Cirque BAZZAR
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It’s a busy time of year with new events, festivals, and more and we’ve got them all on our top picks of things to do this weekend in Tampa Bay!

Easter is right around the corner (Sunday, March 31) and if you’re looking for a place to enjoy a good meal and perhaps a few mimosas, check out our list of Easter brunches.

It’s also a great weekend to head down to the St. Pete Pier to Have an Old School Date Night at St. Pete Pier’s Rockin Roller Rink! We’re sharing all the details, theme nights, and more. 

There’s a lot on our curated guide of things to do, but you can also check out some of these top stories this week:


Featured Tampa Bay Events

Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR
Cirque du Soleil BAZZAR

Cirque du Soleil’s Big Top BAZZAR in St. Petersburg

  • Dates: February 22 to March 24, 2024
  • Location: Tropicana Field in St. Pete

Cirque du Soleil is making its much-anticipated return to Tampa Bay with the debut of BAZZAR, a high-energy spectacle of intrepid acrobatics, dynamic stunts, and exhilarating performances that pays homage to the entertainment company’s legacy. The fourth stop on its North American tour, the show will be presented at the Tropicana Field stadium under the iconic Big Top.

Opera Tampa: 2024 Season

  • LA TRAVIATA April 19 & 21, 2024

Opera Tampa’s 2024 season spotlights stories worth dying for. Don Giovanni seduces conquest after conquest, Hansel and Gretel are lured into an enchanted forest and La Traviata haunts us with great love sacrificed. These timeless classics will be brought to life by acclaimed vocalists and live musical performances by The Florida Orchestra. You and your loved one can share something more important than a gift, time well spent together. Season tickets start as low as $90.

For family-friendly things to do in Tampa, check out Tampa Bay Parenting.


Things to Do This Weekend in Tampa Bay

 

Cirque du Soleil’s Big Top BAZZAR in St. Petersburg

  • February 22 to March 24, 2024
  • Tropicana Field in St. Pete

LAST CHANCE! Cirque du Soleil is making its much-anticipated return to Tampa Bay with the debut of BAZZAR, a high-energy spectacle of intrepid acrobatics, dynamic stunts, and exhilarating performances that pays homage to the entertainment company’s legacy. The fourth stop on its North American tour, the show will be presented at the Tropicana Field stadium under the iconic Big Top.

Phoenix Live Sober Music Series

  • Thursday, March 21, 2024, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
  • St. Pete Pier

Phoenix Live Sober Music series with the Gasparilla Music Foundation, on Thursday, March 21 from 6:30– to 9:30pm, with headlining acts Zeta the Babe and Shelby Shol on the titled lawn. Pier Teaki will have mocktails available for purchase during the free event.

Parking downtown near the Pier will be limited. Drivers are recommended to park at nearby parking garages. For more parking information, please visit www.stpete.org/parking

Dooley Groves U-Pick Citrus

  • Friday, March 22-Sunday, March 24 from 10 am-4 pm
  • Ruskin

Dooley Groves is currently offering u-pick Rio Red Grapefruit and Valencia Oranges daily from 10 am-4 pm. This is a must-experience! Be sure to visit their website here to learn more details on what’s available.

Tours at Fat Beet Farm

  • Friday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 at 11 am
  • Fat Beet Farms in Tampa

Join Fat Beet Farm for an exclusive peek at the inner workings of the farm, including their sustainability initiatives and wildlife preservation/restoration projects! This 1-hour walking tour includes their vegetable gardens, composting and vermiculture, chickens, the biodigester, bees, microgreens, aquaculture systems, wetland, and coastal preservation areas, and more! After the tour, head up to the cafe and marketplace to enjoy lunch and grab some local goods.

Live Music at the Sail

  • Friday, March 22 from 12 pm-4 pm
  • Sail Pavilion, Downtown Tampa

Enjoy live music outdoors at The Sail Plaza, featuring their 360 waterfront bar and Big Ray’s Fish Camp. 

