Adventures in Weekending: 10 things to do in Tampa Bay this weekend that are fun and help local businesses

Good lord willing and the creek don't rise (and we're not just whistling Dixie with that), I promise we'll get back to neighborhood-specific weekend fun next weekend. Right now, we figure you could use some bay-area-wide things to do that can either take your mind off the cost of that new fence (which is somewhere between "I seriously don't have that kind of money right now" and "that's not enough money to justify an insurance claim") or, at a minimum, get you near a hotspot and some a/c. Also, remember, these places are hurting for a lack of business, so any support you can give them helps a local hurricane victim. If you're looking to help Hurricane Irma victims, look around — these are the victims. If you'd like to help but can't get to the concert/restaurant/show, call the venue, buy the ticket/food/etc. and tell the venue it's a "suspended coffee."

1. Go see The Flick at Jobsite.

   

    It's fun, it's thoughtful, it's air-conditioned and the company barely missed a beat with the storm. Read Mark E. Leib's review, then buy tickets.
2. Head to the Florida Holocaust Museum.

   

   Again, a/c, but also, their opening for The Holocaust and the Book of Fire was trashed by Irma and a trip here does put the "I only have one bar!" in perspective. 
3. Help Suncoast Animal League rescue dogs. 

   

   Their shelter is in great shape, but apparently inland rivers are flooding and rescue groups there need to move their dogs to higher ground. Suncoast Animal League is organizing groups to head to Highlands, DeSoto and Hardee area rescues and transport the animals to Sebring. Have an SUV? Don't mind working in the heat? Here's your weekend.
4. Saturday: Head to New World to hear Band of Sorrows. 

   

   The end days for NWB (in its current iteration) are nigh. Bonus: CL's Scott Harrell will join them when they play. This is the one time you can say "They're getting the band back together" and have it refer to an actual band.
5. Saturday, drop off women's clothes for Irma victims at The Body Electric. 

   

   From 12-4 p.m., they're collecting women's clothing for the St. Pete Free Clinic Women's residence and women who lost belongings in the hurricane. Bring in five or more items and you get a free yoga pass. They don't want PJs, workout clothes or swimsuits, though.
6. Watch Theatre eXceptional's Oliver. 

   

   TheatreX offers professional shows people with differently-abled professional actors. The shows delight audiences, and don't you feel like being delighted?
7. Buy tickets to White Fang at freeFall. 

   

   They sustained some roof damage (to the tune of $90,000) and the show may be in a different space, but this is a local theater company that has changed the game for Pinellas theater and several local people draw a full-time salary from them. Buy tickets now to show your support, or donate to them directly. 
8. Go to Dunedin and get a plate of food at Casa Tina (or anywhere, really).

   

   Pretty much all of Dunedin took a hit, business-wise, so you could also head to Dunedin Smokehouse, Flannagan's, Black Pearl… you get the idea. To help those businesses out, Dunedin has free parking through the end of this month.
9. Order these eight things at The Hall on Franklin. 

   

   Yum. Just, yum. Kentucky Champagne and Mons te Venus? Don't mind if I do…
10. Get the print CL or read the digital edition and patronize this week's advertisers.

    

    As much as we journos like to pretend advertising doesn't pay the bills, it does. I started thinking about that last night and, as someone who depends on CL for a salary, I am incredibly appreciative of all the local businesses who didn't pull their ads this week because they were closed or otherwise unable to provide what they advertised. If you're heading out for some fun this weekend, consider these guys, because those ads are why you're able to read this and all our other stuff.

We'll return with neighborhood-specific stuff next week, so let us know where we should go. Until then, be excellent to each other out there.

Contact Cathy here.

This article appears in Sep 14-21, 2017.