MacDill Happenings

As part of the Leap Year Celebration, the Magic Kingdom will be open for 24 hours on 29 February! Officially known as “One More Disney Day”, the Magic Kingdom in Orlando will open at 6am today and stay open until 6am on 1 March! For military families Walt Disney World has extended it offering of discount tickets during its Armed Forces Salute until September 2012. During this period Military Members are eligible for twelve total “Salute” tickets. They may never purchase/activate/utilize more than six per day. There are block out dates when the tickets cannot be used. From 1-12 April, tickets cannot be used at the Magic Kingdom. Also on 4 July 2012, tickets cannot be used at the Magic Kingdom, but can be used at Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Active and Retired U.S. Military, including members of the U.S. Coast Guard and active members of the National Guard or Reservists, may purchase 4-Day Walt Disney World Armed Forces Salute Tickets for themselves and up to five (5) family members and/or friends. There is the Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Park Hopper Option for $138 each, the Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Water Parks Fun and More Option for $138 each, and the Disney 4-Day Military Promotional Tickets with Park Hopper and Water Parks Fun and More Options for $165 each, plus tax”  The MacDill ITT office located at the MacDill Exchange mall has these tickets for sale. Make sure you buy them on base because if you buy them at the gate you have to pay tax! If you don’t have time to stop at MacDill, then Shades of Green, the Armed Forces Recreation Center located in Disney World, also has these military tickets for sale. Don’t forget to include the price of parking when budgeting for your trip. Disney lets you bring in snacks in a backpack or stroller. So make sure you bring snacks because although park food is very tempting, it is also very expensive!

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

Stop by your favorite IHOP on 28 February to celebrate National Pancake Day! From 7am to 10pm, you can receive one free short stack, 3 buttermilk pancakes, for free. National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products…hence the name Pancake Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday. You are asked to consider making a donation to support local children’s hospitals through the Children’s Miracle Network, or other local charities. Last year, IHOP raised more than $1 million during National Pancake Day. This year’s goal is $2.1 million! There are 10 IHOP locations to choose from in the Tampa Bay area! Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals. More than 170 Children’s Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind.  Help someone else out and help yourself to some pancakes!

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

Military families can receive free online tutoring support 24/7 at Tutor.com! The Department of Defense MWR Library Program and the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program have funded access for military families to Tutor.com! Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve members and their families are eligible to use this support. When you have school age children and you have to move around a lot due to PCS moves, children can find it difficult to adapt especially as they get older. There is a lot of upside to moving to new places every couple of years, but children can miss the comfort of knowing that they will always go to the same school and know what to expect. My son is in his Junior year in high school and is also attending his third different high school after PCS moves from Florida to Guam and to Virginia. Each high school had its own graduation requirements and each class is slightly different. Algebra classes in Guam were slightly different than the algebra taught in Virginia. So a little help in academics will go a long way. You can even use your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch to get access. Help is available for K-12, college students, and service members going back to school. K-12 students can receive help in 16 academic subjects, including algebra, chemistry, calculus, and physics. Adults can get back-to-school and career help, including GED prep and resume writing. You will work with a tutor in a secure online classroom, where you can chat, draw on a shared whiteboard, upload files, and browse the web together.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

Not everyone gets to go to Hollywood to see the Oscars.  But don’t let something like not getting an invitation to the Hollywood show, stop you from getting to walk on the red carpet!  The Tampa Theatre is having its 13th Annual Oscar Night Party where you are the star! The Red Carpet and Reception starts at 6:30pm and the live telecast of the Oscars starts at 8pm.  This event is one the only 49 nationwide officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This will be a fun-filled evening featuring red carpet festivities, delicious food and wine samples, and exciting merchandise. Plus, free popcorn, soda and coffee throughout the show! All proceeds benefit Tampa Theatre’s artistic and educational programs. This is not you not your run of the mill Oscar party. For this event, you’ll be whisked around the block in a limo, cheered by fans on Tampa Theatre’s red carpet, surrounded by fans for your autograph, hounded by the paparazzi, interviewed by our own zany red carpet hostess, “Roan Jivers”, treated to delicious food and wine samples from area restaurants, tempted with merchandise like jewelry and shoes from local vendors and finally get to see the 83rd Annual Academy Awards live on Tampa Theatre’s Big Screen. Cost is $30 for General Admission with no program and $15 Student with valid student ID at Tampa Theatre box office only. Admission includes popcorn, soft drinks and coffee. Wear your best Hollywood dress up or dress down! 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. Remember the street parking meters are not in service during the weekend so parking at street meters is free. It’s a tradition to hang out at The Hub, downtown Tampa’s classic dive that’s located two doors down, before or after a theater outing.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

