MacDill Happenings

On Tuesday, 3 January, the Glazer Children’s Museum is only charging $2 for admission! Located in downtown Tampa at Curtis Hixon Park along the Hillsborough River, the museum will be a highlight of Tampa. The museum is geared for kids up to 10 years old where they will have the opportunity learn about the world around them including Tampa Bay. Everything is hands-on learning! There are more than 170 interactive exhibits from a crane to a cruise ship to a mini-theater to a giant telephone in 12 themed areas. Normal admission for children is $9.50, adults $15, and military/seniors $12.50 The museum is open 7 days a week on Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, Saturdays 10am to 6pm and Sundays 1pm to 6pm. Make a trip to the museum and take advantage of all the opportunities downtown Tampa has to offer. Curtis Hixom park is one of nicest parks in Tampa with a fenced animal park along the water. With an interactive playground, wide open flat grass play area, a view of the University of Tampa, and cooling water fountains, the is a great place play or to relax on during a Tampa evening. 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. Parking is available at the Curtis Hixon parking garage or at nearby public parking lots. 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.

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The Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey circus train arrives in Tampa today. Come out for a free preview of the animals and performers today! Animals and performers are expected to unload at 9:30 am next to Union Station in downtown Tampa. At 10 am they begin the walk west on Cass Street, turn south on Morgan Street, east on Channelside Drive (in front of the St. Pete Times Forum), turn south on Old Water Street and parade around the back of the arena to the Animal Open House. Bring the family for this free sneak preview of the 142nd edition of the “Greatest Show on Earth” and a chance for some great photos! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Fully Charged, the all-new, 142nd edition of The Greatest Show On Earth®, at the St. Pete Times Forum from January 4-8, 2012. The Ringling Bros. will super-charge audiences with acts of breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-seen-before performances that will jolt the imaginations of Children of All Ages! Clowns from the world-famous clown alley will charge funny bones, while megawatts of thrills will explode out of the ring, including The Human Fuse, who rockets across the circus skies, igniting the power of the people. Show times are Wednesday, January 4 – 7:30 pm, Thursday, January 5 – 7:30 pm, Friday, January 6 – 7:30 pm, Saturday, January 7- 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, and 7:30 pm, and Sunday, January 8 – 1pm and 5pm. Tickets at the St. Pete Times Forum box office start at $16. Stop by the MacDill AFB ITT office to buy your military discount tickets. You can’t bet the price and you don’t have to pay tax! 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.

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Channelside Lights Up the Bay in downtown Tampa with a New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration.  Channelside Bay Plaza celebrates New Year’s Eve with 12 hours of free live entertainment, a midnight ball drop and fireworks, all beginning at 1 pm on Saturday. This is a free event. No coolers or personal fireworks are allowed. Viewing of the fireworks from the wharf area will be limited to the first 3,000 people and wristbands will be given out for access at the Garrison Street gate starting at 9:30 pm. Only persons with wristbands will be allowed on the wharf. The party ends at 1 am. Other viewing spots for Tampa firework include Cotanchobee Park, the Sail Pavilion at Riverwalk, the newly anointed Tampa Bay Times Forum grounds, spots along Harbour Island and the grounds of the Tampa Bay History Center. The Columbia Cafe at the Tampa Bay History Center will be open until 9 pm, but the center will close at 3 pm. The fun take place all day long, but just be prepared for the crowds. 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 midnight! 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.

