Top 15 Tampa Bay area events for the week of March 13-19
Bay Area Renaissance Festival: The festival returns to Pasco County with its 16th Century European village featuring 15 stages of entertainment including musicians, magicians, jugglers and jousting. More than 100 artisans will display and sell handcrafted goods in the festival marketplace. 21 and older only are invited to daily pub crawls and mead tastings. This week’s theme is “Shamrocks and Shenanigans.” $20.95, $12.95 ages 5-12, 4 and younger free. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Bay Area Renaissance Festival, 12838 Auton Road, Dade City. 800-601-4848.
Reggae Rise Up Festival: The four-day reggae music festival features 311 and Dispatch (Thursday), Rebolution, Sublime and Rome (Friday), Damian Marley and Koffee (Saturday) and Wiz Khalifa and Dirty Heads (Sunday). Gates open at 4 p.m. Thursday and noon Friday-Sunday. $70 and up. Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Drive NE, St. Petersburg.
River O’ Green Fest: The annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration honoring the dyeing of the Hillsborough River features music by Paddy O’ Furniture and Irish Buskers, children’s activities, food trucks and, of course, beer. Free. 4-10 p.m. Friday. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa. 813-274-8615.
Busch Gardens Food and Wine Festival: Running weekends through May 21, kiosks around the park will have small plates, cocktails and wine and craft beers, and there is a concert series. This week features SWV on Saturday and Dustin Lynch on Sunday. Concerts are included with admission; food and drinks extra. A 10-item sampler lanyard is $70 and a 15-item pass is $85. Food stations are open noon-10 p.m. Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Busch Gardens, 10165 McKinley Drive, Tampa. 813-884-4386.
Innings Festival: The baseball-themed spring training celebration for music lovers at Raymond James Stadium has headliners Imagine Dragons and Dave Matthews Band. Weezer, Pitbull, The Avett Brothers, Marcus Mumford, The Revivalists and Japanese Breakfast are also part of the 15-artist lineup. The bands perform over three stages with no overlapping sets. There will also be family-friendly baseball-themed activities and appearances from Major League Baseball players including John Kruk and Wade Boggs. $110-$725. 1-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Raymond James Stadium grounds, Tampa. inningsfestival.com/florida.
Zoppe: An Italian Family Circus: This 175-year-old European circus has been run by the Zoppé family for eight generations. The 500-seat show includes bareback riding, equestrian stunts, dog talent, clowning, acrobats and jugglers. $25-$45. 7 p.m. Wednesday, 4 and 7 p.m. Thursday. Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive. 727-586-7415.
Mornings with the Maestro: Enjoy a light lunch as Maestro Mark Sforzini guides you through the backstory of Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” Includes a meet and greet with the St. Petersburg Opera cast. $35. 11 a.m. Friday. St. Petersburg Opera Co., 2145 First Ave. S. 727-823-2040.
Wicked: The Broadway sensation looks at what happened in the Land of Oz, but from the perspective of a young woman born with emerald-green skin. $53.75 and up. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N Macinnes Place, Tampa. 813-229-7827.
Misery: Misery follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. $34.50. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday. David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N Macinnes Place, Tampa. 813-229-7827
Miss Gay Southern Belle USofA and Miss Gay Southern Belle USofA Newcomer: Amy DeMilo and Daphne Ferraro host the “Show Us Your Wild Side”-themed preliminaries to the Miss Gay USofA and Miss Gay USofA Newcomer pageant with an appearance by Kennedy Davenport (Miss Gay USofA 2019 and Miss Heart of Florida 2022). Contestants will be judged on interview, talent and evening gown and compete for titles, prizes and more than $10,000 cash. $15. 6 p.m. Sunday. Southern Nights, 1401 E Seventh Ave., Tampa. 813-559-8625.
Classic Movie Night: The indoor and outdoor vintage cocktail lounge hosts a classic movie night with free popcorn and $7 movie-themed cocktails. This week features “Road House.” 8 p.m. Wednesday. Lost and Found, 2420 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.
Fun Home: The 2015 Tony Award-winning musical is based on the life and coming-out story of real-life lesbian cartoonist and graphic novelist Alison Bechdel. $27, $24 seniors/students. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Carrollwood Players, 4333 Gunn Highway, Tampa. 813-265-4000.
Day Out With Thomas: Families can take a 20-minute interactive train ride featuring a talking Thomas the Tank Engine locomotive. Includes a Color Corner, playtime with Thomas and Friends toys, temporary tattoos, photos with Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt, a hayride, inflatables, lawn games, magic, live music and a popup shop. $16-$20. Runs hourly from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Florida Railroad Museum, 12210 83rd St. E, Parrish. 941-776-0906.
Tampa Jazz Club: A centennial celebration of groundbreaking guitarist Wes Montgomery, featuring the LaRue Nickelson Quartet. $20, $15 members, $10 students, HCC students free. 3 p.m. Sunday. HCC Performing Arts Ybor City, 1411 E 11th Ave., Tampa. 727-772-6947.
Trashy Treasures: The Dunedin Fine Art Center cleans its closets for this art auction with live music, free hot dogs and one free drink (Saturday) and a massive art garage sale (Sunday). Benefits the center. $10 Saturday, free Sunday. 6-8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd. 727-298-3322.
Healthy Family Fair: The 10th annual health and wellness resource fair features food exhibits, food trucks, entertainment and local community resources. LIBERTY Dental Plan will give out free dental kits and dental health information. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Water Works Park, 1701 N Highland Ave., Tampa.
