MacDill Happenings

For a great meal deal in Ybor City on Wednesday 2 May, stop by the Spaghetti Warehouse! They are offering a Warehouse Wednesday special that includes Spaghetti, Garden Salad, Sourdough Bread, and a soft drink or iced tea for only $5.99. Choice of Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Tomato Sauce or Marinara. Available Lunch or Dinner. Located right next to the free Palm Ave parking garage in Ybor City, this is the perfect place to take the family out for dinner and enjoy the sights of Ybor City. In 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. The main shopping area in Ybor City is Centro Ybor. Centro Ybor is anchored by the Muvico Centro Ybor 20 Theater and has retailers such as GameTime, The Improv and Urban Outfitters, and a variety of eating establishments.

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Come out the waterfront in St.Petersburg  and enjoy free music at the Pier.   Jennifer Lee & Nevaeh Peek will be playing at the Courtyard at the Pier from 1pm to 4pm. Jennifer Lee and Nevaeh Peek is comprised of six professional musicians, each with a broad and deep musical history. Jennifer Lee (Vocals) and Brent Johns (Harmonica) are Nashville Recording Artists, each with their own originals. The other four members are professional studio musicians. All members have performed with many widely recognized musicians throughout the United States. Besides country music, Nevaeh Peek can “Rock the House” playing anything from soul filled blues to classic rock. They perform everything from favorite line dance tunes to classy originals, continually adding popular hits to their ever-growing list of songs. The Pier has been a landmark of downtown St. Petersburg since 1899 when Peter Demens hooked up the Orange Belt Railroad to a half-mile wharf. D. F. Brantley started the first Pier Pavilion in 1895, but it is the 1926 Million Dollar Pier, torn down in 1973 to house today’s inverted pyramid structure, that long-time residents remember. The Pier was renovated in 1988 to include the shops, galleries, boutiques a restaurant and food court on the first level to offset the annual subsidy. The inverted pyramid structure contains five-stories. On the first level you will find fourteen (14) specialty stores, galleries and boutiques, the Dockside Eatery food court and Jonny Reno’s Waterfront Grill & Watering Hole. The Pier Aquarium, a private, non-profit community marine education center has three cylinder tanks on the main level and eight tanks of sealife from oceans from around the world, several mural-sized educational exhibits and a museum store on the second level. The famous Columbia Restaurant is on the fourth level, Cha Cha Coconuts Tropical Bar and Grill is on level 5, along with the Observation Deck, and Fresco’s Bistro is located on the corner of 2nd Avenue N.E. and Bayshore Drive. The Pier has two parking lots – the Dolphin Parking Lot and the Pelican Parking Lots. Both lots are available for events taking place at The Pier and in the downtown area. Parking fees are $3 per car on a daily basis. Both parking lots are a “Pay and Display” lot with meters. The meters do not give change, but do take credit cards.

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Dragon Boat

Come to the Channelside District of Tampa on Saturday for the 9th Annual Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races. This event starts at 8am and takes place in the Seddon Channel between Harbour and Davis Island near the Convention Center. The first race starts at 8:30am. Each boat is 45 feet long, from head to tail. 20 paddlers sit side by side in 10 rows. In the stern, a steersperson stands on a platform and guides the boat through the water, and in the bow a drummer sits facing the crew, beating the drum to the stroke rate of the paddlers. Every team races three times throughout the day, with a chance to vie for champion of one of the seven divisions. The teams race from east to west in a straight line. There are now over 70 communities hosting Dragon Boat Festivals in the U.S. alone, and over 60 million participants worldwide. Teams will be coming to Tampa from across the United States, Canada, Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands to race each other for the title of Pan American Champion! The best place to watch will be at Jackson’s Bistro on Harbour Island, the Convention Center and near Tampa General Hospital. This will be a crowded event, so be prepared and just go with the flow to have some fun. There are various public and private parking lots near the Convention Center and at Channelside. Usually the public lots offer the most cost effective price. But wherever you park, the Convention Center and Channelside are within walking distance of each other. The Florida Aquarium has a parking lot and Channelside has parking structure across the street. There are a large variety of restaurants from casual eateries to fine dining. If you’re looking for pizza, sandwiches, steak, Thai, Spanish food or something in between, Channelside has it. Or if you’re just interested in dessert, then you can find some delicious ice cream at Channelside!

