MacDill Happenings

John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa presents will be hosting a Harry Potter movie marathon starting today at 10:15am. A great way to for Harry Potter fans to get ready for the new and final Harry Potter movie. The first three movies will be shown: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The last movie should end around 4:15pm. On Saturday at 10:45am, the last three movies will be shown: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Again the last movie should end around 4:15pm. On Sunday, the last movie in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be shown starting at 1:30pm.The 140,000 square foot John F. Germany Public Library serves as the reference hub and resource center for all citizens of Hillsborough County and as the flagship library of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. The staff will be answer your basic information requests and assist you with in depth research for school, business or personal projects. The John F. Germany Public Library is home to several in-depth research and local history collections. There are also computer labs and PCs for electronic access and learning. Meeting rooms are available for public use. A permanent art collection enhances the ambiance of the facility, and rotating exhibits in the Louise & Arnold Kotler Art Gallery on 2 East exhibits the works of local and regional artists. You can also purchase bargain books at Grover’s Corners, the Friends of the Library Bookstore, located on 1 East.

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Come out to the waterfront in St. Pete for the Taste of Pinellas. A Taste of Pinellas is an annual food and music festival for the whole family, held at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg Florida. A Taste of Pinellas features tastes from top local restaurants, live music from national acts, a Kids’ Zone for children and much more! On Friday, headliners for entertainment include Josh Taylor and Chris Isaak. On Saturday, headliners include Bonnie Raitt and Buddy Guy. After the entertainment, a fireworks show will take place. On Sunday, headliners include Colbie Caillat and Third Eye Blind. A Taste of Pinellas is for a great cause, too — proceeds from A Taste of Pinellas go to the All Children’s Hospital Telethon. Tickets purchased in advance for A Taste of Pinellas cost $10 each. A discounted price of $8 is available for members of the Military, Law Enforcement, and persons 65 or older (discounts not available at Rally Stores). Tickets purchased at the gate, the day of the event, are $15 per person, and $12 for the Military, Law Enforcement, and persons 65 or older. Children 12 and under are admitted free! Proceeds from this event benefits All Children’s Hospital. Hours each day are Friday 5pm to 10pm, Saturday noon to 10pm and Sunday noon to 7pm. There are parking structures available and some on street parking. Shuttle service is available. It is going to warm so make sure you bring a hat, sunblock, sunglasses and bring a chair or blanket to sit on to enjoy the concerts. Please leave pets at home and outside food or drink is not allowed.

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Come out this weekend to Vinoy waterfront park in downtown St. Pete for the Tampa Bay Blues Fest! The music starts on Friday and runs until Sunday. The concert starts on Friday at 12:30pm with Mike Zito, Michael Burks, Janiva Magness, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers and at 8:30 pm The Robert Cray Band finishes up the night. On Saturday performers include The Lee Boys, Curtis Salgado, Tommy Castro, James Hunter, and Jonny Lang. On Sunday, performers will be Eric Lindell, Jon Cleary, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Irma Thomas, and Tab Benoit & the Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, featuring Cyril Neville, Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. 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 at the gate 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.

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Today is an important date for all couples, Valentine’s Day! But if your not sure what to do besides going out to dinner, how about a romantic night at the symphony. The Tampa Bay Symphony is in concert tonight. Under the direction of Dr. Jack Heller, the Symphony presents Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B minor and numerous other classical pieces at the Mahaffey Theater in downtown St. Pete. The concert starts at 7:30pm and the cost is a very reasonable $20 at the door and students only pay $5. The Mahaffey Theater is a bayside jewel of a concert hall. This 2,030-seat theater has waterfront views and European box-style seating, which is perfect for the orchestra and dance performances it hosts. It’s the usual home for Saturday night Florida Orchestra concerts during its season, but it also hosts touring Broadway shows and musical acts. Across the way, past its sweeping lawn, is the newly-constructed Dali Museum, making the entire compound a little waterfront cultural center. If you attend an event, be sure to go early so you can enjoy a beverage upstairs with its gorgeous view of Tampa Bay. Parking is fairly easy in and easy out into a garage. The Tampa Bay Symphony was founded in 1986 as a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation. The 90+ musicians, all of whom are volunteers, come from many walks of life and all ages. Teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, housewives, and of course, students and retirees are among those represented. The goals of the orchestra are to promote interest and education in music of high standards, to provide musicians of all ages an opportunity to perform in a symphony orchestra and, thus, to enhance the cultural and artistic life of members of our community.

