Men and a child in a Saloon on 12th Avenue and 13th Street in Ybor City. Credit: Sanfeliz, José Ramón, "Saloon on 12th Avenue and 13th Street" (1900). José Ramón Sanfeliz Scrapbook Images. Image 30.

Birthday parties call for drinks. A 138th birthday party calls for a lot of them. Best of the Bay-winning historian Manny Leto definitely won’t be the drunkest guy in the room on Tuesday, and he won’t judge anyone who has one too many at this sold-out second-installment of Drunk Tampa History at Shuffle.

“The idea is to get at the truth, but in this sort of fun, kind of different way,” Leto, former editor of Cigar City Magazine and current Executive Director of Preserve The ‘Burg, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “I get excited and passionate about it, and the passion definitely increases if I have a couple of couple of beers.”

Last year’s event covered political violence, transportation, and development in an extremely lovable way. Leto is almost always the smartest guy in the room when it comes to Tampeño history, and there’s no way this year’s event doesn’t deliver (Rodney Kite-Powell, who recently discussed his embrace of Tampa’s flag, might be one of the only people with more knowledge than Leto).

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“People want to have a better understanding of, and a better connection to, where they live. And I think that looking at history is sort of one way to do that,” Leto added.

Pre-paid tickets will be required for entry, and the inside of the venue will close to non-ticket holders between 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. for the presentation. For anyone without a ticket, Leto’s talk will also be broadcast over a PA system for the overflow crowd in the Shuffle backyard where there is no cover.

“My guess is that we’ll have no shows and also people bought extra tickets that they probably aren’t going to use,” Leto added when asked about what folks without tickets should do if they want to get in. “I don’t really know what to expect, honestly.”

Regardless, cake will be served to everyone afterwards before one of the best open mics in the city, Remix, closes the night off starting at 8 p.m. with a special performance by Tampa rapper Perception.

Manny Leto’s 2025 Drunk Tampa History talk happening at Shuffle in Tampa on Tuesday, July 15 is sold-out, but overflow viewing is available.
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