Sunset Zip Line Adventures at Empower Adventures Tampa Bay

  • Friday, March 22 at 3:30 pm
  • Oldsmar

Tour guides will lead you through a 2.5-hour unforgettable sunset zip line tour, all while taking in the breathtaking Florida views! Gain a new perspective on fun, beginning with their 60-foot tall start tower, 5 zip lines varying in length and totaling over 3,000′, a 200-foot suspension bridge along with an adventure course with log bridges, cable traverses, and poles!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert 

  • Friday, March 22 from 7:30 pm-9:30 pm and Saturday, March 23 from 2 pm-4 pm
  • Straz Center, Tampa

Projected onto a giant screen and accompanied by a live symphony orchestra, you can join Harry’s adventures as never before! Nicholas Hooper’s wonderful score and this classic tale combine to deliver all the adventure, humor, and suspense you remember in an experience you’ll never forget.

Friday Night Street Food Mega Market Downtown St. Pete 

  • Friday, March 22 from 4 pm-12 am
  • St. Pete

There will be delicious food, unique crafts, live entertainment, on-site distillery, and more. Come check out over 75 different vendors. 

Havana Nights Under the Stars

  • Friday, March 22 from 7 pm-10 pm
  • Safety Harbor Resort and Spa

Enjoy the sounds of Latin music by Latin band, INNOVATION and dance the night away! Ticket includes Cuban-themed dinner buffet and live music. $69 per person. 

Walk Run Roll 5K and Family Fun Walk for Pediatric Cancer

  • Saturday, March 23 from 8 am-12 pm
  • Raymond James Stadium, Tampa

Head to Raymond James Stadium to support the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation for their Annual Walk, Run and Roll Family Fun Event. Take pictures with the Bucs Pirate Ship and attend the fun festival after the event. Registration begins at 8 am, followed by the 5K at 9 am and the Family Fun Walk at 10:30 am. The Family Fun Zone will be open from 8 am- 12 pm.

Secrets of the Zoo Tour at ZooTampa

  • Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 am
  • ZooTampa at Lowry Park

You’ve seen the stories on TV, now experience them in real life on a Secrets of the Zoo Tour! Go behind-the-scenes and explore the amazing species, animal care team, and locations featured on the show. Meet the animal and human stars from your favorite episodes, get an in-depth look at how ZooTampa cares for the animals, hear the inside scoop of the stories featured, and what it takes to film the show. Each tour focuses on a different realm and offers an up-close, hands-on experience.

Southeastern Guide Dogs Walkathon at Gadsen Park

  • Saturday, March 23 at 9 am
  • Gadsen Park, Tampa

Bring your family, bring your dogs, bring your friends, and bring your friends’ dogs to the Tampa Walkathon at Gadsden Park! This free, family-friendly event includes a 3K walk and a dog-friendly party in the park featuring lively music, delicious food, vendor and sponsor booths, an exciting raffle drawing, and much more. Walkathon is Southeastern Guide Dogs’ largest fundraiser of the year and proceeds help breed, raise, train, and match their amazing dogs with people with vision loss, veterans with disabilities, and children who need a best friend.

Hyde Park Art Festival

  • Saturday, March 23-Sunday, March 24 from 10 am-5 pm
  • Hyde Park, Tampa

Head down to Hyde Park for their annual art festival. 

Bay Area Renaissance Festival

  • Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24 from 10 am- 6 pm
  • Dade City

Join the Villagers of Folkstone as they invite one and all to the magical 16th Century European village featuring fifteen stages of exciting entertainment including musicians, magicians, jugglers, and jousting. Over 100 artisans will fill the festival marketplace to display and sell their handcrafted goods for a truly fabulous and endless shopping experience. Patrons will interact with memorable characters and enjoy full-contact live armored jousting, 7 theme weekends, and fabulous food fit for royalty!

Easter Eggstravaganza at The Humane Society of Tampa Bay

  • Saturday, March 23 from 11 am- 2 pm
  • Humane Society of Tampa Bay

Bring your furry friend and celebrate Easter and snap photos with the Easter Bunny (pets are welcome, too!) for a suggested $10 donation. There will be other fun activities including Easter crafts, glitter tattoos, and more! There will also be an Easter egg hunt for $5 for dogs and kids -there will be several timed Easter egg hunts for kids, toddlers, and dogs! Grillin & Chillin will be on site along with Skoops Italian Ice.

Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival

  • Saturday, March 23-Sunday, March 24
  •  Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

This year’s Food and Wine Festival features 17 cabins in the Festival Pathway, Festival Field, and Bird Gardens area. Taste food and wines from specific countries like Argentina, Chile, Spain, France, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Italy. There are also cabins focused on Old World Wines, Moonshine Tasting, and USA Desserts. The menu items range from $7.99 to $10.99. 

