Top 10 Tampa Bay area events for the week of March 15-21

Kelly A. Stefani, Tampa Bay Times
·4 min read

Cirque Italia Water Circus: This Cirque-style show with water elements takes you back to the days of sock hops, Elvis Presley and greased hair. Includes low-wire acts, the wheel of death, juggling and contortion. Masks are required. Gloves are recommended. Audience capacity is limited. $10-$50. 7:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Friday, 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Westfield Brandon mall, 459 Brandon Town Center Drive. 941-704-8572.

Winter Jam 2021: The tour features award-winning Christian rock recording artists including Crowder, KB, Colton Dixon, We Are Kingdom and Apollo LTD. Limited capacity, socially distanced seating. Membership to Jam Nation required. $24.99-$49.99. 7-10 p.m. Thursday. Tampa Convention Center, 333 S Franklin St. 847-991-4522.

Toronto Raptors: The Raptors open Amalie Arena to a limited-capacity crowd of 3,500 as they face the Utah Jazz. The remaining regular season has 18 home games and includes matchups against the Golden State Warriors (April 2), Los Angeles Lakers (April 6) and Brooklyn Nets (April 21 and 27). 8 p.m. Friday. Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa. 813-301-6500.

Paula Poundstone: The popular panelist from NPR’s weekly comedy news quiz, “Wait, Wait ... Don’t Tell Me,” brings her brand of snarky, spontaneous observational comedy to the bay area. Masks are required and seating capacity is limited to 50 percent. $35-$45. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleveland St., Clearwater. 727-791-7400.

Phillies 40th Anniversary of the 1980 World Championship: Chris Wheeler serves as host for an evening of stories, videos and a question-and-answer session commemorating the anniversary of the Phillies’ World Series championship. Special guests include Pete Rose, Tim McCarver, Bob Boone, Larry Bowa and Greg Luzinski. Masks are required and audiences will be kept at 50 percent capacity. $28.75-$63.25. 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 N McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater. 727-791-7400.

$5 Days for Pirate Water Taxi: The company that brought pirate-themed boats to the downtown Tampa riverfront will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a ticket deal. From Wednesday through Friday, passengers who buy one full-price ticket ($23) can get a second ticket for $5. Tickets must be purchased on the same day at the ticket booth or on board and are not valid for future use. The tickets include unlimited “hop on, hop off” boarding all day, which is 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. See piratewatertaxi.com for route and schedule information. Tampa Convention Center, 333 S Franklin St., Tampa. 813-223-7999.

Seven Seas Food Festival: Culinary markets offer up more than 200 options from international cuisine to craft beer and unique wines. Also, Scotty McCreery performs live at Bayside Stadium. The concert is included with in-park admission, but you can reserve your spot for an additional fee. All theaters and stadiums at SeaWorld Orlando are operating at limited capacity with modified seating to allow for proper physical distancing. Live concert audio will also be broadcast to additional areas of the park. Masks are required. Food available all day. The concert starts at 6 p.m. Sunday. SeaWorld, 7007 SeaWorld Drive, Orlando. 800-327-2424.

Wally’s Cafe: Wally owns a roadside cafe on the wrong side of the road 60 miles outside Las Vegas. His wife, Louise, the long-suffering spouse of a man with a dream, and their first customer, Janet, a star-struck Midwestern girl hitchhiking her way to Hollywood, see all of Wally’s hopes and dreams bite the dust. Nevertheless, there is a happy ending to the gag-filled comedy. Social distancing and mask protocols will be observed. $25. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. West Coast Players Theatre, 21905 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater. 727-437-2363.

St. Patrick’s Day Bash: Green beer starts flowing at noon for the 15th annual Greenfest celebration with drink specials, an Irish buffet featuring corned beef and cabbage and shepherd’s pie, a costume contest, prizes and music by Gary Coco and the Water Dogs Trio. Social distancing is required. Expanded indoor and outdoor seating available. $3 (food/drink additional). Noon Wednesday. Mulligan’s Irish Pub at Pebble Creek Golf Club, 10550 Regents Park Drive, Tampa. 813-973-3870.

Courigan’s Paddy’s Day Block Party: COVID-19 forced the 15th annual block party to be canceled. So, they’re closing down Beach Drive and redoing it with live music, corn hole, a beer truck, mini bar, grilled food outside and traditional Irish food inside. Masks are required and hand-washing stations are available. Free. 2-9 p.m. Wednesday. Courigan’s Irish Pub, 1 Beach Drive SE, St. Petersburg. 727-551-9019.