When oil and gas prices spiked to record levels, “going green” took on more cachet as a catchphrase, and that attention to eco-friendliness clearly informs this year’s Tampa Bay International Auto Show, which showcases fuel-efficient vehicles in addition to its hundreds of new cars, SUVs, trucks and more. But my guess is most people will be going for the nifty stuff: the 2009 vehicles, vintage cars, pre-production models and cool concepts, including (if the schedule doesn’t change) the totally badass Chevy Camaro. Other attractions include a magic show, DVD giveaways, an interactive video game display of new titles and a “Kids Day” event on Sunday; children 12 and younger are admitted for free with a paying adult and get to meet Iron Man. Nov. 6-9, noon-10 p.m. Thurs.-Fri., 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun., Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin St., downtown Tampa, $9 adults/$4 seniors, military, students and children 7-12 (children 6 and younger enter for free; two-for-one college student admission on Thurs.).
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2008.