Lights. Camera. Tampa Bay 🎥

Movies filmed in Tampa Bay

Winter, the Dolphin with no tail in Clearwater, Florida.

The star of Dolphin Tale 1 and 2 swimming at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. | Photo via the Wikimedia Commons

Hollywood might be more than 2,500 miles away — and we’re not talking Hollywood, FL. But did you know that Tampa Bay has its fair share of movie magic?

Between the abundance of talented production workers, the beautiful + diverse scenery, and other industry incentives the government offers, the Tampa Bay area is a leading city for making movies outside Hollywood.

Dozens of flicks have been filmed here on the Suncoast — here are five of our faves:

🚔 Cop and a Half (1993) | Port Tampa Bay, George Washington Junior High School
This family buddy cop-comedy film was directed by Henry Winkler and starred the legendary Burt Reynolds. Watch this incredible Channel 10 news report from on-set in 1992.

🐬 Dolphin Tale 1 and 2 (2010, 2014) | Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Admiral Farragut Academy
Inspired by actual events, Dolphin Tale documents the story of Winter the Dolphin and her prosthetic tail. But you should know this if you live in the Bay area, DT1 is a must-watch. Side note: The star of the film Winter passed away in 2021.

🦁 Goodfellas (1990) | ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Feed him to the lions. Robert DeNiro + Ray Liotta dangle a man by his feet over ZooTampa’s lion exhibit after he refuses to pay up. Watch the scene here.

🎰 Ocean’s Eleven (2001) | Derby Lane
This all-time heist movie stars film legends Brad Pitt and George Clooney as they set out to rob a casino — Derby Lane, a former greyhound racing track turned poker room on Gandy Boulevard.

🪄 Magic Mike (2012) | St. Pete Beach, Ybor City, Treasure Island
Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey took their talents to the always bustling The Bricks in Ybor and a Caddy’s on the Beach on Treasure Island.

5 MORE MOVIES

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Today, Dec. 19

The Shape of Dreams | Monday, Dec. 19-Sunday, April 30 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | The Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg | $29 | The Shape of Dreams explores 500 years of dream-inspired paintings from the 16th to the 20th century.
Tampa Bay’s Festival of Lights & Santa’s Village | Monday, Dec. 19-Sunday, Jan. 1 | 6-9 p.m. | Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, 215 Sydney Washer Rd., Brandon | $20-$25 | Travel through a one million light, drive-thru tunnel that’s almost twice as long as last year.
Movie on the Lawn | Monday, Dec. 19 | 7 p.m. | Armature Works, 1910 N. Ola Ave., Tampa | Free | Enjoy splendid holiday decor while catching a double feature of “Elf” and “Four Christmases.”

Tuesday, Dec. 20

“Flame” Chanukah Party | Tuesday, Dec. 20 | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | Address upon reservation, St. Petersburg Beach| $15-$25 | Celebrate the third night of Chanukah together with the Chabad Young Professionals at a private waterfront estate.

Wednesday, Dec. 21

Tampa Bay Farmers Market | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 8 a.m.-6 p.m. | Tampa Bay Farmers Market, 10001 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa | Free+ | Shop the freshest produce in town while supporting local farmers.
Witchgrass Wednesday | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 7-9 p.m. | The Ale and the Witch, 111 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg | Free+ | What’s not to love about Grateful Dead and beer?

Thursday, Dec. 22

Photography Hike | Thursday, Dec. 22 | 9-11 a.m. | Weedon Island Preserve, 1800 Weedon Dr. NE, St. Petersburg | $3 | Grab your camera and snap photos of wildlife during low tide on a nearly two-mile hike.
A Night of Lights a Chanukah Celebration | Thursday, Dec. 22 | 5-8 p.m. | Water Street Tampa, 1011 E. Cumberland Ave., Tampa | Free | Celebrate the holiday with a special menorah lighting, live entertainment, face painting, and more.

