New exhibit shows how Spanish immigrants transformed the sleepy fishing village of Tampa [PHOTOS]

Tampa Bay History Center, alongside Spanish nonprofit Fundación Consejo España – EE.UU., celebrated the opening of a new exhibition last Saturday, becoming…

By Grace Stoler

Image: New exhibit shows how Spanish immigrants transformed the sleepy fishing village of Tampa [PHOTOS]
137 slides

Photos: All the local artists, and special guests, we saw at Tampa's 55th annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts

The Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts returned to Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park last weekend, March 1-2, with more than…

By Jennifer Ring

Image: Photos: All the local artists, and special guests, we saw at Tampa's 55th annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
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Photos: St. Pete’s Winter Pride closes with celebratory street festival

Fresh off the racetrack, Winter Pride rolled back onto Central Avenue last Sunday for a closing street festival that included performances from…

By Ray Roa

Image: Photos: St. Pete’s Winter Pride closes with celebratory street festival
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Photos: All the hot rods we saw at St. Pete’s first-ever Winter Pride drag race

It was a busy weekend at FloridaRama (stylized “FloridaRAMA”). After hosting Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Highball competition the night before, the venue…

By Ray Roa

Image: Photos: All the hot rods we saw at St. Pete’s first-ever Winter Pride drag race
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Photos: 50th anniversary gala launches Dunedin Fine Arts Center into next half-century

Last Saturday at a star-studded black tie event, supporters and donors of Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC) gathered at the site of…

By Ray Roa

(L-R) Irwin and Syd Entel, and Susan Benjamin at Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin, Florida on Feb. 15, 2025.
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Lionel Messi's Tampa debut brings 42,017 fans to Raymond James Stadium [PHOTOS]

In the many weeks leading up to the Florida Derby preseason exhibition between Inter Miami CF and Orlando City SC, the big…

By Danielle Malkin

Inter Miami CF at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Feb. 14, 2025.
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Busch Gardens Tampa Bay reveals new details about upcoming kid-friendly area, Wild Oasis, opening spring 2025

Last fall, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced that the Jungala area would be getting a major facelift, and would soon feature a…

By Colin Wolf

Tree Top Drop
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Photos: Everything we saw at Tampa's Gasparilla pirate parade 2025

Roughly 300,000 pirates headed to Tampa's Bayshore Blvd on Saturday afternoon for the 2025 Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Amid security concerns following the New…

By Colin Wolf

Image: Photos: Everything we saw at Tampa's Gasparilla pirate parade 2025
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Photos: All the beautiful people we saw in St. Pete for the 2025 MLK Day parade

As a new dad, photographer Tre Butler is pretty busy nowadays. The Bay area native better known as “Junior” has moved away,…

By Ray Roa

Image: Photos: All the beautiful people we saw in St. Pete for the 2025 MLK Day parade
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In new 'Macbeth,' Tampa's Jobsite Theater plans to break down preconceived notions about Shakespeare [PHOTOS]

Greed, ambition, and a lust for power also stand to be prevalent themes in 2025, and the Straz Center’s resident theater company…

By Ray Roa

The nine-person cast for 'Macbeth,' which is at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Florida Jan. 15-Feb. 9
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Photos: All the hotties we saw ringing in 2025 at St. Pete’s gayest hotel, The Mari Jean

Tampa Bay kissed 2024 goodbye last Tuesday, and naturally, St. Pete’s gayest hotel did it with a cockdrop and party that took…

By Ray Roa

Image: Photos: All the hotties we saw ringing in 2025 at St. Pete’s gayest hotel, The Mari Jean
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20 big things coming to Tampa Bay in 2025

Big things are on the horizon for Tampa Bay, and the area has a slew of exciting things to look forward to,…

By CL Staff

The Howard Frankland Bridge Project should finally be over Construction on the new $865.3 millionHoward Frankland Bridge Project is expected to wrap up in early 2025.As of now, drivers should expect to start crossing the newly widened bridge as early as this coming January or February. Read the full story here
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Our favorite new Florida books of 2024

