Free Admission For Kids at Florida Strawberry Festival

If you want to go to the Florida Strawberry Festival with a child or young adult, today is the day to do it: As part of Kids' Day, all children through high school age get in free.

Not only does that save some serious money (the regular admission price is $5 for children ages 6-12 and $10 for anyone older than that) but it's a good excuse to take the family to the annual event, now in its 77th year. You'll get to enjoy the rides, midway, livestock, exhibits and shows that make the Strawberry Festival special. There's plenty of free things to enjoy, from music acts-- Air Supply performs tonight, for example-- to racing pigs.

Yes, the racing pigs have returned. With six shows a day and capacity crowds, they're in high demand.

In addition to all of that entertainment, of course, is the food. First on the list is strawberries, naturally: Make-your-own strawberry shortcake takes it place alongside strawberry milkshakes and strawberry ice cream, as well as flats of strawberries waiting to be eaten. If you like strawberries, it's not surprising that the Strawberry Festival is the place to go.

But they have a lot more than strawberries. The have fried cheese, fried candy, fried butter and fried...well, almost anything you can imagine. It might not be good for a diet, but it's always popular and part of the festival tradition for many attendees. And if you ever wondered what chocolate-covered bacon tastes like, here's your chance.

The Florida Strawberry Festival runs through March 11, and they have different specials everyday. But today is the only day members of the general public can attend for free (military, law enforcement and first-responders have their own American Heroes Day this Wednesday which also offers them free admission). Children love festivals, adults like saving money and everybody likes strawberries. All of it comes together today.

The festival is open each day from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

Last Chance To See DinoQuest At Lowry Park Zoo

Visitors to Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W. Sligh Ave., are used to seeing a variety of exotic animals. But in the zoo's latest exhibit, the animals aren't alive. They don't even exist anymore, and haven't walked the Earth for hundreds of millions of years. And they'll all be gone after this weekend.
DinoQuest is an outdoor exhibit featuring nearly 20 life-size dinosaur replicas of different shapes and sizes. These aren't just statues, either. Each has multi-sensory robotics that allow life-like movement and noises. Some of these displays truly tower over guests in the area's lake forest setting, like the 18-foot-tall Brachiosaurus, Suchomimus and the well-known Tyrannosaurus.

The way they look and move makes DinoQuest an unusual exhibit. They're not just statues with some fake-looking backdrop. A lot of care and attention went into making this an engaging and entertaining experience. Of course, like most of Lowy Park Zoo's special exhibits, there are special learning opportunities, rides and other fun related to DinoQuest. Visitors will learn which animals are related to dinosaurs, explore an activity area, dig for fossils, control a robot and ride a special Velocity-Raptor inflatable slide. It's a nice complement to the regular activities found everyday at the zoo.

Sadly, DinoQuest ends this Sunday. The exhibit is open during regular zoo hours, and costs $4 per person in addition to regular zoo admission. For those who want to experience the sights and sounds at night, the zoo will be open for the last Dino Nites on Saturday night from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Dino Nites costs $9.95 per person and includes the DinoQuest exhibit, as well as other select areas and rides. A special Dino Discovery Club, which includes an unlimited DinoQuest pass for both day and night hours is also available for $16. For more information, call 813-935-8552 or

visit www.lowryparkzoo.com.

No Bull: See PBR for $10

Have you ever seen bull riding? I don’t mean a mechanical bull at your favorite watering hole. I’m talking about eight seconds of furious action between the best humans and bulls that the Professional Bull Riders organization has to offer. If you haven’t had a chance to see it live, PBR’s premiere tour is in town this weekend and you can see it for as little as $10.

The Built Ford Tough Series is a group of 28 events held across the country and features the top bull riders of the season. On Saturday and Sunday the series comes to the St. Pete Times Forum, 401 Channelside Drive, for two days of competition. After the riders take the eight-second challenge on Saturday, the judges will determine the top 10 performers who will saddle up again that night. After another full round Sunday featuring all riders, the top cumulative scorers will compete in a final showdown to decide the event’s winner. If you’ve seen it on television (and millions do every year) then you know that the results can be exciting, unpredictable and even dangerous.

Each stop in the series, which reaches 23 states, is important to the riders, who are gunning for a spot in the finals held in Las Vegas later this year. You can catch the action live this weekend, and you don’t have to break your piggybank to see the bulls. Tickets go for as little as $10 each, with higher-priced packages available as well.

The Built Ford Tough Series is an evening event on Saturday (7:50 p.m. start) and a day event on Sunday (1:00 p.m. start). For more information, visit www.pbrnow.com.

Celebrate ‘American Heroes’ at the Florida Strawberry Festival

The Florida Strawberry Festival means plenty of strawberries, of course. But there’s a lot more than fruit to draw you to the annual event, now in its 76th year. And on Wednesday, there’s an even better reason for active military and first-responders to attend: Free admission.

