![Tampa Bay’s Water Ski Show Team needs a lake to call home [PHOTOS]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Riverfest-8-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Tampa Bay’s Water Ski Show Team needs a lake to call home [PHOTOS]
Waterskiing, it turns out, is a family sport. Most members of The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team have at least one relative on the team. The majority have been waterskiing since they were children, and some have been on the team for over a decade.
![The best Tampa Bay events happening this week, including Cinco de Dodgeball, romance lit fest and more [April 30-May 6]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/CincoDeDodgeball-091-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
The best Tampa Bay events happening this week, including Cinco de Dodgeball, romance lit fest and more [April 30-May 6]
There’s a ton of stuff to do in Tampa Bay this week, including freeFall Theater’s “And Then They Came For Me,” Cinco de Dodgeball, Romantically Ever After Library Lit Fest, Pinellas Pepper Fest, and Kentucky Derby afternoon tea.
Florida Legislature approves DeSantis’ new redistricting map, giving Republicans significant boost
Florida lawmakers approved a major redrawing of the state’s 28 congressional districts Wednesday, a move that could help Republicans retain control of the U.S. House in the midterm elections. The outcome was anticipated but still held much drama. The U.S. Supreme Court decision on a redistricting case out of Louisiana, which Gov. Ron DeSantis cited…
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay readers respond to measles outbreak, Sloth World, Pam Bondi and more
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay keeps reaching into the mailbag, and treading carefully into the comments section.
St. Pete-based Girl Reports elevates underserved women globally through journalism
Across the globe, Nepalese student Gauri Gupta has years of journalism experience under her belt, from features on community events to stories centered around issues affecting Nepal’s citizens. But for Gupta, those bylines mean more than just experience or pay. “In Nepali society, women and girls are dominated in every sector like education, employment, entertainment,…
Tampa’s Riverfest brings Sixpence None the Richer, a water ski show and more this weekend
The festival is free and family-friendly, stretching from Curtis Hixon Park to Water Works Park. This year’s lineup brings the most attractions yet, including culinary experiences, the Hot Air Balloon Glow, a lantern parade, a water ski show by the Tampa Bay Water Ski Show Team, and a new Kids Zone.
Tampa rapper Credible plays ‘Halfway to Halloween’ concert this weekend
This one’s for anyone who wants to wear a Halloween costume in the summer while raging to rap and house music. “Home Run” rhymesayer Credible is on the bill along with DJ Tallpaulbaby and others. And yes, there will be candy. Tickets four Halfway To Halloween at Deviant Libation in Tampa on Saturday, May 2…
‘This is clearly unconstitutional’: Florida Democrats decry DeSantis’ new congressional map
Republican lawmakers advanced a major overhaul of Florida’s congressional districts Tuesday, a move that could reshape the political boundaries and legal landscape for redistricting in the state. Over the objections of Democrats, who slammed the move as a blatant power grab designed to help the GOP retain the U.S. House in the midterm elections, House…
Electro-pop duo Purity Ring plays St. Pete this weekend
There aren’t many vocalists who can navigate electro the way Purity Ring’s Megan James does. Arriving in 2012 with Shrines, James’ electro duo featuring Corin Roddick spent a decade on the forefront of Pitchfork-favored indie-pop. While copycats have popped up in seemingly every corner of the atmosphere, the band has maintained a loyal fanbase drawn…
Angry Chair selling, new gelato heads to St. Pete, and more Tampa Bay food news
Here’s what’s going down in Tampa Bay’s food scene this week, plus the best food and drink events happening April 30-May 6.
