MacDill Happenings

This year’s City of Brandon Fourth of July Parade starts at 6:30pm this year. The parade begins at the corner of the Brandon Parkway and Lakewood Dr. It heads North to Oakfield Dr., turns East and finishes at the Burlington Coat Factory parking lot.  Make sure you bring something to sit on, something for shade, something to keep the bugs away, and something to drink. Wear those red, white and blue colors! There will be local active military and veterans in the parade. The Bloomingdale Summer Band will be in the parade. See all the great floats from local organizations like youth football and cheerleading groups. Look for Gasparilla Krewes, the Rough Riders, the Lion’s Club, the Elks, the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, and car clubs in the parade. This just a great local hometown parade!  After the parade you can head over to the Westfield Mall in Brandon to catch the fireworks at 9pm.

Channelside in downtown Tampa is hosting the annual 4th of July fireworks celebration.  Fireworks are shot over Garrison Channel which is the water channel next to Channelside at 9pm. You can get a great of the show from Channelside Bay Plaza as well as the Florida Aquarium, American Victory Ship, Yacht Starship, Cotanchobee Park, the Marriott Waterside, Harbor Island, the St. Pete Times Forum, and Bayshore Boulevard. The fun take place all day long. The Florida Aquarium is only charging $10 admission after 3pm. The SS American Victory is hosting Family Funfest from 6pm to 10pm which includes crafts, games, contests, scavenger hunts, prizes, and a great view of the Dragon Boat races. Tickets are limited so buy your tickets early. Adult tickets are $12 and children’s tickets are $7. There is free admission to the Tampa Bay History Center which has extended it hours so that it will stay open until 8:30pm. Dining is available on the Yacht Starship, at the History Center’s Columbia Cafe, or at one of Channelside Bay Plaza’s unique and compelling restaurants. Channelside will also be hosting live music, fun, all day long and of course fireworks at 9:00pm! Parking will be available in Channelside and other public and private lots, but spots will fill up quickly so you might park in Ybor City and use Tampa’s TECO Line Streetcar.

Come out to Curtis Hixon Park for Rock the Park and enjoy a free concert and take in the wonderful Tampa weather and sunset this Thursday evening. Rock the Park is free music concert series that will take place every Thursday evening at Curtis Hixon Park. The concert starts at 6:30pm and finishes up at 9pm. The concert will feature pop and rock music from Kelli Debbs, Tahoe Fox, and Hip Abduction. 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.

The City of St.Petersburg is celebrating Independence with their 4th of July Extravaganza and Fireworks. There will be activities and music at North Straub Park and The Pier throughout the day. In North Straub Park, a world renowned sand artist will create a patriotic sand sculpture from 40 tons of sand which will be near the Plaza (north end) of North Straub Park. Fireworks are viewable along the waterfront across the Bay beginning at 9 pm on July 4th, weather permitting. Also depending on sunset, fireworks may go as early as 8:30 pm or as late as 10 pm. At The Pier, there will live music starting at 1pm. Family entertainers will be throughout the Pier from jugglers to magicians, to hypnotists. Face painting is available for a minimal charge. Or stop by the Pier and try out an econo-friendly boat,  The Electric Marina Boat Rentals! Like the name says, you can rent earth friendly electric boats to leisurely cruise Tampa Bay! The top speed of the electric non-polluting boats are 5 mph, but the best about these boats at the end of your cruise you don’t have to pay a huge gas bill! Their new 24′ boats seat up to 12 people comfortably. And are equipped with a private restroom, swim transom, a recessed swim ladder, water sink and shower 4 speaker stereo/mp3 compatible, convertible top for shade or sun or fishing. The boats are equipped with GPS, depth and fish finder. You can also rent a propane barbecue for $28. Boat rental fees are $40 for a half hour and $75 for one hour. Besides electric boats, you can also rent water bike, kayaks and sailboats!

Come and celebrate 4th of July at the Brandon Blast!  The Westfield Brandon Mall is hosting the Brandon Blast from 4pm to 9pm. This event should take place at the parking lots on the west side of the mall. Listen to live music and take part in family fun events from bouncy houses to water slides.  If you get hungry or need a drink, there will be plenty of food vendors offering something for everyone’s tastes!   There is even a raffle for a $1,000 shopping spree!  Fireworks start at 9pm. The proceeds from the day go to support the Great Brandon Community Foundation who in turn helps to support 54 local registered charities. Come early to get a good parking spot and maybe bring a picnic or a portable grill and have dinner while you wait for the fireworks. 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. 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 Mall is open on Mondays to Friday from 10:30am to 8:30pm, Saturdays 10am to 9pm and Sundays from 11am to 6pm.