The Bay Area Annual Renaissance Festival will be hosted at MOSI in Tampa. Every weekend has a different theme. This weekend’s theme is “Wonders of the World“. The Festival will be open each weekend from 10am-6pm.  Each weekend will have different theme. The Festival will feature eight live stages, fire eaters, human chess matches, jousting, minstrels, maidens faire, peasants, fools, and much more.   Tryout the Bawdy Boys Pub Crawl from 2:30pm to 4pm. For $25 person, you get to try one beer at each of the 4 pubs. Plus you will also receive a commemorative Festival ceramic mug and a collectible Festival stamped leather tag. After the Pub Crawl, the Renaissance Smoker will host more fun at 4:15pm for $15 where you will receive 2 cigars, 2 beers and snacks. For both of these events, you must be 21 years old. The Marketplace will be offering such a huge variety of goods for purchase that you may have a hard time deciding what to buy!  Parking is free at MOSI. Advance tickets can be bought online for a discount with $15.95 for adults and children 5 to 12 years are $7.95.  With a military ID, you can purchase one ticket for the full price of $18.95 at the gate and receive one ticket for free.  Dogs and cats are welcome everyday to the festival for a$10 fee, but please register in advance.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

Today at MOSI is Senior Fest. Seniors get in free today! As an added bonus today, there will be free bingo, entertainment, health screenings, and free coffee. If you want to enjoy the outdoors at MOSI, then there is the BioWorks Butterfly Garden, Richard T. Bowers Historic Tree Grove and Backwoods Forest Preserve Experience more than 450 hands-on activities, including a IMAX Dome Theatre Film and a 3-D film in the Coleman Science Works Theater. IMAX and 3-D film is an extra cost. 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. Parking costs $5 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. Normal ticket price for seniors is $18.95.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

Come out to downtown St. Pete and enjoy a play and “Pay-What-You-Can” at the door and $15 in advance! The American Stage Theatre Company at Raymond James Theater is hosting “Forbidden Tampa Bay” on Friday 24 February at 11pm. This hour long comedy sketch is about the things we love and hate about living in Tampa Bay with a funny satirical look at local events and life in Florida. Before or after the show, you might want to take the opportunity to enjoy the restaurants and nightlife that downtown St. Pete has to offer. American Stage Theatre Company is located at 163 3rd Street North in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. During performances, patrons can park for free in the Synovus Bank, located one block up 3rd Street at 333 Third Ave. N. St. Petersburg College’s parking garage is open to patrons for $5 on Friday night, Saturdays and Sundays and is located next to the theater on Second Avenue North. Along with street parking, there are two other garages within walking distance. American Stage is the Tampa Bay area’s only professional regional equity theater. It presents its six-play Mainstage Series in its brand new, 182-seat Raymond James Theatre, across from Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg. Other productions include the “After Hours” Series, School Tour, and camps and classes for children. American Stage is also known for its springtime American Stage in the Park (also known as Shakespeare in the Park), which was launched in 1986. In 2005, it began staging shows other than Shakespeare under the stars at Demens Landing.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

