From Easter baking workshops to FREE Cross Bay Ferry rides, to Craft Beer fests and Chris Rock, this weekend is one you will not want to hang out in your PJ's binge-watching Netflix. Seek and ye shall easily find awesome things to do on both sides of the bay. Make plans now to attend a few of the fundraisers on the list, like the Grilled Cheese Fest supporting no-kill shelters. There is something for everyone of every age on this list from Free dance classes to a $1500 Meet and Greet with The Chainsmokers. Bookmark this article and pop back while attending to leave comments below letting the #my813 faithful know more about any of these events.
Things to Do Friday, April 14th
Intro to SwingFitt - Free Friday Classes! / West Tampa 8a m to 11:am
Discover Rotational Movement Training (RMT) at this FREE introductory class! The class consists of 20 minutes of cardio and RMT Club swings, and 20 minutes of RMT Abs/Core. Register online, First Class FREE at the TBC Baseball Performance Center 13323 W Hillsborough Ave Suite D1-D2.
Easter Baking Workshop | Sur La Table / South Tampa Noon - 3 pm
From hot cross buns to a custard tart and chocolate babka, bake up springtime treats this Friday afternoon in Hyde Park Village. Click over to their web page for more event dates and detail. Email cooking141@surlatable.com to register.
Brews & Bites / Downtown Tampa 6 pm to 10 pm
Enjoy the weather and the people at The Sail Pavilion at the Tampa Convention Center with Food Trucks, Music, Drinks and your furry friends (this is a pet-friendly event) Walk the Riverwalk, take the Pirate Water Taxi and experience the energy of Downtown Tampa on a Friday night! Brews & Bites Food Truck Rally takes place on the second Friday of each month! Enjoy!
Movies in the Park - The Blind Side / Tampa Heights 8 pm
Movies in the Park will air April 15, 22 and 29th. Bring your lawn chair or blanket and gather in Water Works Park for this FREE, fun, and family-friendly outdoor event. Concessions are available.
Banned Books Burlesque / Ybor City 8 pm
Enter a 1920's speakeasy style coffee shop serving Coffee, Tea and Vegan pastries in the Heart of Ybor City's Historic District Friday night for a sexy burlesque show with a literary spin. Price is $20 advance, $25 at the door. Phone (813) 540-2233 for more information.
Downtown Salsa & Bachata April Social / Downtown Tampa 8:45 pm - 2 am
Dress to impress for the largest, most elegant Salsa and Bachata social in Tampa Bay at The Hip Room Dance Studio in Downtown Tampa. Join us on April 14th as we host Tampa's biggest social. Everyone is welcome no matter your experience level. Workshops by Kery and Dario representing DK Dance and La Fuerza Suncoast. Cost is $15 or $10 with a valid student ID.
The Chainsmokers | Tampa, Florida / Amalie Arena 7 pm to 11 pm
Looking for a Live Music thing to do? The Chainsmokers are geared to set the year on fire with a 40-date multi-city concert tour of their first full-length album "Do Not Open". See them this Friday at Amalie Arena. Ticket prices range from $43 to $1550 which includes a meet and greet.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tampa with live cast Hell on Heels / Carrollwood 11:30 pm
Time warp and join Hell On Heels at Carrollwood's Villagio Cinemas Friday night! Enjoy the show and a full liquor bar open prior to the show if you want to stop by early! Tickets are $8.50
Pinellas
2017 Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival / Clearwater Beach Multiple days, opens at 10 am
This 10-day Festival celebrates Clearwater’s Sugar Sand Beaches with this year's theme, Sugar Sand FantaSEA, a magical adventure above and below the sea! Head to the Sugar Sand Walk Exhibit, an artistic walk-through display in a 21,000-square-foot tent and take part in a variety of FREE activities on Clearwater Beach including a professional sand sculpting competition, sand sculpting clinics, speed sand demonstrations, a children’s play area, extended Sunsets at Pier 60, and live entertainment.
* Adult: $10, Includes complimentary souvenir photo
* Senior (55 & Older), Military, Police, Firefighters, Teachers: $8, Includes complimentary souvenir photo
* Students (Ages 6-17): $6
* Children (5 & Under): Free, with adult purchase
23rd annual Gulfport Springfest in Gulfport Friday and Saturday beginning at 10 am
Gulfport Springfest, provides family-friendly activities and entertainment, including for the first time ever, a Good Friday Fish Fry! Activities include Maypole dances, a faerie house garden, costume contests and live music. A children’s area offers face painting, pixie dusting, bubble blowing, and more. The market brings a wide variety of products such as plants, garden art, Renaissance-period trinkets, clothing, jewelry, art, hand-made crafts, food, beverages and other items of whimsical interest. FREE to attend, food drink extra and there are no parking fees, well-behaved and leashed pets are welcome. Take a complimentary Gulfport Trolley to and from off-site parking areas. For more information call 727-322-5217 or email SuzFest@gmail.com
3rd Annual Sunlit Festival / St. Petersburg, Times and venues vary
Literary arts and cultural circles intersect during the third annual SunLit Festival, running this year from April 19th to the 25th with events taking place most days of the week. This Friday look for From Page to Stage (St. Pete City Theater 6-7 pm FREE) and David Amram: Music, Stories, & Kerouac (Palladium 8 pm $25 in advance, $30 day of the show, Reserved $40 limited availability) Follow the link to their website for additional events!
