greek divers for a then large sponge industry. Roles are for men and women ages 20 to 70. Rehearsals are Tuesday and Thursday evening. Production dates are April 8-19. Call (727) 372-7651 for alternate audition by appointment.

If you want to play golf at a beautiful course, have a lot of fun and not spend a lot of money, then stop by the Treasure Bay Golf and Tennis facility at Treasure Island. This Wednesday at 6pm put on your best some neon golf shirts and tee up for Glow Golf. This glow-in-the-dark golf outing will let golfers sign up as a foursome or a single. It’s $20 per player and all-you-can-eat hot dogs. Treasure Bay is a full service public golf and tennis center owned and operated by the City of Treasure Island. The golf course is a challenging nine hole par-3 course situated on the intercoastal waterways. The tennis center offers eight clay courts and two hard courts. Registration is required, call (727) 360-6062.

Ringling Bros. and Barum Bailey Circus is at the St. Pete Times Forum  in the Channelside district of Tampa from 7-11 Jan. This is their Zing Zang Zoom tour! Fun-filled magic merges with traditional circus arts to create a world where apprentice illusionists levitate their parents with a wave of a wand, and audience spirits keep rising as the high flying circus is turned upside down. Perhaps the most magical of all, watch in amazement as an incomparable array of exotic animals including a herd of majestic Asian elephants, magnificent Bengal tigers and elegant Arabian and Friesian horses join forces with human performers. Shows on the 7th, 8th and 9th start at 7:30pm. On the 10th, there are 3 shows at 11:30am, 3:30pm and 7:30pm. On the 11th, there are two performances at 1pm and 5pm. Ticket prices cost from $16.75 to $86.75. For parking try the South Regional Parking garage just to the west of the Forum.

If you want to take the kids to do something fun and different during the holiday break, then stop by Hudson Hydroponics Farm in Hudson. It is a u-pick farm with produce prices from $1.69 to $4 per lb. Plants grow vertically, so there’s no bending. There are not too farms around that grow their plants like this! They have strawberries, blueberries in the spring, plus bok choy, green beans, tomatoes, squash, peppers, lettuce and more. Picking times are Wednesdays and Saturdays 9 am to 5 pm and Sundays 10 am to 2 pm, but call ahead to make sure call (727) 808-2561 to confirm times.

Stop by Friday afternoon or Saturday morning at The Market at Summerfield in Riverview on the northeast corner of 301 and Big Bend road.  The Market is an outdoor market with arts and crafts, homemade items, plants and produce, operating every Friday night from 4-9 pm and every Saturday from 11 am-4 pm.  It is located in CiCi’s Pizza parking lot.  The Summerfield community of Riverview is an ideal location for a family, a couple or for singles.  The corner of 301 and Big Bend has several new large supermarkets from a Publix to a SweetBay.  There is brand new bowling alley nearby for entertainment.  If you are a golfer, then try out the Summerfield Crossing Golf Club, which is open to the public. Summerfield is home to Summerfield Elementary School. Summerfield is also convientently located within 5 minutes from I-75.

If you want to spend a few hours this Saturday afternoon learning how to make something delicious and healthy for you, then stop by Nature’s Food Patch in Clearwater for a free cooking class. This Saturday starting at 11am is the Beans Basic class where you will learn how to cook heavenly hummus and lentil & carrot loaf and sesame gravy. Nature’s Food Patch Natural Market & Cafe is a community grocery store offering a complete selection of quality organic and natural products. The 14,000 SF store has a large selection of organic produce, bulk foods, herbs, vitamins, pet supplies, natural bodycare, books and videos. There is also a cafe and deli offering international natural food cuisine.