Penny Vinik sells South Tampa home for a record-setting $19.14 million
Penny Vinik, local philanthropist and ex-wife of Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, has sold her massive Palma Ceia estate. The home, located at 914 S Golf View St. overlooking the Palma Ceia Golf Course, was first purchased by the Viniks in 2010 for $3.2 million, according to property records. The estate was then transferred…
May Day concert hopes to close gap in Tampa DSA medical debt fundraiser
The Tampa chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is just $1,500 away from reaching its $10,000 goal in a campaign to help cancel $1 million in medical debt across Hillsborough County with help from the Undue Medical Debt nonprofit. To get over the hump, the organization marks the historic labor holiday May Day…
Dyke Night goes goth in Ybor City this weekend
Dyke Night organizers are taking every chance to throw parties at Crowbar as the venue approaches its final months in the district. The latest will be soundtracked with industrial, goth, new wave, techno and more from mixtape maestro New Age Tension, DJ Maus, plus Sector.FM’s DJ Taína and DJ Spur. Tickets for Goth Dyke Nite…
Florida Speaker kills DeSantis’ AI and vaccine bills on first day of special session
Bucking Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida lawmakers won’t strike vaccine mandates for kids or create new guardrails on artificial intelligence, House Speaker Daniel Perez declared Tuesday morning. The only topic the Florida House will address during the four-day special session is redrawing the state’s congressional maps. “There were no bills filed on these policies prior to…
Critics slam Florida Department of Education move to block undocumented students from state colleges
Advocates for Florida’s immigrants are asking the state to stop the process of banning undocumented students from attending state colleges and taking the General Educational Development test. A collection of groups on Monday told reporters the proposed rules by the Florida Department of Education are “harmful,” arguing the move would affect the state’s economy and…
Florida expands criminal AI investigation to include USF murders
Days after Tampa prosecutors revealed that a suspected murderer consulted ChatGPT about placing human remains in a dumpster, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday that he’s adding the case to his landmark criminal investigation into OpenAI. “We are expanding our criminal investigation into OpenAI to include the USF murders after learning the primary suspect…
DeSantis orders Legislature to revisit vaccine mandates, as CDC confirms 134 confirmed measles cases
As the number of confirmed measles cases in Florida increases, so does Gov. Ron DeSantis’ passion to pass legislation to make it easier for parents to turn down the required vaccines for public school students. Florida this year has seen 134 confirmed measles cases as of April 23, the fourth most in the nation, according…
Florida’s average teacher pay remains among worst in nation, union says
Florida teachers’ average starting salary increased between 2025 and 2026, although not enough to improve Florida’s nationwide standing, according to data from the National Education Association. The national union’s annual rankings for teacher pay put Florida’s average starting salary of $49,435 at 19th in the nation. It’s overall average teacher salary of $56,663 ranks 50th among the…
Photos: The Academy Is brings stacked, mid-aughts emo gig to Ybor City
Drummer Andy Mrotek came down with food poisoning at the last second—causing the band’s truck driver Duane Hewins Jr. to fill his shoes and bang the cans on tunes he already knew—so a handful of songs off the normal setlist were cut to make way for a quick, solo acoustic set of deep cuts spearheaded…
Pinellas Pepper Fest brings the heat this weekend
Can’t handle the spice? You can still watch pepper fest veterans test their taste buds with the Extreme Lolli Lick-A-Thon, featuring the spiciest lolly pop in the world, and the Amateur Jalapeno Eating Contest.
Steamy Lit hosts a romance book fest in Largo this weekend
The day-long 18+ romance book festival includes author signings and book sales. It’s free to attend, but registration comes with a raffle entry.
New rose-shaped gelato spot Amorino opens in St. Petersburg this week
Amorino’s signature is its rose-shaped design, with each petal a different scoop of gelato, allowing guests to mix and match. Customers can also add a gelato-filled macaron to top their creation.
DeSantis’ new redistricting plan would leave Tampa Bay with zero Dem seats
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office submitted a new congressional map to the Legislature on Monday that would drastically alter several U.S. House districts in Central and South Florida. The new map, if approved by lawmakers in a special session that starts Tuesday, could flip a handful of districts from Democrats to Republicans, helping the GOP retain…
Hillsborough Tax Collector will bring services on the road with ‘MILES’ bus
Death and taxes are inevitabilities in life, and one of those wants to come to your doorstep in the next few months. Nancy Millan, the county’s first Hispanic and female Tax Collector, announced the launch of her Mobile IDs, Licenses and Essential Services (MILES) center. Millan’s initiative comes in the wake of a similar initiative…
May 5 concert will benefit Tampa Bay Immigrant Solidarity Network
The Tampa Bay music community has spent 2026 staging multiple benefit concerts for neighbors in the trans and immigrant community, and the latest goes down this week at Deviant Libation. Tim Ogden’s brewery and distillery has emerged as a haven for the community and reliable concert space for the DIY scene. On May 5, it…
Are smaller lot sizes a solution to Florida’s ongoing housing crisis?
