1. Bucs Training Camp 2012: The public is invited to watch this special night practice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at One Buccaneer Place. There will be autograph sessions, free parking, a merchandise tent, discounted concessions,$1 hotdogs and a fireworks display. Free.
2. Hands Across the Sand: Beach lovers will join hands in protest of offshore drilling at noon on Saturday at more than 170 locations across the country. In the Tampa Bay area, they will be joining hands on the beach next to the Gandy Bridge and also behind the Tradewinds resort on St. Pete Beach. There will be some special activities at the Tradewinds beginning at 11 a.m. at the resort’s Guy Harvey Outpost including electric bicycle and JetLev jet pack demonstrations. Environmental groups will also be on hand, including Gulf Restoration Network, Defenders of Wildlife and Sierra Club. Tradewinds Island Grand Resort, 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. Free.
3. Stop! Drop! And Shuffle! The weekly shuffleboard night at the Mirror Lake club in St. Petersburg will be livened up with shopping and live music by Can’t Do It, Yo! Kissimmee and Luke Preston. Proceeds benefit families who have lost their homes due to the Colorado wildfires. Free admission; $5 shuffleboard. St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, 559 Mirror Lake Drive N, St. Petersburg. Friday at 7 p.m.
4. Exotic Bird Fair in Largo: Like a shopping mall stocked with beautifully plumed birds, the Minnreg building in Largo will be bird central on Saturday with lots of toys, cages and supplies as well as live entertainment, food and more. Admission is $4, 12 and under free at Minnreg Hall 6340 126th Ave. N, Largo.
5. Screen on the Green: This week is the last of this new summer movie series at Curtis Hixon Park and it’s a good one: the charming Puss in Boots. There will be popcorn, candy and various Tampa food trucks on site, and you are encouraged to bring blankets and low-back chairs to enjoy the movie. The park’s fountains will be on for children to play in if it gets too hot. It’s Friday at Curtis Hixon Park, 600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa. The movie starts at dusk.