With the deluge of summer blockbusters just around the corner, the Beach Theatre has some timely counterprogramming to give moviegoers a taste of cinematic nourishment on the small scale. Starting this Friday, the venerable movie house is screening a retrospective from the Strasbourg Independent Film Fest, featuring 14 films as well as a number of shorts. One of the highlights is Pirate for the Sea, an official selection at numerous film festivals stateside and abroad, about controversial marine activist Paul Watson. Two other notables films include Boppin’ at the Glue Factory, winner of best feature at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival, and The Donut, the Balloon and the Lifesaver, by Florida director and Jack-of-all-trades Banks Helfrich. (Pictured: Conrad Roberts and Henry Dittman in Boppin' at the Glue Factory. Photo by Christian Miglio) SiFF Retro,April 30-May 2, Fri.-Sun., films run every odd hour starting at 1 p.m., Beach Theatre, 315 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach, $30 Fest Pass/$12 Day Pass/$7 at door, retro.strasbourgfilmfest.com. —Anthony Salveggi
This weekend, take your pick from these two very different fundraising food festivals. Let loose and enjoy a night under the stars, not to mention farm-fresh, organic food, beer and wine, at Sweetwater Organic Community Farm's 18th annual Pesto Festo. The farm fundraiser celebrates the end of the growing season and its devoted patrons. Dig into a dinner of organically-grown pesto pasta, followed by a live auction and raffle prizes, and dance the night away to the sounds of the Urban Gypsies. If you're in the mood to get dressed to the nines and be wined and dined by 20 premier Bay area restaurants, then the ninth annual Sea Grapes Fine Wine and Food Festival at the Florida Aquarium is the soirée for you. This undersea-themed gala features more than 100 wines, a tantalizing array of gourmet delights, live jazz, and aquatic entertainment (courtesy of the aquarium's resident comedic scuba divers). Proceeds from the silent auction benefit youth education programs, sea turtle rehabilitation, seahorse conservation and coral farm propagation at the aquarium. Pesto Festo, 6 p.m. Sat., May 1, Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, 6942 W. Comanche Ave., Tampa, $15 in advance/$20 door/free for children 12 and younger (tickets can be purchased at the Farm or Rollin' Oats), sweetwater-organic.org; Sea Grapes, 8-11 p.m. Sat., May 1, The Florida Aquarium, 701 Channelside Drive, Tampa, $85/$150 VIP, flaquarium.org. —Katie Machol
Snuggle up for a movie showing under the stars (on a giant, 50-foot inflatable screen): Saturday's Sunset Cinema selection is the oldie-but-goodie, Back to the Future. Toss a Frisbee or a football; bring a blanket or a lawn chair; nosh on Junior Mints and popcorn, or pack a picnic and a bottle of wine (though you might want to keep that one under wraps) — tonight, it’s all about viewing al fresco. Sat., May 1, gates open at 6:45 p.m., movie begins at 8:15 p.m., River Tower Park, 701 East Bird St., Tampa, free, tampatheatre.com. —Franki Weddington
April showers are past and May flowers are just around the corner — so are laurels for graduating USF students. Honor their accomplishments at 79/21: USFSP Graphic Design Senior Thesis Show, a wide-ranging art and design exhibit that considers the humanities, sociology, pop-culture, typography, environmental conservation, and the influences of mass media and consumerism on people’s perceptions. Sounds like my every day stream of consciousness … Helvetica, clean energy, I’m going to buy that toilet paper because of the cute puppy in the commercial … what? The featured 2- and 3D works include posters, books, videos, wood engravings, lamps, dental hygiene products, a multi-touch interface, vinyl lettering on wood panels and a faux store display. The event not only showcases the works of individual students; it embodies the collective effort put forth by the USFSP graphic design program during the past two years. (Pictured: "Dead Girl" by Samantha Willey) Opening reception, 6-9 p.m. Sat., May 1; on display through May 5, The Studio@620, 620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, free, studio620.org. —Lily Reisman
Irish bars about town are in a generous mood: this weekend, the drafts and the good deeds will be flowing at your favorite pubs. The Dubliner hosts HopFest, a heady homage to dark brews. Hoppy, hand-crafted pours include Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, Terrapin Rye Pale Ale, Heavy Seas Loose Cannon American Hop3 Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, and Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. Brewery reps are on hand to talk shop (or in this case, suds); Swamp Logic busts out New Orleans-style blues; and freshly-caught local fish are fried up by the dozens. Proceeds from the afternoon of ale benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you're looking for a special someone to share your suds with, check out MacDinton's Bachelorette Auction on Saturday, where dates with 10 Tampa Bay beauties are sold off to the highest bidder. HopFest, Noon-3 p.m. Sat., May 1, The Dubliner Irish Pub, 2307 W. Azeele St., Tampa, $15, thedublineririshpub.com; Bachelorette Auction, 5-9 p.m. Sat., May 1, MacDinton's Irish Pub, 405 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, agoodcause.wordpress.com. —Franki Weddington
Artists from near and far—including locally-based favorites Frank Strunk III, Kim Radatz and Daniel Mrgan—use the bicycle as a jumping off point to explore motion, memory and more in CEFA's Cycle. Apr. 30-May 29, opening reception Fri., Apr. 30, 6-9 p.m., C. Emerson Fine Arts, 909 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-898-6068, c-emersonfinearts.com. —Megan Voeller
For Looking Back, Moving Forward: The Spirit of Marcus Garvey, Ron Bobb-Semple explores the life of "Jamaica's national hero" — who launched the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League to advocate African-American unity — in his edu-taining one-man show. Studio620.org. 7:30 p.m. Fri., April 23 and 30, The Studio@620, St. Petersburg, $20, $15 students and seniors.
