Thrill Seeker Series: Episode 3 - Basic Jump Training
Written by Sirio Balmelli
I was determined to continue skydiving after the thrill of my first jump, so less than three months passed before I was again at Skydive City, trying to cram all of AFF, or Accelerated Free Fall training, into a two-day stay. The seven-jump course, conducted by professional skydiving instructors, is the first step toward a skydiving license.
Free Things to Do and New Activities at the Florida State Fair
Written by Alice Roses
The Florida State Fair, which is always in Tampa and always in February, offers a wide variety of entertainment, offering something for everyone.
Black Eyed Peas with Opening Acts Ludacris and LMFAO to Bring World Tour to Tampa
Written by Alice Roses
The Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D. World Tour will stop at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa on Wednesday, February 10th at 7:30 p.m. The tour has been described as “the ultimate Black Eyed Peas experience,” and will “replicate the party vibe of a hot dance club.”
Ultimate TAILgate Pawty Held by Humane Society of Pinellas February 6th
Written by Heidi Lux
The Human Society of Pinellas will be celebrating the “big game” and the join in on the fun of tailgating in their own unique way – with the Ultimate Tailgate Pawty to be held in Clearwater’s Crest Lake Park on February 6th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Open in Universal's Islands of Adventure Orlando Spring 2010
Written by Heidi Lux
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is beginning to take shape. Set to open in the Spring of 2010, the Orlando attraction based off the popular books and movies, will take people on a journey into the fictional world first created by J.K. Rowling.
Gasparilla Pirate Festival and Parade of the Pirates to Take Place in Tampa Jan 30th
Written by Heidi Lux
The pirate invasion of The City of Tampa by pirate Jose Gaspar and his men will be celebrated for the 106th consecutive year on January 30th with the Gasparilla Pirate Festival.
Sunscreen Film Festival Offers Film School and Acting Workshop
Written by Joshua T. Gillion
The Sunscreen Film Festival is entering its fifth year in 2010. The past half-decade of the annual event has seen rapid growth and popularity, with a 600 percent increase in attendance from 2006 to 2009. Hosted by the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Film Society, the Sunscreen Film Festival was founded – at a kitchen table – by Tony Armer and Derek Miner, in 2005.
Opera Carmen to Come to Ruth Eckerd Hall January 30th
Written by Alice Roses
Bizet’s Carmen presented by Teatro Lirico D’Europa with Symphony Orchestra will come to the Ruth Eckerd Hall January 30th at 8:00 p.m. The story of betrayal and jealousy will be presented in French with English subtitles. Carmen has been one of the most performed operas since 1880.
Ruth Eckerd Hall Ranked Top Twenty in the World By Leading Trade Magazine
Written by Katie Pedretty
Entertainment industry trade publication Pollstar announced that Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked #18 in the world in venues having 10,000 seats or less in their 2009 year end ticket sales for the top 100 worldwide theatre venues. Within that same ranking, Ruth Eckerd Hall is #2 in venues having 2,500 seats or less. This ranking is based on concert and event gross tickets sales from January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 with performances during that period. Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked higher than such prestigious venues as the Fox Theatre in Detroit, Fabulous Fox Theatre in San Diego, Chicago Theatre, Royal Albert Hall in London and the Carol Morsani Hall in Tampa.
Family Activities Featured at Children's Gasparilla Extravaganza January 23 in Tampa
Written by Heidi Lux
On January 23rd, the Children’s Gasparilla Extravaganza will provide alcohol-free family friendly entertainment and celebrate the return of Gasparilla in Tampa Bay. The event will take place on Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa the week before the Gasparilla Pirate Fest, held in the same location on January 31st.
4th Friday Clearwater "Goes to the Dogs" on January 22nd
Written by Karla Jo Helms
4th Friday Clearwater has gone to the dogs! This January, GPA of Tampa Bay, the organization who finds homes for retired racing Greyhounds, will be the benefiting charity at the downtown Clearwater street party, encouraging owners of the famous greyhounds to bring their furry four-legged friends to interact with the crowd for a doggone good time! The event will take place this Friday, January 22nd from 5:30-10pm at the 500 & 600 blocks of Cleveland Street. The live entertainment will be by Kenny McGee and the event is free to the public.
John Mayer will stop by the St. Pete Times Forum on Friday, February 5th for the second concert of Mayer’s North American tour. Mayer’s Tour. which kicks off on February 4th in Sunrise, FL, will feature special guest Michael Franti & Spearhead.
