Plan your weekend May 11-13: Mother's Day fun, AirFest, Third Eye Blind, Darci Lynne Farmer, Florida Orchestra salutes Michael Jackson

Plan your weekend

Holiday

Mother's Day: While breakfast in bed and a bunch of flowers are nice, consider treating your mother to a day of fun together this Sunday. Mom can get in free with a paid loved one for a range of experiences, from the beautiful glass art of the Chihuly Collection to the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa, the Glazer Children's Museum and the newly opened Harvest Moon Sunflower Maze. Moms get in free Sunday at this 5-acre sunflower maze open Saturdays and Sundays through May 27. $11.95, 2 and younger free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Harvest Moon Farm, 15990 Stur St., Masaryktown. (727) 326-3256. For more Mother's Day ideas, see tampabay.com/thingstodo.

High fly

AirFest: MacDill Air Force Base once again opens its gates to the public this weekend for AirFest, with free tours, many types of aircraft on display, parachute jumps and military demonstration teams headlined by the Navy's Blue Angels. They're scheduled to appear at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The gates open at 8 a.m., but with an estimated 150,000 people expected to show up, lines start forming as early at 6. Bring water bottles and look for the many water fill-up stations. AirFest runs 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. each day at the base at 8208 Hangar Loop Drive, Tampa.

Park party

Riverfront Rock! The city of Tampa celebrates the grand reopening of Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park with a loaded lineup this weekend that includes a free concert by Third Eye Blind, the return of the Mayor's Mac and Cheese Throwdown, park activities and fireworks both days. The long-neglected park on the west bank of the Hillsborough River near downtown has gotten a $35.5 million expansion and makeover that includes a splash pad, a Great Lawn large enough to accommodate arena-size crowds, a dog park and rowing facilities. Third Eye Blind takes the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday followed by fireworks. Sunday has lots of park activities, a Florida Orchestra pops show at 7:30 p.m. and more fireworks. 1001 N Boulevard, Tampa. Free.

Stage

Darci Lynne Farmer: The 13-year-old ventriloquist wowed the crowds on America's Got Talent. Her endearing renditions of Summertime and Smokey Robinson's Who's Loving You? earned multiple standing ovations from judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell on the way to the 2017 title. The seventh-grader from Oklahoma City brings her national tour to Tampa at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. $29.75 and up. (813) 229-7827. strazcenter.org.

Read our interview with Farmer at bit.ly/tbtstage.

Pops

Florida Orchestra salutes Michael Jackson: Singer James Delisco, the Florida Orchestra and a rock band join forces to remember Michael Jackson this weekend. Delisco, a countertenor with a five-octave range also has the singer's razor sharp dance moves. Brent Havens conducts. 8 p.m. Friday at the Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S, St. Petersburg. (727) 892-3337. Floridaorchestra.org.

Planning your weekend?

Subscribe to our free Top 5 things to do newsletter

We’ll deliver ideas every Thursday for going out, staying home or spending time outdoors.

Loading...

You’re all signed up!

Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.

Explore all your options

Comedy

Mike Birbiglia: The comedian wrote and directed Don't Think Twice, the 2016 film starring Keegan-Michael Key as a talented performer who takes credit for a skit the entire improv troupe created. Birbiglia, who also played the group's lead will touch on some of those experiences in his standup act 7 p.m. Sunday at the Straz Center's Ferguson Hall, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. $34.50 and up. (813) 229-7827. strazcenter.org.

Cartoon art

Ron Campbell: Animator Ron Campbell has worked on almost every cartoon you've ever heard of (Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and The Jetsons) but he's best known as the Beatles cartoonist. His animation work on the iconic Beatles movie Yellow Submarine and the Saturday Morning Beatles cartoon series was a wildly successful show that ran from 1965-1969, at the height of Beatlemania. Campbell is retired from animation but still showcases his Beatles cartoon art, which he will do this weekend at the Libertine Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in St. Petersburg. Campbell will be on site to chat about his work from 4-8 p.m. Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Free. 200 Central Ave. (727) 324-6730.

Music

Concerts: Let's hear it for the old guys! Most of this week's hottest concerts are by dudes in their 60s and 70s. James Taylor, 70, won't be joined by original opener Bonnie Raitt, who recently dropped out due to a pressing medical issue. But the good news is you get two full sets of J.T. and his All-Star Band, which should provide all the folksy warm 'n' fuzzies you can handle. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. $66 and up. (813) 301–2500. Amaliearena.com. Steely Dan/Doobie Brothers bring another classic dad-rock extravaganza, but this time, all eyes will be on Donald Fagen, 70, touring under the Steely Dan moniker for the first time since the death of co-founder Walter Becker. $25 and up. 7:30 p.m. Friday. MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. $25 and up.

Contact Sharon Kennedy Wynne at swynne@tampabay.com. Follow @SharonKWn.