MacDill Happenings

Tampa Theatre’s Sunset Cinema will have a free outdoor showing of “Back to the Future” this Saturday. The screening starts at 8:15 pm at River Tower Park in Sulphur Springs. Bring your chairs, blankets and dinner for the show! Sunset Cinema concessions and merchandise booths will be offering popcorn ($2), candy ($3), soft drinks ($1) Gatorade, bottled water ($2), and juice boxes for the kids ($1). Please clean up after yourself, being careful not to dump ice in the park. No alcohol is allowed, but there is plenty of room for frisbees! Well behaved pets are allowed as long as they are kept on a leash. Please clean up after your pets. In this classic sci-fi comedy adventure from director Robert Zemeckis, eccentric inventor Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) turns a DeLorean into a time machine that inadvertently sends his young friend, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), 30 years into the past. While stuck in the 1950s, Marty disrupts his parents’ destiny and risks throwing the time-space continuum completely out of whack. The only way back to 1985 now is to get mom and dad to pucker up. The Sulphur Springs Water Tower in River Tower Park is a landmark of Tampa, Florida. It stands 214 feet (65 m) tall, with a foundation 45 feet (14 m) deep which makes it visible from nearby Interstate 275 and much of the rest of Sulphur Springs. It’s located in the historic district of Sulphur Springs.

The 2nd Annual Festival of the Arts takes place this weekend 1 & 2 May at Winthrop Town Center in Riverview. There will be a juried Fine Art & Fine Craft Show with up to $7,000 in prize money. But there will also be children’s entertainment, arts & crafts, music and painting lessons.  On Saturday at 8pm, famous jazz saxophonist Eric Darius will be performing.  Admission is $10 good for all day and evening events.  It’s a good idea for the evening concerts to bring blankets and lawn chairs! This event is a fundraiser sponsored by the Brandon ’86 Rotary Club. The Brandon ’86 Rotary Club is a non-profit community service organization that supports local non profits and the Rotary International mission to eradicate Polio. This festival is an opportunity for artists and artistic organizations to exposes culture to the Community. This is venue for Artists and musicians to display their talents, performances and exhibits in an effort to enrich the lives of all citizens of the greater Brandon community. Riverview, located near Brandon, is an unincorporated town in Hillsborough County. Riverview is conveniently located along the I-75 corridor thirty minutes from Tampa. HART has an express bus service that runs straight from Riverview to MacDill AFB in the morning and back in the evening. It’s a great to save money and time when going to and from work! If you are a US government employee, then you can receive free monthly bus passes from MacDill AFB.

The 57th Annual Fun ‘N Sun starts today in Clearwater and runs until 2 May! This family-friendly festival has three big concerts this year in Coachman Park.  Coachman Park located across the water from Clearwater Beach has a beautiful view of the sunset in the evening.  The best thing about the concerts is that they are free! But if you want to get real close, you can purchase $20 reserved seat tickets on Ticketmaster. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket for a day of great music. Saturday’s concert will feature Oleta Adams, Spencer Day, Jessy J, and B.K. Jackson. The event will feature vendors, food and drink concessions and a kids play area. On Sunday, the show will feature country great Travis Tritt who have the final performance at 7:30pm. Before Travis comes out and plays listen to the great music of Amanda Drake & the Barn Burners at 12:20 pm, Lo Cash Cowboys at 1 pm, Burns & Poe at 1:40 pm, The Harters, at 2:30 pm, Josh Thompson at 3:20 pm, Blackberry Smoke at 4:30 pm, Darryl Worley at 6pm. Sun ‘N Fun has multiple events throughout Clearwater for the family to enjoy. Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County and is located on the highest coastal bluff in Florida. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Clearwater is over 108,000 residents. Two major airports are conveniently nearby: Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport. The downtown area is the gateway to the beautiful Clearwater beaches. Clearwater is about a 30 minute drive from MacDill AFB.

