This expo will give you the creeps

The Oddities & Curiosities Expo in Tampa, FL

Skulls and other small bones sit in jars on three shelves.

A look at some of the curiosities from vendor, @the.axe.and.bear | Photo via @odditiesandcuriositiesexpo

The Oddities & Curiosities Expo is coming to Tampa. On Sat., Nov. 5, head to the Tampa Convention Center (333 S. Franklin St.) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a showcase of all things weird. Here’s what to expect at this year’s expo.

Tickets

Due to the expo’s popularity, there will be timed entry ticketing this year. General admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Bring the family — kids 12 and under get in for free.

Snag your tickets in advance.

What you’ll see

oddities and curiosities expo — Take home frightening animal skull art imagined by @Deathisart3

A general admission ticket gets you access to peruse and shop from a selection of vendors, dealers, and artists offering oddities like antiques, art, funeral collectibles, and other morbid curiosities. Those being — creepy baby dolls, animal skeletons, octopus-filled crystal balls, and everything in between.

For an additional $5, you can also buy admission to the Museum of Marvelous Mutations — an educational walk-through booth appropriate for all ages.

Or take the 2-Headed Duckling Taxidermy Class hosted by Heather Clark of The Sleeping Sirens. Get hands-on taxidermy experience for $235 (admission included). The class runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but don’t worry — there will be breaks to allow you time to shop the vendors.

For updates and sneak peeks of what will be offered, follow the Oddities & Curiosities Expo’s Facebook page.

Click here to have your event featured.

Thursday, Nov. 3

Drive-thru Toy Drive | Thursday, Nov. 3 | 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | Greenway Family and Energizer Toy Drive, 5815 N. 34th St. + 8801 N. Nebraska Ave., East Tampa | Free | The outreach event will accept new unwrapped toys to be distributed on Dec. 3.
Zeta | Thursday, Nov. 3 | 7 p.m. | Hooch and Hive, 1001 W. Cass St., Tampa | $12 | The band Zeta will be jammin’ out with guest opener Deaf Company.

Friday, Nov. 4

Cuban Pathways Exhibit Tour | Friday, Nov. 4 | 1:30-2 p.m. | Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Water St., Tampa | $12.95-$16.95 | Tour the Cuban Pathways exhibit with a guide.

Saturday, Nov. 5

2022 Kenwood BungalowFest | Saturday, Nov. 5 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | St. Petersburg High School, 2501 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg | $20-$25 | This year’s exciting experience explores architectural diversity and showcases St. Petersburg High School + 11 homes, spotlighting our urban rebirth and the phenomenon of living large in small spaces.
Tampa Collectors Extravaganza | Saturday, Nov. 5-Sun., Nov. 6 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Hwy 301 N., Tampa | Saturday $15, Sunday: $10 | The event spans 140+ tables of pop culture memorabilia, toys, comics, and more.
Tunnels to Towers 5K Run & Walk | Saturday, Nov. 5 | 8:30-11:30 a.m. | Main Library, 100 N. Osceola Ave., Clearwater | $45 | Participants will honor the heroic life of Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter who lost his life on 9/11 after strapping on his gear + running through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers.

Sunday, Nov. 6

Live Music at The Dalí | Sunday, Nov. 6 | 12-2 p.m. | The Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg | Free | The St. Petersburg Saxophone Quartet will play a blend of jazz, classical, and pop music.

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

83º | Partly cloudy | 20% chance of rain

Sunrise + sunset

Rise: 7:43 a.m.
Set: 6:45 p.m.

Tide
Old Tampa Bay

High: 1:56 a.m. + 11:48 a.m.
Low: 6:44 a.m. + 7:08 p.m.

Clearwater Beach

High: 8:15 a.m. + 9:48 p.m.
Low: 2:16 p.m. + 3:09 p.m.

Development

From hosting James Brown to Ella Fitzgerald, the Manhattan Casino was a focal point in the Deuces neighborhood’s Afro-American arts scene. Now the event hall is seeking a new partnership similar to the city’s + the Mahaffey Theater. You can join the Community Conversation by attending their feedback seminar on Nov. 9. 🏢 (ABC Action News)

Civic

Join the conversation. The Tampa Downtown Partnership wants feedback on some of the key issues related to working + living in the booming city center. The key topics —transportation, retail preferences, hybrid working, parking, affordability, and safety — are all up for discussion. Take the online survey here. 🗣 (83 degrees media)

Ranked

Sit back and relax. Tampa is officially the fourth-best place to retire in America. U.S. News analyzed data for the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the states to assess how well they meet Americans’ retirement needs + expectations. It looked into residents’ happiness, housing affordability, tax rates, and healthcare quality. 🧘‍♀️ (U.S. News)

Biz

Start your engines, St. Pete. We love the Burg for its warm sea breeze, but those factors can actually damage your exotic toys. Car Locker is the first-of-its-kind auto facility with luxury vehicle storage, a detailing shop, and a consignment seller. The grand opening runs from 4-7 p.m. 🏎 (I Love the Burg)

Eat

Ready for Beefy deals + meaty meals. Today through Sun., Nov. 13, Tampa Bay’s best food joints are serving up juicy burgers for under $10 a pop. All you gotta do is ask for the Tampa Bay Burger Week special. A portion of the proceeds goes to Feeding Tampa Bay. 🍔 (Creative Loafing)

Announced

Hey, batter, batter — swing. Bases are fully loaded for Tampa’s Innings Festival 2023. Imagine Dragons, Dave Matthews Band, Weezer, Grouplove, and much more are performing at the two-day concert outside of Raymond James. Tickets are on sale now.
Music star Taylor Swift is bringing “The Eras Tour” to stop at Raymond James on April 15, 2023. The tour will feature songs from several albums with tracks recorded at Sound House Studios in FL. As for scoring tickets? You’re on your own, kid. (WFTS)

Shop

Celebrate the holiday season in the company of family, friends, and, of course, food. This southeast Etsy seller makes the perfect personalized tray, great for serving loved ones your favorite holiday treats. Bonus: Make it your own with a custom engraving.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Learning center to become teacher housing

Historic St. Pete building may become teacher housing

Picture of the closed Tomlinson Adult Learning Center. | Photo by @paytonkirol

Pinellas County Schools is looking at creating its own workforce housing in an effort to make living in the area easier. The school system just put out a request for proposals to turn the historic Tomlinson Adult Learning Center, in the Mirror Lake District of downtown St. Petersburg, into a full-fledged affordable housing building for teachers + staff.

The closed Tomlinson building is three stories tall and totals 40,000+ sqft. Right now, it’s being used as a storage facility for the district after the adult education center closed last year.

The request-for-proposal states that the exterior of the Tomlinson building should be preserved and asks developers to transform it into a mixed-use facility — with housing, businesses, and entertainment. The request asks that developers squeeze in as many workforce housing units as possible at the lowest rent possible.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Brad

Editor’s pick: We’re all hoping to retire here shortly — but it’s nice knowing we’re already living in one of the top places to do it. I’d love to know if you’re retired + live in the Tampa Bay area — what was your reason for settling down here? ☀️

Pro tip, remember to take a breather every once and a while. Really appreciate these warm solar rays today.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We broke down how to vote + who’s on the upcoming ballots, here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: David Warner, Bailey Lefever, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea| Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Kailey Burke| Advertise with us.

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