Although not an official Ybor City wide party, two restaurants in Ybor City, Bernini’s and Green Iguana Ybor, are throwing a huge Fat Tuesday party inside the restaurants and on the sidewalk cafe areas. Both restaurants are located on the main avenue of Ybor City, 7th Avenue. The Green Iguana is housed in two historic red brick buildings on two levels w/ 5 full bars, 12 TV’s, Stage, Lighting and Audio visual system, 2 Full dance floors, a second level DJ booth and a full service kitchen every night until Midnight and numerous tables on the sidewalk cafe area. Bernini’s is an Italian bistro with fantastic food, drinks and a lot of room. There will be a free Creole buffet, king cakes, a Dixieland band and a cash bar. It’s probably a good idea to make reservations otherwise just be ready for a crowd or be ready to stand around and enjoy the fun. The partying starts around 6:30pm and it’s probably not a good idea to bring the kids along. But if you do want to bring the kids along then there Ybor City is wide open for the family to enjoy. Ybor City you can choose from a variety of cuisine – Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Greek and French – just by strolling down La Setima, the main street of the Historic District. Share authentic tapas and a pitcher of Spanish sangria in a café atmosphere reminiscent of a Mediterranean village. Founded by Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar-manufacturing center, Ybor City today is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. Red brick buildings, wrought iron balconies and narrow brick streets give it an old-world charm. The Columbia Restaurant located in Ybor City is must place to eat at in Tampa. This Tampa classic is over 100 years old and food is fantastic! Even with all the vistors to Ybor City, there is always plenty of parking.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

This Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, so get ready for some great parties! In the New Orleans tradition of Mardi Gras, the city of Dunedin is hosting a big street party on Fat Tuesday. The Dunedin Mardi Gras Parade and Festival at Pioneer Park starts at 5pm and ends at 11pm. At 5pm, Big Mama’s Jamalaya Jive parade starts along Douglas Avenue from Knology Park passing through Main street and in front of Pioneer Park ending justs before Skinner Boulevard. There will be over 50 entries and floats in the parade, all tossing beads along the way. If past attendance is an indicator, there will be an estimated 30,000 people attending this festival. You probably don’t want to wait till the last minute to get there. This is a family event so don’t worry about any bawdy behavior. If you want to continue the party past 11pm, local restaurants and pubs will be open! During the Festival, local restaurants will be offering food and beverages for purchase and vendors will be selling arts and crafts along Main Street. The Grand Marshall for the Parade will be Shelby Nelson – GM for Toronto Blue JaysAdmission is free. Please no pets, coolers or glass bottles. There will be plenty of in parking lots and on street. Free live music will be provided by local favorites The Vodkanauts from 5:30pm to 7:30pm who will then be followed by world famous Cyril Neville. Dunedin is located across Tampa Bay from MacDill AFB, just north of Clearwater. Dunedin is located in Pinellas County. The name comes from the Scots Gaelic Dùn Èideann meaning Edinburgh. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 36,632. Dunedin is home to several beaches, including Dunedin Causeway, Honeymoon Island, and Caladesi Island State Park, which is consistently rated among the best beaches in the world. Dunedin is one of the few open waterfront communities from Sarasota to Cedar Key where buildings do not completely obscure the view; a 1-mile stretch of Edgewater Drive (also known as Alternate US 19) south of downtown offers views of St. Joseph Sound, Clearwater Beach, and Caladesi Island. The quaint, but thriving downtown business district has become a model for many other west-central Florida cities. It is striking in comparison to neighboring Florida communities for its absence of commercial signage and corporate franchise restaurants and retail stores.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!

Come to the Tampa Theatre to see the 1926 classic silent movie “The Black Pirate”. Starring Douglas Fairbanks, the movie has Fairbanks as an aristocrat who turns into a pirate to infiltrate a band of pirates who are responsible for the death of his father so that he can get his revenge. When “The Black Pirate” was originally released in 1926, it was shown in the Tampa Theatre. The movie has a run time of 2hr. The Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ will provide the live music for the movie. 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. Remember the street parking meters are not in service during the Federal holilday so parking at street meters is free. Just across the street from the Marriot Courtyard at Cass and N. Florida is a self-service parking lot that charges $5 for parking before 6pm and $3 after 6pm. If you ever come to watch a show it’s a tradition to hang out at The Hub, downtown Tampa’s classic dive that’s located two doors down, before or after a theater outing.

MacDill Happenings is brought to you by Militarybyowner Advertising, Inc., your resource for MacDill AFB Off-Base Housing!