MacDill Happenings

Oldsmar is hosting their annual Freedom Fest this Memorial Day weekend from 28-30 May. The activities will take place in downtown Oldsmar. This free Fest salutes the sacrifices of the military. On Friday the Fest starts at 5pm and ends at 10pm. On Saturday, the hours are 10am to 10pm. On Sunday, the hours are 10am to 6pm. The Fest will feature live music, car and bike shows, great food and fun for the entire family.  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.

The Rays are on a road trip this weekend, but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch professional baseball in the Tampa Bay area. The Clearwater Threshers, the single-A minor league team of the Philadelphia Phillies, take on the Bradenton Marauders, the single-A minor league team of the Boston Red Sox, at 1pm on Sunday 23 May at Bright House Field in Clearwater. Bright House Field is located off of Highway 19 and seats 8,500 people. The ballpark has a 360-degree main concourse, grass berm seating, and a tiki-hut pavilion in left field. You can also find group picnic areas, a children’s play area, and a state-of-the-art video scoreboard. The ticket office is located in the administration building located on the West Entry. Ticket prices run from $9 to $5. Military ID holders and seniors can purchase tickets for $5! The Threshers have a winning record and lead the Florida State League. The Threshers will be playing the Bradenton Marauders for the first time in Clearwater. During this game, Bark in the Ballpark takes place where fans can bring their four-legged best friends to the game for just $5 with proceeds benefitting the Humane Society of Pinellas County. The Clearwater Threshers are approaching 1,000,000 fans at Bright House Field and will make the one millionth fan a big winner with over $10,000 in cash and prizes. Only 12,049 fans more till the one millionth fan enters the park! The Thresher have a contest for all fans to try and guess when the millionth fan will enter the gates. Fans can enter the contest at the Threshers table located behind home plate on the concourse.

For a great way to spend a Saturday evening, stop by beautiful Curtis Hixon Park on the riverfront in downtown Tampa for a free outdoor concert. The U.S. Navy band, The Cruisers, will be in concert starting at 7pm. Bring you blankets and chairs to sit on. Don’t forget the bug spray to keep those bugs away. Bring out the whole family and plenty friends and enjoy a picnic while listening to the band. No alcohol is allowed, but you can bring all the soft drinks and water you can drink! As the U.S. Navy’s premier contemporary entertainment ensemble, the Cruisers feature eight of the Navy’s most dynamic performers. Formed in 1999 as a specialty unit of the United States Navy Band, the Cruisers are under the leadership of drummer. The group takes its name from the Navy’s versatile, flexible, multi-missioned ship – the Cruiser – and the band lives up to their namesake by having the capabilities of playing genres of music ranging from jazz & standards, rhythm & blues, classic rock, adult contemporary and pop as well as original material. This elite group has engaged and excited audiences of all ages throughout the U.S. and abroad with world-class musicianship and high energy, fun-filled performances. The beautiful Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is located in downtown Tampa along Ashley St between the Tampa Museum of Art and the Sykes building. Food is available at nearby restaurants including Five Guys Hamburger across the street from the Park and a new nearby Mexican restaurant Urban Cantina located at the corner of Madison and South Tampa. You can also bring a picnic dinner and don’t forget the blankets and chairs! Alcohol is not allowed but well behaved pets are! Curtis Hixon Park has a fenced animal park along the water. This park is one of nicest parks in Tampa. With an interactive playground, wide open flat grass play area, a view of the University of Tampa, and cooling water fountains, this is a great place to relax on a Saturday evening. Parking is available at the Curtis Hixon parking garage or at nearby public parking lots.

It’s that time of year again!  School is almost out with just a few weeks remaining! It’s also that time of year for teenagers to start looking for a job.  With the economy in a slump and everyone looking for a job, it can be tough for a teenager looking for a job.  Sometimes, teenagers are just a little too shy and don’t want to walk around from store to store looking for a job.  Well,  MacDill AFB has an opportunity for those enterprising teenagers, 16 years and older, looking for a job.  Instead of walking around the mall looking for a job, the MacDill AFB Family Readiness Center is sponsoring a Youth Job Fair on 19 May from 1pm to 3pm.  The Fair will be at the Youth Center, Bldg 382 at the corner of Bayshore and Florida Keys Ave, in the gym. There will be representatives from around MacDill for on base hiring and in the past there have been off base companies who have been looking for employees from restaurants to retail store.  Bring a resume along to highlight the past jobs you have had.  If this is your first time looking for a job, then don’t worry about bring a resume because employers will have applications to fill out.  Make sure you have some basic information like references with names and phone numbers, your Social Security number and your contact information.  It’s very important to make sure that you dress for success, no flip flops, shorts, torn jeans, so that you stand out in the crowd.  Talk politely and confidently.  If you need some more information, contact Angie Fields at 828-0132 or Loretta Gaines at 828-7985.

