On Saturday, June 2, 2012, Cirque Over the Park – a Cirque du Soleil style, outdoor music and entertainment event is going to take over Curtis Hixon Park.

Featuring Moving Arts of Tampa Bay – a theatrical production company blending dance, circus arts, acrobatics and musical theater – and music by local bands – including Justin & Travis of “The Groves” and Fencewalk Band – this event is a steal for only $20 general admission.

And if you want to take your Cique Over the Park up a notch, VIP admission is also available – which includes a buffet style dinner, beer, wine, spirits and beverages. VIP guests will have access to their own private entrance, VIP tents and restrooms, and a special viewing area, so the $75 ticket is worth it.

You can find tickets online. Gates open at 5 pm. VIP dinner starts at 5 pm. Performances start at 6pm.

So don’t miss music, great food (food trucks will be in attendance), and aerialists and circus arts performances in trapeze, hoop, and tissue – all in Tampa’s beautiful downtown park.

Inside the Café of Rock

The major allure of the Hard Rock Cafe is its atmosphere. It’s flashy, sexy and vibrant – a perfect escape place to experience the wilder side of life – the life of a rock star.

Whether attempting to walk in the shoes of a superstar or see the actual shoes of superstar, visitors of the Hard Rock Café can experience all angles of the limelight.

Most tables offer a vibe and view that feels like center stage or a VIP section of a show.  And with individual touchscreens at each booth, visitors can scroll through memorabilia from their favorite musical acts when they aren’t checking out in the in-house collection of rock artifacts.

The Hard Rock Café is more than just a few guitars hanging from the ceiling. The memorabilia is something special. Even a nostalgic skeptic can’t help but be impressed by a cocktail napkin from the Beverly Hills Hotel with song lyrics scribbled on it. Seeing the start of a timeless song that will outlive us all is pretty damn cool.

It’s true that most groups and couples are drawn to the Hard Rock Café looking for that inspiring, rock-related experience and not necessarily for a particular entree – but visitors will be happily surprised. Eating at the Hard Rock is another treat fit for rock royalty.

A Taste of The Menu

Despite what you might think, the Hard Rock’s menu isn’t filled with burgers and bland steaks – special only because of a quirky, rock-related name and “blues” cheese. Instead, the menu is something you would more likely find in a swanky, urban establishment.

From bruschetta, insanely fresh and crunchy covered with chopped, ripe, Roma tomato toppings, to single serving shots of specialty desserts of chocolate mouse and creamy cheesecake – a meal at the Hard Rock is unexpected treat from start to finish.

The menu options are enough that anyone can find something in their range of favorite flavors and preparation preferences from chef specialties in Italian to Southern Style BBQ and upgraded versions of American favorites.

A few stand out plates are the Homemade Eggplant Stack, a towering construction made with layers of eggplant mozzarella, tomatoes, arugula, and balsamic glaze, and Famous Fajitas, classic chicken wraps with a rainbow of toppings and fixens.

The Real Experience

The Hard Rock Cafe isn’t about gimmicky guitars hanging from the ceiling. And it’s not a tourist trap designed to lure in a local-attraction enthusiast.

At the root of the Rock – it’s a really great restaurant spot perfect for group gatherings and special nights out.  With an atmosphere that will make an ordinary evening feel over-the-top and a menu with delicious offerings and something for everyone, the Hard Rock Café is a gathering spot wrapped in nostalgia and rock, good food and fun times.

Go for the first time for the experience. Then go back for the food.

It Just Keeps Getting Better

A new $75 million expansion project will make the Seminole Hard Rock the eighth-largest Hard Rock location in the world.

The expansion will extend the existing 190,000 square feet of gaming space by 32,000 square feet, making the casino floor larger than five football fields.  The space will have over 5,000 slot machines, 105 table games and 50 poker tables. In April, the Hard Rock held a huge job fair to hire over 400 people needed to operate the massive new addition.

Game on.

The event, sponsored by Pepin Distributing, will feature samples of over 80 craft beers and a live art competition.

The Brews with Attitude festival will also salute home brewers with a home-brewing competition and home-brewing demonstrations.

The event is Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Get there on time at 6:30 pm so you don’t miss out on any sampling. And make sure to get your tickets early. Last year they sold out.

General admission tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. VIP Tickets are available for $70 and include a free beer caddy lanyard, early 5:30 pm entry and access to the VIP area with food and beer pairings.

Home Brew Competition

Interested in entering the competition? The grand prize includes a $300 gift card to Southern Brewing and Winemaking.

