Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

It’s great to be king. If you can.

The Tampa Bay Federal Credit Union presents The Tampa Elvis® Festival! The event includes a search for the Elvis® Tribute Artist that is the “best representation of the legacy of Elvis Presley,”. The contest will take place during the 4th Annual Tampa Elvis® Festival, May 16-18, 2007.

The competition will be in the courtyard at Channelside on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19, with the final round on Sunday, May 20 at Stumps Supper Club. Tickets for the final round are $25 bucks and include Southern-Style Sunday brunch.

The winner will travel to Memphis to compete in qualifying rounds taking place during Elvis Week 2007, August 11-19, 2007, with a chance to advance to the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Finals on August 17. If you’re the best Elvis® you could win $5,000 with recognition by Elvis Presley Enterprises.

For more information about this event and/or to purchase tickets call 813-223-KING!

Get off the couch!

Head on down to the Tampa Museum of Art this evening for Art After Dark from 8-11pm. Enjoy the opening of the Havekost exhibition with Starbucks. Three galleries are filled with artwork from the Rubell Family. Along with all the amazing artwork, you can also enjoy improve performances by Bait and music by DJ Blenda. Light hors d’ oeuvres will be severed and of course there‘s a cash bar. Admission is $10 and free for members. For more information call (813)274-8130.

Get off your couch!

April 13th and 14th (that’s today and tomorrow), The Ybor Cigar Theater presents a collection of art and performances by dozens of Florida Artists for Peace across many disciplines, all creating ‘Art Against Fear.’

A rising star in the art world, and highlight of the show, David Karave (scroll down to the white text around the 6th paragraph) will present a live performance of a family of robotic crash test dummies violently and musically self-destruct in reaction to the disintegrating color code threat alerts on their home TV.

Other artists presenting at the show include Beth Elkin’s ‘Homeland Buffoonery’, Alex Gendron’s paranoid futuristic keyboard rhapsodies, Rachel Bishop’s ‘Silent Burning’, Erik Zimmerman’s deranged wooden robots, Mark Runge’s collages on fear and innocence and Desiree D’Alessandro’s installations/sculptures of pharmaceutical artifact liberation. Also see paintings by Angela Dickerson, Samuel A. Warmack, Mary Martinez and Digital 3D art by Anthony Cartagena. Word poetry will be performed by Adrienne Nadeau, Jeff Brian and the Cigar Theater Spoken Word Crew.

Check out the schedule and ticket information (scroll down to the yellow text) for the event.

Get off your couch!

Don’t forget the check in at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center today. Jobsite Theater’s production of The March of the Kitefliers begins at 4pm, and don’t forget - it’s sticks of fire night!

See you there.

The Third Annual Squiggy Classic promises an activity-packed weekend beginning today March 9 through Sunday the 11th. Especially for competitive athletes, families and outdoor enthusiasts at sites throughout Wilderness Park.

Participants can experience and learn about the different activities and services the Parks, Recreation & Conservation Department offers every day throughout its 10 regional parks.

Events include Adventure Races, Inline Skating, Bicycle Tours, the Trout Creek Trail Run, Road Cycling, Off-Road Cycling, the Night Paddle canoe gimmick and more! Do five events and earn the title of Iron Squiggy! Go register tonight, and participate tomorrow.

Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation & Conservation Department, Friends of the Parks, the Wilderness Trails Association, and local clubs and businesses have all pitched in to keep this event going.

For more information about the event, visit www.squiggyclassic.com or call 813-975-2160.

Oh, I almost forgot, if physical activity ain’t your thing you could always volunteer to help!

The fresh air and the great outdoors is free. Get off your couch!

The Florida Strawberry Festival opened yesterday and runs thru March 14th. What could be more American than discovering Plant City, Florida and eating ripe, luscious strawberries which local berry farmers have worked long and hard to bring to market? Maybe seeing your favorite country music entertainers, who perform each day at 4:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Maybe the fun you can have in the Midway. But I’m thinking everyone can’t wait to see the Florida Strawberry Festival Queen. Then top it off with more scrumptious Strawberry Shortcake from St. Clement.

Fresh air is provided free of charge. Get off the couch!

It’s Benny’s Birthday!!!

Let’s all party with Benny and the JGLB on Friday night (tomorrow!!!) at the New Blue Shark in Ybor City!!!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

You know what today is - the day you go and buy your sweetheart some flowers, chocolates, jewelry or maybe take her/him to a romantic dinner somewhere to show how much you care. If you are tired of doing the same old thing every V day (I would never suggest you haven’t already made fantastic plans), why not take your sweetie to the Performing Arts Center tonight for the Cigar City Chronicles Preview.

You and your sweetie can learn about the history of Tampa through song and dance by the Center cabaret performers. Tickets are $50.00 per person OR $100.00 per couple (what a deal!), and that benefits the Ybor City Museum Society.

Enjoy free valet parking, a gourmet buffet and a cash bar. Also, ladies will receive one long-stemmed rose and gentlemen will receive a complimentary Tampa Sweetheart cigar. What else do you need?

Disclosure: We do have a promotional agreement with TBPAC for this play. This valentine’s day special is not part of our deal. Just want you to know.

Mix and mingle with other smart (Tampa?) lovers from 6:30 - 7:30pm, and the show starts at 7:30pm. For more information contact the Ybor City Museum Store at (813)241-6554.

The fresh air outside your house is provided free of charge. Get off the couch!

Here’s a shocker for some of you.

There is something happening in downtown Tampa! In the evening! Seriously!

Spend this Friday night in downtown Tampa at Alive After Five. It should be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy what downtown Tampa has to offer. Make plans to meet up with your family and/or friends at Lykes Gaslight Squarewhile you listen to some great jazz music by the Bobby Summer Band (5:00-6:30). From there, pick from a list of over 35 restaurants for dinner. Then go check out some of the galleries, and see what’s going on at the Tampa Theatre or the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. TDP has some other great suggestions too!

If you can’t make it tomorrow night don’t fret “Downtown’s Alive After Five!” returns every 2nd Friday of the month. See the Tampa Downtown Partnership for more info on parking and other activities.

Fresh Air and Southern Sky is provided free of charge. Get off the couch!