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Come out to downtown Ybor City on 31 December for the Outback Bowl Parade! The parade starts at 5:30pm and runs along 7th Avenue. The crowd should be large and ready to have some fun as the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Michigan State Spartans! Expect a lot of Michigan St fans in the area as they try to the escape the freezing weather up north! Down here the weather will be cold, not freezing! The game will be on 1 January starting at 1pm at Raymond James Stadium. The parade will feature a pep rally with both schools’ marching bands and cheerleaders. The parade will have floats and 20 marching bands and will run along Seventh Avenue. Please do not bring any coolers, alcohol or glass containers, because they will be confiscated and you run a chance of getting ticketed by the police. After the parade Ybor City is great place to visit. Sidewalk cafés and retail boutiques line the area’s walkable avenues, and signature iron streetlamps complement authentic electric streetcars Ybor City is a refreshing blend of interests—a mecca of historic architecture, entertainment, shopping, business and the arts. Since 1885, Ybor City has stood for originality and cultural heritage. Today, its novel characteristics continue to set it apart. Known as Tampa’s National Historic Landmark District, Ybor City is an exciting place to live, work, play and visit. There are two parking garages to chose from and lots behind businesses on 7th Avenue. If you want to go to the game, then tickets are still available. Tickets start at $75.

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After a long holiday trip, come to the MacDill AFB Auto Hobby Shop to work on your vehicle or have some work done on it for you.  The prices at the Auto Hobby shop can’t be beat! The mechanics at the shop will do a Freon Refill Service for $20 plus Freon cost, Evacuation & Recharge for $25 plus Freon cost, or do a A/C Retrofit to R-134A for $125 for most cars and trucks. This isn’t like a lot of Auto Shops on other bases. The friendly mechanics at the shop will do the work for you at a very reasonable cost. You can also get advice on the how to take care of your tires. One of the easiest things to do to get more miles on your tires and to save you money is knowing when and how to rotate your tires. When done at the recommended times, tire rotation can preserve balanced handling and traction and even out tire wear. Most manufacturers recommend that tires be rotated every 3,000 to 5,000 miles even if they don’t show signs of wear. Tire rotation can often be done with an oil change while the vehicle is off the ground. This is also a good time to have your tires rebalanced if you’ve been having any vibration issues than you suspect may relate to the tire balance. It’s also a good time to inspect the tires for any damage, remove stones or debris from the tire treads, check for uneven wear by checking the tire tread depth and of course, checking your tire pressure. Tire rotation helps even out tire wear by allowing each tire to serve in as many of the vehicle’s wheel positions as possible, hopefully promoting even wear across the tire tread pattern. Remember, tire rotation can’t correct wear problems due to worn mechanical parts or incorrect inflation pressures. At the Hobby Shop skilled technicians will show you how to recognize tire wear, how to use a wheels-free lift and removal/replacement of tires. The MacDill Auto Hobby Shop is open Tue-Fri 11am to 7pm, Sat 9am-7pm and closed on Sun and Mon. It is located near the MacDill Gym and Bowling Alley. There are plenty of work-bays for performing both minor and major automotive repairs. Hydraulic lifts, a paint booth, and a variety of computerized equipment are among the many services available. There are skilled technicians available who can provide professional guidance should you encounter any difficulties. They can also do minor repairs like wheel alignments, brake service and transmission oil changes and charge a lot less per hour than out in town.

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Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa will be the location of the free Elephant Painting on 27 December. To promote the upcoming Ringling Bros & Barnum Bailey Circus show at the St. Pete Times Forum, 50 kids can paint an elephant. The painting starts at 10:30am, but the earliest that you can line up to paint is 8am. The limit is 50 kids and is strictly first-come, first-served. 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.

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After a Christmas day, come watch to the beautiful sunsets at Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach and just have a relaxing time! Clearwater Beach, on three miles of white sandy shores along the Gulf of Mexico, is overflowing with water sports, beach fun, shopping, dining and people watching. Clearwater Beach is just across from the City of Tampa and about a 15 minute drive from Tampa International Airport. Clearwater Beach, Florida is the northernmost developed barrier island along the Tampa Bay Beaches. Clearwater Beach has some of the best seafood restaurants the Florida’s gulf coast has to offer, to recreational activities that include boat rides and parasailing, to word-class hotels and resorts. Enjoy the beautiful Florida weather and come out and enjoy a free movie! Bring blankets, low lawn chairs or towels to sit on while the movie plays. There will be concessions selling food and drinks, but alcohol is not allowed. The movie starts around dusk, but come out early to get a good seat and sometimes parking can take some extra time. The movie tonight is the recently released PG-rated film “The Smurfs”. Also each night also enjoy the daily Pier 60.  This free family event features artisans, crafters, street performers and live musical entertainment, weather permitting. The Sunsets at Pier 60 Festival welcomes all forms of street performers.  There are usually a variety of acts including  magicians, balloon arts, fire eaters, stilt walkers, living statues, escape artists, break dancers, performing pets, and jugglers.  This event starts 2 hours before and after sunset usually 6pm to 10pm daily. 