The Ikea store located near Ybor City is having a great deal for dinner on Thursdays!  If you eat dinner between 5pm and 9pm and spend at least $5 on a meal, you will receive an Ikea gift card for the money spent on your meal up to $25!  Make sure you save your dinner receipt which you will have to take to a specially marked register at the downstairs checkout line to receive the gift card.  You must spend a minimum of $5 to receive a $5 card.  There was someone who had only spent $4.54 on dinner and was not eligible for a $5 card.  The maximum Ikea gift card amount you can receive is $25.  I spent a little over $29 for dinner and received a gift card for $25.  Considering that the $29 was spent on food, soft drinks and desert for 3 people, it was a great deal.  The best thing is that I had an extra $25 to spend on something for the house!  The Ikea in Tampa is located near Ybor City on the corner of Adamo Drive and 22nd Street.  You can also get to Ikea off the Crosstown by taking the Ybor City exit.  If you haven’t been to Ikea, it is a great place to buy household items and furnishings at a reasonable price.  If you use your debit card when you purchase an item, you get a 1% refund that shows up on your receipt that you can use for your next purchase.  One percent may not seem like a lot, but it adds up!  From MacDill AFB, you can take the Bayshore Gate exit and follow Bayshore until it turns into Adamo Drive and Ikea will be on the right side.

The red hot Tampa Bay Rays play the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday 24 April. This is the second game of a three game series against Toronto. The game starts at 6:10pm. This game is also the kickoff of the 2010 Summer Concert Series with John Fogerty performing in right field after the game. A limited number of wristbands for field access during the concert are available for purchase. The Rays have had the best away series in their history after having swept a four game series in Boston against the Red Sox! The Rays are a solid team with good offense, good pitching and solid defense.  Get to the game early and have a tailgate party! Listen to a live band and enjoy attractions at Lot 7. 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 $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. 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 Sunday the iconic Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach celebrates its 70th Anniversary with discount admission and two classic movies. Admission on Sunday is rolled back to 25 cents per person. Normal ticket prices range from $5 to $7.   The family classic movie “The Wizard of Oz” will be shown at 1pm and 4pm.  Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a tornado’s path and end up in the land of Oz. Dorothy meets the Tin Man, the Brave Lion and the Scarecrow who help her to meet the Wizard of Oz who everyone says can help her return home and possibly grant her new friends their goals of a brain, heart and courage. Dorothy has to be defeat the Wicked Witch of the West to have a chance to get back to Kansas. At 7pm, the Cary Grant comedy classic “His Girl Friday” will be shown. A newspaper editor played by Cary Grant meets his ex-wife/ex-star reporter’s fiancee the day before they are set to be married. She says she will be happy to live a life where she will be treated like a real woman, not a newsman. Grant spends the rest of the movie, which all takes place in one day, trying to lure Hildy back into the life they shared. Most of the movie takes place in the press room of a police station. The St. Pete Beach Theatre is a historic landmark along the west coast of Florida. Built in 1939 for about $50,000, it was said to be the first theater ever erected for sound equipment on the coast.   The opening night for the theatre was 15 January 1940.  The first movie shown was “Dust Be My Destiny”.  Embittered after serving time for a burglary he did not commit, Joe Bell is soon back in jail, on a prison farm. His love for the foreman’s daughter leads to a fight between them, leading to the older man’s death due to a weak heart. Joe and Mabel go on the run as he thinks no-one would believe a nobody like him. The original theatre was fitted out with 528 seats but today there are 245 seats. The Theatre was the first building on Corey Avenue, which was a fairly busy road in those days because the causeway was the only route on and off St.Pete Beach.

Military personnel on active duty, reservists and retirees with a military ID or CAC card receive free admission to the Outback Pro-Am Tournament which continues today and Sunday. The tournament is part of the Champions Tour.   This is a great opportunity to come and enjoy professional golf for free and also get free admission to a hospitality suite!   Children under 18 admitted free. Spouses & children 18 and over will be required to pay for a general admission ticket. Military members will also receive free admission into the Military Bunker located on the 18th fairway at the TPC of Tampa Bay. One guest admission into the military bunker may be purchased for $10. Normal ticket prices are $30 per day. TPC Tampa Bay located in Lutz was Recently Rated #13 Best Public Golf Facility by GolfWorld Magazine’s 2010 Reader’s Choice Poll.  The opening round each day is 7:20am. Mark O’Meara leads the tournament after Friday’s round of golf. Come out to see Tom Watson play or maybe you can see celebrities Micheal J. Fox or George Lopez. On Sunday there will be a special presentation by the U.S. military on the 18th Green Ceremony and Coca-Cola Cup Presentation immediately following play. If you haven’t been to a professional tournament before, then please remember to remain quiet and stand still when the players are about to hit the ball. For your own safety, stay behind the gallery ropes and obey the Officials and Marshals. You will be asked to leave if you don’t follow the rules.

Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg will be the location of the 35th Annual Mainsail Arts Festival this weekend. Admission is free. The Festival is open on Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Over 100,000 visitors from near and far come to enjoy and purchase quality art and enjoy top name entertainment. The Festival has been named by Sunshine Artist as one of the “100 Best” fine arts events in the nation with exhibiting artists competing for $50,000 in prize money. This two-day event combines visual and performing arts along with opportunities for children to actively engage in art activities. Volunteers from the Junior League of St. Petersburg offer future artists the chance to unleash creativity with free activities. There is a large assortment of food and as well as Mainsail souvenirs for purchase. Over 200 exhibiting artists from all over the United States have their art on sale or available for commission.  Pets and coolers are not allowed. There are a number of public and private parking lots near Vinoy Park. 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 36th annual Lakeland Sun-n-Fun Fly-In at the Linder Regional Airport starts today and runs until Sunday. This event is the second largest convention of its kind. The 2010 SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo will attract an estimated 150,000 to 170,000 visitors from North America and more than 80 other countries, distinguishing it as the largest convention in the state of Florida and the first major international aviation event of the year in the Americas. Lakeland Linder Regional Airport is about a 40 min drive from MacDill AFB. The Sun-n-Fun participants include aircraft owners who fly their own planes to this event including vintage, home built and restored military aircraft.  The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be the highlight of the show this year. The Thunderbirds will have practices and performances Thursday through Sunday. Another signature attraction of the annual SUN ‘n FUN show is the early-morning “dawn patrol” launch of its festive Hot Air Balloon “Hare and Hound” Race on Saturday, April 17. Weather permitting, more than 25 balloonists are scheduled to ignite their burners, lift off above the shimmering morning landscape of Lakeland and create an exciting, colorful start to the day’s activities.  There will be many static displays of aircraft including vintage military aircraft. There are more than 500 commercial exhibits. There is a Parts Exchange (PX) if you are looking for something for your plane or want to cosign some parts for sale. There will be daily airshows. There are over 400 educational seminars and forums. There is nightly entertainment with a night airshow on Friday. Admission is $35 for a daily adult ticket. However during the weekend, military members can get in for $15 and $5 for dependent children 13-18. Children 12 and younger are free the entire event.

Starting today is the world famous Tampa Bay Blues Festival in Vinoy Park on the waterfront in downtown St. Pete. The Festival runs until Sunday. Stop by listen to some of the best in Blues including Jimmie Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, J.J. Grey & Mofro, Bettye Lavette, Little Ed and the Blues Imperials, Magic Slim, Joe Lewis Walker, Shemekia Copeland and many more. With acres of plush grass and palm trees, Vinoy Park is the perfect setting for one of the world’s biggest and best blues concerts. And there is plenty of parking available. Besides the great music there will some great food vendors where you can tryout seafood, barbeque, Cuban cuisine, and other great dishes. Or if you are looking to buy a souvenir, the check out the arts & crafts vendor. Beer and wine are also available. Tickets are only available at the gate with cash only. Tickets are $30/day or $75 for three days or VIP Passes for $150/day and $325 for all three days. Children 12 & under are free in the general admission area. On Friday & Saturday, gates open at around noon. On Sunday, the gates will open at about 12:30 p.m. No coolers, bicycles, pets, recording devices, or alcohol are allowed in the park. Also, no umbrellas or shade canopies may be set up in front of the main stage area. An area designated towards the rear of the park is available if you intend to bring small umbrellas or shade canopies. No large tents may be set up under any circumstances. Public restrooms are available in the rear of the park along the seawall. Re-entry to the park is allowed through the front gate only, provided you obtain a hand stamp.