MacDill Happenings

Spend an inexpensive night watching a movie at the MacDill AFB movie theater this weekend. During the month of January, adult tickets are buy one and get one free! Ages 12 and above pay the adult price of $4 a ticket. So two people can get in for only $4! Ages 6-11 pay only $2 for admission. On Friday at 7pm is the new Matt Dillon action movie “Armored“. This movie is rated PG-13 for sequences of intense violence, some disturbing images and brief strong language and has run time of 88 minutes. A crew of officers at an armored transport security firm risk their lives when they embark on the ultimate heist….against their own company. Armed with a seemingly fool-proof plan, the men plan on making off with a fortune with harm to none. But when an unexpected witness interferes, the plan quickly unravels and all bets are off. On Saturday at 7pm is the new action movie, “Ninja Assassin“. This movie is rated R for strong bloody stylized violence throughout, and language and has run time of 131 minutes. Trained in methods of killing from an early age, Raizo is a member of the secret clan of assassins known as the Ozunu. After the Ozunu kill his friend, however, Raizo breaks free from them and vanishes. Meanwhile, Interpol agent Mika Coretti discovers a money trail linking the the group to murders. Raizo saves Mika from his former comrades and joins forces with her to bring down the Ozunu forever.

On Saturday in St Pete, the 1st Annual Aegon Wing Fest will take place at Vinoy Park.  The weather should cooperate with the weekend temperatures forecasted to be in the 70′s!  If you like chicken wings, want to enjoy some great music and finally get out and enjoy the weather, then Vinoy Park is the place to be this Saturday.   There will be a dozen chicken wing restaurants, along with the Bud Light beergarten with proceeds benefiting Old Salt Fishing charity along with great rock cover bands at this all day outdoor music & food festival. The mission of Old Salt Fishing charity is to support family interaction & camaraderie through sport fishing for recreation, science, conservation and education and to support community service efforts and provide financial support to various local nonprofit organizations. The festival will feature wing experts from all over SW Florida like Wing Zone, Hooters, Mugs Grill & Bar, Fergs Sports Bar & Grill, Sloppy Pelican & more. Check out live music on the Hooters band stage from The Go Daddies (Rock Covers), BIG DEAL! (Southern Rock) & The Defendants (Classic Rock). Families can check out the Jungle Jim’s Kidzone. There is a Wing Zone wing eating contest at 4:30pm where you can win a chance to win some great prizes by signing up at the radio station booth at the festival. Bayshore Blvd between 7th Av & 5th Av will be closed to automobile traffic and only open to pedestrians. The closest public parking lots to Vinoy Park are: BayWalk (Midcore) Garage – 117 2nd St N, 2nd Ave N Lot – 231 2nd Ave N, Wachovia Center – 150 2nd Ave N and BayWalk (Midcore) Garage – 117 2nd St N. The Downtown Looper Trolley is available just make sure you get off at Stop 3 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort which is across from Vinoy Park.

The David A. Straz Performing Arts Center continues their free Scene on the Green series with the movie “Godspell” on 15 January. This 1973 movie of the musical by Stephen Schwarz is the passion play of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, updated to modern New York with very inventive results. The disciples and their clown-like leader wander all over New York, more or less unfolding the parables and the proverbs of the New Testament. Prepare for the live performances of Godspell Feb. 9 – May 16 in the Jaeb Theater. The movie will be played outside so in the event of rain or inclement weather the film could be cancelled or rescheduled. Let’s hope that it starts getting warmer around here! Food and drinks will be available at concessions for purchase. Sorry, but coolers are not allowed. But you can bring your own chairs or blankets! SPAC is in downtown Tampa along the beautiful eastern bank of the Hillsborough River. It is easily accessible from I-275 or the Crosstown or a 15 minute drive from MacDill AFB. Parking is available in nearby lots or on the street on the northside of TBPAC.

Come out to the beach and enjoy the sun, sand, surf and the food at SeaScapes Beach Club at the MacDill AFB beach during the Beach Bash on 22 January. The Bash runs from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. Get all you can eat hot dogs, hamburgers, bratwurts, pork & beans, potato salad, brownies and cookies. AF Club members are free. Guests or a spouse will pay $9.95. FamCampers will pay $5. Children 6 and under are free. SeaScapes Beach Club is open Tuesday to Friday from 11am to 9:30pm. If you can’t make it to SeaScapes on the 22nd, then they have another special every Thursday evening. Thursday evening is “All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti” at SeaScapes. For $7.95 a person, you get spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, and soda. Desert is extra, but you can get key lime pie or brownie ala mode for only $2! Every night at SeaScapes drafts are $2 and well drinks are $2.75. 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!

On 23 January, the Surf’s Edge Club on MacDill AFB is hosting the 2nd Annual Soul Food & Jazz night. Listen to the Jazz and Soul sounds of Laveita Savage & All Stars from 8pm to midnight. Boomers Bar & Grill be open for cocktails at 5pm. Dinner is from 6pm to 8pm and is an all you can eat buffet. There will be a salad bar, fried chicken, ribs, blackened fish, macaroni salad, collard greens, black eyed peas, okra & tomatoes, candied sweet potatoes, cornbread, hot rolls with butter, chocolate cake, and pecan pie with sweet tea and coffee. Cost is $10 for AF Club members. Non-members will pay $15 per person. Tickets are on sale now and reservations are suggested. Tickets can be purchased by calling 828-4756.