Although officials say there’s no “silver bullet” to cure Florida’s affordable housing crisis, an argument that smaller lot sizes can be a significant part of the solution was the topic of a panel discussion this week at the Florida Housing Solutions Summit in St. Petersburg. The day-long forum was organized by the Florida Policy Project,…
Florida spent $34 million on tech, IT at ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ but says phones for detainees too expensive
Florida officials are fighting a court order to expand detainee phone access at the so-called “Alligator Alcatraz” center, arguing it would be too costly for taxpayers — but they’ve already spent roughly $34 million in public dollars on technology, IT support, and more, state records show. The agency in charge of the remote center, the…
Sheriffs discover human remains in Pinellas, amid search for missing USF graduate student
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) says that Pinellas deputies (PCSO) recovered human remains last Sunday afternoon. The remains were pulled “from the waterways in the area of Interstate 275 and 4th Street North,” according to HCSO’s public information officer. The PIO added that positive identification of the remains had not been determined as of…
DeSantis signs bill allowing untrained volunteers to carry guns in Florida churches
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed nine bills from the 2026 regular session into law on Thursday, including a measure that allows volunteer security guards at houses of worship to carry guns without facing state licensing requirements The bill (SB 52) creates an exemption from state law that regulates private investigative services, private security services, and repossession…
Inaugural St. Pete New Works Festival set for spring 2027
While national play development houses are shuttering their doors and retreating into “safe” programming, St. Petersburg is doing what it does best: leaning into the grit. We aren’t just a destination for polished, final products—we are becoming the laboratory where the work actually happens. The inaugural St. Pete New Works Festival is a two-week “living…
One of two missing USF graduate students has been found dead
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says human remains found on the Howard Frankland Bridge Friday morning have been identified as missing University of South Florida student Zamil Limon. Limon is one of two USF graduate students who were last seen alive on Thursday, April 16. Limon, 27, was a doctoral student in geography, environmental science…
‘Legal mushroom dispensary’ in St. Pete closed last weekend
A shop considered one of the first legal mushroom dispensaries in the U.S. closed its St. Petersburg location last weekend. The store closed Sunday, April 26. Chillum Mushroom & Hemp Dispensary offers hemp-derived cannabinoids, functional mushrooms, legal psychedelic-adjacent products, and harm-reduction education. Carlos Hermida is the store’s owner and founder. He cited a mix of…
Tampa Bay lawyers raise ethical concerns over Pam Bondi’s conduct as Attorney General
Lawyers are raising serious concerns about what they allege is unethical conduct by Pam Bondi, former Florida Attorney General and until her recent dismissal, U.S. Attorney General, in a formal complaint to the Florida Bar and amid growing scrutiny within the legal community of alumni of her alma mater, Stetson Law School in Gulfport, Florida.…
Tampa Bay area ranks No. 100 out of 226 for ground-level ozone pollution, new report says
A new report from the American Lung Association found air quality slightly worsened in several Florida cities. Here’s how the Tampa Bay area measured up. The Lung Association’s “State of the Air” report analyzed air quality data from 2022 to 2024 to grade regions on unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution. The report found…
At ‘Sloth World’ in Florida, 31 wild sloths died in a company-owned warehouse
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. On a busy tourist strip in Orlando, behind noisy bars and souvenir shops, 21 sloths in crates reached the end of a grueling international trip. Soon, they would all…
Interview: Dave Smalley of Dag Nasty, All, and Down By Law talks new solo project
Dave Smalley has more than earned his stripes (as well as his credibility) in the realm of punk rock. Fronting legendary punk acts like DYS, Dag Nasty, and All (stylized all-caps), The 62-year-old’s name has long been a fixture in the rise of punk music in America. In the late 1980s, Smalley formed and led…
Democratic PAC says it will spend $20 million on Florida congressional races this year
While the prospect of a blue wave in Florida elections this year remains uncertain, Democrats in the Sunshine State are seeing their first infusion of outside money to help them win back congressional seats since 2020. The House Majority PAC announced Thursday an injection of $20 million into Florida’s congressional races this fall, targeting a handful…
Tampa’s Angry Chair Brewing is on the market for $3 million
Nearly 13 years after opening its doors, Angry Chair Brewing is now ready for a new owner. The South Seminole Heights brewery is being offered as a turnkey opportunity, with the entire business up for grabs for $3 million. According to the listing, the sale includes pretty much everything except the building, and comes with…
Missing USF graduate students know each other and aren’t in ICE custody, authorities say
Hillsborough authorities want the public’s help in the search for two missing graduate students from the University of South Florida, who were last seen on Thursday, April 16. A family friend was unable to reach Nahida Bristy and Zamil Limon and reported them missing before 5 p.m. the next day. Bristy, a 27-year-old doctoral student…
![Old Seminole Heights home tour, Hot Wheels Legends and all the best Tampa Bay events [April 23-29]](https://i0.wp.com/www.cltampa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4A_HW_Img_Auth_D_LegendsTour2024.webp?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Old Seminole Heights home tour, Hot Wheels Legends and all the best Tampa Bay events [April 23-29]
There’s a ton of stuff to do in Tampa Bay this week, including Old Seminole Heights annual home tour, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour and the end of Janet Echleman’s “Radical Softness.”
