A river runs through it! Feel the love in Tampa this weekend when community organizations come together to celebrate downtown Tampa’s latest outdoor destination, the RiverWalk. RiverFest comprises multiple happenings along the recently expanded and still-being-expanded pathway along the Hillborough River. Events include Jane's Walk, Jazz on the RiverWalk concerts at Water Works Park; public strumming and performance of String Theory’s “Fin Harp” — a super-sized, public art musical instrument at the Straz Center; the Mayor’s Mac & Cheese Throwdown on Saturday and Bloody Mary Festival on Sunday — both at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park — live music and roaming food vendors along the newest extension by Kennedy Boulevard; The Plank waterfront pop-up bar will open along the Riverwalk in MacDill Park on Saturday, and a carnival brings old-timey fun to Cotanchobee Park. Much more, of course. Visit tampariverfest.com for details.
Heatwave is here! Friday and Saturday is the highly anticipated Tropical Heatwave music festival in Ybor City. Presented by WMNF Community Radio, the fest offers local and national bands that appeals to all ages and tastes. Click here to read about it straight from the 'MNFers' mouths.
Lights, camera, action! Continuing through Sunday, the Sunscreen Film Festival is 10 years old this year and better than ever with first-rate workshops, celebrity appearances, critically raved and local-centric movie offerings. Visit sunscreenfilmfestival.com for schedule and ticket info.
Ground control to classical music fans: Leave your worries behind and embark on an interstellar journey of the imagination via Holst’s The Planets. The Florida Orchestra performance will be enhanced by visuals courtesy of the Hubble Telescope on the big screen, providing an orchestra experience you can share with your kids. Speaking of which, young patrons 18 and younger get in free with Classical Kids tickets. Performances take place Fri, May 1, 8 p.m., at the Straz Center; Sat., May 2, 8 p.m., at the Mahaffey, and Sun, May 3, 7:30 p.m., at Ruth Eckerd Hall. $15, $30, $45. floridaorchestra.org. … Following the Planets concert at the Mahaffey on Saturday night, travel to a more intimate orbit, when the St. Petersburg Opera vocalists Melissa Misener, Alex Faulhaber and Johanna Fincher perform a Late Night Cabaret of Broadway, Cole Porter and other non-opera numbers.The New York-style cabaret offers bevvies and table seating in the Mirella Cimato Gallery at Opera Central. Tickets are available at the door for $20 or online at stpeteopera.org. 10:30 p.m. Opera Central, 2145 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg.
Go Bolts! Cheer on The Tampa Bay Lightning at a pair of Lightning Watch Parties, presented by Bud Light, for Games 1 and 2 of their best-of-seven series against the Montreal Canadiens at Channelside Bay Plaza in Tampa this weekend. The watch party beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday with game at 7 p.m. Game 2 watch party is on Sunday at 4 p.m. with game at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on a 9-by-16-foot LED TV. Prizes, meet-and-greets with ThunderBug, the Lightning Girls and more will help set the celebratory mood. Drink and food specials at neighboring Hablo Taco, Boat House Bar, Hooters, Wet Willie’s and Splitsville will be offered during the game. Visit tampabaylightning.com for more about the series, stats and other team info.
Saturday is Indie Bookstore and Free Comic Book Day! Marvel heroes like Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, and Iron Man have come back to life on the big screen this weekend. Celebrate the medium of their origin at Free Comic Book Day, Saturday, May 2, at stores all across North America. Tampa Bay stores are celebrating with special events. Emerald City will be hosting Team Arrow’s first big fundraising event for the 2016 MDA Muscle Walk. Artists will be there for a signing as part of this event, and from 3 to 5 p.m., comic supercouple Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, the masterminds behind DC’s Harley Quinn (pictured), will be there for a signing, too. Click here for more details. Saturday is also Independent Bookstore Day and special limited-edition prints, books and other items will be available at Mojo and Inkwood and other independently owned stores throughout the area. Visit mojotampa.com or inkwoodbooks.com for details.
Tampa's best gallery hop, Florida CraftArt opening: Premier contemporary art galleries such as Tempus Projects, QUAID Gallery, Wing-4 Gallery at Pyramid Inc., The Centre 4 Girls, Kirk Ke Wang Art Space and Vintage Post Marketplace will all be extending their hours for the monthly First Friday Seminole Heights event. The stellar art extends to downtown to High Fashion: Kristian Schuller, Billy & Hells, Taka KobayashI at FMoPA. See a new show inspired by the escapist eye candy of fashion photography, and attend a reception for Jim Reynolds’ CityScapes 6-8 p.m Friday.; artist talk at 7. More info at fmopa.org. In downtown St. Petersburg, five artists explore the concept of personal space through sculptures, embroidery and ceramics — Charles Parkhill, Raina Benoit, Charles Hazelaar, Kathy Halper and Michael Covello. There will be an artist/curator talk on May 1 at 5 p.m. More info at floridacraftart.org. In Gulfport, also on Friday night, Gulfport artist Hugo Porcaro will be featured at the FAB Fiber Gallery. Opening reception 6-9 p.m.; coincides with the Gulfport semi-monthly art walk.
Laugh attack: See an established A-lister and one on the rise tonight and tomorrow. Jerry Seinfeld headlines the Mahaffey Friday night, and John Mulaney will be at the Capitol Theatre in downtown Clearwater Saturday night. Read Laugh Tract for more details and other comedians performing this week.
4th Annual Star Wars Day Celebrate with the kids by day and partake of grown-up fun by night at the Bricks on Sunday; includes activities, a costume contest and drink specials. Return to Fodder & Shine’s Star Wars art show Monday for the closing party. Event info on Facebook.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2015.