MacDill Happenings

This Friday 18 September, start your weekend out right and stop by SeaScapes Beach Club on MacDill AFB for free live entertainment outside at the Tiki Hut. From 6pm to 9pm Tommy “Bahama” Arnold will be playing beach music, new country, Motown and classic R&B. Take in the scenic view of Tampa Bay, while dining in the tropical atmosphere of SeaScapes. You don’t have to face the traffic or crowds like you find at other waterside venues. Sip delicious cocktails, or dine on delectable fare, while enjoying a magnificent view of the setting sun on the bay. A wide selection of menu items for dinner include grouper, seafood platters, coconut shrimp, grilled chicken and much more! You can’t beat the bar prices! SeaScapes is located at the MacDill AFB base beach and next to FamCamp. It’s a real casual atmosphere so beach wear is fine, remember this is Florida! It’s a great place to enjoy as a couple or bring the whole family!  Or after an afternoon on the golf course, SeaScapes is a great place to relax!

School has justed start but there are some important dates for students attending Hillsborough County Public Schools. Open House Dates are coming up for Middle and Elementary schools! On Monday 15 Sept, Middle schools are having an open house. On Thursday 18 Sept, Elementary schools are having an open house. Take the opportunity to find out what your child is doing in school, meet the teacher and what you can do help your child during the early formative school years. Your child will have the specific times. There are 4 nights during Septemeber for College Night Dates. On Monday 22 Sept, Sickles High School will host College Night. The following night on 23 Sept Plant High School will host. On 24 Sept, Brandon High School will host. Finally on 25 Sept, Chamberlain High School will host the last night. Come and listen to various college counsolers and more importantly learn about financial aid! It also that time of year for ACT and SAT testing! For the ACT, the maximum number of points is 36. For Bright Futures 28 point is required for Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS), 20 points for Florida Medallion Scholars Award (FMS) and 17 English/ 18 Reading/ 19 Math is required for Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (GSV). For the SAT the maximum number of points is 2400. For Bright Futures, 1270 is required for Florida Academic Scholars Award (FAS) on Verbal/Math, 970 is required for Florida Medallion Scholars Award (FMS) on Verbal/Math and 440 Verbal/ 440 Math is required for Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (GSV). Start studying now!

As part of a city-wide celebration of St. Pete’s cultural community, the Dali Museum located in downtown St. Pete will offer free admission for all Pinellas and Hillsborough residents! Take this opportunity to see two presentations of the captioned version of Get Surreal, “Emancipation of the Imagination” Lincoln-related children’s hands-on activities, and a presentation of the animated children’s film “President Abraham Lincoln.” Salvador Dali, a surrealist painter born in Spain, was best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in 1931. Dalí’s expansive artistic repertoire includes film, sculpture, and photography, in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media. The Dali Museum is the flagship of cultural tourism on the West Coast of Florida and welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year from around the world. The mission of the Salvador Dalí Museum is to educate the public and promote understanding, enjoyment and scholarly examination of art through the exhibition of works by Dalí and artists of similar vision. Started by a local art collector, the Dali collection now consists of over 2,140 total pieces including 95 oil paintings and over 100 watercolors and drawings.

For an inexpensive night out to watch a new movie, stop by the MacDill AFB Movie Theater this weekend. Not only will you save money on the price of admission, but the refreshments are offered at a great price! On Friday at 7pm the romantic comedy, “The Ugly Truth” starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler will be playing. This movie is rated R for sexual content and language and run time of 96 minutes. Abby is a lovelorn TV producer who, despite a long and arduous search for the perfect mate, is hopelessly single. The battle of the sexes heats up when her employers team her up with Mike Chadway, an opinionated TV celebrity who plans to put Abby through the wringer to prove his own theories about what makes men and women tick. On Saturday evening at 7pm, the suspense movie, “Orphan” is playing. This movie is rated R for disturbing violent content, some sexuality,and language and has a run time of 123 minutes. Devastated by the loss of their unborn baby, Kate and John decide to adopt a child. At the orphanage, both feel drawn to a little girl named Esther, and soon the couple take their new daughter home. But when a dangerous series of events unfolds, Kate begins to suspect that there is something evil lurking behind the child’s angelic exterior.

The Rays take on the Boston Red Sox starting this Friday for a 3 game series. Friday and Saturday game time is 7:10pm. Sunday is a 1:35pm afternoon game, a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! This the final series that Boston will be in town. Get to the game early and have a tailgate party! Listen to a live band and enjoy attractions at Lot 7. With a military ID, you can purchase 4 outfield tickets for half off! However, tickets have to be purchased at the box office! If you do get to the game early, then a car with 4 people or more can park for free in the Tropicana Field parking lots. Normal parking price is $15 at the Trop. 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.