Movies in the Park / Largo 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
This week's movie is Storks. Bring your blanket or chair out to Largo Central Park to enjoy a movie on the lawn. A family-friendly movie will be offered each Friday in April, concessions will be available. FREE to attend.
Safety Harbor Ghost Tour/ Safety Harbor 7:30 pm
Come on a walking ghost tour of downtown Safety Harbor to learn tales from long ago as well as current history. What happened to the Indian mounds? You will know at the end of this fun, immersive tour of one of Florida's older cities. Meet at John Wilson Park at the Gazebo 401 Main Street, for a two-hour walking tour to learn about the history of Safety Harbor and its paranormal activities. Price is $20, $10 ages 8-12 (registration required). Phone: (727) 687-8785
Kinky Boots | Ruth Eckerd Hall / Clearwater Opens Tues April 11th - Sun April 16th Times vary
Kinky Boots is here! Broadway’s huge-hearted, high-heeled hit with songs by Grammy and Tony Award-winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper. You can't help but get happy feet at this joyous production about friendship and more. Friday, April 14 at 8 pm ~ Saturday, April 15 at 2 & 8 pm ~ Sunday, April 16 at 2 & 7 pm Ticket prices vary by date and seat choice. Follow the link in the title to buy tickets.
Things to Do Saturday, April 15th
Painting and Vino at Fridays on Fowler / North Tampa Area 6:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Want to sit with a delicious craft cocktail or glass of wine in one hand and a paint brush in the other? Head to the TGIFridays on Fowler (2501 East Fowler Avenue) in North Tampa to paint and sip! Check-in 15 minutes prior to start time. All food and beverage purchases must be made directly from TGIFridays. Wine is not included with the purchase of your Painting & Vino class. No outside food or beverages are permitted. Sign up at www.paintingandvino.com. Use code TGIF for a 35% discount. Cost is $45 and tickets are limited, at this writing 15 remain. The painting is called Hawaiin Sunset.
Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival 2017 the Band Perry / East Tampa Park opens at 9 am Concert at 7:30 pm
The Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival takes place for nine weekends through Sunday, April 30. Concerts take place each weekend, this week is The Band Perry appearing Saturday night. Tickets to the park begin at $99, the concert is free in the park.
Walk Tampa: The Ybor City Story / Ybor City 10:30 am
Join the Tampa Bay History Center for a guided tour of historic Ybor City. This 90-minute walking tour is led by a History Center-trained docent and focuses on the founding and development of Ybor City. Learn about the people, social life and work culture of early Ybor. You'll visit key landmarks and hear the stories behind one Florida's oldest and most unique communities. Tours meet in front of the Cuban Club, 2010 N. Avenida Republica De Cuba. The walk is approximately one mile along public sidewalks and brick streets. Please be sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothing for walking outside. Guests might also want to bring bottled water. Tour cost is $10 ages 4-10 and $20 adult, tours are limited to 25 people. Pre-registration is required, call 813-228-0097.
Floatopia - SMF 2017 Pool Party and Ticket Giveaway / North Tampa Noon to 5 pm
Sunset Events & Disco Donnie Presents present FLOATOPIA A Sunset Music Festival 2017 Pool Party & Ticket Giveaway Saturday at The Venue North Campus pool. The party starts at Noon and goes until 5 pm! Featuring DJs - Food and Drink Trucks provided by Generation Food Truck: FREE SMF 2017 TICKET GIVEAWAY TAKES PLACE AT THIS EVENT.
Artistically Speaking / Ybor City 6 pm - Midnight
Artistically Speaking will be a one of a kind event featuring live music by Monica Delgado, dance performances, cirque acts, stilt walkers and more. Doors open at 6 pm where you will enjoy cocktails and performance from a live band. 7 pm kicks off the Comedy Show featuring Vinnie Ward and Mason Hill from C.R.A.P Comedy followed by national touring comics Steven Miller and Devin Siebold! At 8:30 they open the door to the Art exhibit in the grand ballroom located on the third floor where some of Florida's best artists will sell their art. Dress to impress then head out the historic Italian Club for an art-filled night!
