Free Airfest March 28 and 29

The MacDill Air Force Base AirFest is an annual tradition featuring demonstrations by the military’s most impressive air vehicles, and this year is no exception. The B-25 Bomber, Aerial Knight T-33, P-51 Mustang and the Navy’s F-18F Super Hornet are just a few of the attractions you’ll see in the sky this weekend (I don’t really know what all of these are, but everything at the show is pretty impressive). You’ll also see helicopters, the SOCOM Parachute Team, radio control model aircrafts and a demonstration by the famous USAF Thunderbirds. Even I know who they are.

By now you know if this is the kind of event you’d enjoy. If it is, I can’t think of another local event that will provide you with a similar experience. People wait all year for AirFest to arrive. There’s a lot of appreciate throughout the day.

One thing you need to know, though: It’s always crowded. I mean, really crowded. The gates open at 8 a.m. and I suggest you hit the road early. Feel free to bring sunscreen, water and lawn chairs. You can’t bring coolers into the show, though.

Admission? There isn’t any. Consider this free event one of the advantages of having a prominent Air Force base in the area. As long as you don’t mind crowds, this is a fun, free family experience.

AirFest runs this Saturday and Sunday (March 28 and 29) from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, a complete schedule and directions to the base, visit www.macdill-airfest.com.

Florida Orchestra For Free: March 25

The Florida Orchestra is one of the South’s most acclaimed orchestras and has been playing to local audiences for more than four decades. You remember all those fancy instruments that high school students use to mangle songs? These are the people who know how to play them perfectly. When you watch them, you know you’re seeing artists at work and conductors who know how to get the best out of a performance.

But I understand if you haven’t seen them play recently. The tickets aren’t cheap. The least expensive are usually about $20 (sometimes more), and often you’re looking at $50-$60 for a good seat.

Of course, you can see them for free this Wednesday. On March 25 The Florida Orchestra will perform its “side-by-side” concert at the Mahaffey Theater, 400 1st St. SE in St. Petersburg. The “side-by-side” part is a collaboration with the Pinellas Youth Symphony, so these are young people who also know how to play. If you’re going to check out the symphony, this is the night to give it a try.

They’ll be performing pieces from Tchaikovsky and Wagner, but don’t ask me which ones. I’m sure they’re classics. And really, it’s a free performance from a great orchestra. Whatever they play will sound good.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.floridaorchestra.com.

Tampa Theatre’s Free Sunset Cinema—March 21

As mentioned earlier, Tampa Theatre is a local landmark with a rich history. But its impact on the area goes beyond the actual movie theater. Once again, Tampa Theatre offers its Sunset Cinema series, where they show movies in outdoor locations for free. It’s a fun way to experience a family-friendly classic.

On March 21, they’ll be showing “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” (clearly the best in the Indiana Jones series) at River Tower Park, 401 E. Bird Street in Seminole Heights. An inflatable, 50-foot-wide screen and powerful sound system provide excellent visual and sound effects. If you’ve been to this event before, you know what I mean. The picture is sharp and the sound is clear. That means you can actually enjoy the movie.

You’ll also enjoy the price, since it doesn’t cost a thing. Just bring your lawn chairs, snacks, pets, Frisbees, coolers or whatever you want, stake out a good spot and enjoy the atmosphere. No alcohol or fireworks are allowed, and they’ll also have concessions on sale if you don’t want to bring your own.

The movie starts at 8, but the gates open at 6. It’s probably a good idea to get there early, find a good spot and just relax for awhile. Other movies in the Sunset Cinema series this year include “Field of Dreams,” “Back to the Future” and “Shrek.” I’ll mention those when they come up, too. But for now, enjoy the outdoor show this Saturday.

For more information, visit http://www.tampatheatre.org/sunsetcinema.php

Antiquarian Book Fair March 13-15

With all due respect to Amazon's Kindle, the digital book-reading device, there's something great about an actual book with pages and acover. For avid readers and collectors, the 28th Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is a great opportunity to look over rare, out-of-print and special-edition books as well as maps, manuscriptsand autographs.

Held at The Coliseum in St. Petersburg, 535 4th Avenue North, you'll find rows and rows of dealers with booths filled with unusual books. More than 110 are expected to participate, so you'll have access to just about any genre or time period that interests you. This is much different than visiting Barnes and Noble. It's probably your only opportunity to see so many rare and unusual books this year.

The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair starts on Friday night and is open Saturday and Sunday as well. The cost is just $6, but if you go Friday night you can get a weekend pass for just $10. If you want to spend time seeing everything in detail, you might want to go back more than once.
For more information, call 727-234-7759 or send e-mail to floridabookfair@verizon.net.

Tour Tampa Theatre—March 11

I’m sure a lot of you have been to Tampa Theatre, the 82-year-old local landmark located at 711 N. Franklin St. in downtown Tampa. They have a regular run of movies and concerts, so many people have had occasion to go there. And after all, it is in the National Registry of Historic Places.

I’m sure you also admired the Mediterranean architecture and marble floors while you were there. But how much did you really get to see? It was probably dark and you were on your way to watch a movie or show. It’s not like you went all over the theater and had a good chance to catch everything in detail.