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Merry Christmas! One year is almost over and another is about to start. If you have a child in school, then it’s not too early to think about schools options for the next school year! The Hillsborough County Public School District’s Choice Options application period for magnet programs, School Choice, and Career & Technical Education programs for the 2011-2012 school year is open through January 11 for high school and middle school, and through February 29 for elementry school. Under Hillsborough Choice Options, students can apply for a magnet school, a Career & Technical Education program, or another public school with available space within Hillsborough County. Students who wish to remain at their current magnet or choice school, or prefer to attend their attendance area school, do not need to complete an application. Normally, students attend a school based on their home address. However, HCPS has more options available for students who wish to attend other schools. The Magnet School program allows students to attend schools that are in line with their academic interests. The School Choice program allows students to chose up to 3 other schools not in their normal school assignment area but acceptance is dependent on space availability. The Career and Technical program allows students to attend specialized technical schools. Applications can be completed on line by current students. New students who will be in the Hillsborough County Public School system for the first time will need to complete a paper application. Bus transportation is currently provided, but you can expect some long travel time to and from school depending on the school your child will attend.

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Come out to Ybor City this Saturday for the Saturday Market.  The Ybor City Saturday Market is located at the corner of 8th Ave and 19th St runs from 9am to 3pm.  If you’re still looking for that special gift for Christmas, then the Ybor City Market may have that unique gift that you are looking for! There are plants and herbs, salsa, organic honey for sale.  You’ll love the smell the delicious fresh baked bread!  Also for sale are arts and crafts, jewelry and many other unique gifts. The unique jewelry will be a big hit for your special someone! Free admission and parking and your pets are also welcome!  There is always a couple of vendors selling something for you to snack on if you get hungry or selling something to quench your thirst. There is usually a live band providing entertainment and adding some soothing ambiance to the atmosphere. If you have something that you want to sell, there are always spots open for more vendors! When you get done with the Market, stroll around Ybor City and take in the unique neighborhood. 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!

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Come out to downtown St. Pete and enjoy the holiday season with some great music that will guarantee to get you into the spirit of the season and having you singin long after the performance ends! The American Stage Theatre Company at Raymond James Theater is hosting the “Ring A Ding Ding Holiday Cabaret” tonight at 6:30pm. “Hark the Herald Angels Swing” as American Stage brings you the hippest holiday party in town. Crooner/jazz pianist Michael Raabe and chanteuse Sara DelBeato will shake and stir up some retro-tastic Christmas tunes that are guaranteed to make you ‘merry and bright.’ Tickets prices are “Pay-What-You-Can” at the door and $15 in advance. Before or after the show, you might want to take the opportunity to enjoy the restaurants and nightlife that downtown St. Pete has to offer. American Stage Theatre Company is located at 163 3rd Street North in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg. During performances, patrons can park for free in the Synovus Bank, located one block up 3rd Street at 333 Third Ave. N. St. Petersburg College’s parking garage is open to patrons for $5 on Friday night, Saturdays and Sundays and is located next to the theater on Second Avenue North. Along with street parking, there are two other garages within walking distance. American Stage is the Tampa Bay area’s only professional regional equity theater. It presents its six-play Mainstage Series in its brand new, 182-seat Raymond James Theatre, across from Williams Park in downtown St. Petersburg. Other productions include the “After Hours” Series, School Tour, and camps and classes for children. American Stage is also known for its springtime American Stage in the Park (also known as Shakespeare in the Park), which was launched in 1986. In 2005, it began staging shows other than Shakespeare under the stars at Demens Landing.

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