International Scurvy Awareness Day takes the (fruit)cake for the most fun fest dedicated to an all-but-defunct disease. The satire-happy (but scurvy-free) folks at limestrong.com — who founded the event last year — say that "we probably have a better shot at making out with Jessica Alba than actually bringing a global end to scurvy, a disease that might just be the stupidest and most easily cured disease in human history, but that doesn't mean we're not going to give it a shot." So, if you need an excuse to visit the Bloody Mary bar, drink citrus grog, or chug lime-studded brews, look no further than Hub's Raw Bar and Tavern, where a steadfast crew is serving up Vitamin C-rich beverages, along with live music and a silent auction to benefit John Levique Pirate Days. Or, if you're like me and want to raise awareness among friends, stock up on lime-flavored Jell-O and vodka, and take a shot in support of scurvy sufferers everywhere. (Pictured: International Scurvy Awareness Day's official mascot: Cat in a Fruit Helmet) Noon-9 p.m. Sun., May 2, Hub's Raw Bar and Tavern, 150 John's Pass Boardwalk, Madeira Beach, 727-391-6025 ext. 303. —Franki Weddington
Hairy hipters and Magnum, P.I. fanatics are in heaven at the second annual Bay of Beards beard and mustache competition, hosted by Beardsman.com and benefitting the Beardsman Foundation – a charity that provides aid for mentally ill homeless people. 3 p.m. Sat., May 1, Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin, $5-$10, bayofbeards.com. —Lily Reisman
If you're a dedicated daytime TV aficionado, prepare to drop some cash to meet the celebutantes of the Soaps at Divas of Daytime. Proceeds from today's luncheon and concert with Kassie DePaiva (Blair, One Life To Live), Bobbie Eakes (Krystal, All My Children) and Kathy Brier (Marcie, One Life To Live) benefit MyHopeChest.org. For more info, call Patti at 727-410-0427, or Barbie at 727-410-0424. Sat., May 1, 2-5 p.m., Largo Community Center, Largo, $75-$100; $150 VIP.
Spring is in the air: flowers are blooming, flip-flops are out in full force, birds are singing and The Florida Orchestra is celebrating with the New World Symphony, which includes Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, From the New World; Ives’ uplifting Unanswered Question; and Bartok’s cheerful Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta. The concert visits several venues this weekend: 8 p.m. Fri., April 30, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa; 8 p.m. Sat., May 1, Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg; and 7:30 p.m. Sun., May 2, Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater. $20-$67. Floridaorchestra.org.
Remember in elementary school, when you trained for Field Day for weeks, dreaming of taking home a ribbon in the sack race or egg toss? Yeah, we don't either, but today's Beach Games present a chance to redeem yourself. The challenges are beach-ified (take on the sandcastle building contest, water balloon toss, and the dolphin beach relay), and organizers want you to remember that coolers are allowed on Treasure Island Beach, so we're guessing this'll be a damn fun day in the sun. Contact Matt at Matt@tampabaybeaches.com for info and registration. Sun., May 2, 1 p.m., Bilmar Resort, Treasure Island, $15.
This article appears in Apr 21-27, 2010.