The festival, held at 303 N. Lemon St. in Plant City, is a collection of agricultural and livestock exhibits, food, rides, food, games, food, and entertainment. Did I mention the food? You can’t walk more than a few feet without being enticed by a variety of special treats you won’t find at home. There’s plenty of strawberry shortcake, of course, and you’d be missing out if you didn’t try some. But they also have fried delicacies that you’ve probably never tried before: Fried Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, fried Snickers, fried Milky Way candy bars, and fried butter. Yes, fried butter. They have plenty of others, too, so if you like your food deep fried or on a stick (or both) you’ll be more than satisfied.

The festival has a great deal of entertainment as well, from music acts like Tanya Tucker and The Doobie Brothers (free general admission seats while they last, and reserved seats available to purchase) to daily activities like Rosaire’s Racing Pigs, a popular attraction where the seats are full for every pig race. There’s also a full midway with rides and games, as well as a special children’s section with rides more appropriate for younger visitors. Throw in all the different businesses booths, vendor tables, photography and art shows and you’ve got a full day of activities to keep everyone entertained.

And on Wednesday, our “American Heroes” get in free. All active and retired military, law enforcement and first-responders will enjoy free admission with appropriate ID. Regular admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 6-12. Children 5-and-under are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

For more information, call 813-752-9194 or visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

Military discount at Renaissance Festival March 27 & 28

If you want to see the Bay Area Renaissance Festival, 11315 46^th St. N. on the grounds of the Museum of Science & Industry, you’d better hurry: This is the last weekend. But on the bright side, if you’re part of a military family they have a special deal for you.

Active and retired military families enjoy buy-one-get-one ticket offers all weekend. That’s a savings of $17.95 for adults, $9.95 for children younger than 13 and $14.95 for seniors. According to Carrie Shoptaw from the festival’s public relations department, it’s a chance to show appreciation for those who serve our country.

“Part of our motivation was the enormous military presence in Tampa,” Shoptaw said. “We wanted to make an offer just to thank them for the work they do all year round.” Visitors get access to all the general shows and exhibits on the festival grounds, which can take several hours to enjoy. In addition to plenty of eating and shopping opportunities, there are comedy and music shows across several stages spread out across the village. You can’t go very far without running into one. They even have jousting events, which always attract a large crowd. And you’ll frequently encounter citizens of the realm—always staying in character— mingling with the public to add to the atmosphere. If you haven’t been to a Renaissance Festival before, it’s a fun experience and this is your last chance. And if you have seen it before, you know it will be another year before you see anything like it again. So take advantage of the opportunity (and specials) this weekend.

The Bay Area Renaissance Festival runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Parking is free. So grab a turkey leg, enjoy the shows and say thank you if you see military families out and about.

For more information, visit www.bayarearenaissancefest.com.

Free Strawberry Festival admission for ‘American Heroes’ Wednesday

We’re mid-way through the Florida Strawberry Festival, but there are still a few days to enjoy the 75^th incarnation of the event, held at 303 N. Lemon St. in Plant City. In fact, there’s a special going on today for those who serve their country, county and city. On Wednesday, the festival celebrates American Heroes Day by offering free admission to active and retired military, Law Enforcement, EMS personnel and firefighters. Just show your ID and enjoy the Strawberry festival for free. It’s a nice way to say thank you to those who make our lives safer and easier.

There’s a lot to do this year, too. The Florida Strawberry Festival has plenty of scheduled entertainment, and a lot of it is included in admission. You can hear everything from bluegrass to country to rhythm & blues, catch motorcycle stunts, a lumberjack show and even racing pigs. Yes, racing pigs. Do you really want to miss that?

Of course, there are more strawberry dishes than you could possibly eat along with your favorite, deep-fried fair favorites as well. There’s also a midway with games and rides, and several exhibits, including livestock. And did I mention the racing pigs?

Regular admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youths ages 6-12. So accompany one of our “American Heroes” and enjoy the strawberries. But if you want to save even more money, donate blood at one of the mobile locations outside the festival grounds. They’re giving out free tickets to donors.

American Heroes Day is Wednesday, March 10. The festival runs through the 14^th. For more information, visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

Free Movie at Tampa Theatre’s Sunset Cinema—October 10

When you’re trying to stay within a budget, you have to weigh your entertainment options. Is it worth the money? Can I afford to bring a date, or go with a group of people?

None of that is a concern tonight.

Tampa Theatre’s Sunset Cinema event continues this evening with a showing of “Kung Fu Panda” at Al Lopez Park, 4810 N. Himes Ave. The event is free and parking is free. You can take whoever you want. Bring chairs, blankets, food and drinks and enjoy the movie, which is displayed on a giant inflatable screen. With some nice weather, this is a great event and fun way to spend an evening without spending a dime. Just pack up your stuff and make your way there before sundown.

The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the movie starts at about 7:30 p.m. On Oct. 24 they’ll be showing “Shrek” in Plant City as well, so mark your calendars for another free evening. For more information, visit www.tampatheatre.org.