MacDill Happenings

MacDill Lanes on MacDill AFB is having “Family Fun Night” tonight. From 5pm to 8pm, it will only costs $1 a game and $1 to rent bowling shoes. There will be food and drink specials and kids activities. Plus if you buy a meal, you get a free ice cream sundae bar also! If you haven’t gone bowling in a while, this place is a great place to go.  There are 12 modern lanes.  It is usually not crowded. I have never had to wait for a lane to open up. On Sundays there is the Sunday Family Special. Two people can bowl for $20 or four people can bowl for $30. The price includes 2 games, shoes, 1 large pizza and a pitcher of soda. The special is available from 1pm to 7pm every Sunday. MacDill Lanes can also be reserved for parties-unit functions, birthdays, hail and farewells. The Lanes is also a free wi-fi hot spot. If you don’t want to bowl but want to get out of the house, then bring the laptop and surf the net! The Lane grill has everything you need for a meal or for a snack from philly cheesesteak sandwiches to pizza and everything in between. For a limited time only during lunch, video games are free to play. Beer is also available. Hours are 11am to 5pm on Monday & Tuesday, 11am to 8pm on Wednesday & Thursday, 11am to midnight on Friday, 1pm to midnight on Saturday and 1pm to 8pm on Sunday.

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On Monday in celebration of Mother’s Day The Florida Aquarium is offering free admission to Mom’s with any paid admission. Take Mom out to brunch and then enjoy time together at the Aquarium. The Aquarium will be open from 9:30am to 5pm. Normal admission price runs $21.95 for adults, $18.95 for seniors and $16.95 for ages 12 and under. You can definitely see everything during a 3 hour period, but make sure you get there early. 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.

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The 30th Annual Celebration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage takes place at AsiaFest 2013 at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park this Saturday. Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park is located between the Marriott Waterside hotel and Tampa Bay History Center in the Channelside district. Opening ceremonies start at 11am and then there is entertainment from 11:30am to 230pm. There is no admission charge.  Experience the tastes, sights and sounds of sixteen unique countries from all over Asia. Entertainment includes brilliantly colorful dance performances, traditional music and the 4th Annual Miss Asia Fest. Asia Fest is an annual celebration of “National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month,” which has been held in downtown Tampa since 1982. The goal of Asia Fest is to share Asian culture with the public and promote the bond of friendship and better understanding between the East and the West. Each year the event has been coordinated by the Asian Coalition of Florida (AACF). See Asian cultural performances, martial arts, and fashion shows. Asia Fest presents a colorful, festive celebration that features cultural entertainment and Asian ethnic food representing Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Several key local Asian Pacific restaurants are on board as food vendors. The food is definitely a highlight of the event!  The anticipated crowd size should be around 10,000 so come and enjoy the fun.  Parking is available at public and private lots near the Forum. The Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races on Garrison Channel will be going on at the same time.

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FishHawk Ranch will host a Community Wide Garage Sale this Saturday. The garage sale will run from 8am to noon at each individual subdivision in FishHawk Ranch. Stop by you might find that treasure that you are looking for at a great price! Take a look at housewares, clothing, sporting goods, furniture, bikes, toys, books and much more!  Located within a 40 minute drive to downtown Tampa and MacDill AFB, FishHawk Ranch is a unique community with walking and biking paths throughout the neighborhood. You’ll find shops and grocery stores all around the neighborhood for your shopping convenience with a wide variety of restaurants for every taste. The FishHawk Aquatic Club has a competition swimming pool, a lagoon pool with an amazing water slide. There is also an outdoor aerobics stage, a massage room and a gathering room in the clubhouse. Top rated elementary, middle and high school are nearby with a new sports park close to Randall Middle School. Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit also offers express bus service to MacDill AFB from FishHawk Ranch. MacDill AFB also provides free monthly bus passes to military and civilian DoD personnel.

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The Ikea store located near Ybor City is having a great deal for dining this weekend!  The money you spend at the Ikea restaurant will be credited to purchases over $150. The restaurant cashier will give you a coupon with your meal receipt that you give to the checkout cashier when your purchases total $150 or greater. Last time they had this deal the $29 that I spent on food, soft drinks and dessert for 3 people was credited to my purchase. So I had new items for the house and got to feed everyone for basically for free! This offer is only good for Saturday and Sunday. The store is open from 10am to 9pm on Saturday and on Sunday from 11am to 7pm. The Ikea in Tampa is located near Ybor City on the corner of Adamo Drive and 22nd Street.  You can also get to Ikea off the Crosstown by taking the Ybor City exit.  If you haven’t been to Ikea, it is a great place to buy household items and furnishings at a reasonable price.  If you use your debit card when you purchase an item, you get a 1% refund that shows up on your receipt that you can use for your next purchase.  One percent may not seem like a lot, but it adds up!  From MacDill AFB, you can take the Bayshore Gate exit and follow Bayshore until it turns into Adamo Drive and Ikea will be on the right side. Ikea is about a 30 minute drive from the Brandon and FishHawk Ranch area and the New Tampa area.

