MacDill Happenings

On 28 Jan from 11am to 4pm at Largo Central Park, Touch-A-Truck and Florida Clown Day will take place with plenty of trucks, loud horns and smiling faces.  Sponsored by the city of Largo, the event is in its 17th year and brings out fire trucks, dump trucks, motorcycles, buses, military vehicles, a Bayflight helicopter, 18 wheeler, and more. Kids of all ages will enjoy inflatables, train rides along Largo Central Railroad, Rocketship Car rides around the block, and a delicious food court in the middle of the park. Children can climb in the trucks, bounce on inflatables, have their face painted, ride the train, and enjoy delicious food. Florida Clown Day, brought to you by the Uptown Clown Alley, will feature over 100 clowns from all across the state of Florida. All ages are welcome to this free event. Wristbands are required for some activities and can be purchased for $5 at the event. Limited on-site parking is available and free event shuttles will be offered from Largo High School. Individuals may park and walk from Largo Middle School. Largo Central Park is located at 101 Central Park Drive, Largo 33771. Over the last 10 years, the Largo has developed such landmark projects as Largo Central Park, the Largo Cultural Center, and the new Largo Public Library. Downtown redevelopment is currently underway, as evidenced by the changes to West Bay Drive and the upcoming Clearwater-Largo Road Streetscaping project. Tucked away on tree-lined Vonn Road is the Largo Golf Course. This par 62 executive course was renovated in early 2007 to offer USGA standard greens and an enhanced golfing experience. Largo Golf Course’s 3,335 yards of family fun features eight par 4 and ten par 3 holes, great for the beginner or the pro looking for an exciting round. Bi-weekly Saturday morning Golf Scrambles offer a chance to join in the fun and take a swing at some great prizes. Largo is across the bay from MacDill AFB and is easily accessed by using the Gandy Bridge and is a 30 to 40 minute drive depending on traffic.

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On Mondays at MacDill Lanes active duty personnel and their immediate dependents can bowl on Mondays for only $5. This special is only available on Mondays from 11am to 7pm and includes as many games as you want and shoe rental. MacDill Lanes offers 12 lanes of top quality bowling with automated scoring and pinsetters. Bowling is great family fun and is great way to keep the kids from getting bored! There is pro shop that has everything that you need for bowling including the latest balls that can be drilled to you hand size, bags, shoes and other accessories. The snack bar has great food at a reasonable price. The snack bar is open at 11am on Sunday to Friday and at 1pm on Saturday and closes one hour before the lanes close. The normal hours for MacDill Lanes are Mon-Tue 11am to 5pm, Wed-Thu 11am to 8pm, Fri 11am to midnight and Sat 1pm to midnight. Regular per game rates are from 11am to 5pm is $2, and 5pm-8pm is $2.50. On Saturday from 1pm-8pm, the cost is $2.50. On Friday and Saturday night from 8pm to midnight, Xtreme Bowling with glowing pins and balls and flashing lights takes place with a charge of $3 per game. MacDill Lanes also has a birthday party special for $100 for 10 kids. The birthday special includes 2 games of Xtreme Bowling, shoe rental, table and chair set up, decorations and a choice of hot dog, fries and a soft drink or pizza and soft drinks.

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Come out to downtown Tampa for The Park Cart at Curtis Hixon Park on 27 January starting at 4pm. This is a free event. The Park Cart is operated by the Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Guides and offers a variety of activities for park patrons. While providing information and directions downtown, the cart offers an array of recreational items such as kick balls, Frisbees, games, Hula Hoops and blankets to borrow free of charge. This a great opportunity for families or for friends to enjoy the park. The beautiful Curtis Hixon Park is located on the waterfront 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. 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 during a Tampa evening. 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! If you’re lucky, you can get a parking spot in front of Five Guys Hamburgers right across the street from the Park at the corner of Ashley and Polk.

