Detours: a country in search of direction
On the eve of the election, a reporter and photographer set out for Washington, via America. We tell stories from seven towns, touching on seven issues from politics and real life.
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
Game show themes
These themes are probably going to make some of you have flashbacks to wasted mornings or afternoons spent sprawled in front of the TV.
S'Real Fridays at Dali, the surreal summer happy hour series, returns Friday to the Dali Museum with old-school blues, jazz, swing and ska by Lounge Cat. It runs 5 to 8 p.m. at the Dali Museum, St. Petersburg. Half-price admission of $7.50 adults, $6.75 seniors. (727) 823-3767.
WET HOT AMERICAN CINEMA
Take the kids to a dive-in movie at Flick N' Float at Largo's Southwest Pool on Friday. See Happy Feet while cooling off in an Olympic-sized swimming pool. It's $6.25 for a family of five with non-resident recreation card, or $5 for family with Largo resident recreation card, and that gets you all-you-can-eat hot dogs. (Drinks and snacks are available for purchase.) Pool opens at 7:30 p.m.; families can eat and/or play in the pool before movie begins at 9 p.m. at 13120 Vonn Road, Largo. (727) 518-3126.
WATCH THE PLANETS ALIGN
MOSI will hold a Planetarium Grand Reopening and a third birthdaty celebration for its hands-on play area Kids in Charge! from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Saunders Planetarium is set to re-open with an upgrade at its new location inside Kids in Charge!, with a new projection dome and new GOTO Space Simulator Chronos projection system. The system allows the viewer to see the night sky of any day in the past, present or future from any viewing site on Earth. There will be birthday cake, games and more at 4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. Included with admission, $23.95, $21.95 ages 60 and older and $19.95 ages 2-12. (813) 987-6100. mosi.org.
THE UNHAPPIEST HONEYMOONS
Noel Coward never goes out of style, and his barbed wit is on display in Private Lives, the comedy in which a divorced couple, Amanda and Elyot, find themselves at the same hotel on their second honeymoon, much to the consternation of their hapless new spouses. The play opens this weekend and runs through July 27 at the Shimberg Playhouse of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday. $10, $24.50. (813) 229-7827; tbpac.org.
WHEN THEY SAY FOREVER, THEY MEAN IT
Forever Plaid again? This homage to '50s guy groups like the Four Lads, the Hi-Los and the Four Freshmen remains a popular trip down memory lane. That must explain why it appears for the sixth time in 15 years at the Jaeb Theater. You can see Florida's longest-running musical at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center until Aug. 17. 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 4 p.m. Sunday. $31.50. (813) 229-7827; tbpac.org.
GREYS MATTER
On your mark, get set, adopt! Saturday's meet and greet with the Greyhound Rescue and Adoptions of Tampa Bay will have the gentle stick-figure dogs on hand for adoptive or foster parents to met from noon to 3 at Petco, 2434 Brandon Blvd. (813) 971-4732, great-greyhound.org.
KICK, PUSH, COAST
It's once again Free Day at the Skatepark of Tampa on Saturday, with raffles benefiting the Children's Cancer Center. The dudes will be turning out for the Krux Kickflip Challenge and Westside Skate Shop Demo, along with free drinks and food provided by Chili's, Moe's and Panera Bread from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4215 E Columbus Drive in Tampa. (813) 621-6793.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ART
The Tampa Museum of Art faces an inconvenient truth with It's Not Easy Being Green, opening Saturday. The show features about 40 works of art, mainly photography, that turn a socially conscious eye to issues of the environment. You can also see how found objects become highly designed practical pieces: A discarded cypress stump is turned into an end table, New York City MetroCards form jewelry and an old license plate gains new purpose as a CD holder. The show runs through Sept. 28 at 2306 N Howard Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is by donation while the museum is at its interim location. (813) 274-8130; tampamuseum.com.
SAY HEY TO THE MONKEYS
Summer Safari Nights, Lowry Park Zoo's summer series continues Friday with live music by Code Blue, free rides after 5 p.m., including the new Gator Falls log flume ride and special animal encounters. It's 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Lowry Park Zoo, 1101 W Sligh Ave., Tampa. $18.95, $17.95 seniors, $14.50 ages 3-11. (813) 935-8552. lowry parkzoo.com.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
On Friday, check out a night of mixed-martial-arts action at Real Fighting Championships XIII, featuring a main event pitting unbeaten Gilbert Burgos against James Wynn at one of Tampa Bay's best fight venues, the A La Carte Pavilion, 4050 Dana Shores Drive, Tampa. 8 p.m. to midnight, Friday. $25-$125. (813) 831-5390, rfcmma.com.
IT'S THE CAT'S MEOW
Cat lovers get a chance to check out the many breeds of cat — hairless Sphynx to the Cornish Rex and Siamese — at the Cat Fanciers Association Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Honeywell Minnreg Building, 6340 126th Ave. N in Largo. Price: $6, $5 seniors, $4 kids younger than 12.
MONDO GUMBO
Ferg's Sports Bar and Grill is showing off its new misting system in the open-air patio to cool down the crowd at Gumbo Jam from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday. The Country Trunk Band, an Allman Brothers Tribute band, and the Porchdogs, an Orlando band specializing in Cajun and Zydeco music, will entertain while seafood gumbo is served. It's $15 at 1320 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg. (727) 822-4562.
STAR SIGHTING
Actor Brendan Fraser, star of The Mummy movies, visits Universal Studios in Orlando on Friday to show a peek of his new film The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. There's also a Q&A session with the actor. It runs from 2 p.m. to midnight. Single-day admission to either theme park is $67, $56 ages 3-9, plus tax. Florida resident, other discounts online. universalorlando.com.
[Last modified: Jul 11, 2008 07:07 AM]
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