If there ever was a good time to disassociate using books, the end of 2024 is it. After a stressful hurricane season…

By Chelsea Zukowski

‘The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony’ by Annabelle Tometich Journalist Annabelle Tometich’s memoir of growing up in suburban South Florida as a mixed-raced Filipina includes answering a call from her mother, who’s in jail for shooting at someone for “messing with her mangoes.” It’s an intimate exploration of one family, a saga with universal themes and love letters to Filipino-Americans and Tometich’s mother, Josefina. For fans of: Rebecca Renner’s “Gator Country” and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ “Cross Creek”; $30 Little, Brown and Company
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Legoland Florida lights up for the holidays with a giant Lego Christmas tree [PHOTOS]

This time of year, Legoland Florida is loaded with festive bricks, Lego characters, holiday shows and parties and indulgent treats. The Hallmark…

By Chelsea Zukowski

Image: Legoland Florida lights up for the holidays with a giant Lego Christmas tree [PHOTOS]
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Photos: At Oxford Exchange, Tampa’s Wilton Morley discusses the Cambridge spies

The BBC’s “Cambridge Spies” series recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, but last Sunday Wilton Morley, novelist, bon vivant, and owner of South…

By Ray Roa

Wilton Morley at Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 8, 2024.
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Photos: Everyone we saw getting ready for the big guy at Tampa’s Santa Fest and tree lighting

The City of Tampa loves a parade, so it had one last Saturday in honor of the trees lighting up in Curtis…

By Ray Roa

(L-R) Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Ana Cruz, and Paola Suro at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in Tampa, Florida on Dec. 7, 2024.
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Photos: Florida Museum of Photographic Arts closes members art show in Ybor City

Now at its new home in Ybor City, Tampa’s Florida Museum of Photographic Arts continued its now 16-year tradition of hosting a…

By Ray Roa

Mahu Kamal at Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Ybor City, Florida on Dec. 6, 2024.
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Photos: All the cuties and cacti we saw at St. Pete’s ‘Yule Cactus’ lighting

Cacti make good Christmas trees, right? The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art helped St. Petersburg find out last Tuesday night…

By Ray Roa

'Yule Cactus' lighting at James Museum of Wildlife & Western Art in St. Petersburg, Florida on Dec. 3, 2024.
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Pinellas Park's 'Krampusnacht' explores a darker side of Christmas this weekend [PHOTOS]

For the last couple of birthdays, Boerne Maukonen and her friends have dressed up as Krampus and bar hopped around Dunedin, affectionately…

By Chelsea Zukowski

A dress rehearsal for Krampusnacht on Nov. 30, 2024 in Pinellas Park, Florida.
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Where to find Christmas trees, Santa, snowballs and other holiday activities around Tampa Bay

The holiday season is upon us, and it's the perfect opportunity to get together with family and enjoy some (fake) snow, holiday…

By CL Staff

Winter Wonderland Clearwater 201 N Fort Harrison Ave. Clearwater Dec. 1-23, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. For three decades, Clearwater Community Volunteers have hosted Winter Wonderland Clearwater, a festive charity event that benefits the children of Pinellas County. Admission is free, but guests are asked to donate gifts/non-perishable goods, in exchange for the opportunity to enjoy activities such as a visit from Santa, cookie decorating with Mrs. Claus, a holiday train and a hot chocolate shop. Although it doesn’t cost anything to get in, be sure to bring some cash for food, drinks and rides.Photo via Winter Wonderland Clearwater/Facebook
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The best ways to see Christmas lights in Tampa Bay this holiday season

The holidays are upon us, which means it won't be cold, but there will be millions of twinkly lights, and Tampa Bay…

