MacDill Happenings

The Channelside District will host a variety of events during the 4th of July. The day’s events will be capped off with a fireworks display around 9pm. The fireworks display will be viewable along the downtown waterfront from the Florida Aquarium, Cotanchobee/Fort Brooke Park, Marriot Waterside, Tampa Convention Center and Bayshore Blvd. During the day, there are several events going on in the Channelside District. The SS American Victory docked at Channelside offers a celebration starting at 5pm that includes hamburgers, hotdogs, snacks, drinks, face painting, arts and crafts for kids, watermelon eating contest, hula hooping, life ring tossing and more. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for ages 4-16. The Florida Aquarium is staying open until 9:30pm with admission discounted to $10 after 3pm. At Channelside, there are the great restaurants and atmoshphere that will include live music and kid’s activities. Expect a lot of traffic, so don’t come too late and plan your parking strategy. There is parking at the Florida Aquarium, the public parking structure at Channelside and a public structure between the St. Pete Times Forum and the Convention Center.

This year’s City of Brandon Fourth of July Parade has the theme, “United We Stand”. The parade starts at 10 am and will run for about 2 ½ hours. The start of the parade is at the intersection of Parsons Ave. and Lumsden Rd., then heads north on Parsons to Robertson St. It will turn left onto Robertson St and head west to the Publix Shopping Center’s parking lot. Make sure you bring something to sit on, something for shade, something to keep the bugs away, and something to drink. Wear those red, white and blue colors! There will be local active military and veterans in the parade. The Bloomingdale Summer Band will be in the parade. See all the great floats from local organizations like youth football and cheerleading groups. Look for Gasparilla Krewes, the Rough Riders, the Lion’s Club, the Elks, the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, and car clubs in the parade. This just a great local hometown parade!

USA Skatplex in Temple Terrace is offering free skating on Sunday nights in June and July from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. You can bring your own skates or rent skates for $2.50. This is great opportunity for some inexpensive family fun! All children must be accompanied by an adult. No dropping off of children! Skateplex offers affordable food and video games to keep the non-skaters busy! There is also a pro shop if you’re in the market for new skates or other skating equipment. They also offer birthday party packages. Temple Terrace is a city just north and adjacent to Tampa. It is about a 30 minute drive from MacDill AFB. Temple Terrace is strategically 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 currently in the process of redeveloping fifty acres (the southeast quadrant) of its 1960s-era downtown. The goal of the city is to build a mixed-use, medium-density, pedestrian-oriented downtown. The University of South Florida, the second largest university in the southeast, and home of quality medical research programs and the largest MBA program in Florida among public universities, is located in Temple Terrace area. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and the Musuem of Science & Industry as known as MOSI is located in the area.

The Tampa Bay Rays play the Florida Marlins on Saturday with a 7:08pm start time. The Rays are playing above .500 and are starting to come around. The best thing about a free Saturday concert game is that the Rays have never lost a game before a concert. After the game, Pat Benatar will provide more excitement with a 45 minute concert! The concert mainstage will be in right field, so make sure you choose good seats to watch the concert after the game. When the concert starts, you can sit almost anywhere. Come out to Tropicana Field early and have a tailgater! Bring a food and a cooler and enjoy the atmosphere! There are good spots to park near grass with shade trees! Bring the bug spray because you know that with all the recent wet weather there will be some bugs flying around. Remember, if you have 4 or more people in your car, you don’t have to pay for parking at the Trop! With a military ID, you can 4 outfield tickets at 50% off!

Check out Fiesta as they play salsa at Park Square at FishHawk Ranch from 7pm to 10pm this Friday.  Fiesta plays traditional salsa rhythms with contemporary styles with a mixture of Spanish and English lyrics.   This is part of the Summer Concert series put on every Friday night till the end of August.  This concert is free and open to the public.   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 convience with a wide variety of restaurants for every taste. 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

