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Tampa Annual Events & Recreation
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Tampa Annual Events
Outback Bowl at Raymond James
Stadium
– January
On
New Year's Day college football teams
from the SEC and Big Ten Conference compete in the 65,000+ capacity
Tampa stadium for a $3 million payout.
Gasparilla
Pirate Festival – January
A
Tampa tradition since
1904, Gasparilla festivities include a brunch, a street festival, and a
pirate parade along Bayshore Boulevard into downtown. Half a
million revelers watch as minions of legendary Tampa swashbuckler Jose
Gaspar invade Tampa streets, slinging beads as they go.
Canons fire from the decks of the Jose Gasparilla pirate ship, while
elsewhere in the city residents enjoy live entertainment and midway
attractions at the festival.
Florida State Fair
– February
This century-old
festival of agriculture
and livestock coupled with entertainment, food, and midway rides
attracts nearly half a million visitors annually.
Gasparilla
Distance Classic – February
Beginning
at the Tampa
Convention Center with a finish line 26.2 miles distant on Bayshore
Boulevard, the Gasparilla Distance Classic charity race qualifies as a
USATF Certified course. In addition to the 15k, there is a 5k
course, and both are open to teams and wheelchair participants.
Gasparilla
Festival of the Arts
– March
Held along the river,
the arts festival
features a diverse showing of over 300 artists and a prestigious juried
competition.
MacDill AirFest –
March/April
This free, two-day event
draws over 750,000
spectators as military and civilian pilots perform stunts and aerobatic
formations. A wide array of military and vintage planes are
on display and in the air, and the 2007 show featured the famous Blue
Angels.
Guavaween
– October
An
atypical Halloween celebration held annually in Ybor City, Guavaween
caters to families during daylight and costumed celebrants after dusk,
when the Mama Guava Stumble Parade rolls down Seventh Avenue.
Cigar
Heritage Festival – November
Designed
to highlight
Ybor’s historic prominence as a cigar production capital
– it was once known as the “Cigar Capital of the
World” – the festivities include contests,
entertainment, auctions, and plenty of refreshments.
Tampa Recreation
Tampa
boasts the nation’s longest uninterrupted sidewalk: Bayshore
Boulevard. Elegant homes and public installation art line
Bayshore as it arcs around the bay, making it a favorite sport for
joggers, bicyclists, roller bladers, and dog
walkers. Dozens of public parks provide courts,
fields, and public swimming pools, and don’t forget the
Skatepark of Tampa, which draws visitors from across the country each
winter. Naturally, Floridians love golfing, and Tampa has
many public and private courses, among them the famous Babe Zaharias
Golf Course. Water sports are another area favorite, and
there are many public marinas where homeowners can launch powerboats,
jet skis, canoes, and kayaks. Local charters can arrange
fishing trips, parasailing, and sailboat instruction.
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