It's a stacked weekend around the bay: four nights of music on the Clearwater waterfront, a country-music fundraiser on the Hillsborough River, a brand-new art fair at the convention center, and home games for the Bucs, USF and the Lightning while the Rays play for a pennant in Cleveland. A cold front will make itself felt too, so plan around a wet Saturday morning.
First, the forecast
Friday stays summery, with a high near 89 and scattered storms mainly after 5 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay. Rain chances climb to about 50% Friday night as the front approaches.
Saturday is the day to keep an umbrella handy. Showers are likely, about a 60% chance, with the best odds between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the high only reaches about 80. Behind the front, Sunday turns mostly sunny with a high near 78, and FOX 13 forecasters expect lower humidity to come with it. It will be breezy, though, with east-northeast winds of 15 to 18 mph and gusts up to 30 mph, so beach umbrellas and boat plans may need rethinking.
Clearwater Jazz Holiday
When: Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 15–18
Where: Coachman Park, 300 Cleveland St., Clearwater
The 47th Clearwater Jazz Holiday gives each night its own theme, with two headliners on the main stage every evening:
- Thursday (Cool Jazz): Kim Waters, Jeff Kashiwa and Steve Oliver at 6 p.m., then Chris Botti at 7:30 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m.
- Friday (Feel the Rhythm): Arturo Sandoval at 7 p.m. and Sheila E. & The E-Train at 9 p.m. Gates open at 4 p.m.
- Saturday (Blues & Brass): Big Sam's Funky Nation at 7 p.m. and Larkin Poe at 9 p.m. Gates open at 3:30 p.m.
- Sunday (Roots & Funk): Dumpstaphunk Plays Sly at 6 p.m. and The Wood Brothers at 8 p.m. Gates open at 3:30 p.m.
You don't need a ticket to hear music. A free pre-party runs on two side stages in the park's lower plaza and on the promenade pier each afternoon, and the Sunset Bluff area is free and open with blankets and lawn chairs welcome. For the main stage, general admission on the lawn runs $39 to $44 plus fees, reserved seats $59 to $64, and premium and VIP options cost more, according to the festival's ticket page. The festival is rain or shine.
Tampa Pig Jig
When: Saturday, 1 to 10 p.m.
Where: Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N. Boulevard, Tampa
The 15th annual Pig Jig brings Thomas Rhett to the riverfront as headliner, with Midland, Kameron Marlowe, Florida natives Sister Hazel and Cassidy Daniels also on the bill. The charity festival pairs live music with a barbecue competition and raises money for families facing serious medical challenges. Tickets start at $140, according to the city's event listing.
Art Fair Tampa
When: Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin St.
A new indoor fine art fair debuts downtown this weekend, with organizers listing 110 artists from across the country working in painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media, plus live art demonstrations and family workshops. Public admission is free. A paid VIP collectors night opens the fair Thursday at 5 p.m. with a ribbon cutting by Mayor Jane Castor, according to Art Fair Tampa.
Organizer Tyler Sirota, who runs the TT Art Collective, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay he got the idea while volunteering at an outdoor arts festival and wondering why the format couldn't move indoors. His ask for year one: “I want people to come in with no expectations and be ready to be wowed.” With Saturday's rain chances, an air-conditioned art fair isn't a bad backup plan.
St. Pete Fall Festival
When: Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Spa Beach at the St. Pete Pier
The Pier's free family festival has live music, a kids zone with magicians and kids' bands, a foam party from noon to 3 p.m. both days, a 6 p.m. kids rave, food vendors and a pumpkin patch with pumpkins for sale. Fall-themed putt-putt can be reserved ahead, and bounce zone tickets are sold on site, according to the St. Pete Pier.
USF homecoming
The Running of the Bulls homecoming parade steps off Friday at 6:30 p.m. on the Tampa campus, with spectators lining Holly Drive, Genshaft Drive and Alumni Drive. On Saturday, USF football hosts Kent State at 7 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium, per the university's homecoming schedule.
Bucs, Lightning and the Rays on the road
- Lightning vs. Vancouver Canucks: Saturday, 4 p.m., Benchmark International Arena.
- Buccaneers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sunday, 1 p.m., Raymond James Stadium, on CBS, according to Buccaneers.com. With USF playing there Saturday night, that's two games at the stadium in less than 24 hours, so give yourself extra time around Dale Mabry.
- Rays at Guardians, ALCS: The series was tied 1–1 going into Thursday's Game 3, which MLB moved up to 1 p.m. because of rain in the Cleveland forecast. Game 4 is Friday at 6 p.m. and Game 5 is Saturday at 8 p.m., both in Cleveland on TBS. Game 4 moves to 8 p.m. if the Brewers finish off a sweep in the NLCS. If needed, the series returns to Tropicana Field for Game 6 on Monday and Game 7 on Tuesday, according to MLB's postseason schedule.
More around the bay
- Tampa Am: Some of the world's best amateur skateboarders compete in the 32nd annual Tampa Am at Skatepark of Tampa. Qualifiers start Saturday at noon, with semifinals Sunday at noon and finals at 3 p.m. Spectator tickets are required for the main competition, WUSF reported.
- Spooktacular Science at MOSI: Saturday, 6 to 9 p.m., with planetarium shows, slime, drone flying and liquid nitrogen ice cream. Nonmember tickets are $20 for kids and $30 for adults, according to Tampa Newsroom.
- Carrollwood Fall Fest: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the park at Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Road. Free admission, with pumpkin painting, food trucks and local music. Pets are welcome.
- Bubble Run Tampa: A noncompetitive foam 5K at the Florida State Fairgrounds, Saturday at 8 a.m.
Planning ahead? Check event pages before you go. Saturday's weather could shuffle outdoor schedules, and organizers sometimes update set times on short notice.