• All entries must be in no later than May 11th by 5pm- submitted to the front desk at Pepin Distributing
• Entrants will include 3 bottles of each entry with names & labels
• Each entry must include: style of the brew, along with the estimated ABV & IBU
• Judging will be performed by a panel made of professional and amateur brewers, using the BJCP guidelines

Featuring over 60 bands on 13 stages, Tropical Heatwave is a major collection of talent from the Tampa area and across the country.

With music that ranges from dance, alternative, and acoustic rock to psychedelic, latin and reggae, this all day event will rock every genre.

Our favorites from the line up include: The Vodkanauts, Amber Lynn Nicol and the Swingin’ Papas, Sons of Hippies, Auto! Automatic!!, The Hip Abduction, Have Gun, Will Travel, Poetry n’ Lotion, Rocksteady@8, and Infinite Groove Orchestra.

But those bands are just a small portion of the talent that will take the stage on May 12. For a complete list, check out this handy, dandy printable schedule so you can keep track of the artists as they play throughout the area on 13 stages.

Venues include: Centennial Park, Centro Ybor, Collage Creative Loafing’s CL Space, Cuban Club Ballroom, Cuban Club Bandshell on the Patio, El Pasaje Plaza, Cuban Club Cantina, New World Brewery, The Crowbar, The Ritz Sideroom, and The Roosevelt 2.0.

In additional to the music, 9th Avenue will host a street festival with food and arts and crafts vendors during the festival.

Don’t miss Tampa’s number one sound celebration on May 12, 2012. Tickets are $30 purchased in advance, $40 at the door. One ticket is your all access pass to every location and show.

Follow all Tropical Heatwave news by liking them on Facebook.

What: An open window (or door) into Mediterranean life. Having a meal at Row Boat is like walking into a traditional Mediterranean household and sitting down for dinner (or lunch or a late night snack). This isn’t just another gyro stand – it’s inviting, authentic culture and cuisine that will make even the most unadventurous eater a diehard fan of falafel.

Why: Because the cooks wake up early so your food is fresh. Just about everything at Row Boat Mediterranean is homemade daily – not mass produced and purchased. The hummus isn’t from a jar – it’s from freshly blended chickpeas and garlic. And the falafel – it’s packed with crunch and flavor because it has just come out of the kitchen not the package. And the daily specials are all specially prepared first thing in the morning to ensure each plate is to the highest degree of deliciousness.

Who (To Take With You): The friend who is afraid to order something they don’t know how to say. Row Boat Mediterranean is the best place to start stepping out the box and trying something new because you don’t have to worry about being let down. Take your taste buds on an adventure and find out that there is life beyond the burger bar and grill.

When (To Go): When you are on your way to grab a slice of pizza after a night out. Two things usually attract people to Ybor – food and nightlife. Well, with Row Boat you get the best of both worlds – a delicious day food spot and a late-night craving kicker. Row Boat is open late on weekend nights to cater to the crowds of hungry Ybor party patrons and offer an after-hours alternative to pizza. But wait there’s more….

R Bar

What: Row Boat’s side kick bar and lounge. R Bar, located next door, serves the same menu offering along with drinks from a full liquor bar.

Why: Because the patrons are laid-back, the staff is friendly, and the alcohol-soaked maraschino cherries are free.

Who (To Take With You): Your friend who is up for a good game of Connect Four or Uno. R Bar has taken some of the best old school board games from your past and made them into bar games – plus there is a ping pong table.

When (To Go): When you finally feel like getting out and trying something new. It will be worth it.

How: 813-248-0001, Find it on Facebook

Margaritas from The Lime.

Cinco de Mayo in Tampa is almost here.

MacDintons – 5:00 pm. Free Sombrero’s to the first 100 people! Jalapeno Eating contest. $15 Open Corona bar from 5-8 PM.

The Lodge – 5:00 pm. Wear your Sombrero and receive you first drink free. $2 Jello Shots, $3 Coronas, $4 Margaritas, $5 Margarita Pints. Live DJ.

The Lime –5:00 pm. Giant Burrito eating contest, Salsa Dancers, Stilt Walkers, the famous Nacho Libre, DJ’s and much MORE!$ 3 Corona, Corona Light Cans, $4 Corona, Corona Long Necks, $5 Loaded Coronas, $4 Diosa and Diosa flavors, $6 Margaritas.

