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Monday, July 6, 2015

Top things to do in Tampa Bay the week of July 6-12

America II: Extreme Mud Wars: This wildly popular day of mud slinging returns to Spa Beach on Saturday and Sunday with more than 600 people competing in ultimate football, an obstacle course, joust pit, belly bumper pit, mud tug-of-war, the eliminator, dodge ball and mud ball frenzy. It's free for spectators; $400-$450 for competing …

Nationals 3, Giants 1

Nationals 3, Giants 1 WASHINGTON — Wilson Ramos snapped a tie with a sixth-inning homer, Jordan Zimmermann pitched seven solid innings and the Nationals swept the Giants. Zimmermann has allowed one run over 22⅔ innings in his past three starts. Brandon Crawford homered for the Giants.

San Francisco AB R H …

Your attention please, Independence Day-celebrating Wisconsinites. Still LOTS of alarming BS in that last minute add-on to the WI budget.

Wisconsin’s Governor has released yet another Orwellian decree. It asserts that despite the fact that a radical stripping of open records law was tucked into Thursday’s “motion 999″ that the changes were “never intended to inhibit transparent gov’t in any way“. That’s special. Let’s assume I can pretend that Scott Walker and associated Republican legislators more »

Sunday, July 5, 2015

“The burning churches south of the Ohio River are a striking reminder that fascism thrives in America”

The note below appears at the blue cheddar blog with Tom Neale’s permission. The burning churches south of the Ohio River are a striking reminder that fascism thrives in America; for one of fascism’s most telling characteristics is its racist component. The demonized other is essential to this evil. In the wisdom traditions it is more »

Friday, July 3, 2015

UPDATED: Walker will “make changes” / WI Legislature aims to destroy public access to drafting docs. IT TAKES EFFECT JULY 1st.

UPDATE: Gov. Scott Walker plans to work with lawmakers to change heavy restrictions on public records before the state budget is voted on, his spokeswoman said Friday. “Prior to the budget going to the full Legislature for action, Governor Walker plans to work with legislative leaders to make changes to the provisions included in the more »

Where to Find Fireworks in Tampa: Channelside Events

Independence Day marks the celebration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776; hence the birthday of the United States. And as Floridians, we find plenty of ways to celebrate with fireworks, backyard BBQ’s, parades, festivals, and just spending time with the people we care about the most.

There’s never a shortage of ways to celebrate or say “Happy Birthday,” and Channelside Tampa Bay Plaza has plenty of ways this Fourth of July to do just that.

Channelside Bay Plaza is your one stop shop for all Fourth of July festivities this year.

So break out your red, white and blue attire (ladies, those cute American flag cutoff shorts and multi-colored bandanas, and guys, those flag muscle tees and stars and stripes shorts) and head on out to the heart of Downtown Tampa to celebrate the Fourth with the biggest and brightest firework displays, live music and DJ entertainment, food trucks and more.

With access to local restaurants and shopping, bring the family, friends or a significant other and make an entire weekend out of it!

First Fridays Block Party

On July 3^rd, head out to the monthly block party featuring live entertainment, music with Amanda Keller Band and DJ Randy Johnson as well as delicious food and local vendors. Start the birthday celebration a little early.

Watch the Fireworks

On Saturday, July 4^th come out to Light Up Tampa Bay, Tampa’s biggest fireworks celebration. Enjoy live music and food trucks featuring plenty of delicious meals, starting at 5 PM. The waterfront will be open at 6 PM, and stay awhile for the spectacular firework displays that will kick off at 9 PM.

Tampa Bay Refresh Lounge

Quench your thirst at the Light Up Tampa Bay Refresh Lounge where you can enjoy air conditioning, entertainments, complimentary draft beers, VIP waterfront views, and more. The lounge will be open from 6-10 PM. VIP Lounge pre-sale tickets are available for $55, so make sure you grab yours soon!

Parking

Parking will be available at the garage across from the complex, as well as open lots between the St. Pete Times Forum and Channelside.

Fourth of July Dinner Cruises

Yacht’s Starship’s Summer Sunset Sail-aberration cruises will be available on July 3^rd and 4^th. Enjoy a 2.5 hour cruise, reserved table, a buffet of fresh, delicious items, breathtaking water views, while watching the Tampa sunset and put on your dancing shoes and head up to the promenade deck.

