MacDill Happenings

This Friday 10 September start your weekend out right and stop by SeaScapes Beach Club on MacDill AFB for free live entertainment outside at the Tiki Hut. Starting at 5:30pm, Tommy “Bahama” Arnold will be playing beach music, new country, Motown and classic R&B. 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.  On Fridays from 5pm to 9pm, there is a seafood basket special for $8.95 which includes clam strips, cod, shrimp, potato and choice of side, either small tossed salad or coleslaw.

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

For an inexpensive night out this weekend, stop by the MacDill AFB movie theater.  An adult ticket for ages 12 and older is only $4 and for ages 4 to 11 the price is $2.   A medium popcorn and a medium soft drink is only $7.50 with free refills on the soft drink.  This Friday at 7pm  and again at 3pm on Saturday, “Toy Story 3” is playing. This movie is rated G and has a run time of 103 minutes. Woody and Buzz had accepted that their owner Andy would grow up someday, but what happens when that day arrives? In the third installment, Andy is preparing to depart for college, leaving his loyal toys troubled about their uncertain future. On Saturday at 7pm, the movie version of the hit 1970′s TV series “The A-Team” will be shown. This movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence throughout, language and smoking and has a run time of 117 minutes. A group of Iraq War veterans looks to clear their name with the U.S. military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.

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

For a free and fun time this Saturday evening come down to Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa for a free out showing of the classic movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. This part of the Sunset Cinema series sponsored by the Tampa Theatre. 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. Legendary outlaws Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) display their gifts for perfect comedic timing and charisma as they pull off heist after heist in this Academy Award-winning film from director George Roy Hill. To evade a relentless posse, the boys flee to Bolivia, thinking they’ll find easier pickings there. But trouble finds them in Bolivia. The film starts around 8:45pm, but arrive early to get a good spot. Bring your own chairs and blankets to sit on. Alcohol is not permitted in the Park, but this is a great time to have a picnic dinner! There will be concessions selling food and drinks if you don’t want to bring your own. Right across the street from the park is Five Guys Hamburger, so you can get your fast food fix for the day if you need it. Pets are allowed with a leash and the Park has a fenced dog park along the River. The film will be shown on a 50-foot wide screen using dual projectors that produce a crisp image and a powerful sound system ensures that you can hear the movie from any place in the park. 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!

The Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts presents Chalk Walk at Hyde Park Village.  The event runs from 7 to 9 May. This free family event is open to everyone to participate in from art aficionados to young children. Chalk Walk is a public art display covering the sidewalks in Hyde Park Village. This three-day festival will include Battle of the Business Bands, Chalk Tail party, live music, drink specials, food, family-friendly entertainment, art for sale, a chalk drawing experience for physically challenged individuals, performances from the latest crop of High School Arts Stars Scholarship recipients. Hyde Park Village is an open-air shopping center located in the neighborhood of Hyde Park. The weather should cooperate and so come out and enjoy strolling around the Village. The Village 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. There are 3 free parking structures available in Hyde Park.

The 57th Annual Fun ‘N Sun starts today in Clearwater and runs until 2 May! This family-friendly festival has three big concerts this year in Coachman Park.  Coachman Park located across the water from Clearwater Beach has a beautiful view of the sunset in the evening.  The best thing about the concerts is that they are free! But if you want to get real close, you can purchase $20 reserved seat tickets on Ticketmaster. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket for a day of great music. Saturday’s concert will feature Oleta Adams, Spencer Day, Jessy J, and B.K. Jackson. The event will feature vendors, food and drink concessions and a kids play area. On Sunday, the show will feature country great Travis Tritt who have the final performance at 7:30pm. Before Travis comes out and plays listen to the great music of Amanda Drake & the Barn Burners at 12:20 pm, Lo Cash Cowboys at 1 pm, Burns & Poe at 1:40 pm, The Harters, at 2:30 pm, Josh Thompson at 3:20 pm, Blackberry Smoke at 4:30 pm, Darryl Worley at 6pm. Sun ‘N Fun has multiple events throughout Clearwater for the family to enjoy. 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.

The Ikea store located near Ybor City is having a great deal for dinner on Thursdays!  If you eat dinner between 5pm and 9pm and spend at least $5 on a meal, you will receive an Ikea gift card for the money spent on your meal up to $25!  Make sure you save your dinner receipt which you will have to take to a specially marked register at the downstairs checkout line to receive the gift card.  You must spend a minimum of $5 to receive a $5 card.  There was someone who had only spent $4.54 on dinner and was not eligible for a $5 card.  The maximum Ikea gift card amount you can receive is $25.  I spent a little over $29 for dinner and received a gift card for $25.  Considering that the $29 was spent on food, soft drinks and desert for 3 people, it was a great deal.  The best thing is that I had an extra $25 to spend on something for the house!  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.