You can also hear music from rock titans, Taking Back Sunday, at 7 pm on Saturday the 23rd. 

Coach Bruce Arians 10th Anniversary Concert featuring Jason Aldean

  • Saturday, March 23, 8:00 pm
  • Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Hotel & Casino

Super Bowl Champion Coach of the Tampa Bay Bucs is celebrating his 10th anniversary of the Arians Family Foundation with a special live concert featuring Jason Aldean. The event will take place at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Hotel & Casino. Tickets are on sale now. 
$250 and up

Cole Swindell

  • Saturday, March 23 from 8 pm-11:45 pm
  • Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, Palm Harbor

See country superstar Cole Swindell! Use promo “2023” for added savings.

Spring Dog Rescue

  • Sunday, March 24 from 1 pm-4 pm
  • Crooked Thumb Brewery, Safety Harbor

Crooked Thumb is pairing up with Dogs Allowed Tampa Bay to bring you a day of fun in support of Compassion Kind dog rescue. Meet some adoptable pups in the beer garden while enjoying beers and live music from S.G. Wood. Gigglewaters Food Truck will be set up during the event along with prizes from local retails and restaurants. 


Save the Date: Upcoming Awesome Things to Do in Tampa Bay 

The Incredible Duck Race at Curtis Hixon Park

  • Saturday, April 6 from 10 am-1 pm
  • Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa

10,000 rubber ducks will race down the Hillsborough River in front of Curtis Hixon Park to compete for amazing prizes. The family event will feature games, food, and entertainment leading up to the big race. Ducks can be purchased in advance for $5 at TampaDuckRace.com, you don’t have to be present to win. Benefiting The Tampa Kiwanis Foundation, which supports many local children’s programs.


More Things to Do – Ongoing Tampa Bay Events

A Taste of Water Street
Water Street
 in Tampa
These spring and fall events will feature unique seasonal experiences and always deliver on the promise of an unforgettable night out. Guests are invited to experience the entirety of the Water Street Tampa neighborhood like never before — enjoying tastings at new restaurants and bars in addition to familiar favorites while roaming musicians, pop-up entertainment and shops along Water Street, Raybon Plaza and Via Corazon further enhance the evening.

Fairgrounds St. Pete
Permanent exhibition open Thursdays – Sundays
800 28th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Fairgrounds St. Pete is a permanent indoor immersive, explorable art and technology experience in St. Pete, Florida. Over 60 local and international artists were commissioned to make art for you to immerse yourself in and enjoy.
$27 ($25 for Florida Residents)

Related: Choose-Your-Own-Adventure at Fairgrounds St. Pete

 

Sunset Yoga at St. Pete Pier
First Wednesday of the month, 7pm (Mar – Oct) 6pm (Nov – Feb)
St. Pete Pier
Join The Body Electric Yoga Company every first Wednesday evening for a yoga class at St. Pete Pier. The class will be grounding but fun, with lots of modifications offered to accommodate everybody.
FREE

Art on the House
Thursdays from 4-8pm
Tampa Museum of Art, downtown Tampa
Every Thursday from 4 to 8 pm, the Tampa Museum of Art offers Art on the House where admission prices change to pay-as-you-will, and visitors choose whatever admission price they want to pay. Bring the family and celebrate 100 years of art in Tampa with exhibitions that emphasize ancient, modern, and contemporary art.
Choose your own admission price
 
St. Pete Shuffle Friday Nights
Fridays from 7-10pm
St. Pete Shuffle, St. Pete
Learn to play shuffleboard with help from St. Pete Shuffle’s staff and volunteers, who will get you set up on a court and teach you how to play.
$10; free for members and their guests
 
St. Pete Walking Mural Tours
Saturdays from 10-11:30am,
St. Pete
Tour begins at Florida CraftArt, 501 Central Ave. in downtown St. Petersburg Visitors will hear the inside stories of the making of over 30 murals found in the four-block tour. Limited to 20 people, must book before 4 p.m. the prior day. Bring water for hydration and the necessary rain gear if the weather looks threatening.
$20

Looking for more things to do this week?

Check out this guide to family-friendly events in Tampa Bay from our sister publication Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine. Heading to Orlando? Here’s a guide to the best Orlando events this month at the theme parks and beyond.