For an inexpensive night out, stop by the MacDill AFB movie theater this weekend. Admission for adults 12 and older is $4 and $2 for 2-11. You can also purchase a medium popcorn and soft drink for $7.50. On Friday at 7pm, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” is playing. This movie is rated PG-13 for some violence and action and has a run time of 130 minutes. In the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally successful TWILIGHT series, the romance between mortal and vampire soars to a new level as Bella Swan delves deeper into the mysteries of the supernatural world she yearns to become part of—only to find herself in greater peril than ever before. On Saturday at 3pm, the comedy “Old Dogs‘ starring John Travolta and Robin Williams is playing.  This movie is rated PG for some mild rude humor and has run time of 88 minutes. Two best friends — one unlucky-in-love divorcee and the other a fun-loving bachelor — have their lives turned upside down when they’re unexpectedly charged with the care of six-year-old twins while on the verge of the biggest business deal of their lives. The not-so-kid-savvy bachelors stumble in their efforts to take care of the twins, leading to one debacle after another, and perhaps to a new-found understanding of what’s really important in life.  At 7pm, an encore showing of  “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” will be playing.

Ringling Bros and Barnum Bailey Circus will be in Tampa at St. Pete Times Forum in the Channelside District from 6 to 10 January.  Come out and see their new show Funundrum! See performers and characters from exotic countries all over the world. A rip-roaring motorcycle troupe will perform an incredible feat where seven motorcyclists brave fear and physics in the 16-foot Spherical Miracle. Height-seeking high-wire artists perform atop a wire no wider than your thumb will be 40 feet in the air. See the two-tiered trapeze and teeter-tottering troupes catapulting high above the arena floor. Of course there will be tigers, esteemed elephants, prancing ponies, horses and goats.  The MacDill AFB ITT has specially priced military tickets for shows on Friday the 8th at 7:30pm and on Sunday the 10th at 5pm.  Normally tickets are priced $26.75, but for those shows the tickets are only $12.75 for Section 112. Discounted tickets are also available for the 3:30pm show on Saturday the 9th for $20.75 in Section 114.  Parking is available at the South Regional Parking Lot just west of the Forum.  The MacDill AFB ITT is located in the MacDill AFB Exchange Mall.  Hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach is offering a great discount on room prices for active military, civilian employees and veterans.  A military ID card is required during check in.  Suites are available for $89.  The regular price for a suite is $284.  Rooms that are regularly priced at $226 are now available for $69.  The rooms have to be booked online at www.JustLetGo.com/VseMacDill and use the promo code VseMacDill. TradeWinds Resort is comprised of TradeWinds Island Grand and the Sandpipper Hotel and Suites. TradeWinds Island Grand is the classic family-friendly resort, while Sandpiper Hotel and Suites is the more intimate TradeWinds resort.  TradeWinds Resort is located on a pristine stretch of the beach.  There are plenty of beach chairs  included with the price of your room, so no need to bring a chair.  A tip to the TradeWinds Resort beach person will ensure that you get a good seat and are well taken care of.  I had the opportunity to stay there in the Fall and it is one great place to stay at!  It is a great place to relax during a walk on the beach or watching the sunset or at night listening to the Gulf.  Drinks are pretty pricey.  One way to get around that is by bring your own drinks which is what a lot of guests do.  However, the bars  have a great selection of any drink that you could of!  There are several reasonably priced restaurants available on site and several within a short walking distance of the resort. On great restaurant just across the street from the Resort is Burgers N Paradise.  The food is very good, reasonably priced and the service is outstanding.  The rooms are very comfortable and some come with a hot tub.

The Museum of Science and Industry located at 4801 E. Fowler Ave in Tampa across the street from the University of South Florida is offering free admission for a child with the purchase of an adult admission.    Experience more than 450 hands-on activities, including Kids In Charge! , one IMAX Dome Theatre Film and a 3-D film in the Coleman Science Works Theater. Take a ride on the High Wire Bicycle! You can take a chance on pedaling a bicycle on a 1-inch steel cable suspended 30 feet above the ground. See one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered! The sauropods that are in the lobby are 3 stories tall! See the permanent exhibit on health, wellness and prevention. Or experience hurricane force winds. The Saunders Planetarium now features a new projection dome, new seating arrangements and a state-of-the-art star projector—the GOTO Space Simulator Chronos projection system—capable of recreating the night sky from any time in less than 20 seconds from the past, present, and future from anywhere on the planet! In addition, the new interactive planetarium is capable of playing movies, ultra 3D graphics and live videos from NASA. Kids In charge! is a designed for children 12 and under and emphasizes the value of learning through play. Parking is always free at MOSI. There is a museum shop in case you want to bring home a souvenir and a restaurant to keep you going through the day. Plan on 4 hours to see all the exhibits.  Admission is $25.95 adults (13-59), $19.95 child (2-12), and $22.45 seniors (60+).

The fabulous flying white Lipizzans stallions who performed the rare and beautiful “Airs Above the Ground Mounted” as seen in Walt Disney’s “Miracle of the White Stallions” train here in the Tampa Bay area. These sessions are free to the public, however, donations are greatly appreciated. Visitors are welcome to come and watch the shows. Founded in the 16th century for the exclusive use of the Hapsburg Royal family of Austria, the Royal Lipizzans are the rarest, most aristocratic breed of horses in the world. The pride of the Hapsburg Empire, the Lipizzan breed was first established by Archduke Charles at Lipizza (now part of Yugoslavia). Only a few hundred have ever existed at any one time. It is a contemporary miracle of sorts that this precious bloodline is not extinct, having barely been saved by General George Patton from the Russian advance during World War II. The Lipizzans’ celebrated escape was recounted in the Walt Disney movie, “Miracle of the White Stallions”. The stallions are located in Myakka City at exit 210 off of I-75.