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On 27 April, the Howard W. Blake Friends of the Arts Foundation presents Tapestry! – an annual showcase that weaves together creativity, talent and skill from Blake students, alumni and faculty at the Don Thompson Theater at Blake High School.  The show starts at 7pm. Howard W. Blake High School is the magnet performing and visual arts high school for Hillsborough County Public Schools.  If you want to see what great things can be done with the arts, you should attend this event.  This event will showcase the best of Tampa’s school for the fine arts by featuring a wide range of styles and moods in music, writing, film, dance, and theatre. Students, faculty members, and alumni will participate in the production, which includes several collaborative works and a few surprises. Blake High School is located in the Downtown Tampa Partnership district. Surrounded on two sides by the Hillsborough River, Blake offers a variety of programs for its traditional and magnet students. Over 1400 9th-12th graders engage in rigorous academic, technical and arts programs to prepare them for success in a variety of post-secondary opportunities. The magnet program offerings include visual arts, dance, acting, musical theatre, technical theatre, band, chorus, orchestra, guitar, harp, creative writing, multimedia production, and journalism. Students in these disciplines continue to receive recognition and accolades on the local, state, and national levels. All funds raised from the event will go to supporting the Howard W. Blake Friends of the Arts Endowment Fund. The foundation’s endowment provides support for the school, its students and its teachers through scholarships for needs students attending summer arts institutes and workshops. It also provides for guest artists and general assistance for critical areas of the school throughout the year. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Tickets can be purchased online and range from $15 to $25. Don’t wait till the last minute to get your tickets! 

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If you’re a Star Wars fan in Tampa, then come out to the Museum of Science & Industry on Saturday. MOSI is hosting a Jedi Academy on Saturday evening. This event starts at 6pm on Saturday and runs until 10am on Sunday. You will get the chance to build your own lightsaber and train in the art of dueling with a Jedi Master/stunt coordinator. Or if you always wanted to see if you could fly an X-wing fighter, here is your chance to test your fighter piloting skills in space battles. You can build droids out of candy and use the force to run through the Jedi Temple obstacle course. Learn about traveling to other planets and the science behind Star Wars technologies and aliens. Enjoy a Star Wars-inspired dinner in preparation for a night. Breakfast is also included. Make sure you sign up as soon as possible because openings will be limited. The cost for non-members is: $105 per parent-child team and $60 per additional child. MOSI member receive a discounted price: $79 per parent-child team and $45 per additional child. Call (813) 987-6000 for more information and registration. MOSI is located in the northern part of Tampa just across the street from the University of South Florida. MOSI has more than 450 hands on activities for children and adults. 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 $4 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.

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The weather is supposed to be better today!  Let’s hope so because there are a lot of outside events today in Tampa.  But just like yesterday, the Rays are playing inside the Trop.  So there is one definitely one event in Tampa that will not be bothered by the rain.  If you are going to the game, start time is 1:40pm. Clearwater is hosting the Fun ‘n Sun Toyota Country Concert as part of the Fun “n Sun Festival in Coachman Park today. Admission is free, but you can pay for reserved seating. If you’re not paying for reserved seating, then make sure that you bring chairs or blankets to sit on. Ronnie Dunn, half the now defunct Brooks & Dunn duo, will headline the concert. The lineup also includes Chris Cagle, The Farm, JT Hodges, Andy Gibson and Suite Caroline. On the Side Stage, catch acoustic performances by Canaan Smith and Greg Bates. The music starts at 1:15pm with Ronnie Dunn closing out the night with a performance from 7:45pm to 9pm. There will be food and beverages for sale. Parking is available around Coachman Park. Coachman Park located across the water from Clearwater Beach has a beautiful view of the sunset in the evening. Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County and is located on the highest coastal bluff in Florida. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Clearwater is over 108,000 residents. Two major airports are conveniently nearby: Tampa International Airport and St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport. The downtown area is the gateway to the beautiful Clearwater beaches. Clearwater is about a 30 minute drive from MacDill AFB.