15th Annual Einstein on Food & Wine to Take Place at MOSI Feb 20th
Written by Alice Roses
The 15th annual Einstein on Food & Wine will take place on February 20th from 7 to 10. The event, hosted by the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), will bring a bit of the Italian Renaissance to the Tampa Bay area with the silent auction fundraiser for MOSI’s educational programs.
On a cold Sunday night following New Years day, 120 people gathered in the lobby of St. Petersburg's American Stage, many of them standing in the back or sitting on the floor, to watch Gavin Hawk and Ricky Wayne perform as The Dumb Show, improvising 60 minutes of comedy from the simple audience suggestion of a dumb New Year’s resolution: “loose weight.”
A week had passed since my first visit to Zephyrhills. The sky was cloudy but the forecast promised clear skies, and both my buddy and I were too dead set on getting this jump in.
Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth Opens in Tampa with Barnum's Funundrum Featured
Written by Alice Roses
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus is in town, with a show of such grandeur it brings to mind the popular image of an awe-struck child pining to run away and join the circus. If half the kids in Tampa go missing, you will know where they went.
More...
Arlo Guthrie Tour to Stop By Capitol Theatre in Clearwater March 13
Written by Katie Pedretty
Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road presents American folk singer- songwriter Arlo Guthrie in the historic Capitol Theatre in the Cleveland Street District in Downtown Clearwater on Saturday, March 13 at 7:30 pm.
Foreigner with Special Guest Eddie Money to Play Ruth Eckerd Hall January 15th
Written by Alice Roses
Classic rock band Foreigner with special guest Eddie Money will perform at Ruth Eckerd Hall on January 15th at 8:00 p.m.
Universal City Walk New Year's Eve Celebration in Orlando
Written by Alice Roses
Universal CityWalk’s New Year’s Eve celebration will feature a live performance from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Temptations and The Four Tops. The event will take place on December 31st from 8 am to 2 pm.
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth Presents Funundrum in Tampa Jan 6-10
Written by Heidi Lux
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth is about to become greater when the circus rolls into town January 6th through 10th. The circus will celebrate the 200th anniversary of P.T. Barnum’s birth with Barnum’s Funundrum, and have pulled out all the stops for their show. “Expect anything and everything to happen,” says Benjamin Bolin, one of the clowns in the show. The circus will travel to over 120 cities in the United States, and more than 10 million people will see the circus, yet no city will see the same show twice.
Bob Newhart Comes to Ruth Eckerd Hall January 10
Written by Katie Pedretty
Although Bob Newhart is a successful entertainer with award-winning television shows, multi-platinum albums, fourteen feature films and a book, he will bring his first love, stand-up comedy to the Ruth Eckerd Hall stage on Sunday, January 10 at 2:00 p.m. His stand-up shows across the country and abroad have sold-out and he is the subject of a PBS American Masters documentary.
Tampa Bay rock band WD-Han (which stands for “We Don’t Have A Name”) released their album Class Project Earth to a full house at Pangea Café in Downtown Clearwater on December 4th.
The following is a list of Holiday events and activites around Tampa Bay. To view a listing of Tampa Bay Events, go here .
Miracle on Cleveland Street Brings Snow to Downtown Clearwater Featured
Written by Heidi Lux
A seemingly endless sea of excited children poured into Downtown Clearwater with parents in tow to experience the rare miracle of snow in Florida. Miracle on Cleveland Street returned for its second year on December 11th, and was spectacularly successful, exceeding the expectations set by last year’s inaugural event. Kids braved lines a block long to take a ride down the giant toboggan slide in the middle of Cleveland Street.
Winter Wonderland Holiday Festival and Charity Drive Celebrates 17th Anniversary Featured
Written by Sirio Balmelli
The Clearwater Community Volunteers held their Anniversary Celebration of the 17th Annual Winter Wonderland Holiday Festival and Charity Drive on December 11th. On the corner of Drew Street and Ft. Harrison Avenue, a Christmas playground has sprung from the barren asphalt of the parking lot behind the Osceola Hotel, driven by the organized tenacity of the Clearwater Community Volunteers (CCV), working with local charities, for the benefit of members of the community.
Thrill Seeker Sirio Dares the Sky
My personal philosophy unfortunately decries the lack of threatening stimuli in my daily environment. With speed limits the way they are, I cannot get a thrill out of putting myself in harm’s way, although I do appreciate the rumbling bass notes of my motorcycle’s exhaust. My college professors cannot threaten me with gruesome punishment if I fail an exam. The most dangerous object in my household is the InSinkErator which relieves me from the tedium of throwing my carrot peels into the trash can.