Plan your weekend
Labor Day
Long weekend: As we say goodbye to summer, cities around Tampa Bay are celebrating the long Labor Day weekend.
Geckofest in Gulfport: The whimsical family street festival will have jugglers, magicians, face painters, dancers and aerialists throughout the festival area. Running 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. For more, visit geckofest.com.
Beach Party in Clearwater: EDM fans get a treat when Shephard's brings DJ and electronic dance music producer 3LAU to headline, along with Bright Lights, Prince Fox, Paris and Simo, Two Friends and Lodato. Tickets start at $20 at eventbrite.com. 1 p.m. to midnight Sunday at 619 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach.
Celebrate Oldsmar: Fireworks Saturday and Sunday night cap off a family picnic and carnival. Bring blankets and chairs for live music from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday at R.E. Olds Park, 107 Shore Drive W, Oldsmar. (813) 749-1267.
Channelside fireworks: Those not in Pinellas can enjoy the 9 p.m. fireworks in downtown Tampa at Channelside Bay Plaza. Free to enjoy the show, but 21 and older can upgrade to the Fireworks Lounge for $50 at eventbrite.com, which includes drinks and indoor seating. 615 Channelside Drive, Tampa.
Concert
Scott Stapp: The former Creed frontman launched his North American comeback tour in St. Petersburg in January, eager to prove he hadn't lost the roar from one of the bestselling bands ever to come out of Florida. We'll see how he has progressed when he plays Tampa's District 3 at 7 p.m. Monday. $19.95 and up on Ticketmaster, $25 day of at 802 E Whiting St., Tampa. (813) 304-2411. district3.us.
Baseball
Dog Days at the Rays: Sunday is Family Fun Day at the Tampa Bay Rays game, and kids get to run the bases at a post-game DJ Kitty dance party. It's also Dog Day at the Rays, where you can bring your pooch along for the 1:10 p.m. game if you buy a $30 ticket by midnight tonight at raysbaseball.com/specialevents. If you already have a ticket you can upgrade it at (727) 825-3209. The Rays Wives also host a pet food drive to benefit the Pet Pal Animal Shelter. Bring dog and cat food to Gate 1 or 6. Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Drive, St. Petersburg. Toll-free 1-888-326-7297.
Party
First Friday: Downtown St. Petersburg has owned the First Friday party scene for almost two decades, and this week South Tampa residents are organizing a shuttle. The pick-up point is W Azeele Street and S Howard Avenue at 6, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Friday for a ride to and from downtown St. Pete. Shuttle returns at 10:30, 12:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. The shuttle is $20, but the block party is free. (813) 777-2685.
Photography
Florida Photographs of Clyde Butcher: See the work of Clyde Butcher, a beloved landscape photographer, in "Preserving Eden: The Florida Photographs of Clyde Butcher" that opens Saturday at the Tampa Bay History Center. The museum is a 801 Old Water St., Tampa, through Jan. 28. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $12.95 adults; $10.95 seniors, youths ages 13-17 and students with ID; and $7.95 kids ages 4-12. (813) 228-0097. tampabayhistorycenter.org.
Theme parks
Halloween already: Sure, Halloween may be nearly two months off, but this is opening weekend for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The party is a separate ticket event, running $72 to $105. For the adults, Disney's Hollywood Studios has Club Villain, starting Friday and running through Oct. 31. It's $129 per person for an open bar and buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. (407) 934-7639. disneyworld.disney.go.com.
News and events
tbteditors@tampabay.com
Social media
Follow us @tbtnewspaper on Twitter and Instagram, @tbtnews on Facebook.
Emails to the Editor
Emails tbteditors@tampabay.com. Please include full name and city of residence. We edit letters for length and clarity as needed.
Reader photo of the day
Email your shot to tbteditors @tampabay.com with your full name and city of residence. Don't forget to tell us where and when the photo was taken. Just send one image at a time — we don't repeat reader photographers more than every other month.
Advertise with tbt*
call:
Tampa: (813) 226-3318
Pinellas: (727) 893-8725
Classified: 1-877-321-7355
tbt* distribution
tbtdistribution@tbt.com
(727) 892-2101
Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday
Publisher
Joe DeLuca
jdeluca@tampabay.com
Editor
Ellen E. Clarke
eclarke@tampabay.com
Marketing director
Marti Galloway
mgalloway@tampabay.com
Advertising director
Dawn Philips
dphilips@tampabay.com
tbt* is published Monday-Friday by the Tampa Bay Times, 490 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33701