Start celebrating Independence Day at the Main Street Blast this Saturday in New Port Richey on Main Street in downtown New Port Richey. The fun starts at noon and ends with a fireworks display at night. Let to music celebrating the anniversary of Woodstock, and see the Miss Firecracker Contest. It would be a celebration without a parade, so check out the “Red, Woof and Blue” patriotic pooch parade. There will be a classic cars, a beer garden and great food, and kids’ games. It’s all free.
Bands include:
Marrakesh Express - A CSNY Experience
The Fortunate Son Band featuring Stan Adams (Tribute to Creedance Clearwater Revival)
Pearl - (Janis Joplin Tribute)
The Wholigans - A Tribute to the WHO
Jimi’s Image Hendrix Tribute
Bone Yard Dogs
60’s Groove
This year’s salute to the troops will be for Vietnam Vets, who were much a part of that era. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association will be displaying over ten Vietnam era military vehicles and equipment in and around Orange Lake and Sims Park.  New Port Richey is located in Pasco County and is about a 45 minute drive north of MacDill AFB.

The MacDill AFB Marina has everything you need for your fishing or boating trip! The retail store has a full supply of frozen and live bait, tackle, fuel, propane, ice and beach and RV supplies. There is free boat launch that is not too crowded most of the time. You will not have to deal with the crowds you find at public boat launches! If you don’t have a boat, then the marina offers a number of boats for rent from pontoon boats to boats with an outdoor motor. To rent a power boat, you need to complete this free online course and print out the certificate and bring it with you when you rent the boat. Because renting power boats is popular, make sure you make a reservation in advance. You can rent by the hour, a half day or a whole day. You can rent canoes, kayaks, peddle boats, and water safety equipment.

If you’re new to the Tampa area and you will enroll your child in a Hillsborough County Public School, then the Summer Reading List is available help prepare your child for classes.  If your child is already enrolled in a local school, then the summer reading list will help step right back into the swing of things when school starts.  Remember the first day of school is 25 August!  Reading is key to learning. Reading challenges the mind and opens up the imagination and expands horizons.  Reading can be for fun and at the same teach critical thinking and promote new understandings. Reading increases a child’s vocabulary.  Reading is just a good thing to do!  There are reading list for elementary, middle and high school students.  With the 25th of August just around the corner, now is good time to plan for shots and physicals, if required.   

The Regency AMC 20 movie theater in Brandon will have discount movies this summer on Wednesdays. The AMC Theatres Summer Movie Camp will show movies every Wednesday at 10 am for only $1! Not only do you get to see a movie at a discount, but you can also purchase the AMC KidsPack, a kid-size drink, popcorn and snack for $3. That’s a $2.75 savings. And for a $1 more, you can upgrade to a regular candy. You can buy tickets a week in advance if you have a large group. This is a great idea for a summer field trip! On 24 Jun, the movie will be Kung Fu Panda. It’s the story about a lazy, irreverent slacker panda, named Po, who is the biggest fan of Kung Fu around…which doesn’t exactly come in handy while working every day in his family’s noodle shop. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po’s dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols, the legendary Furious Five — Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey — under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it’s up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat. Can he turn his dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master into reality? Po puts his heart - and his girth - into the task, and the unlikely hero ultimately finds that his greatest weaknesses turn out to be his greatest strengths.

If dad’s favorite sport is golf, then try out the Bay Palms Golf Complex on MacDill AFB this weekend! The June special is only $125 for 1 military ID holder and 3 guests. Plus at the Pro Shop, there is wedge sale with any in stock 15% off not include Ping clubs. The special includes a golf cart and a hot dog lunch after 11am. If dad doesn’t want to play in a group, then fees range from $10-$29 depending on rank with a 50% discount after 2:30pm. Carts prices per person are $7 for 9 holes and $12 for 18 holes. There is also a driving range to warm up at with the best prices in Tampa. A bucket of balls is only $1! And of course there is a chipping and putting green available. The Bay Palms Golf Complex was named ‘Best Golf Program in the Air Force’ for 2002. Tropical weather and beautiful surroundings make our two 18-hole, par 72 courses a ‘golfer’s paradise’ There is 12,500 sq. ft. clubhouse to enjoy with a great grill which is open from 6:30am to 2pm. The South Course is a scenic & challenging courses with plenty of water obstacles and a view of the Bay. The North Course is a great course with plenty of straight aways and prefect for new or experienced golfers.