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Get ready for the sights and sounds of world-class Grand Prix race cars on the streets of downtown St Pete from Friday to Sunday. The 9th annual Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Mahaffey Theatre and extending onto runways at Albert Whitted Airport that overlook the Bay and St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. The main event will once again be the running of the IZOD IndyCar Series. There will be 6 different series’ running which include the IZOD IndyCar Series, Pirelli World Challenge, USF2000, Firestone Indy Lights, Pro Mazda and Historic Sportscar Racing. There should be 175 cars on- track during the 3-day event. In addition to world-class racing, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg features a number of interactive activities for race fans in the Bright House Speed Zone including specially-built go kart track near Gate 1 and concerts on the stage in the Honda Plaza. The Bright House Networks Speed Zone is located near Turns 5 & 6 and the Firestone Bridge. Tickets prices range from $20 to $130 depending on the event and date. Parking is available on local streets as well as the many public garages in downtown. Events hours on Friday are 8am – 6pm, Saturday 8am – 6pm and Sunday from 8am – 6 pm. Gate 1 is located at 1st Avenue S. and 1st Street S., and offers on-site ticket sales. Gate 5 is located at 5th Avenue S. and 2nd Street N., and offers on-site ticket sales. Gate 5 also houses the Will Call ticket window. Downtown St. Pete is about 30 minutes from MacDill AFB. It’s a wonderful collection of houses and condos all within walking distance of world-class museums, Tropicana field home of the Tampa Bay Rays, popular restaurants and bars.

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If you’re looking for fun this weekend then look on further than SeaScapes Beach Club on MacDill AFB for “Sassy Saturdays”. Starting at 3pm until 9pm, Seascapes will be open for a party every Saturday. Starting at 3pm, there will be free appetizers! From 4pm to 8pm, enjoy live music. Plus there will be food and drink specials all night long! Take in the scenic view of Tampa Bay, while dining in the tropical atmosphere of SeaScapes. You don’t have to face the traffic or crowds like you find at other waterside venues. Sip delicious cocktails, or dine on delectable fare, while enjoying a magnificent view of the setting sun on the bay. A wide selection of menu items for dinner include grouper, seafood platters, coconut shrimp, grilled chicken and much more! You can’t beat the bar prices! SeaScapes is located at the MacDill AFB base beach and next to FamCamp. It’s a real casual atmosphere so beach wear is fine, remember this is Florida! It’s a great place to enjoy as a couple or bring the whole family! Or after an afternoon on the golf course, SeaScapes is a great place to relax!  You can’t beat the price of drinks at SeaScapes.  Draft beer is only $2 and well drinks are $2.75.  This month there are a couple of excellent food combo specials being run.

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Tops in Blue will providing a free concert tonight at Hanger 3 on MacDill AFB. The show starts at 7pm with the gates opening at 6:30pm. This show doesn’t require a ticket and there is open seating. So get there early to pick out the best seats.   This world-renown production, Tops In Blue, is an all-active duty US Air Force special unit made up of talented amateur performers selected for their entertainment abilities. Each year, thousands compete in base talent contests and the most talented move on to higher levels of competition. The result is an elite group composed of 35 of the most talented vocalists, musicians, and dancers anywhere. Known as the Air Forces’ Expeditionary Entertainers; the group’s main mission is to perform for military personnel and their families throughout the world. The enormous popularity of the group has also made them America’s goodwill ambassadors around the globe. They put on great show that will be entertaining for the entire family. To date, TOPS IN BLUE has traveled over four million miles to military bases throughout the world, performed at six World Fairs, over 100 state fairs and festivals, and performed at countless air shows, military balls and special events.

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Tarpon Avenue in Tarpon Springs will be lined with goodies, gifts and art for sale today starting at 10am as part of the Thanksgiving Arts and Craft Festival. It’s a great time starting getting gifts in anticipation of Christmas. the Festival will be centered at North Pinellas Avenue and East Tarpon Avenue. After the shopping, take a walk on the sponge docks and sample cuisine from area restaurants. The oldest city in Pinellas County, Tarpon Springs combines the history of its sponge diving tradition with the rich cultural infusion of the Greek heritage. Tarpon Springs is famous for their Sponge Industry which helped build a large local Greek Community, Tarpon Spring has some of the finest Greek restaurants, markets, and bakeries in the Country. The region, with a series of bayous feeding into the Gulf of Mexico, first attracted attention as a place for winter homes about 1876. Some of the newly arrived visitors spotted tarpons jumping out of the waters and so named the location Tarpon Springs. The first Greek immigrants arrived to this city during the 1880s, when they were hired to work as divers in the growing sponge harvesting industry. The shops along Dodecanese Avenue in the Sponge Dock District of Tarpon Springs are still thriving as both a historic and a current tourist destination. The street winds its way from the bayou towards the Tarpon Springs Aquarium at the far end. Along the way it passes the marina and Sponge Boats docked along the north side of the street and the Historic Sponge Exchange on the south. The street is narrow and reminiscent of a seaside village in Greece, with delivery trucks parked in the right of way and locals that greet each other in Greek and stop to chat without regard to the traffic. Tarpon Springs is about a 50 minute drive north of MacDill AFB.

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After that filling Thanksgiving dinner, one way to spend the rest of the evening is to take in a movie. It’s a great way to relax and let that turkey and ham settle down or you can fill back up with some great popcorn! Ticket prices are pretty pricey even with a military discount at the counter. Usually, the military discount will only be given to the military member and not every one else. So a night at the movies can be expensive. One way to save a few dollars is to plan ahead! The MacDill AFB ITT office has AMC movie theaters tickets at a great discount. There are two types of tickets available: Gold and Silver. There are no restrictions on Gold tickets. They can even be used on special engagements. The Silver tickets can only be used on movies that have been out 14 days. Gold tickets cost $8.25 at ITT, but cost $11.50 at the theater. The Silver tickets cost $6.50 at ITT, but cost $9.50 at the theater. You could save a significant amount of money depending on many people you have to pay for! There is also a Gold Ticket package available for $25 which includes 2 Gold tickets and tickets for 2 drinks and 1 popcorn. Besides movie tickets, the ITT office has discount admission tickets to all the major attractions in the Tampa Bay area and in Orlando. So plan ahead and save a few dollars that you can use for Christmas presents! The ITT office is located in the MacDill AFB Exchange Mall. Office hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm and closed on Sunday and holidays.

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