There’s truth in advertising, and then there’s Drunk Tampa History. Manny Leto‘s now annual libation-fueled lecture was forced to shift to a ticketed format this year, and found itself officially sold-out for 2025.

A capacity crowd packed Shuffle last Tuesday—what many consider the 138th birthday—and met the truth about its fair city.

“If you’re looking for pairty, you’ve come to the wrong place,” Leto, a former Cigar City Magazine editor and now Executive Director of Preserve the ‘Burg, joked.

What unfolded for more than an hour was a no-holds-barred, passionate love fest complete with inconvenient truths about Ybor City (that interstate really informs how we interact with the neighborhood), Tampa’s three downtowns, “NoHo,” and so much more.

Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Shuffle If you’re looking for some additional recreation to accommodate game day, Shuffle’s four indoor shuffleboard courts have got the whole family covered. Be sure to check out the fun food menu that offers everything from loaded tots to a surprisingly delicious spaghetti sandwich. The indoor bar at this Tampa Heights staple has TVs on either end, and the impressive backyard expansion is the perfect place to relax in between plays. 2612 N Tampa St., Tampa Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker
Credit: Photo by Dave Decker

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...