Getting ready for Christmas in June in Tampa tonight! Come out to Old Hyde Park Village for “A Night of Leon“! Leon is Noel spelled backwards. This is a fund raiser benefiting Metropolitan Ministries for at risk youth in the Tampa Bay area. Admission is free, but a donation of $10 or an unwrapped new toy is recommended. This is a half-way to Christmas party with a 60ft ice slide and even snow! The fun takes place from 7pm to 9pm. Of course, Santa will be there! Listen to the live music, and see the Christmas decorations. For the kids, there will be face painting, Rock Band, a Silly Bandz trading table and free Pizza Hut pizza! Get there early for the pizza! 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.

Muvico Theaters is having a Free Family Film Festival this summer on Tuesdays and Wednesdays! Doors open at 9am and the movie starts at 10am. Seating is first come first serve, so get there early. The movie today is “Where the Wild Things Are“. Adapted from the classic children’s book, an adolescent named Max has an active imagination, and he will throw fits if others don’t go along with what he wants. Max - following an incident with Claire (his sister) and her friends, and following a tantrum which he throws as a result of his Mother paying more attention to her boyfriend than to him - runs away from home. Wearing his wolf costume at the time, Max not only runs away physically, but runs toward a world in his imagination. This world, an ocean away, is inhabited by large wild beasts, including one named Carol who is much like Max himself in temperament. Instead of eating Max like they normally would with creatures of his type, the wild things befriend Max after he proclaims himself a king who can magically solve all their problems.  Muvico Theaters is offering a special kids combo with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Starlight Children’s Foundation of Florida.

The Davis Island Youth Sailing Foundation is holding a Summer Sailing Camp for Kids during one-week sessions for Summer Learn-To-Sail camps for kids age 8-18 with no experience sailing to experienced sailors. The camps run throughout the summer and take place Monday through Friday. The camp takes place 9am-4pm. Lunch will be provided and is included in the program fees. Each child will receive a one t-shirt, extra t-shirts can be ordered for $10. This camp is available to both Davis Island Yacht Club members and non-members. The goal of the the Foundation is to promote the sport of sailing for the benefit of the children of the Tampa Bay area in an environment which stresses safety, good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage, respect for authority and respect for the community. The cost is $265 per session plus a $25 annual fee per family. A discount of $25 per session will be available for any combination of registrations for a family beginning at the 3rd session and/or child.  Davis Island is located near downtown Tampa and is about a 9 mile drive from the Bayshore Gate of MacDill AFB. Davis Island is a mix of residential and retail areas. Davis Island is home to Peter O. Knight Airport, Davis Island Yacht Club, and Tampa General Hospital. Also on the Islands are the Marjorie Park Municipal Yacht Basin & Marjorie Park. East Davis Boulevard is the commercial area of the neighborhood. Along several blocks there are restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops in a tranquil sidewalk setting. The area is also very pet-friendly due to the pedestrian nature of the island and a great starting point for a walk or run along Bayshore Blvd.

The Tampa Bay Rays take on the San Diego Padres  as inter-league play continues 22 June. The game starts at 7:10pm.  The Rays are a solid team with good offensive potential, good pitching and solid defense, but the Yankees and Red Sox are playing well.    This is the first game of a three game series with the Padres. Get to the game early and have a tailgate party! 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 $20 at the Trop. 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. 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 is a platinum game, so the discount is not available. To save money, make sure you purchase tickets earlier.  If you purchase tickets on game day at the stadium, the price increases about $3 per ticket!  If you buy tickets at the Ray downtown Tampa store, the service charge is only $1.75.

How about treating Dad to a golf outing at the Bay Palms Golf Complex at MacDill AFB!  The golf special is 4 players each with a hot dog lunch for $125.   You can start out the day right with a delicious breakfast from the “Main Course” Eatery.   The grill serves up everything you would want for breakfast from eggs to pancakes and everything in between.  Try the “Hole In One” special with your choice of eggs cooked up the way you like it, hashbrowns or grits, sausage, ham or bacon and a choice of toast for only $5.25. The twilight light special prices, available after 2:30pm for 18 holes including a cart are: $15 for E1-E4, $17 for E5-O3, $18 for O4 and up, $22 for guests and $5 for juniors. For the summer, the course is now closed on Mondays. The Bay Palms Golf Complex was named ‘Best Golf Program in the Air Force’ for 2002. There are two 18-hole, par 72 courses. The challenging South Course runs along the bay. The North Course offers a prefect opportunity to work on your game. The complex has a lighted practice putting green, a 24-hour-a-day lighted driving range where a bucket of balls is only $1, a practice chipping green and sand trap areas. The clubhouse has an excellent pro shop with a great friendly staff ready to help you.