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Just in case the weather is bad on Saturday, you can enjoy a baseball game in the evening at the Trop. The Tampa Bay Rays play the Minnesota Twins at 7:10pm. Some people may not like an indoor baseball game, but a covered stadium sure helps in the rainy Florida weather. The first 10,000 fans get a free Evan Longoria Walk-off Figurine. This commenorates his walk-off home run in extra innings against the New York Yankees in the final game of the 2011 season to give the Rays an 8-7 victory, and more importantly, a spot in the playoffs. Buy your tickets now. You can saw a few dollars by buying tickets at the MacDill AFB ITT office or save transaction charges by buying tickets at the Rays downtown Tampa store. Bring out the cowbell! Expect the Tropicana parking lots to fill up quickly so get to the stadium about 2 hours ahead of time to find a spot. You can use that time to have a tailgate party! Try to find a spot near the grass so that you can have some room to spread out. Or park early and stop in for a bite and drink at Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill right across the street from the stadium. Ferg’s is the place to be before and after a game! There are private lots nearby the Trop that charge $10 for parking. The Trop is easily accessible from I-275. Inside the Trop, check out the Ray tank in centerfield. In the Left Field Street area, fans can participate in a baseball-themed game show, take their picture on a Topps baseball card, have their name inscribed onto a Louisville Slugger bat, touch and feel real game-used equipment, and broadcast play-by-play of baseball highlights. At Right Field Street kids can experience the magic of baseball in the Rays Baseball Carnival, a real working carnival that includes plinko, spin the wheel, ring-a-bat and skee ball. Or take a swing against a computer images of real Major League pitchers in a batting cage or test their arms in the speed pitch, both found in the T.G. Lee Rookie Challenge area of the Carnival. There is also kids-themed areas such as “Bats, Balls, and Brushes”, “St. Petersburg Times Pressbox” and “The Science of Baseball.” Centerfield Street has the Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar, baseball’s first in-stadium cigar bar, as well as the Batter’s Eye Restaurant, located in the “batter’s eye” in center field. Centerfield Street also has the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall-of-Fame.

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Come out to the Pass-A-Grille beach this weekend for the 22nd Annual Beach Goes Pop! Admission and the music is free. Food and beverages including beer, wine and soft drinks will be available for sale. On Friday, the fun starts at 4pm and runs till 10:30pm. The exact location is 9th Avenue and Gulf Way in St. Pete Beach. Bring out chairs and blankets. At 4pm, Beach Goes Pops Street Band will start out the musical entertainment. The Hip Abduction will follow from 5pm to 7:30pm. Big Brother will close out the night from 8pm to 10:30pm. Parking and shuttle service will be available from 4pm till 11pm at the County Beach Park across from the Dolphin Village Shopping Center at 4600 Gulf Boulevard. “Art in the Park” will be open both days with local artisans selling their artwork and crafts. On Saturday, the fun runs from 4pm to 10pm. Steel Drum music starts at 4pm. Saxophonist Jeff Zavac will play from 5:30pm till 6:30pm. The St. Petersburg Opera Company will provide a special musical program from at 7:30 pm and plays till 10:00 pm. The City of St. Pete Beach is a barrier island community located just off the Pinellas County mainland of Saint Petersburg, just south of Treasure Island, and 20 miles from Clearwater Beach. It’s about a 45 minute drive from MacDill AFB. The city was incorporated in 1957 with the consolidation of the Towns of Pass-a-Grille, Don CeSar, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated Pinellas County to become the “City of St. Petersburg Beach.” A great seasonal location, up to 28% of residents have their primary residences in other locations. In 1994, the citizens voted to shorten the name to “St. Pete Beach” to lessen the confusion with the City of St. Petersburg, located on the mainland to the east.

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The Brandon Towne Center Westfield Mall is a having a variety of Family Fun specials today! Family Fun specials are geared towards children. The Marble Slab Creamery is offering a free Kids Creation. Steak Escape is offering a free Kids Meal. The Learning Express is offering a free kids Craft Kit with no purchase necessary. 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 food court also has a wide variety of offerings at a very reasonable price. 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. 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 town of Brandon is a pretty popular location for people who work at MacDill AFB. Brandon is about a 30 minute drive from MacDill AFB. The LeRoy Selmon Expressway runs from Brandon to Tampa and can cut 10 to 15 minutes off your commute during rush hour.

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If you’re new to Tampa and MacDill AFB and are wondering what to do in South Tampa, then stop by the Taste of South Tampa.  This is all-inclusive tasting event has the best of South Tampa’s restaurants and live music from 1pm to 5 pm Sunday at Old Hyde Park Village, 1622 Snow Ave, about a 10 min drive from MacDill AFB. Attendees will get the opportunity to sample menu items from a number of South Tampa restaurants, such as CDB’s Southside Italian Restaurant & Bar, JusThai and Timpano’s Chophouse and Martini Bar. Water and soft drinks will be available, as well as beer and other beverages for those of drinking age with proper identification. Hyde Park Village is an open-air shopping center located in the neighborhood of Hyde Park in. The 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. Tickets costs are $35 21 and above, $20 ages 11-20 advance, 10 and younger free, and on the day of the event ticket price are $40 21 and above, and $25 ages 11-20 day. Call (813) 637-0156 for more info.  There are 3 free parking structures available in Hyde Park.