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If you want to know where you can definitely see a manatee in Tampa, then stop by the The Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center . As the water cools down in the Bay, the manatees know that they can always find warm water at the Center. You will be able to see them along the warm-water discharge canal at Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach, features a wooden boardwalk over the water, a garden and habitat displays, a snack bar, and decks from which to view the manatees.  At the center visitors can see a tidal walkway showcasing vibrant Florida plants and birds, butterfly gardens, and educational building. Ideal for all ages, the Manatee Viewing Center features a new mangrove exhibit, butterfly gardens, an expanded gift shop and Tampa Electric’s largest installation of solar panels. The Manatee Viewing Center is home to Tampa Electric’s largest photovoltaic (PV) installation. With a capacity of 23.8 kilowatts, the solar panels can generate up to 37,500 kilowatt-hours annually. That’s enough electricity from a renewable source to offset the carbon dioxide four average-size cars could produce in one year. Not emitting that amount of carbon dioxide is equal to planting 7.5 acres of trees. The center is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Admission and parking are free. Any donations you choose to make to the center are greatly appreciated and go directly toward the purchase and maintenance of educational exhibits and publications that can help teach more visitors about the manatee and the many animals and plants that share its habitat.

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On Tuesday, 3 January, the Glazer Children’s Museum is only charging $2 for admission! Located in downtown Tampa at Curtis Hixon Park along the Hillsborough River, the museum will be a highlight of Tampa. The museum is geared for kids up to 10 years old where they will have the opportunity learn about the world around them including Tampa Bay. Everything is hands-on learning! There are more than 170 interactive exhibits from a crane to a cruise ship to a mini-theater to a giant telephone in 12 themed areas. Normal admission for children is $9.50, adults $15, and military/seniors $12.50 The museum is open 7 days a week on Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, Saturdays 10am to 6pm and Sundays 1pm to 6pm. Make a trip to the museum and take advantage of all the opportunities downtown Tampa has to offer. Curtis Hixom park is one of nicest parks in Tampa with a fenced animal park along the water. With an interactive playground, wide open flat grass play area, a view of the University of Tampa, and cooling water fountains, the is a great place play or to relax on during a Tampa evening. 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. Parking is available at the Curtis Hixon parking garage or at nearby public parking lots. If you’re lucky, you can get a parking spot in front of Five Guys Hamburgers right across the street from the Park at the corner of Ashley and Polk.

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The Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey circus train arrives in Tampa today. Come out for a free preview of the animals and performers today! Animals and performers are expected to unload at 9:30 am next to Union Station in downtown Tampa. At 10 am they begin the walk west on Cass Street, turn south on Morgan Street, east on Channelside Drive (in front of the St. Pete Times Forum), turn south on Old Water Street and parade around the back of the arena to the Animal Open House. Bring the family for this free sneak preview of the 142nd edition of the “Greatest Show on Earth” and a chance for some great photos! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Fully Charged, the all-new, 142nd edition of The Greatest Show On Earth®, at the St. Pete Times Forum from January 4-8, 2012. The Ringling Bros. will super-charge audiences with acts of breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-seen-before performances that will jolt the imaginations of Children of All Ages! Clowns from the world-famous clown alley will charge funny bones, while megawatts of thrills will explode out of the ring, including The Human Fuse, who rockets across the circus skies, igniting the power of the people. Show times are Wednesday, January 4 – 7:30 pm, Thursday, January 5 – 7:30 pm, Friday, January 6 – 7:30 pm, Saturday, January 7- 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, and 7:30 pm, and Sunday, January 8 – 1pm and 5pm. Tickets at the St. Pete Times Forum box office start at $16. Stop by the MacDill AFB ITT office to buy your military discount tickets. You can’t bet the price and you don’t have to pay tax! There is plenty of parking nearby at Channelside or directly across the street from the Forum. Channelside offers a variety of restaurants sure to please any palate from Hooter’s to Stump’s.

