TAMPA - Junk food galore, carnival rides, live music, clowns, competitions, animal displays, exhibits and more. The Florida State Fair at the Tampa Fairgrounds continues daily through Feb. 20.
“The annual Florida State Fair is a salute to the state's best in the agriculture and equestrian industry including an abundance of shows, music, rides, food and shopping for 12 consecutive days,” according to this year’s brochure.
Gates open at 9 a.m. Friday through Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday.
Children under the age of 5 get in free. Adults, age 12 and older, pay $10 Monday through Friday and $12 Saturday and Sunday. Children’s admission, ages 6-11, Monday through Friday is $5 and $6 on Saturday and Sunday. A diet Mountain Dew can saves money on midway rides Feb. 10 and 20.
Parking is free.
This year’s special attractions include an Elvis Extravaganza, Feb. 11-12 and Elvis Live, Feb. 17-20. Check out the Xtreme Sports Show daily except for Feb. 15. The Yesterdaze Show features music from the 1970s, Feb. 10-12. Cheer and dance competitions are scheduled on Feb. 11-12. Chris MacArthur and the Florida Cracker Boys appear Feb. 17-18.
And, no one should miss the lawnmower races Feb. 18-19 in the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center.
If that’s not enough, a variety of other entertainment is scheduled during the daily free shows, including the Blues Brothers, Dennis Lee, Kachunga & the Alligator, Welde Bear Show, Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, Racing Pigs, Circus Hollywood, Spanish Lyric Theater, International Stage, Horse Shows at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center, Bluegrass music in Cracker Country, Livestock shows in the Agribusiness area, the Florida Armed Forces Museum and an exotic petting zoo.
SAFETY HARBOR - The city of Safety Harbor announced its first-ever Food Truck Rally on Saturday Feb. 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Main Street between Fifth and Seventh avenues.
City staff, local business owners and Tasting Tampa have teamed up to bring 10-12 food trucks to downtown Safety Harbor for an afternoon of eating, shopping and enjoying all Safety Harbor has to offer.
“The idea is not to compete with our local restaurants, but to enhance our active community and get them downtown on a Saturday afternoon,” said Joe Cooper, special events supervisor for the Safety Harbor.“We also hope to bring in new faces to the City that will come out and enjoy our shops, restaurants and pubs.”
PALM HARBOR - The Palm Harbor Library will host “Cooking with Debbie and John” on Thursday, Feb. 9, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m., at 2330 Nebraska Ave.
Chefs Debbie McGriffin and John Lewis will combine their culinary talents to offer a cooking demonstration and food sampling at the library. McGriffin has served as the primary teacher for the Kids Summer Camp in the Kitchen program for the past 13 years. The program focuses on using the finest ingredients and healthy recipes that feature organic sources and no processed foods. Lewis is owner and chef of Chef John’s Creative Culinary Services, which specializes in catering, private parties, cooking classes and team building activities. He appears as the resident chef on WFLA’s News Channel 8 nationally syndicated Daytime Show.
The pair recently co-authored the book, “It’s All About the Food,” and a book signing will follow the program.
Registration is required either in person, by phone at 784-3332, ext. 3006 or by visiting www.palmharborlibrary.com, clicking on events, calendar and the event that is listed on the Feb. 9 date.
ST. PETERSBURG - The Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival runs Feb. 17-25 at Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S.
Screenings will be presented in The Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium and are free and open to the public. All programs begin at 7 p.m. (except Sunday, Feb. 19, which begins at 2 p.m.) Each program will feature an opportunity for audience questions immediately after the program.
For 14 years, the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival at Eckerd College has brought compelling and important films to the Tampa Bay area and the Eckerd College community in order to raise awareness and promote discussion of questions relating to nature, place and the environment. Film scholars and filmmakers from around the world engage the audience in lively discussions of the environmental perspectives contained in documentary, animated, experimental and feature films.
ST. PETERSBURG - For the Love of Weedon on Saturday, Feb. 11, is a celebration of Weedon Island, from its rich prehistoric and historic heritage to its present day use as a coastal preserve for education and outdoor activities.
This special event is an opportunity to share and to capture the many stories about Weedon Island, talk about the present and look forward to the future. A panel discussion is planned with “open mike” audience participation about this very significant piece of land on Old Tampa Bay.
The known recent history of Weedon Island spans nearly 150 years with many significant changes from homesteads and citrus groves to airport runways and movie studios. The prehistory dates back to A.D. 400 and beyond with numerous Indian mounds and the first identified site of the “Weeden Island culture” with its beautiful pottery.
Becky Shaw “Becky Shaw,” by Gina Gionfriddo, presented by freeFall Theatre Company, Feb. 2-19, at freeFall, 6099 Central Ave. Performances are Thursday, 7 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. Matinees are Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. Ticket prices vary according to performance date and time. Call 498-5205 or visit www.freefalltheatre.com. Starting with a fateful blind date, Becky and Max are subjected to a series of comically unfortunate events.
contain it!, Trashy Treasures and Eat This!, contain it!, Trashy Treasures and Eat This!, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-11, at Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd, Dunedin. The DFAC will host a triple-header of events including contain it!, in which hand-selected artists rework the interior of PODS containers; and Trashy Treasures, a fabulous art garage sale. New this year is Eat This!, featuring a variety of food trucks selling enticing cuisine. Participating in the food truck rally will be Ballers Traveling Bistro, FoodeeZ Mobile Catering, La Creperia Café with crepes to go, Michelle Faedos On The Go, Tamales and South Of The Border and Wicked Wiches. The annual fringe arts festival will will kick off Friday, Feb. 10, with a party and silent auction, at the center, 1143 Michigan Blvd. Admission is $5. The exhibition will be open to the public Saturday, Feb. 11, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free. For event information, call 298-3322 or visit www.dfac.org.
