BLAST FRIDAY in CLEARWATER

Today is the last friday of the month and from 6-10pm it is clearwaters monthly event BLAST FRIDAY. This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY event and the street is closed at the 400 Block of Cleveland Street with a stage set up next to the Capital Theatre. www.clevelandstreetdistrict.com
This months LIVE MUSIC is from the 80's band The Fixx. www.thefixx.com The downtown area has several nice restaurants to visit to have a snack or a cold drink. Also just up the street is Coachman Park which is a great place to watch the sunset. So get out tonight listen to some LIVE MUSIC, watch the sunset and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT PASS

Downtown Tampa museums and restaurants have gotten together and created the ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT PASS that gets you into museums and special deals at local restaurants. The pass will cost you $30.00 with an actual value of about $80.00. When you purchase a PASS you will get one admission to the unique Florida Museum of Photographic Arts www.fmopa.org Henry B. Plant Museum www.plantmuseum.com and the Tampa Bay History Museum www.tampabayhistorycenter.org . You also get one movie ticket to the beautiful Tampa Theatre www.tampatheatre.org and a Buy One get One for the TECO Streetcar www.tecolinestreetcar.org . The PASS also gets you deals at six area restaurants from FREE dessert at Mise en Place www.miseonline.com with an entree to a FREE cup of coffee at Kahwa Coffee www.kahwacoffee.com . The PASS is good until September 30 2013 you can purchase the PASS at the museums mentioned or at the Tampa Theatre. A list of attractions and restaurants can be found at www.tampasdowntown.com/play. So get your PASS now and start ENJOYING TAMPA BAY !

Visit Downtown Dunedin

Go visit beautiful and friendly Downtown Dunedin today. www.delightfuldunedin.com The Downtown area has many nice restaurants, art galleries and unique gift shops. Also when you are Downtown grab one of the maps in front of the train station on Main Street this contains all the information you need to explore Dunedin. Make sure to visit Cafe Alfresco the food is excellent and the staff friendly. www.cafealfrescoonline.com Visit the Painted Fish Art Gallery www.paintedfishgallery.com to see beautiful paintings, special crafts and gifts. Stop by Skip's Bar at 371 Main Street for a cold drink and make sure you check out the Dog Art on the side of the bar. Go to Downtown Dunedin today explore the area and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Things to do TUESDAY

Every TUESDAY from 2-7 pm the GLAZER CHILDRENS MUSEUM in Tampa is FREE. www.glazermuseum.org The FREE admission is offered to EVERYONE even the adults. The museum is located in the Curtis Hixon Park www.thetampariverwalk.com which is a waterfront park with a playground as well as a dog park. Also the Tampa Museum is located in the park right next to the childrens museum. www.tampamuseum.org So go for the afternoon to check out the great museums and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Memorial Day at THE PIER

Go to THE PIER today to celebrate The Ultimate Memorial Day Party.

A special day has been planned to celebrate the life of THE PIER which opened in 1973 which is 40 years ago! www.stpetepier.com Events will include LIVE MUSIC featuring local performers the Tempests from 1:00-5:00pm and the Uncle John's Band a Grateful Dead Tribute Band from 7:00-10:00pm. Giving Tree Music will provide a Drum Circle from 5:00-7:00pm. There will also be Salsa Dancing, skytracker lights in the sky and the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team will also perform two water ski shows at noon and 2:30pm. Then finally at 9:45pm there will be fireworks over Tampa Bay, culminating with confetti cannons over the crowds, So get out and celebrate Memorial Day and go to the PIER one last time and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Tropical Hibiscus Show & Sale

Today from 10am-4pm the Sunset Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society is holding their annual Tropical Hibiscus Show and Sale at the Pinellas Park Auditorium located at 7960 59th Street North in Pinellas Park. Inside you can view many different varieties of Hibiscus while outside many Hibiscus plant will be for sale. www.americanhibiscus.org There will also be experts on hand to help answer any question you may have about growing the beautiful Hibiscus. So get over to Pinellas Park and see all the different Hibiscus plants and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Corvettes in the Park

