Wednesday, October 13: Green Drinks Tampa Bay at Brio Tuscan Grille
Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks. Meet a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organizing network. Green Drinks is an international organization with over 700 cities hosting Green Drinks events around the world. Please contact Advait Mantri with any questions 813-453-0242 or advait61@yahoo.com. 6 p.m. Brio Tuscan Grille- International Plaza, Tampa.
Friday-Sunday, October 15-17: Oktoberfest Tampa
Celebrate with German cheer, dancing and singing along the Hillsborough River at Tampa Oktoberfest 2010. This three-day fest will house Tampa’s largest biergarten serving up copious amounts of beer, German drinking songs, dancing, Oktoberfest games and great food from Datz Deli. Be there on Friday at 5 p.m. for the tapping of the inaugural Warsteiner keg. Dress like a Bavarian and get a free 16oz Warsteiner. Cash only at event. VIP passes and table reservations available. $10, $5 for designated drivers and kids, $15 for weekend pass; Friday: 3-11 p.m., Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 1910 North Ola Ave., Tampa, oktoberfesttampa.com
Friday, October 15: World of Wines of South Tampa
Indulge in offerings of wines from the West Coast U.S. and light hors d'oeuvres. $10; 6-8 p.m. S. Westshore Blvd., Tampa. (813-835-9463)
Friday, October 15: Bern's Fine Wines & Spirits
For this week's Crush Hour tasting, enjoy various Pinot Noirs from around the world. Sample wines from Burgundy, New Zealand, Oregon and California. $25; 6:30-8:30 p.m. 1002 South Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-250-9463. bernssteakhouse.com
Saturday, October 16: Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach
Celebrate 'Shoptoberfest' on Corey Avenue with a day of shopping, drinks, prizes, and of course, polka music! (Because it's not a proper Oktoberfest bash without a little polka.) Live accordion and polka music from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in front of Madeleina Cottage (357 Corey Ave.) and drink specials at participating restaurants and bars. Free parking. Trolley stops near by. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach, 727-498-8778. www.coreyave.com
Saturday, October 16: Dunedin Stadium
Whoever first said, "Too much of a good thing can be bad," had it all wrong. If you haven't had enough beer yet this month, Dunedin Brewery is sponsoring the Dunedin Beer Festival at the Dunedin Stadium. The festival will take place on the field itself, where patrons will be able to choose from over 50 Drafts, 100 bottle varieties including many hard to find offerings provided by the Dunedin House of Beer. Along with the beer will be plenty of grub, live music and a bounce house (for the kids only, sorry). Grab your wristbands and a designated driver for this all-you-can drink brew fest. Tickets can be purchased through the Dunedin Blue Jays or at Dunedin House of Beer, with some of the proceeds helping to benefit Dunedin Doggie Rescue and the Dunedin Brewers Guild. To purchase tickets, call the Blue Jays at (727) 733-9302 or call the Dunedin House of Beer at (727) 216-6318. For more information, contact: 727-738-7024 or Kevin.Schildt@bluejays.com. $20 in advance, $25 at the gate, under 21 get in free; 4-8 p.m. 373 Douglas Ave., Dunedin.
This article appears in Oct 7-13, 2010.