The Bay Breeze pulls into town
A boat named Bay Breeze docks in Tampa Bay, a $2.2 million pump-station rebuild starts, and the museum lets you name your price tonight.
The first boat for the new Tampa-to-St. Pete ferry has arrived. Tampa is also rebuilding a 1960s pump station, and the art museum offers pay-as-you-will admission tonight.
The first vessel for the new cross-bay ferry has arrived in the Tampa Bay area, and it has a name: Bay Breeze. The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority calls it a major step toward launching service between Tampa and downtown St. Pete. A second boat is expected soon. For anyone who has sat on the Howard Frankland at 5:30 on a Friday, the pitch writes itself. A boat is not a bridge, and PSTA has not announced a start date here. But the hardware showing up is different from a rendering showing up. This one you can actually look at.
The Shriners came back with a $9.25 million impact
The Prince Hall Shriners brought their 2026 Imperial Session to Tampa from Aug. 14 through 20, the organization’s fifth convention here since 2010. Thousands of attendees filled the Tampa Convention Center and downtown. The city projects $9,251,988 in direct economic impact. Community programs included free haircuts, toiletries, food, health screenings and employment help through Project C.A.R.E. The week also included a bookbag and school-supply giveaway, a diabetes walk and health fair, a blood drive and voter registration. The main convention activity ran through Aug. 19, with the closing date Thursday.
A Forest Hills pump station gets a $2.2 million rebuild
Tampa has begun a $2.2 million overhaul of a Forest Hills wastewater pumping station built in the 1960s. Crews will replace old pumps and add a third pump for more capacity and backup. Electrical equipment will move into a flood-proof building elevated nine feet above ground. A permanent generator will keep power available during outages. The station will remain fully submersible during extreme weather. The city says 33 of Tampa’s 228 wastewater pumping stations have been upgraded or are being retrofitted. Work at the Forest Hills station is expected to finish in 2027.
Slow Looking comes to Town 'N Country Tuesday
Tampa Museum of Art brings Slow Looking with Florida Artists to Town 'N Country Regional Public Library on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 11 a.m. A guide leads participants through close observation of selected works from the museum collection. The group shares what it sees and how each person reads the art. The session focuses on Florida artists represented in the collection. No prior art experience is needed.
Slow Looking moves to North Tampa Friday
A second Slow Looking with Florida Artists session comes to North Tampa Branch Library on Friday, Aug. 28, at 11 a.m. The format again uses guided exercises with selected works from the Tampa Museum of Art collection. Participants share observations, interpretations and different views in a group setting. The session focuses on Florida artists and is designed to work without prior art training.
Pay what you want at the art museum tonight
Art on the House runs tonight at the Tampa Museum of Art, 4 to 8 pm. Admission goes pay-as-you-will, meaning you decide the number at the door. It happens every Thursday, so if tonight is a wash, next week is August 27 at the same hours. The museum is marking 100 years of art in Tampa, with galleries spanning ancient, modern, and contemporary work. Bring the kids or do not. Four hours is enough time to wander through, sit with two or three things, and leave before the parking gets annoying.
Tony takes six slots at Tampa Theatre
The live show 'Tony' plays Tampa Theatre six times over the next six days: Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m., Sunday at 3 p.m., and Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. The theatre describes it as a live show with a variety of performances. The run gives residents several weekday and weekend options inside the historic movie palace. Check the theatre page for ticket availability before heading downtown.