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The Florida Aquarium turns into a winter wonderland with snow flurries, diving elves, train rides, photos with Santa.  Santa will visit the Aquarium for photos today from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Snow will fall in Explore A Shore on the hour, every hour starting at 2pm. Santa’s Elves will make a special appearance during daily dive shows in the Coral Reef Gallery. The Florida Aquarium is among the top aquariums in the world with more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from Florida and around the world contained in 200,000 square feet all air conditioned.  Come out and pet the stingrays or get up close to the penguins when they come and do their march! Try out “Explore A Shore”, The Florida Aquarium’s 2-acre outdoor water adventure zone lets the kids cool off while parents relax under the shade of the Tampa Tribune Cantina bar and grill. Watery waves, slippery slides, gushing geysers and an assortment of animal models are just a few of the attractions for the kids. Toddlers will enjoy sand castles, little slides and giant sea creature figures as they play in Shipwreck Shore. While the kids enjoy themselves, you can enjoy the comfort of the Cantina with easy viewing of the play area and table service.  The Aquarium is located in the Channelside district of Tampa with parking for $5 for all day at the Aquarium parking lot.  There is also a hourly parking structure across the street from the Aquarium and is closer to the Channelside Bay complex. Buy your tickets online and save $2 from the cost of buying tickets at the Aquarium!

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It’s that holiday time of year again and time to get the in the spirit of the season! Come out to the Straz Center for Performing Arts for the Christmas classic “The Nutcracker“. The Nutcracker will be performed by The Great Imperial Ballet, featuring international ballet superstar Jose Manuel Carreño as the Cavalier, Miami City Ballet principal dancer Katia Carranza as the Sugarplum Fairy, Boston Ballet soloist Jeffrey Cirio as the Snow King, the award-winning dancers of Next Generation Ballet (NGB) and a cast of 150 dancers, gymnasts and even an Irish step dancer. The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”. It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on Friday, December 18th, 1892, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky’s opera, Iolanta. The Trepak, or Russian dance, is one of the most recognizable pieces in the ballet, along with the famous Waltz of the Flowers and March, as well as the ubiquitous Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Straz Center is located on the eastern bank of the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa and easily accessible from I-275, I-4 or the Crosstown Expressway. Parking is available at several nearby lots or at the William F. Poe parking structure next to the German Library for about $4. If you can find a spot on the road on the north side of the Straz Center, you can park at a metered spot. Metered spots are free during the weekends in Tampa. Showtimes on the 16th and the 17th are 8pm and on the 18th at 2pm. Tickets start at $22.50.

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Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park transforms into a winter wonderland with activities and amusements for the entire family with Santa Fest and a Holiday Parade. Activities include visits with Santa Claus, continuous holiday entertainment, hands-on games, make-n-take holiday themed crafts and a holiday parade. The parade begins at 11am and runs along Morgan Street and Kennedy Boulevard and ends at Ashley Drive and Cass Street at Curtis Hixon Park.  Of course the highlight of the parade is Santa Claus!  The Santa Fest runs until 5pm. The beautiful Curtis Hixon Park is located on the waterfront 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! There will also be a few concessions selling drinks and snacks. 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 during a Tampa evening. 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! If you’re lucky, you can get a parking spot in front of Five Guys Hamburgers right across the street from the Park at the corner of Ashley and Polk.

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Everyone is getting ready for a fun night of Trick or Treating! To make sure that you have fun make sure that you follow a few basics steps. You can never be too cautious. Trick or Treating can start at dusk, but you can start a little bit earlier. There is no set time in the Tampa area to start. If you have young children, make sure you go out before it gets too dark. Make sure that that your kids have an escort. Never let your child go out alone. Have everyone carry a flashlight. Try to have light colored costumes. Cross only at intersections and not between parked cars. Halloween is a great time for parties, so be extra careful and look out for that drunk driver. Check all treats before letting children eat them. Make sure that your pets are under control especially when you have to open the door to Trick or Treaters. If you are driving, make sure you watch for children in neighborhoods who are going to be excited, running around and may not be able to see you if they have a mask on. Fireworks are illegal in Florida so don’t use them and watch out for people who are using them. If your child is going to wear a mask, have them remove them as they walk the neighborhood so that they can see and hear what is going on around them. Halloween can be a lot of fun, but just be careful so that you don’t have to spend it in an emergency room!

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