Save Money On Cindo de Mayo

On May 5th, all Half Off Depot customers can save an additional 25% by using the promo code CINCO25 at checkout. And since you already get half off of everything, this additional 25% makes everything seriously inexpensive.

Right now they have over 400 deals for the Bay area that range from restaurant gift certificates to Mother’s Day Flowers to magazine subscriptions to Egyptian sheets.

So make time to do a little online shopping before heading out to do some in life celebrating.

As with all Tuesdays, Running for Brews will meet up at MacDintons for a group run and post-workout drink specials and socializing. But for this special fundraising event, Running for Brews is starting at 6:30pm and asking that all participants bring canned goods to the event.

Collected can goods will be donated to the Homeless Emergency Project – a nonprofit that provides homeless and low-income individuals and families with housing, food, clothing and support services necessary to obtain self-sufficiency.

People who bring cans or buy raffle tickets will be entered to win: a food/beer basket, BeachBeast.com 5k Race Entry, Shape up for Summer 5k Race Entry, Tampa Crossboot Shred Sessions, Pita Pit Bucks, Free Beers, Free Food, MyRaceRagz.com DryFit shirts, Amy’s Fresh Deliveries, and Chiropractor Sessions.

Find the event on Facebook.

More about Running for Brews

Running for Brews Adds a New Night

The Best of Both Worlds: Fitness and Beer

Running for Brews Weekly Run Schedule

Tuesdays 7pm – Macdinton’s
Thursday 7pm – World of Beer South Tampa

Then you need to be at Emerge Tampa’s Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, May 2.

Emerge Town Hall is an exciting opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback to a few of our local elected leaders including Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe, and Tampa Councilman Mike Suarez. Discussion topics will include transportation, downtown livability, neighborhood vibrancy, and economic development.

The town hall is being moderated by Tampa Bay Times Political Editor Adam Smith – who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to these types of events (he moderated one of the Republican Primary Debates in January).

The event is happening at the Tampa Bay Times Forum from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. The cost is $10, which includes one drink ticket and complimentary appetizers. Parking is available in the Forum’s West Lot for $5. You can register to attend through the Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s website.

An event like this, with these three leaders in one room taking our questions, has never taken place before. This is truly civic engagement at its core and a great opportunity for Tampa’s young people to share their voice and offer opinions about how to make Tampa the best city it can be.

For our first profile we met up with 25-year-old Amber Lynn Nicol – singer-songwriter and lead singer for the Swingin’ Poppas. It was a no brainer to interview Amber first because she is what we love about Tampa – all barefoot, beachy and breezy.

Amber’s music is easy listening, blues on pop rock, that can be trouble. It’s so easy to sit and listen to that you may end up with one more margarita than you planned on.

Amber’s first album “Beach Day” is full of obvious influences of  her hometown and upbringing. With lyrics like “love palms trees, cool breeze, you here with me, big blue ocean air,” it’s the happy music you hear playing in your head while you are playing in the sand. But with other tracks like “Dancing With You,” you can hear Amber’s bluesy roots and country influence. She’s got the pop and the twang – a sweet a mix for speakers in the sand, days on the water, or nights at your favorite tiki bar.

Amber Lynn Nicol

• Currently Living: In St. Pete
• Originally From: New Jersey
• Favorite Local Musicians: Funky Seeds, Vicki Scuteri
• Favorite Places to Play in Tampa: Bungalow
• Favorite Places to Hang Out: Undertow, Crabby Bills, Bahama Breeze
• Excited About: Tropical Heatwave (Amber and her full band will be playing)
• Influences: Bonnie Rait, Ray Charles (& the pop music of her past)
• For Fans of: Jack Johnson, Sheryl Crow, Jimmy Buffett

You can find Amber playing at Hyde Park Café, The Bungalow and Taps, among other local spots in both Tampa and St. Pete. Find her at the Collage in Ybor 7:40-8:40pm during Tropical Heatwave. If you can’t find her around, its because she is busy recording her second studio album.

Check out more about Amber’s music, show dates and upcoming album at  www.amberlynnnicol.com.

Our readers really rose to the challenge and sent us some awesome submissions.

Especially the winning sky shot by Maria Bohavita who won a $25 Gift Card to Ragin’ Sports Grill and Stacked Burgers for her awesome image. How she managed to capture a sky that big in a 2×2-inch square box, we will never know.

Thanks to everyone who sent in a photo. We absolutely loved this contest. We liked it so much that we want to encourage our readers to continue to post their favorite shots of Tampa.

We love Tampa and love seeing why you do too!