Fireside concert CLEARWATER - A fireside concert is set for Saturday, Feb. 11, 7 to 9 p.m., at Moccasin Lake Nature Park, 2750 Park Trail Lane. Suzanne and Jim Maintaining the Americana Roots Music Tradition is set to perform. There will be music, storytelling, dance, comedy, a campfire and smores. The concert and activities are free with admission to the park.
Visit www.suzanneandjim.com.
Lie, Cheat and Genuflect “Lie, Cheat and Genuflect,” by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore, presented by Early Bird Dinner Theatre, Jan. 5 through Feb. 26, at the Italian-American Club, 200 S. McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater. Seating for performances is Thursday through Sunday, 4 p.m. Seating for matinees is Thursday and Saturday, 11 a.m. Cost is $29.90 a person. For reservations, call 446-5898. Visit www.earlybirddinnertheatre.com. The Buckle brothers, Billy and Tom, are in big trouble: Tom's infallible eye for slow horses has drained away all of Billy's savings and he has borrowed from loan shark Pizza Face Petrillo, who now wants his money back or else. There's plenty of money in grandfather Buckle's will, but these two black sheep are pretty sure they'll never see any of that. What else to do but dress Billy up as a nun and have him pose as their cousin who is to inherit the entire fortune?
Seven Guitars “Seven Guitars,” by August Wilson, presented by American Stage Theatre Company, Jan. 20 through Feb. 26, in the Raymond James Theatre, 163 Third St. N., St. Petersburg. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. Matinees are Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m. Ticket prices vary. Call 823-7529 or visit www.americanstage.org. Floyd Barton is a natural musician with a hit song and, in the expansive atmosphere after World War II, he dreams of the big time. But as the play begins, his wife and friends mourn his death. In Wilsons only play constructed in flashback, “Seven Guitars” takes us back to explore what happened. Who killed Floyd Barton, but more importantly, why? This play contains mature subject matter and language.
Slipping “Slipping,” by Daniel Talbott, Feb. 9-12, 16-19, at The Studio@620, 620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg. All performances are at 7 p.m. except Saturday, February 18, which will be a 3 p.m. matinee. For tickets, call 895-6620 or visit studio620.org. The Studio@620 is producing the Florida premiere of Talbotts controversial drama about teen gay bullying. Alone, numb and friendless after the violent death of his father and being dumped by his abusive boyfriend, openly gay high school senior Eli moves with his mom from San Francisco for a fresh start in Iowa. A possible relationship with a boy named Jake at school exposes Eli again to the possibility of closeness and the danger of being swallowed by it. “Slipping” is being directed by Bob Devin Jones and stars Bonnie Agan, Drew Smith, Vincent Stalba and Ian Muentener.
Swing Dance Saturdays LARGO - Swing Dance Saturdays - 7 to 11 p.m., Largo Community Center. Enjoy an evening of dancing and socializing. Every Saturday night, enjoy a free lesson from 7 to 8 p.m. and DJ Savoy Swing from 8 to 11 p.m. Admission is $7. Visit LargoCommunityCenter.com or call 518-3131.
The Local Revolt Music Series The Local Revolt Music Series, Saturday, Feb. 11, noon to 10 p.m., at England Brothers Park, 5010 81st Ave. N., Pinellas Park. Gates will open at 11:30 a.m. and the music will start at noon. The rain-or-shine outdoor event will include performances by 10 local bands including The Surfin Raccoons, Johnny Cakes and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypso, UNRB, Rock n Chair Band, Santino, 10th Concession, The Jeremy Thomas Band, Consinity, Khora and The August Name. Between sets, DJ XL and comedian Lou Angelwolf will keep the audience entertained. Admission costs $20 in advance or $25 the day of the show. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Suncoast Hospice. Tickets are available online at www.ticketweb,com and www.ticketmaster.com. For event information, visit www.thelocalrevolt.net.
A Night at the Oscars “A Night at the Oscars,” presented by Sunsation Show Chorus, Sunday, Feb. 12, 3 p.m., at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center, 4951 78th Ave. N., Pinellas Park. Cost is $15. Call 541-4501 or visit www.sunsationshowchorus.com. The production will feature some of the greatest movie music that made it to the Oscars performed by the Sunsation Show Chorus. Rena Massey will provide piano accompaniment.
Ars Erotica Ars Erotica art event, Sunday, Feb. 12, noon, in Gulfports Artists Alley off 29th Avenue South at Beach Boulevard. The Schork-Munsell Studio will celebrate St. Valentines Day with its first group show, Ars Erotica. In collaboration with neighboring artists Owen Pach Glass and Victory Body Art, Jonathan Schork and Ciara Carinci will transform their end of Gulfports Artists Alley into a complete arts event. Starting at noon, the Artists Alley Cooperative will be offering foundry and smithing demonstrations as well as a full inventory of blown glass at Owen Pach Glass; a collection of erotic and romantic art in photographs, paintings, jewelry, sculpture and other media by a varied stable of participating artists. There also will be body painting by Victoria Wenner. Live music is expected in the evening, and light snacks and refreshments will be offered until supplies run out. Even though the theme is erotic, the studio states that all work and events are “tasteful and absolutely family- and kid- friendly.” Call Jonathan Schork at 305-304-3018 or email jonathanschork@aol.com.
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