Sigma Gamma Rho brings its 61st Boule to Tampa
Copeland Pool goes free for teens Friday night, and a Rec Card is the only thing you need in hand.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. has brought its 61st International Biennial Boule to the Tampa Convention Center. The city welcomed the sorority earlier this week at the center, where Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers, convention center sales and marketing manager Juan Lopez, and Sigma Gamma Rho leadership gathered to mark the arrival. The welcome put county, venue, and sorority leadership together at the convention center as the international gathering came to Tampa. (City of Tampa)
Improved lion and hyena exhibit opens at Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay opens an improved lion and hyena exhibit this week. Two lions, Hugo and Henri, are arriving from the Oklahoma City Zoo, and their move lines up with the opening. The upgraded habitat sits in Edge of Africa, the walk-through stretch of the park where lions and hyenas have long been the draw, and the improvements cover both animals rather than just the cats. If you are planning a park day in the next few days, Edge of Africa is the section to build the route around. The park has framed the opening only as 'this week' without naming a day, so it is worth confirming before you go rather than banking on a specific date. (Creative Loafing Tampa Bay)
Back To School Health Clinic - West takes appointments Saturday
The Back To School Health Clinic - West runs Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to noon at 1701 North Blvd, Tampa FL 33607. The clinic provides no-cost school physicals, routine immunizations, and Florida Form DH 680 transfers. It is appointment-only for uninsured, underinsured, or Medicaid children entering kindergarten or 7th grade, or new to Hillsborough public and charter schools. Preregistration is required, and there is a $10 nonrefundable registration fee charged per family rather than per child, so siblings do not multiply the cost. Clinics continue on Saturdays through August 8 at six locations across the county, with limited space and no walk-ins accepted. If Saturday fills, the series is the fallback. (City of Tampa events)
Teen pool party Friday night at Copeland Pool
The Teen Stay & Play Pool Party runs Friday, July 24, from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Copeland Pool, 11001 N 15th St., Tampa FL 33612, in University Square. Admission costs nothing, the event is open to the public, and there is nothing to sign up for in advance — teens can turn up at the door. The one requirement is a Rec Card, which the city also issues at no charge. That gives you a two-and-a-half-hour Friday night block with no cost attached beyond getting there, and the Rec Card is the piece to handle before Friday rather than at the gate. (City of Tampa events)
FMoPA marks 25 years with a free Saturday celebration
FMoPA's 25th Anniversary Celebration runs Saturday, July 25, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1630 E. 7th Ave., Tampa FL 33605, in Historic Ybor. The event is free and open to the public with no preregistration, and the day includes cake, free admission, and remarks at noon. It also marks the opening of Exposure: 25 Years of FMoPA, Highlights from the Permanent Collection. If you want the anniversary moment itself, noon is the time to be in the room. If you would rather take the new exhibition slowly, the hours on either side of the remarks are the quieter play. (City of Tampa events)
Two films on Tampa Theatre's Sunday schedule
Tampa Theatre has two films on the schedule for Sunday, July 26: 'Little Women' and 'The Little Mermaid.' Showtimes and ticket prices are not attached to the date, so check the theatre's calendar before you plan around either title. Two films on one Sunday can mean an afternoon-and-evening split or a pair of matinees, and the calendar is what settles which. Film pages are live for Little Women and The Little Mermaid, and the full listing sits on the theatre's movies page. (Tampa Theatre)
Mayor's Food Truck Fiesta returns downtown Aug. 5
The Mayor's Food Truck Fiesta is back Wednesday, Aug. 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lykes Gaslight Square Park, 241-263 E Madison St. The gathering brings local food trucks downtown and is sponsored by the City of Tampa. It runs on the first Wednesday of each month, so the August date is part of a standing pattern rather than a one-off — useful if you work downtown and want a recurring lunch plan you do not have to rediscover every month. The truck lineup can change, so treat any particular vendor as a maybe until the day itself. (Tampa Downtown Partnership)
Rock the Park brings free music to the waterfront Aug. 6
Rock the Park returns to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N Ashley Dr., on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. The monthly music series is free, and it books across genres rather than staying in one lane. It lands on the first Thursday of every month, and it comes out of a partnership between the Tampa Downtown Partnership and Brokenmold Entertainment that has run for more than 15 years. Three hours on the riverfront at no cost makes this an easy first-Thursday default, and because the booking moves between genres, the lineup is the thing to check if you have a preference. (Tampa Downtown Partnership)