The red hot Tampa Bay Rays play the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday 24 April. This is the second game of a three game series against Toronto. The game starts at 6:10pm. This game is also the kickoff of the 2010 Summer Concert Series with John Fogerty performing in right field after the game. A limited number of wristbands for field access during the concert are available for purchase. The Rays have had the best away series in their history after having swept a four game series in Boston against the Red Sox! The Rays are a solid team with good offense, good pitching and solid defense.  Get to the game early and have a tailgate party! Listen to a live band and enjoy attractions at Lot 7. If you do get to the game early, then the first 50 cars with 4 people or more can park for free in the Trop parking lots. Normal parking price is $15 at the Trop. 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. For the 2010 season for every Rays Gold, Silver and Bronze games, the Rays offer a military discount of half off outfield tickets with a four ticket limit, when presenting an active military ID at the Tropicana Field Box office.

This Sunday the iconic Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach celebrates its 70th Anniversary with discount admission and two classic movies. Admission on Sunday is rolled back to 25 cents per person. Normal ticket prices range from $5 to $7.   The family classic movie “The Wizard of Oz” will be shown at 1pm and 4pm.  Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a tornado’s path and end up in the land of Oz. Dorothy meets the Tin Man, the Brave Lion and the Scarecrow who help her to meet the Wizard of Oz who everyone says can help her return home and possibly grant her new friends their goals of a brain, heart and courage. Dorothy has to be defeat the Wicked Witch of the West to have a chance to get back to Kansas. At 7pm, the Cary Grant comedy classic “His Girl Friday” will be shown. A newspaper editor played by Cary Grant meets his ex-wife/ex-star reporter’s fiancee the day before they are set to be married. She says she will be happy to live a life where she will be treated like a real woman, not a newsman. Grant spends the rest of the movie, which all takes place in one day, trying to lure Hildy back into the life they shared. Most of the movie takes place in the press room of a police station. The St. Pete Beach Theatre is a historic landmark along the west coast of Florida. Built in 1939 for about $50,000, it was said to be the first theater ever erected for sound equipment on the coast.   The opening night for the theatre was 15 January 1940.  The first movie shown was “Dust Be My Destiny”.  Embittered after serving time for a burglary he did not commit, Joe Bell is soon back in jail, on a prison farm. His love for the foreman’s daughter leads to a fight between them, leading to the older man’s death due to a weak heart. Joe and Mabel go on the run as he thinks no-one would believe a nobody like him. The original theatre was fitted out with 528 seats but today there are 245 seats. The Theatre was the first building on Corey Avenue, which was a fairly busy road in those days because the causeway was the only route on and off St.Pete Beach.

Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg will be the location of the 35th Annual Mainsail Arts Festival this weekend. Admission is free. The Festival is open on Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Over 100,000 visitors from near and far come to enjoy and purchase quality art and enjoy top name entertainment. The Festival has been named by Sunshine Artist as one of the “100 Best” fine arts events in the nation with exhibiting artists competing for $50,000 in prize money. This two-day event combines visual and performing arts along with opportunities for children to actively engage in art activities. Volunteers from the Junior League of St. Petersburg offer future artists the chance to unleash creativity with free activities. There is a large assortment of food and as well as Mainsail souvenirs for purchase. Over 200 exhibiting artists from all over the United States have their art on sale or available for commission.  Pets and coolers are not allowed. There are a number of public and private parking lots near Vinoy Park. The closest public parking lots to Vinoy Park are: BayWalk (Midcore) Garage – 117 2nd St N, 2nd Ave N Lot – 231 2nd Ave N, Wachovia Center – 150 2nd Ave N and BayWalk (Midcore) Garage – 117 2nd St N. The Downtown Looper Trolley is available just make sure you get off at Stop 3 at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort which is across from Vinoy Park.

Make you plans for spring break now! Spring break for Hillsborough County Public Schools is next week. Today is the last day to sign up for a deep sea fishing trip at the MacDill AFB MWR Outdoor Recreation Office. Registration must be done by noon today! The fishing trip is this coming Sunday 11 April from 5:30am to 6pm. The cost is $85 per person. Transportation from the Marina Activity Room on MacDill AFB to Port Richey is included in the price. The bus will depart MacDill AFB at 5:45am sharp, so don’t be late. The trip will be on the “Miss Virginia” based in Port Richey. The boat has an enclosed cabin with seats and tables. Breakfast and lunch are available at a reasonable cost, as well as, beer, soda, and snacks. Fishing rods, license, tackle, and bait for each fisherman are supplied although you can bring your own. If you prefer to fi sh with live bait, it must be purchased that morning before departure. You may bring a small cooler (no larger than 48 quarts). No glass containers please. No fishing license needs to be purchased to fish. You will be fishing for grouper, small snapper, and seabass. Grouper are a large fish that live on offshore reefs and structures. They are strong fighters that run for cover when hooked and can occasionally break the line. Minimum size is 22 inches for black grouper and 20 inches for red grouper. They often weigh in at 10 lbs. or more. Small snapper and seabass are abundant on the reefs as well. Their average weight is about 1 lb. and they are a delicious mild fish. The best bait for these fish is cut squid which is provided on board. Sardines and live pinfish are good grouper bait. Sardines are provided on board for bait and live pinfish are sold on board for $6.00 /dozen. You can have your fish filleted for a small additional charge per fish.