The MacDill AFB Outdoor Recreation Center is sponsoring a trip to Myakka River State Park on 19 Sept. You must sign up by 11 Sept and there is a minimum of 12 people required for the trip to take place, so bring some family or some friends! The cost is $35 per person. The trip will meet at the Marina Activity Room at 8 am and depart at 8:15 am sharp. At the Park, you’ll take a ride on one the world’s largest air boats. The shallow hulled air boat offers the ability to explore hidden, shallow, grassy areas teaming with wildlife. During the guided tour, guests will be briefed on the interesting habits of alligators, bald eagles, fox, deer, great blue herons, ibis, egrets, and many other inhabitants. Don’t worry about a rough ride, the air boat ride is smooth, safe, and great for taking pictures. After the park tour, a “Dutch Treat” lunch is planned at Susy Q’s II located in Myakka. Following lunch, the next stop is at Hunsader Farms — a large produce and feed mercantile. The farm offers fresh fruits and vegetables, picnic areas, a petting zoo, rides of various types for children, a u-pick area, fresh ice cream, and the best strawberry milkshakes you’ve ever tasted! Finally, the trip concludes with a stop at Rosa Fiorelli Winery which is just a few miles down the road from Hunsader Farms. There, you’ll be treated to a wine tasting session for only $5.00 per person. This is a great way to spend a Saturday in Florida and enjoy the warmer weather. For more information & registration, visit the Outdoor Recreation office or call 840-6919. Outdoor Recreation is located at Bldg 60, 9909 Marina Bay Drive. It is the first building on the right hand side right below you get to the parking areas at the MacDill AFB beach. Hours are Mon-Sat 10am to 6pm.

The St. Pete Times Forum is host to the “Disney on Ice Princess Classics” from 10 to 13 September. Come see a spectacular show that features Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and Snow White showcasing their stories on the ice. See the greatest moments of Disney’s Cinderella, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This show is prefect for all ages who will be amazed by these classic heart-warming tales, sparkling sets, and exceptional artistic quality on the ice. On 11 and 13 September, MacDill AFB ITT has special Military Appreciation tickets for $12.75. The 11 September show is at 7:3pm and on 13 September the show is at 1pm. MacDill AFB ITT also has tickets for a 3:30pm on 12 September for $25.75. Around the Forum there are plenty of restaurants to enjoy dinner before or after the game. Right across the street from the Forum is Andreychuk’s and The Hut, both great bar and grills with a fun atmosphere. Just east of the Forum and just short walk away is Channelside with food options available that run from Hooters to the Velvet Room and a lot of other options and fun in between! Stop by the MacDill AFB ITT office to buy your military discount tickets. You can’t be the price and you don’t have to pay tax! Parking is available at the Regional South Garage just across the entrance from the Forum or at the parking structure by Channelside.

The Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club at 501 5th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, will be hosting its second annual Family Golf Festival on Sunday, September 6. The Marriott International Family Golf Festival encourages parents and children to learn and play the game together. A private club, the Vinoy Golf Club opens its doors and course to the public to learn about the game of golf in one of the most beautiful settings and courses in the Tampa Bay area. Best of all, it is free! Families are invited for an afternoon of free golf instruction, clinics, fun activities, interactive golf games, family golf programs, a chance to win a variety of prizes, and more. Registration will begin at 12:30 pm, and golf clinics will take place from 1 pm until 4 pm. Complimentary hot dogs and lemonade will be provided to all guests on the driving range from noon until 2 pm. In addition, after 3 pm, families and children can play golf for free as part of Marriott Golf’s “Kids Golf-4-Free” program. Located on the waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg, the Renaissance Vinoy is a 4-star luxury hotel with 1920′s Mediterranean Revival architecture that is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Vinoy Golf Club has a 72 par 18 hole course with a total distance of 6,502 yards. For more information on this year’s Family Golf Festival, please call (727) 896-8000.

Start your Labor Day weekend right with Celebrate Oldsmar at R.E. Olds Park in Oldsmar. Bring the whole family for the pony rides, live music, carnival rides, food and a fireworks finale. The carnival opens at noon. The band and food concessions open at 5pm. Fireworks close out the night with a show at 9pm. R.E. Olds Park is a 15 acre waterfront park offering a scenic view of sparkling Tampa Bay. The park features a 400 ft. fishing pier, the 12,000 sq. ft. Friendship Playground, picnic facilities, and restrooms. The City of Oldsmar sits on the Eastern edge of Pinellas County at the Northern end of Tampa Bay. The raw essence of old Florida has been well preserved in Oldsmar. There is a small town feel augmented by a feeling of space. The city is thoughtfully planned with the streets fanning out from Shore Drive along Tampa Bay. Many houses both new and old, grand and modest, sit on large treed lots. The main street in town is State Street, home to City Hall, the Library, and the fire station. Park Boulevard stretches from City Hall on State Street to R. E. Olds Park located on the edge of the sparkling waters of Old Tampa Bay. The view of the bay is spectacular from Shore Drive. Much of the shore line is undeveloped parkland and is a gentle reminder of the incredible natural beauty that remains in some parts of Florida. The Tampa Bay Downs racetrack is just outside the city limits. A new downtown is being developed which its promoters hope will bring back the “old Florida” feel to the city. Oldsmar is about a 40 minute drive from MacDill AFB.

For an inexpensive night out to watch a new movie, stop by the MacDill AFB Movie Theater this weekend. Not only will you save money on the price of admission, but the refreshments are offered at a great price! On Friday at 7pm and on Saturday at 3pm, the children’s animated movie, “G-Force” will be playing. This movie is rated PG for mild action,and rude humor and has a run time of 90 minutes. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. Along the way G-Force, a team of trained secret agent guinea pigs, encounters myriad other members of the animal kingdom. On Saturday evening at 7pm, the suspense movie, “The Collector” is playing. This movie is rated R for pervasive sadistic bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity and has a run time of 85 minutes. Desperate for money to pay off a debt, a man targets a wealthy family’s home and plans to break in and steal a valuable gem. He soon learns that he picked the wrong night to carry out his plans, for a masked madman has gotten there first , imprisoned the family and lined the mansion with deadly traps.