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This Saturday at 2pm come out to the beach pavilion at the MacDill AFB beach and listen to the sounds of 3 Cats & a Hat! This is a free event. 3 Cats & a Hat will play those popular songs from the ’50′s, ’60 and ’70′s and their own original songs. Although SeaScapes is closed during the weekend, the Marina will be open for refreshments. The Marina has snacks, soft drinks and beer for sale. Take in the scenic view of Tampa Bay, while listening to some fantastic music. You don’t have to face the traffic or crowds like you find at other waterside venues. Enjoy a relaxing atmosphere with some very inexpensive drinks! The MacDill AFB Marina has everything you need for your fishing or boating trip! The retail store has a full supply of frozen and live bait, tackle, fuel, propane, ice and beach and RV supplies. There is free boat launch that is not too crowded most of the time. You will not have to deal with the crowds you find at public boat launches! If you don’t have a boat, then the marina offers a number of boats for rent from pontoon boats to boats with an outdoor motor. To rent a power boat, you need to complete this free online course and print out the certificate and bring it with you when you rent the boat. Because renting power boats is popular, make sure you make a reservation in advance. You can rent by the hour, a half day or a whole day. You can rent canoes, kayaks, peddle boats, and water safety equipment.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the New York Rangers at 7:30pm tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum. If you haven’t been to a hockey game, you will love the non-stop action! Danny Lokey from American Idol will be putting on a concert after the game! Lokey turned into country singer with his Nashville debut, My Best Days. He’ll perform outdoors on the West Plaza stage immediately following the Lightning -Rangers game. A game ticket is required to get into the area. Also the first 5,000 fans get a free Lightning hat! Tickets at the Forum start at $10.75. But you can purchase discount tickets at the MacDill AFB ITT office. The St. Pete Times Forum is located in the Channelside District of Tampa just south of downtown Tampa. The Forum has state-of-the-art technology and innovative design which combine to make the St. Pete Times Forum one of the best facilities in North America. In addition to NHL hockey, the St. Pete Times Forum hosts more than 150 events annually, including concerts, family events, ice shows, the circus and other indoor sports. The Forum has a full range of food available including a great restaurant with a buffet, The Medallions. 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. But if you show your military ID card at the box office, you can get two free tickets!

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The Pier in St. Pete is having the Aquarium’s Big Tube Fish Restocking Ceremony today starting at 1pm to kick off the Christmas Holiday Stroll. The Stroll runs from 1pm to 6pm. Enter for a free chance to win a $1,000 worth of presents. The presents are on display next to Crystal Mirage Gallery. The drawings at 5pm, you must be present to win and you get to choose the present of your choice. There is a limit of one ticket per person. Select stores will be offering cookies and cider and it should be warmer today! Bonnie Gray Productions “Bedazzled” performs in the Courtyard by the Bay from 1pm to 4pm. Get ready to listen to get “Bedazzled” with some great Jazz, Blues, Pop, Lite Rock, Swing and Showtunes. Listen this great show that has been preformed on Cruise Ships, Casinos, NightClubs and Theatre. And of course, Santa will be there from 2pm to 5pm so you tell him about your Christmas wish list! Come out and relax by the water, listen to the music and grab a beverage or bite to eat while you enjoy your afternoon at The Pier. If you’re lucky, you might see a sailboat go by or catch a glimpse of a dolphin! If you haven’t been to the Pier it is located in downtown St. Pete on Tampa Bay. Located at the end of a mile-long approach, this five-story inverted pyramid features shops, restaurants, its own aquarium, boat docks and great place to fish from. On the ground floor of The Pier you can stroll through unique shops or grab a quick snack, and just outside a variety of activities are offered — from boat tours to feeding pelicans or peddling a surrey bicycle around the waterfront. The top floor of The Pier has a restaurant with a huge observation deck providing a beautiful view Tampa Bay. There are a variety parking options of near the Pier.

