Thursday 7.12

Sink or Schim Winner of the '99 Best Male Stand-up Comic award at the American Comedy Awards, Robert Schimmel offers the Thursday night Sink or Swim crowd a high-proof entertainment option less likely to result in a hangover. Schimmel has written for the hit series In Living Color and produced three well-respected comedy CDs. His latest, Robert Schimmel: Unprotected, is a full-length version of the like-titled HBO one-hour special. Schimmel performs at the Improv in Centro Ybor through Sunday, July 15. Showtimes are 8 and 10:30 p.m. Tickets cost between $14 and $18. the Improv's at 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Ybor City (813-864-2200).

Beach Blanket Blowout Whatever happened to Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello? Whatever happened to holding twist contests to raise money to save the beach? Whatever happened to full-coverage swimsuits? Whatever happened, it won't do any good to ask the teen-agers who show up at Municipal Beach in Treasure Island for the Extreme T.I. Beach Blowout, cause that's probably what they'll say, Whatever. The free event includes dancing, volleyball and extreme rock climbing, and takes place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Municipal Beach, 11260 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island (727-892-5060).

Friday 7.13

God Bless Americana Florida International Museum exhibits Norman Rockwell's Family Life Series, a collection of 78 prints depicting life during the 1950s and 1960s. Rockwell used his neighbors to pose for most of the illustrations in this exhibit. Rockwell, himself, appears often as well. The Rockwell collection ties into the museum's other exhibits (the Kennedy galleries, The Cuban Missile Crisis and U2: The Spy Plane) because it covers the decade during which the Cuban Missile Crisis took place, and Rockwell painted J.F.K. on several occasions. Admission to the Rockwell exhibit is $3.95. The exhibit is on display until Nov. 9 at Florida International Museum, 100 Second St. N., St. Petersburg (727-822-3693).

Tampa Turntable Massacre Hallucination presents Blood On The Turntables Part 4, featuring a deep lineup of DJs, Stakka & Skynet, Jackal & Hyde, Monk, Bamboo, Confucius, Octave Kitten and more. A visual soundtrack by Hallucination on Film (Monk and Berkeley) plays during the show on giant LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens. Tickets are $15 advance, $20 day of. Doors open at 9 p.m. at Masquerade, 1503 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City (813-247-3319).

Wet Paintings The Arts Center opens two water-themed exhibits, H2O — the Art Center's Annual Members Show and Uncharted Water. H2O is the work of more than 200 member-artists who were challenged to create artworks that include water as an image, medium, subject or component of the work. Uncharted Water is a collection of 36 paintings selected by juror Edward Minchin of the American Watercolor Society, focusing on diverse use of water media. The members reception takes place at 5:30 p.m. The public reception coincides with the Second Saturday Gallery Walk from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 14. The exhibits are on display through Aug. 24 at the Arts Center, 719 Central Ave., St. Petersburg (727-822-7872).

Saturday 7.14

Tropical Plant Fair The USF Botanical Garden hosts its annual festival of hundreds of blooming tropical and exotic plants. Vendors include the Cripple Creek Growers, who serve grilled peppers from a variety of a hundred pepper plants, and The Rare Fruit Council, who offer rare and popular summer fruits, juices and cakes to sample and trees for purchase. Admission is $2 for adults and free for children under 12. Free parking. Takes place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday, July 15. The USF Botanical Garden (813-974-2329) is located near the southwest corner of the USF Tampa campus, at the intersection of Pine and Alumni drives off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Pine is one block north of Fowler Avenue off Bruce B. Downs.

Faster, Bus Driver! Kill! Kill! Sunshine Speedway presents School Bus Figure 8's, a 20-bus race between unmodified 35-70 passenger buses around the Speedway's figure-8 track, plus Open Wheel Modified, Outlaw Late Model, Mini Stock, Street Stock and Enduro races. Sponsors include Q Auto & Injury Attorneys, One Stop Auto and Auto Trader. (Now that's marketing.) Pit gates open at 3:30 p.m. and grandstands at 4:30 p.m. Kids can take pre-race rides on the buses at 6 p.m. for a $1 donation to the SSRA. Racing starts at 7 p.m. Adult admission is $15; children 6-12 get in for $5 and children 3-5, $2. Sunshine Speedway is at 4500 Ulmerton Road, Pinellas Park (929-573-4598).

The Ozzman Cometh At last the Ozzfest venue has been secured — Tropicana Field — and the date is official. No one seems upset that the concert won't be taking place at Zephyrhills' Festival Park: not the Livestock concertgoers who've sat in the traffic jams that perennially back up the two-lane road leading to the gates; not the bands who'll now be playing indoors, out of the summer sun; and certainly not the residents of Zephyrhills who were so thoroughly opposed to their town temporarily becoming the land of Ozz. The lineup is monstrous, featuring headliners Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach and Linkin Park, and equally riveting lesser known acts like No One and Nonpoint. General admission tickets are $55 advance, $65 day of. The first band's at 10:10 a.m., and Sabbath plays at 9:50 p.m. Takes place at Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Drive, St. Petersburg (888-326-7297).

Sunday 7.15

Going to the Chapel? Don't miss Wedding Expo 2001. This greater Bay area wedding festival and fashion show allows attendants to plan their dream weddings in one afternoon. Exhibits display wedding fashions, hairstyles, bridal bouquets, gourmet wedding cakes and catering samples. Admission is $7. Free parking. The event takes place 1-4 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel Westshore, 4500 W. Cypress St., Tampa (813-854-1625).

Monday 7.16

Starting UpUniversity of South Florida's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) presents a useful and informative lecture on steps to starting a small business. The lecture is one of an ongoing series. SBDC is a one-stop resource for information needed to start, license, and register a business in Hillsborough and surrounding counties. Many of the forms they offer are downloadable — forms on such topics as hiring employees, financing and choosing the right type of business. The lecture costs $30 and takes place 6-9:30 p.m. at SBDC, 1101 Channelside Drive, Room 111, Tampa (813-905-5800).

Tuesday 7.17

Greasy Listening Rhode Island-bred rockabilly band The Amazing Crowns are known for playing hard live, so hard in fact, that the last time they played The Orpheum their bass player broke a string on his stand-up bass only three songs in. The Crowns combine throwback rock, punk riffs and convincing lyrics into catchy hooks. And when their fans ask for something, they get it. High School Hellcats open the $7 show, which starts at 9 p.m. at The Orpheum, 1902 Republica de Cuba, Ybor City (813-248-9500).

Wednesday 7.18

Beauty & Brawn Venus Swimwear hosts model searches and Las Vegas-style amateur boxing every Wednesday at Club FUN, as DJs spin a mix of techno, house, booty, hip-hop and funk. The cover is $5 general admission and $10 for VIP. FUN is at 1507 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa (813-247-4225).

This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2001.