A wide-angle establishing photograph of a large crowd attending an outdoor concert at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. In the foreground, dozens of attendees are relaxed in colorful folding lawn chairs, predominantly blue, spread across a massive grassy field. The crowd faces a large, distant stage structure set up for the performance. The scene is illuminated by late afternoon sunlight, which casts long, prominent shadows from the chairs across the grass. In the background, trees and the tops of Tampa's downtown skyline are visible against a clear, cloudless sky. — The Florida Orchestra at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park on May 12, 2024. Credit: Ray Roa / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

A revered Mother’s Day tradition returns to downtown Tampa for this no-cover, bring-a-blanket-and-picnic kind of concert at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.

Chelsea Gallo conducts as The Florida Orchestra and vocalist Jenny Kim-Godfrey work through a program that includes Gershwin, plenty of classical (Beethoven, Tchaikovsky), plus movie scores (John Williams’ “Jaws” and “Star Wars” suites, Alan Menken’s “Aladdin” orchestral suite), and patriotic stuff, too.

Bring canned foods, dry good, breakfast items and other donations for the Feeding Tampa Bay collection.

There’s no cover to see The Florida Orchestra: Pops In the Park play Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa on Sunday, May 10.

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This article appears in May 07 – 13, 2026.