Today in Downtown St. Petersburg it is the Corvettes at the Pier car show. This year the show is being held in Straub Park since the Pier is closing. www.suncoastcorvette.com This year also marks the 20th anniversary for this annual event. There will be corvettes from the 1950's to current models as well as race cars. There will also be LIVE MUSIC, drawings, vendors and more. Also  visit the Saturday Morning Market  www.saturdaymorningmarket.com which is located just up the street in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot. So get out today see some great looking corvettes have a snack at the market and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Morning Market & Freedom Festival

Only two more weeks for the SATURDAY MORNING MARKET. This weekly market is Saturdays from 9am-2pm and goes from October til the end of May. It is located at 230 1st Street SE St.Petersburg. The market is celebrating its 10th year and is the southeast's largest outdoor market. www.saturdaymorningmarket.com There are 130 booths with Arts and Crafts, Gourmet and Prepared Foods, Farm Fresh Produce as well as great weekly LIVE entertainment.
Also this Friday, Saturday and Sunday it is the Freedom Fest in Oldsmar with three days of LIVE MUSIC www.oldsmarfreedomfest.com food and vendors. If you enjoy riding your motorcycle come out Saturday for the First Responders Bike Show FREE ENTRY to all firefighters, police, EMT, paramedics, and active or retired military courtesy of Florida Full Throttle Magazine! Also there is a food drive being held by the festival and the Tampa Regional Chamber of Commerce are teaming up with Oldsmar Cares to help fill their food pantry please SHARE and let your friends know what is desperately needed! So get to the Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg and make sure you go to the Freedom Fest in Oldsmar and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

MOVIE and LIVE MUSIC

Tonite from 7-9:30pm in North Straub Park at 400 Beach Drive NE in downtown St. Petersburg it is Free LIVE MUSIC and the movie ET. www.stpetepreservation.org You won’t want to miss this event in the "burgs" beautiful downtown waterfront park. The band Dead Ichs www.deadichs.com will play about 7pm and the movie will start near 8 pm. Purchase food from some of the best of the Saturday morning market vendors or bring you own – either way it’s a great way to spend an evening outdoors! So get out tonite to Straub Park and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Visit Derby Lane

Last night a group of my friends went to Derby Lane www.derbylane.com in St Petersburg and i decided to join them. The track is the oldest dog track in the United States and it was opened in 1925. This is a very clean and well maintained track with a very friendly staff. The track also has a Poker Room and a restaurant if betting the dogs is not your thing. When the lights go down and the mechanical rabbit is released the excitement begins with the dogs running as fast as they can to the finish line. So go see a piece of Florida history bet a few dollars and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

8th Avenue Pub in Safety Harbor

The 8th Avenue Pub www.8thavepub.com is located in Safety Harbor right off of Main Street and 8th Avenue North. This is a very nice local pub with a daily Happy Hour from 4-8pm. They have a full liquor bar as well as 14 craft beers on tap and a great selection of bottled beer. The pub has LIVE MUSIC on Tuesday, Friday,Saturday and Sunday. Last night my friend and i stopped by the pub to try their Wood Fired Pizza. We decide to try the Margarita Pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatos and basil. The pizza is a thin crust 12 inch pie and it is excellent we each had two slices and took home the rest. So go to the 8th Avenue Pub have a craft beer and a great pizza and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Hanger Restaurant in St. Petersburg

This weekend i joined some friends at The Hanger Restaurant which is at the Albert Whitted Airport located in Downtown St. Petersburg  ww.thehangarstpete.com. The restaurant is located upstairs in the main terminal of the airport overlooking the air field. While dining inside or outside you can see private planes landing and taking off and if you feel like a little after dinner adventure take a helicopter sight seeing tour from Safari Choppers which is located in the lobby www.safarichoppers.com. The menu is simple but fun and if you want to try a great southern dish try their Chicken and Waffles. They have easy listening LIVE music 7 nights a week and a very cool bar if you just wanna snack and have a drink. They have different drink and food specials daily so go visit the Hanger Restaurant and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Viva Florida 500 Celebration

Today at Heritage Village www.pinellascounty.org/heritage in Largo it is the Viva Florida 500 Celebration from Noon-4pm. The celebration marks the 500th Anniversary of Juan Ponce de Leon's arrival on Floridas east coast. There will be a special presentation of pre-Columbian pottery, family crafts, a time capsule dedication and storytelling. Heritage Village is a wonderful place to visit it has a large collection of local historic homes. Also right next door is the Florida Botanical Gardens www.flbg.org take a stroll and see all the beautiful foliage and flowers. So get over to Largo today and join in on the Celebration and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