The Asia Pacific Rim Festival takes place at the England Brothers Bandshell Park at 5121 80th Ave. N Pinellas Park from 10am to 10pm this Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday. Admission is free. This year’s theme is Year of the Tiger in reference to this year’s Chinese New Year. The festival includes samplings for small fee of ethnic Asian cuisine, displays, arts and crafts, fashion shows, martial arts demonstrations, music and an Asian beer garden. Represented cultures include Chinese, Fijan, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Korean, Laotian, Samoan, Thai, Tongan, Taiwanese and Vietnamese. There will be mini-villages set up through out the Park with displays, arts and fashion of the Chinese, Fijian, Filipino, Indian, Laotian, Polynesian, Thai, Taiwanese, Tongan, Vietnamese and Hmong people. Come out and enjoy the delicious food and learn about other cultures.

The Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts presents Chalk Walk at Hyde Park Village.  The event runs from 7 to 9 May. This free family event is open to everyone to participate in from art aficionados to young children. Chalk Walk is a public art display covering the sidewalks in Hyde Park Village. This three-day festival will include Battle of the Business Bands, Chalk Tail party, live music, drink specials, food, family-friendly entertainment, art for sale, a chalk drawing experience for physically challenged individuals, performances from the latest crop of High School Arts Stars Scholarship recipients. Hyde Park Village is an open-air shopping center located in the neighborhood of Hyde Park. The weather should cooperate and so come out and enjoy strolling around the Village. The Village center is situated in several buildings located between Swann and Rome Avenues. Although are national retailers, the majority of tenants in the center are independent boutiques and eateries. The neighborhood of Hyde Park is located near the University of Tampa and close to Tampa’s business and cultural arts district. The boundaries of the neighborhood include the Hillsborough Bay to the east, Kennedy Blvd to the north, historic and picturesque Bayshore Boulevard to the south, and Armenia Avenue to the west. Major thoroughfares within the historical district include Kennedy Boulevard, Bayshore Boulevard, Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway, Howard Avenue, and Swann Avenue. There are 3 free parking structures available in Hyde Park.

During the first couple days of each month Old Navy offers a Military Appreciation discount of 10% on your purchase. An ID card is required. This is not a well publicized offer, but you can see can see an advertisements on the front of the Marine Corps Times or the other service Times papers. In Tampa there are two Old Navy stores. One store in West Shore Plaza in south Tampa. The other store is in University Mall by USF. West Shore Plaza is located right off of I-275 and is at the intersection of Kennedy and West Shore Blvd. The mall has a good mix of median value stores and high-end shopping. There is an AMC movie theater complex attached to the mall so you can smell the fresh popcorn smell wafting in the air when you are going to Old Navy. You can choose from a wide variety of stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Just Dogs Gourmet, Old Navy, bebe, Sunglass Hut International, Banana Republic, White House Black Market, Ann Taylor Loft, Bandolino, Gap, Brookstone, Cache, Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Bath & Body Works, Bond Jewelers, Finishline, Gymboree, JCPenny, and Sears. There is a food court with a wide of variety of tastes available. Besides high-end shopping, there are high-end restaurants available including PF Chang’s, the Palm Cafe and Maggiano’s Little Italy. University Mall in the north end of Tampa on Fowler Ave. Conveniently near I-275 and I-75, University Mall is located near the University of South Florida, Busch Gardens Theme Park and The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI). The first phase of the center’s $10 million interior and exterior renovation is now complete. New amenities added include children’s soft play area, family restrooms, computer Wi-Fi lounge and soft seating areas. With over 160 retailers University Mall offers a complete shopping experience. The mall is anchored by Sears, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Burlington Coat Factory, Old Navy, and K&G Fashion Superstore. You can find a food court with something for all tastes and budgets and a Regal Cinemas theater.