By Riley Benson

 Christmas Town at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 10165 McKinley Dr., Tampa Nightly through Jan. 5 Busch Gardens will be fully-dazzled with millions of lights, tons of Christmas-themed events, seasonal treats and booze, holiday shows, character encounters and more, says the park. Classic favorites are returning, like Santa’s North Pole Experience, Rudolph’s Winter Wonderland, the Holly Jolly Express, Elmo’s Christmas Wish show, Christmas on Ice, and a nightly Holiday in the Sky fireworks experience. This year, the park is adding a few new additions, including a gingerbread cookie decorating station, new Christmas Town craft cocktails, and nightly rides along the Skyride, which will be decked out with twinkly lights. Christmas Town festivities are free with park admission. Photo via Busch Gardens/Website
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The 30 best things to do in Tampa Bay with an out-of-towner

It's that time of year when friends and family from the north start appearing in your house, and now it's up to…

By CL Staff

Explore Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple's Sunday morning market 5306 Palm River Rd., Tampa, 813-621-1669 This drive-thru market offers a variety of meals such as Pad Thai and shrimp fresh rolls that can be enjoyed at the temple’s picnic tables. Don’t skip the Thai tea either. Photo via Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida/Facebook
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Universal shares first look inside Battle at the Ministry ride at Orlando's new Harry Potter land

Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park lands are renowned for their cinematic immersiveness. When Epic Universe opens next year, that…

By Chelsea Zukowski

Image: Universal shares first look inside Battle at the Ministry ride at Orlando's new Harry Potter land
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Photos: Tampa Bay Rays share photos of damage to Tropicana Field

Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Rays told fans that the team will play its 2025 home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.…

By Ray Roa

Image: Photos: Tampa Bay Rays share photos of damage to Tropicana Field
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27 movies you probably didn't know were filmed in Tampa Bay

With photogenic spots like Ybor City, Pinellas County beaches, an industrial port, and our historic neighborhoods, it shouldn't be too shocking to…

By Colin Wolf

Ocean's 11 (2001) Location: St. Petersburg The Sunshine City makes a brief but memorable cameo in Steven Soderbergh’s classic remake of 'Ocean's 11.' The Derby Lane dog track is where Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) tries to convince Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner) to come out of retirement and join the team in their upcoming Las Vegas heist. Photo via Warner Brothers Pictures
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Photos: Here’s the view from the trolley tour of St. Pete’s Shine murals

Star Trolley’s Shine mural tours got rolling over the weekend. St. Pete native and Shine 7 muralist Laura Spencer, aka Miss Crit,…

By Jennifer Ring

Laura Spencer in St. Petersburg, Florida on Nov. 9, 2024.
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Photos: Everyone we saw at Print St. Pete’s Inaugural Print Party in Boyd Hill Preserve

Print St. Pete hosted its inaugural Print Party in St. Pete’s Boyd Hill Preserve over the weekend, and we were there screen…

By Jennifer Ring

Print Party at Boyd Hill Preserve in St. Petersburg, Florida on Nov. 9, 2024.
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Photos: Travel Channel host and comedian Zane Lamprey at Side Splitters Tampa

Perpetually-touring comedian and former Travel Channel and Food Network host Zane Lamprey (“Three Sheets,” “Have Fork, Will Travel”) was back in Tampa…

By Ray Roa

Zane Lamprey at Side Splitters in Tampa, Florida on Nov. 9, 2024.
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Red Bull Flugtag 2024: More photos from Tampa's day of human-powered flying machines

When Teddy Roosevelt gave his Speech at the Sorbonne in 1910, there was no way he could have predicted that it would…

By Ray Roa

Image: Red Bull Flugtag 2024: More photos from Tampa's day of human-powered flying machines
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Photos: All the party people who took flight when Tampa hosted the 2024 Red Bull Flugtag

Ground traffic around downtown Tampa came to a halt last Saturday afternoon, but it was clear skies when Red Bull once again…

By Ray Roa

Red Bull Flugtag at Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida on Nov. 9, 2024.
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