GOOD BYE to the PIER

The St. Petersburg PIER www.stpetepier.com was opened in 1973 and now we are down to the FINAL days. This Saturday they will say GOOD BYE in style with a party that starts at NOON and goes all day. There will be LIVE MUSIC, local artists, a water ski show and kids activities. After 6pm the real fun starts with the Ultimate Pier Cocktail Contest with Johnny Reno's, Cha Cha Coconuts and Fresco's making their favorite drinks with the popular vote and celebrity judges picking the winner. Also since you are in Downtown St. Petersburg go visit the SATURDAY MORNING MARKET there is only three weekends left. This beautiful weekly market is held on Saturdays from 9am-2pm and is located at 230 1st Street SE St.Petersburg. The market is celebrating its 10th year and is the southeast's largest outdoor market. www.saturdaymorningmarket.com There are 130 booths with Arts and Crafts, Gourmet and Prepared Foods, Farm Fresh Produce as well as great weekly LIVE entertainment. SO go say GOOD BYE to the PIER stop by the market and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

3rd Friday in Safety Harbor

The 3rd friday of every month Safety Harbor has their 3rd Friday Music Series that takes place in DOWNTOWN SAFETY HARBOR on Main Street. Enjoy an evening filled with shopping, dining and entertainment. Enjoy LIVE MUSIC at the gazebo and throughout downtown as well as food vendors, shops and restaurants. www.cityofsafetyharbor.com Stop at FUNK'S WAY at 228 Main Street this is a unique ART GALLERY with all types of Arts and Crafts and say hello to FUNK. Just down the street is BRADY's BBQ www.bradysbackyardbbq.com at 340 Main Street stop and have some BBQ or a glass of wine or a beer. Also make sure to visit THE CHOP SHOP hair salon at 500 Main Street they have a stage set up out front with one of the staff cutting hair and talking with the crowd. Take the time to meet the owner MIKE and tell him that MR.TAMPA BAY sent you! So go to SAFETY HARBOR and see all this great town has to offer and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Music and Movie in the Park

Tonite from 7-9:30pm in North Straub Park at 400 Beach Drive NE it is FREE LIVE MUSIC and the movie Suspicion! www.stpetepreservation.org You won’t want to miss this event in the ‘burg’s beautiful downtown waterfront parks! The Red Hot Hornets www.hotrodhornets.com will start at 7 pm and the movie will start near 8 pm. Purchase food from some of the best of the Saturday morning market vendors or bring you own – either way it’s a great way to spend an evening outdoors! So get out tonite to Straub Park and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

American Idiot the Play

The band Greenday www.greenday.com is a rock and roll band that has been playing together since 1987. I have seen this band LIVE and they put on a very wild show. The album American Idiot was a highlight of their carrers and now it has been made into a musical which is playing at the Starz Center for the Performing Arts in beautiful Downtown Tampa www.strazcenter.org this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The album is about growing up wild and free and possible a little crazy during the Bush administration and is perfect for a lively and highly entertaining stage show. So if you wanna Rock and Roll and enjoy an evening of theatre get to the Straz Center this weekend for American Idiot and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Fresh Market Downtown Clearwater

Today from 9am til 2pm in DOWNTOWN Clearwater it is the Clearwater Farmers Market FINAL DAY for this season. The market is located at Cleveland Street and North Fort Harrison Avenue in Downtown Clearwater. www.clearwaterfarmersmarket.com The market offers fresh produce, cheese, artisan baked goods and flowers. There are several shops as well as restaurants to visit and Coachman Park is right down the street. While in Clearwater make sure you go over to Clearwater Beach. www.clearwaterbeach.com Visit the boardwalk, shops, restaurants and Pier 60. www.sunsetsatpier60.com So get out today to Downtown Clearwater and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY !

Free Ice Cream Cone Day

Today at Haagen-Dazs www.haagendazs.com you will scream for ice crean because it is FREE. To help enjoy the return of the warmer weather they are giving one free scoop of your favorite flavor. We have two local locations one in the International Mall and the other at the Citrus Town Center Mall both are in Tampa. Also every Tuesday from 9am-3pm it is the GULFPORT Farmers market in Downtown Gulfport. www.gulfportma.com This is a beautiful little town that is right on the Gulf. They have nice restaurants, unique shops and events year round. They have an Art Walk the 1st Friday and the 3rd Saturday of every month and many other great festivals. So get some FREE ice cream or visit the market and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Visit Dunedin Today

Go visit beautiful and friendly Downtown Dunedin today. www.delightfuldunedin.com The Downtown area has many nice restaurants, art galleries and unique gift shops. Also when you are Downtown grab one of the maps in front of the train station on Main Street this contains all the information you need to explore Dunedin. Make sure to visit Cafe Alfresco the food is excellent and the staff friendly. www.cafealfrescoonline.com Visit the Painted Fish Art Gallery www.paintedfishgallery.com to see  beautiful paintings, special crafts and gifts. Stop by Skip's Bar at 371 Main Street for a cold drink and make sure you check out the Dog Art on the side of the bar. Go to Downtown Dunedin today explore the area and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Happy Mothers Day

Well it is Mothers Day and here are some FREE things to do with your MOM. Today it is FREE ADMISSION for MOM's at the Florida Aquarium with one paid admission. www.flaquarium.org The beautiful Lowry Park Zoo has FREE ADMISSION for MOM's with one paid child or adult ticket. www.lowryparkzoo.com  Also the Tampa History Museum has FREE ADMISSION for MOM's.  www.tampabayhistorycenter.org So get out with your MOM today and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Arts and Entertainment Pass

Downtown Tampa museums and restaurants have gotten together and created the ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT PASS that gets you into museums and special deals at local restaurants. The pass will cost you $30.00 with an actual value of about $80.00. When you purchase a PASS you will get one admission to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts www.fmopa.org Henry B. Plant Museum www.plantmuseum.com and the Tampa Bay History Museum www.tampabayhistorycenter.org . You also get one movie ticket to the Tampa Theatre www.tampatheatre.org and a Buy One get One for the TECO Streetcar www.tecolinestreetcar.org . The PASS also gets you deals at six area restaurants from FREE dessert at Mise en Place www.miseonline.com with an entree or a FREE cup of coffee at Kahwa Coffee www.kahwacoffee.com . The PASS is good until September 30 2013 you can purchase the PASS at the museums mentioned or at the Tampa Theatre. A list of attractions and restaurants can be found at www.tampasdowntown.com/play. So get your PASS now and start ENJOYING TAMPA BAY !

St. Petersburg Market and Art Walk

Only a few more weeks for the SATURDAY MORNING MARKET. This weekly market is Saturdays from 9am-2pm and goes from October til the end of May. It is located at 230 1st Street SE St.Petersburg. The market is celebrating its 10th year and is the southeast's largest outdoor market. www.saturdaymorningmarket.com There are 130 booths with Arts and Crafts, Gourmet and Prepared Foods, Farm Fresh Produce as well as great weekly LIVE entertainment.
Saturday night is the Second Saturday Art Walk www.artwalkstpete.com in Downtown St. Petersburg from 5:30-9:30pm. Many galleries are open late with show openings, LIVE MUSIC and unique special events, The Warehouse District www.warehouseartsdistrictstpete.org is also part of the Art Walk. So get out SATURDAY to St. Petersburg and visit the Market and the Art Galleries and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Fort De Soto Park turns 50

May 11, 1963 was opening day for the beautiful Fort De Soto Park. www.fortdesoto.com  This Saturday the Park turns 50 and there is going to be a celebration which will start at 9am. There will be sea oats planting, exhibits from nature groups, LIVE MUSIC, food and a classic water ski show. The park has 1136 acres of practically untouched land there is also a beach and a Fort to explore. If you enjoy camping this is a great location with wonderful facilities and friendly people to meet. So go to the 50th Birthday Party this Saturday or take a day trip either way go visit Fort De Soto Park and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

American Stage in the PARK

AMERICAN STAGE www.americanstage.org is located in Downtown St. Pete. American Stage presents its shows in the 182-seat Raymond James Theatre year round. The annual American Stage in the Park is held at Demens Landing along the beautiful waterfront down by The Pier. www.stpetepier.com This year it is the Tony-Award winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a fun show featuring overachievers trying to win a spelling championship. The show will run until May 26 so get down to Demens Landing and see a musical outside in a beautiful waterfront park and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Gulfport Farmers Market

