MacDill Happenings

The City of St.Petersburg is celebrating Independence with their 4th of July Extravaganza and Fireworks. There will be activities and music at North Straub Park and The Pier throughout the day. In North Straub Park, a world renowned sand artist will create a patriotic sand sculpture from 40 tons of sand which will be near the Plaza (north end) of North Straub Park. Fireworks are viewable along the waterfront across the Bay beginning at 9 pm on July 4th, weather permitting. Also depending on sunset, fireworks may go as early as 8:30 pm or as late as 10 pm. At The Pier, there will live music starting at 1pm. Family entertainers will be throughout the Pier from jugglers to magicians, to hypnotists. Face painting is available for a minimal charge. Or stop by the Pier and try out an econo-friendly boat,  The Electric Marina Boat Rentals! Like the name says, you can rent earth friendly electric boats to leisurely cruise Tampa Bay! The top speed of the electric non-polluting boats are 5 mph, but the best about these boats at the end of your cruise you don’t have to pay a huge gas bill! Their new 24′ boats seat up to 12 people comfortably. And are equipped with a private restroom, swim transom, a recessed swim ladder, water sink and shower 4 speaker stereo/mp3 compatible, convertible top for shade or sun or fishing. The boats are equipped with GPS, depth and fish finder. You can also rent a propane barbecue for $28. Boat rental fees are $40 for a half hour and $75 for one hour. Besides electric boats, you can also rent water bike, kayaks and sailboats!

Come and celebrate 4th of July at the Brandon Blast!  The Westfield Brandon Mall is hosting the Brandon Blast from 4pm to 9pm. This event should take place at the parking lots on the west side of the mall. Listen to live music and take part in family fun events from bouncy houses to water slides.  If you get hungry or need a drink, there will be plenty of food vendors offering something for everyone’s tastes!   There is even a raffle for a $1,000 shopping spree!  Fireworks start at 9pm. The proceeds from the day go to support the Great Brandon Community Foundation who in turn helps to support 54 local registered charities. Come early to get a good parking spot and maybe bring a picnic or a portable grill and have dinner while you wait for the fireworks. The Westfield Mall in Brandon is one of the largest malls in the Tampa area. Anchor stores at the Mall include Dillard’s, Macy’s, JC Penny’s, and Sears. With stores offering everything from shoes to sports to sunglasses and everything in between, the Westfield Mall is also a destination place for dining out from something quick to eat in the food court to a sit down restaurant in the restaurant courtyard. The Mall is open on Mondays to Friday from 10:30am to 8:30pm, Saturdays 10am to 9pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm.

The Davis Island Youth Sailing Foundation is holding a Summer Sailing Camp for Kids during one-week sessions for Summer Learn-To-Sail camps for kids age 8-18 with no experience sailing to experienced sailors. The camps run throughout the summer and take place Monday through Friday. The camp takes place 9am-4pm. Lunch will be provided and is included in the program fees. Each child will receive a one t-shirt, extra t-shirts can be ordered for $10. This camp is available to both Davis Island Yacht Club members and non-members. The goal of the the Foundation is to promote the sport of sailing for the benefit of the children of the Tampa Bay area in an environment which stresses safety, good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, respect for authority and respect for the community. The cost is $265 per session plus a $25 annual fee per family. A discount of $25 per session will be available for any combination of registrations for a family beginning at the 3rd session and/or child.  Davis Island is located near downtown Tampa and is about a 9 mile drive from the Bayshore Gate of MacDill AFB. Davis Island is a mix of residential and retail areas. Davis Island is home to Peter O. Knight Airport, Davis Island Yacht Club, and Tampa General Hospital. Also on the Islands are the Marjorie Park Municipal Yacht Basin & Marjorie Park. East Davis Boulevard is the commercial area of the neighborhood. Along several blocks there are restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops in a tranquil sidewalk setting. The area is also very pet-friendly due to the pedestrian nature of the island and a great starting point for a walk or run along Bayshore Blvd.

How about treating Dad to a golf outing at the Bay Palms Golf Complex at MacDill AFB!  The golf special is 4 players each with a hot dog lunch for $125.   You can start out the day right with a delicious breakfast from the “Main Course” Eatery.   The grill serves up everything you would want for breakfast from eggs to pancakes and everything in between.  Try the “Hole In One” special with your choice of eggs cooked up the way you like it, hashbrowns or grits, sausage, ham or bacon and a choice of toast for only $5.25. The twilight light special prices, available after 2:30pm for 18 holes including a cart are: $15 for E1-E4, $17 for E5-O3, $18 for O4 and up, $22 for guests and $5 for juniors. For the summer, the course is now closed on Mondays. The Bay Palms Golf Complex was named ‘Best Golf Program in the Air Force’ for 2002. There are two 18-hole, par 72 courses. The challenging South Course runs along the bay. The North Course offers a prefect opportunity to work on your game. The complex has a lighted practice putting green, a 24-hour-a-day lighted driving range where a bucket of balls is only $1, a practice chipping green and sand trap areas. The clubhouse has an excellent pro shop with a great friendly staff ready to help you.