Cruise Times
Boards: 6:30 PM
Departs: 7:00 PM
Returns: 9:30 PM

Pricing
Adult – $119.95 (plus tax & $1 port fee)
Child – $59.95 (plus tax & $1 port fee)

Dance, drink, eat and celebrate the Fourth like you never have before at this weekend-long celebration. Happy birthday America!

Ever been to Channelside for the Fourth of July before? Let us know your favorite ways to spend Fourth of July in the comments below or tweet us at Dive In Tampa Bay.

The post Where to Find Fireworks in Tampa: Channelside Events appeared first on DIVE IN Tampa Bay.

15 Reasons to Visit Tampa Bay in July

Tampa Bay is a place built for summer. Fill every day to the fullest.

Shark Week (July 5-12): Get in on some toothy fun at The Florida Aquarium, home to six different species of sharks. The week is tied to Discovery Channel’s annual festival of all things shark.

SUMMER CONCERTS

‘Tis the season for rocking out at Amalie Arena and MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. The highlights (there’s way more where these came from):

IMAGINE DRAGONS (July 10)

Grammy winners bring their electrifying live show and Smoke + Mirrors Tour to Amalie Arena. The show starts at 7 p.m. Buy your tickets here.

SAM SMITH (July 21)

British crooner Sam Smith comes to Amalie Arena with Gavin James as his guest performer in support of his self-titled album. Tickets are on sale here.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND (July 29)

Crash into the most popular thing to come out of Charlottesville, Va., since Thomas Jefferson spent that summer in Philadelphia. Some of us (ahem) remember when Dave & Crew were playing bars on The Corner. But we’ll still be at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre when they come to town.

TAMPA BAY STORM (July 11)

Tampa Bay’s arena football team takes on the Orlando Predators at 7:30 p.m. at Amalie Arena. Tickets are available here.

Tampa Theatre SUMMER CLASSICS (3 p.m., Sundays)

BACK TO THE FUTURE (July 5)

Marty McFly, Doc Brown, a 1.21-gigawatt time machine built from a DeLorean – and a Huey Lewis & the News soundtrack. It don’t get more 80s than that!

TOP HAT (July 12)

Nobody tap dances in movies any more. That should be reason enough to see Fred Astaire in this screwball classic.

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (July 19)

Is there anything more glamorous than Audrey Hepburn eating a croissant in a tiara? This picture made her an icon. Also, there's George Peppard long before he was chewing cigars in the A-Team. The party scene alone is worth the price of admission.

SOUND MUSIC SING-ALONG (July 26)

The hills are, well, you know. This year is the 50th anniversary of this particular cinematic classic. Whether you’re 16 going on 17 or you’re just in it for Julie Andrews spinning in an alpine meadow, warm up your pipes and join in the fun. Come dressed as your favorite character for the pre-show costume parade!

Summer Nights (weekends through August 16): Experience Busch Gardens Tampa after the sun goes down when Summer Nights’ festival atmosphere fills the park after dark. DJ’s pump music through the cool evening air while the rides like Cheetah Hunt and Falcon’s Fury take on a new feeling at night.

Island Nights (weekends through August 8): Adventure Island’s water rides keep flowing after the sun goes down. Summer is a great time to experience the thrills of the new Colossal Curl raft ride and everything else the park offers. A trip along the Lazy River takes on a new dimension under a star-filled sky.

Fanboy Expo (July 24-26): Holy fanfest, Batman! TV’s original version of the Caped Crusader, Adam West, and his trusty sidekick, Burt Ward, will headline one of Tampa Bay’s most star-studded fanfests at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. Also on hand will be James Marsters from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and voice actors from Disney’s “Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” which are about to get live-action remakes.

Tampa Bay Comic Con (July 31-August 2): Fans and creators of science fiction and superheroes will converge on the Tampa Convention Center for a weekend of meeting and greeting. Panel discussions will give behind-the-scenes insight into storylines. Celebrities will be on hand to sign and pose. This year’s star attraction will be Princess Leia herself, actress Carrie Fisher, who will bring her famous female hero back to the screen in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

WARHOL at TMA (through Sept. 20)

A key figure in Pop Art, Andy Warhol challenged perceptions of popular culture, politics, and consumerism. American pop art emerged in the late 1950s in reaction to abstract expressionism. Tampa Museum of Art’s new exhibit spans three decades of Warhol’s career, featuring some of the artist’s most iconic screenprints: portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Mao Zedong (above), the splashy camouflage series, and the controversial Electric Chair portfolio.