Dalmoros moves, Cuban sandwich eating competition and more Tampa Bay food news
Here’s what’s going down in Tampa Bay’s food scene this week, and the top events.
Tampa Bay’s best live music happening April 23-30
Tampa Bay’s live music weekend is here, and it’s going “MMMbop” thanks to Hanson’s appearance at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. BTS has a three-night stand at Raymond James Stadium, too. Alabama Shakes—playing BayCare Sound in Clearwater next Thursday—is the rock heavyweight on the lineup thanks to the resurgent rock outfit’s return to the concert circuit.…
Jeffries warns Florida GOP that new map will backfire: ‘Dummymandering their way into the minority’
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to campaign in Florida after the New York Democrat warned the GOP’s desire to redraw the Florida congressional map will backfire. In Jacksonville on Wednesday, DeSantis dared Jeffries to come to Florida, betting his liberal politics would push Floridians into the GOP camp…
Former Stanley Turrentine guitarist Dave Stryker plays New Tampa jazz night on Saturday
Dave Stryker is one of jazz’s greatest living guitarists and spent a decade playing for saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. This weekend at New Tampa Performing Arts Center, the 69-year-old is joined by Florida all-stars of the genre, including the University of South Florida’s retired Director of Jazz Studies, saxophonist Jack Wilkins, plus bassist Mark Neuenschwander, University…
Steve Arik fundraiser tops list of Tampa Bay’s best comedy gigs April 23-May 6
The benefit show, which is free to attend and will have a donation jar and a 50/50 raffle, raises money for Steve Arik, a longtime performer who’s been telling jokes in the Tampa Bay area since the 1980s and is now fighting Stage 4 colon cancer.
Alt-rock outfit The Maine headlines St. Pete concert on Tuesday
You’ll still hear the jams that made the last few Sad Summer tours (and 2022’s 97x Next Big Thing) all the better, but at a headlining gig like this (the guys’ first local one since a 2019 stop at the since-shuttered Ybor City location of Orpheum), don’t be shocked if there’s a bit of unfamiliarity.
This weekend’s Tampa Black Heritage Festival includes a set from Boá
Tampa Bay’s Black Heritage Festival’s month-long celebration comes to a head this weekend with a big music festival weekend at downtown Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. A band playing Rick James’ biggest songs is on the lineup along with homegrown blues hero Sarasota Slim, but keep an eye out for Boá (stylized all-caps), too. Florida…
Tampa Heights’ new Rialto Tea Room hosts a Kentucky Derby party in May
Last December, The Rialto Theatre, a mixed-use arts and events space in Tampa Heights, announced plans to open the Rialto Tea Room. The Tea Room, former home of the Rosemary Cottage tea room, held its first afternoon teas for Easter this month, and will host a Kentucky Derby day watch party Saturday, May 2. The…
DeSantis signs bills banning Florida cities and counties from supporting DEI programs, net zero carbon policies
Soon Florida cities and counties will be banned from funding or promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and enacting net zero policies that cut down on greenhouse gases. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills barring local governments from supporting those policies and programs at an event in Jacksonville on Wednesday. One measure (SB 1134)…
Photos: Boys Like Girls, IDKHOW play Tampa’s Hard Rock Center
Elder millennials dusted off their old PacSun and Hot Topic clothes last Wednesday night when stalwarts of the early-2000s emo scene played an intimate set at Tampa’s Hard Rock Center. Gainesville’s Arrows In Action and IDKHOW—a band featuring ex-Panic! At the Disco touring member and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!-era co-songwriter Dallon…
Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ doesn’t have to comply with federal environmental law, appeals court says
Florida’s migrant lockup in the Everglades doesn’t have to comply with federal environmental laws because it’s entirely state run and lacks federal funding, a three-judge panel has ruled in kicking the case back to a lower court. “The environmentalists and [the Miccosukee] Tribe must prove both that the facility was federally funded and that it…