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Country music star and US Army veteran Craig Morgan will present a free concert on MacDill AFB on 10 December. Sponsored by the USO and Jack Daniels as part of the “Toast to the Troops”, this free concert starts at 3:30pm. No tickets are required, but only military ID holders and their family are allowed to attend. The concert takes place at Hanger 3 located on Hanger Loop Rd. Please do not bring pets, large bags, coolers, alcohol, glass, and backpacks. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Craig Morgan began his musical career in 2000 on Atlantic Records, releasing his self-titled debut album for that label before the closure of its Nashville division in 2000. In 2002, he signed to the independent Broken Bow Records, on which he released three studio albums: 2003′s I Love It, 2005′s My Kind of Livin’, and 2006′s Little Bit of Life. These produced several chart hits, including “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” which spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard country charts and was that publication’s Number One country hit of 2005. He has charted seventeen times on the Billboard country charts. Besides “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” six more of his singles have reached that chart’s Top Ten: “Almost Home,” “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Little Bit of Life,” “International Harvester”, “Love Remembers” and “Bonfire.” He frequently performs at military bases both in the U.S. and abroad. He was awarded the 2006 USO Merit Award for his tireless support of US soldiers and their families. He has been active in raising money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

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Join the Florida Orchestra for the free Pops in the Park and music under the stars in St. Pete.  The concert begins at 7pm at Vinoy Park along the water in downtown St. Pete.  Listen to music from Brahms, Dvorak and selections from South Pacific and Harry Potter. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture is the finale. The Florida Orchestra is a key part of the cultural life of the Tampa Bay area as it inspires, entertains and educates a wide and diverse audience with the unique experience of live symphonic music, ensuring that future generations will continue to enjoy this legacy that so magnificently celebrates the human spirit. Under Music Director Stefan Sanderling’s leadership, The Florida Orchestra is recognized as Tampa Bay’s leading performing arts institution, one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in Florida, and one of the best orchestras in America. The Florida Orchestra performs nearly 100 concerts annually in the tri-city area of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg. Concert series include Masterworks, Raymond James Pops, Coffee Concert Matinees, free Pops in the Park Concerts, and educational Youth Concerts. The flat, grassy field, is an ideal place to spend idle time on an eye-pleasing patch of green. Bordered by a sidewalk and Tampa Bay, the park features walkers, runners and in-line skaters steadily streaming by. There is plenty of parking available.  Bring out chairs, blankets and a picnic dinner to enjoy during the concert.  Alcohol is not permitted in city parks.

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The city of Seminole is hosting the Music in the Park Series on Friday 8 October at 7pm. The free event will feature a night of jazz from Dan McMillion and High Octane. Dan McMillion is one of jazz’s great high-note trumpeters. Inspired by Maynard Ferguson, Dan McMillion’s spectacular upper-register solos often sound close to Ferguson and his straight-ahead jazz band is just as high-powered as Ferguson’s more jazz-oriented groups. Bring out a picnic for dinner, blankets and chairs and relax and enjoy a beautiful Florida evening. The fun will take place at the Seminole City Park. Seminole City Park is a passive park setting hidden from the hustle and bustle city life and is located at 7464 Ridge Road, Seminole. This community park was renovated in 2001 and includes a three picnic shelters with charcoal grills, a beautiful “state of the art” band shell, three playground areas compete with play equipment for all ages, Mear Lake , access to the Pinellas Trail, and a trailside restroom facility. Seminole is a city in Pinellas County and directly across the Gandy Bridge from Tampa and MacDill AFB. Its closest neighbors are Ridgecrest to the northwest, Largo to the north, Pinellas Park to the east, St. Petersburg to the south, and the Gulf beach communities to the west. Its main arteries are State Road 694 and Alternate U.S. Highway 19.

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