Every Tuesday from 9am-3pm it is the GULFPORT Farmers market in Downtown Gulfport. www.gulfportma.com This is a beautiful little town that is right on the Gulf. They have nice restaurants, unique shops and events year round. They have an Art Walk the 1st Friday and the 3rd Saturday of every month and many other great festivals. Also every TUESDAY from 2-7 pm THE GLAZER CHILDRENS MUSEUM in Tampa is FREE. www.glazermuseum.org The FREE admission is offered to EVERYONE even the adults. The museum is located in the beautiful Curtis Hixon Park www.thetampariverwalk.com which is a waterfront park with a playground as well as a dog park. Also the Tampa Museum is located in the park right next to the childrens museum. www.tampamuseum.org So go for the afternoon to the market or check out the great museums and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Monday Blues..

I hope everyone got out and had some fun this weekend it was so beautiful. I enjoyed Anna Maria Island's craft beer festival, the Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg, the Purina Dog Challenge at Spa Beach and all the Cinco De Mayo celebrations. Here are a few things to do today. Tonight go to James Joyce Irish Pub in Ybor City for $9.95 you get a 2lb Maine Lobster. www.jamesjoyceybor.com  Also tonight at Ruby's Elixir www.rubyselixir.com in St. Petersburg it is LADIES NIGHT which starts at 8pm with FREE house wine or well drinks until 10pm. Relax get out tonight and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Diggin' the ARTS

Today form 10am-4pm it is the family friendly DIGGIN'' the ARTS which combines Art and Nature in a beautiful setting at the Florida Botanical Gardens. www.flbg.org The Botanical Gardens is located in Largo next to Heritage Village www.pinellascounty.org/heritage which is a museum that has more than 28 historic structures and features, some dating back to the 19th century. The festival today will have a open-air painting competition, watercolor and pottery demonstrations, workshops on bonsai and orchid care, raffles and LIVE MUSIC. So get out and visit The Botanical Gardens and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Cinco De Mayo

This is the FINAL weekend of LIVE RACING at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar it is also the Kentucky Derby today www.tampabaydowns.com and Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday. Get over to Dunedin on Saturday and Sunday for the Cinco De Mayo Street Festival and Dance Party. This is an annual street festival with a Latin costume contest, salsa dancing and lessons, a parade of 20 foot tall puppets and LIVE MUSIC. The party starts at 5pm both days and the cost is FREE. www.delightfuldunedin.com So go to DUNEDIN or TAMPA BAY DOWNS and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

Saturday Morning Market in St Pete

Only a few more weeks for the SATURDAY MORNING MARKET. This weekly market is Saturdays from 9am-2pm and goes from October til the end of May. It is located at 230 1st Street SE St.Petersburg. The market is celebrating its 10th year and is the southeast's largest outdoor market. www.saturdaymorningmarket.com There are 130 booths with Arts and Crafts, Gourmet and Prepared Foods, Farm Fresh Produce as well as great weekly LIVE entertainment. The market is right by the St. Petersburg Marina,The Pier, Salvador Dali as well as many great DOWNTOWN stores and restaurants. www.discoverdowntown.com So go to the Saturday Morning Market walk around and see all that DOWNTOWN St. Petersburg has to offer and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!

ROCK the PARK

ROCK the PARK in Downtown Tampa is a FREE monthly music concert series on the FIRST THURSDAY of every month and takes place from 6:30-9:30pm at Curtis Hixon Park. www.rocktheparktampa.com The PARK is a great place to see a concert with stadium styled seating as well as food and drinks for purchase. The concerts are right in front of The Tampa Museum. www.tampamuseum.org Also just across the street are several nice places to eat. Walk around downtown www.tampasdowntown.com and explore make sure to stop by The Tampa Theatre it looks great at night www.tampatheatre.org . Go out tonight and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY.

Tampa Bay Downs

This is the FINAL weekend of LIVE RACING at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar it is also Kentucky Derby Weekend. www.tampabaydowns.com The LIVE RACING is Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Also Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day with specials, family fun and FREE give aways. Tampa Bay Downs is exciting entertainment in a great facility with a friendly staff. On Saturday and Sunday just up the road from the track is the Oldsmar Flea Market www.theoldsmarfleamkt.net which is open from 9am-4pm and has been in business for 30 years. The market offers something for everybody with their 1200 stores. So check out the races visit the flea market and keep ENJOYING TAMPA BAY!