But for just $5, you can do just that.

The “Backstage to Balcony Tours,” as the name suggests, takes you all over the historic theater while the guide, Tara Schroeder, gives you information and anecdotes spanning its history. Tara has been there for years and knows just about everything there is to know about the place. Feel free to ask her whatever you want. She’ll know the answer.

The tour even includes a demonstration of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ. No matter how many times you’ve been to Tampa Theatre, this event gives you an unprecedented opportunity to appreciate a true local treasure. This time, the theater itself is the focus and it’s definitely something to see.

It’s also worth the $5 cost. At about an hour and 15 minutes, you get more than your money’s worth. And for kids 12 and younger, it’s free. But they only have them a couple times a month, so take advantage of it while you can. The next tour is being held this Wednesday, March 11, at 11:30 a.m. For more information, visit. www.tampatheatre.org.

Free Art Festival March 7 & 8

If you thought Gasparilla began and ended with pirates, you’re missing out on other fun events. But you don’t have to miss out on the 39th Annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, held this weekend in downtown Tampa at Franklin Street and Lykes Gaslight Square Park. This outdoor show features a variety of art, including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry, wood, watercolor and a bunch of other stuff I don’t have room to mention. They have a Young Artists program, a section for Emerging Artists (including my friend Melissa Fair, who created the image you see here) and many well-known names in the art community. In all, about 300 artists are displaying their work, so it’s a great opportunity to see different styles at one giant event.

You’ll also get to enjoy music and special activities for children. Best of all, it’s totally free. You could go both days trying to see everything and not spend a penny. And it’s nice being able to appreciate works of art and speak to the artists themselves if you have questions or comments. This is a big part of the annual Gasparilla experience (more than 250,000 are expected to attend) so check it out and enjoy the show.

The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts runs from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit www.gasparilla-arts.com.

Renaissance Festival At Half-Price: March 7 & 8

It’s time to party like it’s 1599.

The 31st Annual Bay Area Renaissance Festival, held at the Museum of Science and Industry, 11315 N. 46th St., is an opportunity to experience a bygone era-- An era of turkey legs, jousting and fashion styles that always seem to include various types of armor. The "village" has plenty of entertainment stages where you'll find comedy, music and variety acts performing throughout the day. You'll also find rows of merchants (around 125 in all) selling just about anything Renaissance-related you can imagine. As you walk by, characters have dressed the part (many are performers, but I think but some are patrons as well) and contribute to the mood. Finally, there's a selection of food and drink if, for some strange reason, you don't like turkey legs. You can easily spend a few hours (they’re open from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.) experiencing all the different shows throughout the day.

Normally the cost is about $17 for adults, which can get a little Medieval on your wallet. But if you go this coming weekend, March 7 and 8, they have a couple of specials. First, if you donate blood on-site, you get two-for-one admission. Also, if you donate four cans of food you get the same deal. That drops the price down to about $8.50, which makes it cheap enough to enjoy and feel good about the price. Parking is free, too. For more information, call 1-800-779-4910 or visit www.renaissancefest.com.

Strawberry Festival: Free for military March 4, discounts through March 8

The Florida Strawberry Festival is kind of like the Florida State Fair-- except it's in Plant City and features...well, strawberries. Lots of strawberries. But you'll still find rides, games, shows, exhibits and the kind of (non-strawberry) fair food you'd expect. There are musicians, comedy acts, a lumberjack show and even racing pigs. Yes, racing pigs. I've seen it, so don't knock it 'till you've tried it.

While acts like Randy Travis, Jeff Foxworthy and Kool & The Gang require a separate charge, there's certainly enough to check out for free without having to pay for any shows. Most of the entertainment is included with paid admission.

The admission price is reasonable, too-- $10. But to make it even better, get your tickets at any Sweetbay location and save $2. I'm not saying $10 is bad, but $8 is better. And $0 is even better than that-- on Wednesday, March 4 all active and retired military get in for free.

The festival is located at 2202 W. Reynolds Street in Plant City. It runs through March 8 so check it out while you can. For more information, call 813-754-4297 or visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

Wine Tasting-- March 3

ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, 14729 N. Dale Mabry Highway, is having a wine tasting event tonight from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Winemakers from Spain, France and Chile will be on hand to answer questions as you sample more than a dozen wines. The location itself is pretty large so there’s plenty of room for tasting stations while you browse the entire store.

It’s a chance to try some things you might not try otherwise, and if you know about wines you’ll enjoy the variety and opportunity to speak with the winemakers. If you don’t know anything about wine you can always just swish a little bit of the wine in your glass, take a sip, stare at the ceiling for a second, say “Oh, that’s good” and pretend you know what you’re talking about. That’s what I do.

The wine tasting is $10, but the deal is a little better than that. You get a $5 coupon good toward purchases that night and you get a souvenir glass. So if you find something you’d want to buy (or were going to get something anyway) it’s really just $5 for a wine tasting and a glass to take home. That’s not bad for a Tuesday night.

For more information, visit www.abcfws.com and look up their special events calendar.