Chris Rock at Carol Morsani Hall - The Straz Center, Downtown Tampa 7 pm -10 pm
Grammy® and Emmy® Award-winning comedian, actor, director, writer and producer, Chris Rock, hits Tampa with one of his strongest shows, The Total Blackout Tour. Leave your cellies in the car or better yet at home if possible cell phones, cameras or recording devices will NOT be allowed at Chris Rock's Total Blackout Tour. All phones and smart watches will be secured in Yondr pouches, then unlocked at the end of the show. Guests maintain possession of their phones throughout the night, and if needed, may access their phones at designated Yondr unlocking stations in the lobby. Anyone caught with a cellphone in the venue will be immediately ejected. Ticket prices vary.
Pinellas
Taste of Tierra Verde & 6th Annual Open Car & Truck Show / South Pinellas 9 am
This Saturday marks the Tierra Verde 6tth Annual Open Car & Truck Show along with a Taste of Tierra Verde. Head to 1110 Pinellas Bayway South, RAIN or SHINE for Music, Food Vendors, a 50/50, Silent Auction, Games, and Food and Drink. This car and truck show combines local menu favorites from island restaurants with autos! Vote for Best of Show in 31 classes of displayed cars and trucks. First 100 registered to show receive dash plaques and t-shirts. All proceeds benefit the Lealman Fire Dept. CERT team. The event is FREE to attend, food and drink are additional.
Kiss My Whaaat? Tax Day Run / Clearwater 9:30 am
Sleep in for this run then run out your tax day aggressions on this 5K with free beer, wings sampler and "butt cheeks" finishers medals at Buffalo Wild Wings Clearwater. Registration is $30-$35. Call (727) 226-7223 for details.
Springtime Grilled Cheese Festival at Ferg's! / St. Petersburg 11:00 am
This Saturday in Ferg's Sports Bar Cobblestone Courtyard you can enjoy some of St. Pete's Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from local Food Trucks! Live Music will be provided by DJ Anthony (11 a.m.-1 p.m.), the Skyler Clark Band. (1-3 p.m.) and The Bearded Brothers Band (3:30-5:30 p.m). Brooksville Brewing Company hosts more than 20 food trucks and restaurants serving up grilled cheese creations and sumptuous desserts too. Look for an arts and crafts Vendor Village, and pet tent with water bowls. Benefits from this event support local no-kill animal shelters. The event is FREE to attend, food and drink ar additional.
2017 Spring Beer Fest / Pinellas Park 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Look for a strong Florida presence at this craft beer fest this year, and a few select out of state kegs. Partake of ciders and meads, and plenty of beer from Europe at this eclectic beer fest on the canal at Cajun Cafe on the Bayou just past Wagon Wheel Flea Market. Tucked away, it's easy to miss, look for the sign! Admission includes a tasting glass and a plate of Cajun food: chicken etouffee, red beans and rice, crawfish cornbread and Creole marinated pork, plus snack nibbles throughout the festival. Benefits Dunedin Doggie Rescue. 21 or older. Tickets are $49.99 Call (727) 546-6732 for details or questions.
Crawfish & Crafts at Sea Dog Brewing Co / Clearwater 3 pm to 8 pm
Enjoy a Southern Spring Fling event with Sea Dog Brewing Co at their Crawfish and Shrimp Boil where you can buy $3.50 Crafts from 3-6 or $6 Hurricanes. Planned are a Craft Beer Tasting, New Craft Beer Release, Live Entertainment, Raffles and Prizes. Take advantage of their Full Liquor Bar, Cornhole, Jenga and more. Admission is Free, Food and Drinks are additional.
Things to Do Sunday, April 16th
Sunday Bicycle Rides / West Tampa 8 am
This 24 to 32-mile ride takes place on the northern and southern sections of the Waters Avenue/Channel Park Pavilion Trailhead 9201 W Waters Ave. Helmets are required and riders must maintain a speed of 10 to 14 mph. Call (813) 613-6047 to reserve your spot today. Cost unknown.
Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival 2017 / East Tampa Park opens at noon, concert at 7:30
The Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival takes place for nine weekends through Sunday, April 30. Weekend concerts take place each weekend, this Sunday The Newsboys perform. Tickets to the park begin at $99, the concert is free in the park.
Free Cross Bay Ferry Rides from the St. Petersburg Museum of History / Downtown St. Pete 7 am to 6 pm
The Cross-Bay Ferry is offering free “Test the Waters” rides for the 50-minute trip across Tampa Bay between downtown. St. Petersburg and the Tampa Convention Center this Sunday. Board at the Cross Bay Ferry - St. Petersburg Dock at the St. Petersburg Museum of History and cross Tampa Bay to theTampa Convention Center. Rides are first come, first served and cannot be reserved in advance. See crossbayferry.com for departure times. Regular service costs $10 per ride.
