Tampa launches first Fourth Friday event along the Riverwalk

TAMPA — With neon green bracelets on their wrists and drinks in hand, a decent-sized crowd took to the Riverwalk on Friday night for Tampa's inaugural Fourth Friday.Not jammed, but better than a typical Friday night where, not long ago, Tampa's downtown was known to clear out at the end of the workday. Thunderstorms from earlier in the day cleared as the sun poked through over Tampa's skyline. People clung to the railings along the river and studied the map of events, packed into the water taxi and strolled in and out of museums. It's a snapshot of downtown Tampa some wouldn't consider the norm. But Tampa's Fourth Friday organizers are hoping the new once-a-month event that brings together the city's art and culture scene along the Riverwalk's nearly 2-mile stretch will change that perception. Similar in spirit to St. Petersburg's First Friday — which organizers say can attract up to 12,000 to its monthly block party — Tampa's version aims to keep people downtown and show that there are things to do after 5 p.m."You go city to city, there's a huge demand for it," said Tampa Downtown Partnership marketing director Donna Chen. "People are craving for these types of activities."So on Friday, people were invited into several Tampa culture hubs to grab a wristband that would grant them free water taxi rides on the Hillsborough River and discounts at more than a dozen restaurants or bars. They bought drinks to take with them as they hopped between venues.They could start their night with free admission at the Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus before crossing the river to the Tampa Museum of Art, which offered pay-as-you-will admission and free guided tours. Over at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, local musician Francesca Ani played for about two dozen people and the Tampa Bay History Center had its doors open for free until 7 p.m. "It's a celebration, I think, of the people, places and things that make Tampa Tampa," said Bob McDonaugh, the city's administrator of economic opportunity.For Rick Richmond, 42, Friday night showcased how Tampa has changed. He's lived in the area his whole life and said that 10 years ago, it could be tough to find places open late downtown. "I used to joke it was tumbleweeds," he said. "Curtis Hixon (Waterfront Park) has really changed the dynamic downtown. The Riverwalk made it a destination where people congregate and socialize." On Friday, he waited for the water taxi in the park with his girlfriend, Kami Corbett, 47. Corbett has lived downtown for four years, but had never gone to the history museum — until Fourth Friday. A "First Friday"-style grouping of events in Tampa began when local museum heads started cross-promoting each other's specials, said Tampa Museum of Art executive director Michael Tomor. Now, several partners have stepped in to help — including the Downtown Partnership and the city of Tampa — shifting it to later in the month and dubbing the night "Fourth Friday."Organizers on Thursday were uncertain what Friday night would look like. They were aware some people may be observing Good Friday and others might be scared off by less-than-promising weather reports. But they hoped it would be a start. "I'm hopeful it's a big turn out," Tomor said Thursday. "It may be sparse at first, but spread through word of mouth." St. Petersburg's First Friday started similarly more than two decades ago. The night was designed to attract people downtown to support local businesses, said organizer Dennis Barth."It benefits the whole downtown area," Barth said. "It's a jump-start to what goes on at night." That's what Fourth Friday organizers hope to create: a staple in Tampa nightlife. One, Chen said, that will get people to stop saying Tampa's sidewalks roll up at night.The Downtown Partnership's slogan, she said, is "Tampa is happening." "Well, the Riverwalk is happening," she said. "There's just a whole bunch of people who don't know about it yet." Contact Sara DiNatale at sdinatale@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3400. Follow @sara_dinatale.

Tampa launches first Fourth Friday event along the Riverwalk

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