In celebration of Father’s Day during this weekend, fathers get free admission to Lowry Park Zoo with the purchase of full price child’s ticket.  Zoo hours are 9:30 am-5 pm. The normal admission price is $18.95. Lowry Park Zoo has been voted the #1 Family Friendly zoo by Child magazine. Extras like the train ride, camel rides and giraffe feedings are available at an additional cost from $2 to $5 each. But with your admission fee you can visit more than 2,200 animals. The zoo is a 56-acre, natural-habitat zoological park with African animals, Florida wildlife, manatee center, primates, Asian animals, free-flight aviary, Stingray Bay and Australian-themed children’s zoo. The sprayground in the front of the zoo is a summertime favorite for kids. There are two air-conditioned restaurants and snack shops offer plenty of eating choices. See the animals in their native habitats at Asian Gardens, Primate World, Free-Flight Aviaries, Wallaroo Station children’s zoo, and Safari Africa. The zoo is open 9:30 am to 5 pm at 1101 W Sligh Ave. in Tampa just off of I-275. Parking is free.

The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg is having Fun Saturdays this summer. Bring out the family for fun games, puzzles and craft activities. In the Dalí Family Guide brochures families can explore the collection on their own and discover the magic of Dalí. 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. Admission is $17 for adults, $14.50 for seniors, military and police, $12 ages 10 to 18, $4 ages 5 to 9. Or if you can wait until Thursday admission is $5 after 5 pm. In downtown St. Pete, the landmark Pier anchors a downtown shopping, dining and entertainment district that includes bustling BayWalk and Muvico 20, trendy boutiques along Beach Drive, and a dazzling
array of shops, galleries, hotels and bed & breakfasts that line the city’s pedestrian-friendly streets. A continuous string of green parks winds along the seven-mile Beach Drive waterfront.

The Westfield Citrus Park Mall today from 4pm to 6pm will offer a free Mommy & Me makeover! Moms will receive free makeover services from Macy’s, Dillard’s and The Body Shop. The kids will receive free haircuts courtesy of Regis Salon. Moms will also receive hair styling by Dillard’s Aveda Salon, hand massages from the Body Shop and nail polish changes. Following the style updates, the families will take a complimentary photo to commemorate the day. Families will also enjoy great entertainment provided by Radio Disney including a DJ, interactive show, games and prize giveaways. The mall has over 150 shops including restaurants so come out and celebrate the first day of summer for the kids and moms get ready for the kids to be home during the summer! The mall is located off the Veteran’s Expressway just north of Tampa International Airport, so access to MacDill AFB, Tampa Airport and the Gulf beaches is pretty quick depending on the time of day. The Citrus Park area of Tampa started as orange groves and has evolved to one of nicest neighborhoods in Tampa. The Citrus Park area also touches the neighborhoods Westchase, Waterchase, Westchester, Mandolin, and Nine-Eagles, Fawn Ridge, Fawnlake and Countryway.  Located in Hillsborough County, the schools in the Citrus Park neighborhood are provided by Hillsborough County Public Schools.

For a free and fun time this Saturday evening come down to Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa for a free out showing of the classic movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. This part of the Sunset Cinema series sponsored by the Tampa Theatre. Built in 1926 as one of America’s most elaborate “movie palaces”, the Tampa Theatre today is a historical treasure of Tampa. Located in downtown Tampa, the Theatre is easily accessible from I-275 and I-4. Designed by famed theatre architect John Eberson, the Tampa is a superior example of the “atmospheric” style of theatre design. Inside the Tampa, audiences are transported to a lavish, romantic Mediterranean courtyard replete with old world statuary, flowers, and gargoyles. Over it all is a nighttime sky replete with twinkling stars and floating clouds. Tampa Theatre was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, is a Tampa City Landmark, and is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres. There is on street parking nearby and parking lots within walking distance. Legendary outlaws Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) display their gifts for perfect comedic timing and charisma as they pull off heist after heist in this Academy Award-winning film from director George Roy Hill. To evade a relentless posse, the boys flee to Bolivia, thinking they’ll find easier pickings there. But trouble finds them in Bolivia. The film starts around 8:45pm, but arrive early to get a good spot. Bring your own chairs and blankets to sit on. Alcohol is not permitted in the Park, but this is a great time to have a picnic dinner! There will be concessions selling food and drinks if you don’t want to bring your own. Right across the street from the park is Five Guys Hamburger, so you can get your fast food fix for the day if you need it. Pets are allowed with a leash and the Park has a fenced dog park along the River. The film will be shown on a 50-foot wide screen using dual projectors that produce a crisp image and a powerful sound system ensures that you can hear the movie from any place in the park. Parking is available at the Curtis Hixon parking garage or at nearby public parking lots. On street parking is free in Tampa after 6pm, so you don’t have to place any quarters into the meters!