We have a calendar filled with events and 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

7 common mistakes when hiring a financial advisor 👀

SmartAsset matches you with vetted financial advisors in your area. | Photo by SmartAsset

Life should be a balance of adventure and relaxation — not balancing finances. Enter: Working with a financial advisor. But choosing the wrong one could potentially wreak havoc on your retirement and investments.

Avoid these 7 common mistakes when hiring a financial advisor so you can get back to the balance that matters most.

Pro tip: For simplicity, try this free tool to get matched with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area.*

GET STARTED, SMARTIE

Weather

70º | Partly Cloudy | 0% chance of rain
Grab your winter jacket and some sweats. Tampa Bay’s holiday weather could be the coldest it’s had since 1995. Two of the world’s leading weather models are in agreement that temps could dip down to the 30º-50º range Christmas weekend. ❄️ (Tampa Bay Times)

Sunrise + sunset

Rise: 7:16 a.m.
Set: 5:40 p.m.

Tide
Old Tampa Bay

High: 1:36 p.m. + 11:50 p.m.
Low: 6:55 a.m. + 5:37 p.m.

Clearwater Beach

High: 9:00 a.m. + 7:56 p.m.
Low: 1:31 a.m. + 1:54 p.m.

Biz

Celebrate good times. Good Night John Boy (16 2nd St. N., St. Petersburg) is taking disco to the max. The 4,000-sqft DTSP space will house a sprawling light-up dance floor, sofas designed to be danced on, and a disco ball. The owners hope to open the dance floor in February. 🪩 (Tampa Bay Times)

Transit

On New Year’s Eve, PTSA is offering free rides on all Pinellas County routes all day long. Plus, routes 4, 52, 60, the Central Avenue trolley, the Suncoast Beach Trolley, and the SunRunner will have extended hours until 1 a.m. 🚍 (I Love the Burg)

Civic

Tampa City Council rejected the idea for a proposed 10-story, AC Marriott-owned Harbour Island Hotel (800 South Harbour Island Blvd.) for the second time last week. Harbour Island residents argue that the hotel was too big for the “suburban oasis” neighborhood. 🏨 (Tampa Bay Times)

Sports

$1 billion. That’s how much the Tampa Bay Lightning are worth in 2022. Forbes ranked the Bolts within the top 15 highest-valued teams in the NHL at No. 14. The jump from last year’s valuation of $650 million to $1 billion was the biggest among the league’s 32 teams this year. 🏒(Forbes)

Edu

No. 9. That’s where The Princeton Review ranked USF’s Muma College of Business among the top 50 entrepreneurial schools in the US. The survey looked at a number of variables, including the number of scholarships and grants, and the level of support for school-sponsored business plan competitions. 📚 (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Seasonal

Crafting a floral arrangement for a holiday centerpiece? Red poinsettias are $8.99 at Publix GreenWise Market through Wednesday, Dec. 21.*

Shop

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for someone on your list, look no further. Let us introduce you to gift cards from our TBAYtoday shop, Six & Main. Purchase a gift card today. 🎁
Give the gift of a quality shave month after month with a Harry’s trial set and blade subscription. Choose your handle color, refill frequency, and let the good shave days roll in for as little as $5 on sign-up (yes, you heard that right). 🪒*

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Get ahead of the NYE countdown

New Year’s Eve events in Tampa Bay, FL

Where will you catch the fireworks? | Photo via Pexels

You don’t need a ticket to Times Square to celebrate New Year’s Eve in style — the party’s right here in Tampa Bay from downtown Ybor City to Central Ave. Pop the champagne at these five TBAY NYE events:

NYE at The Spectacular St. Pete Coliseum | Saturday, Dec. 31-Sunday, Jan. 1 | 7:30 p.m.-1:00 a.m. | St. Petersburg Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N., St Petersburg | $50 | Swing dance as 2000 balloons cascade from the ceiling.

St. Pete 2 Ibiza | Saturday, Dec. 31 | 12p.m.-7 p.m.| Post Card Inn, 6300 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach| Free | Take the SunRunner to the beach for some drinks and tunes. And no one has to DD.

Grand Glow Atlantis NYE| Saturday, Dec. 31-Sunday, Jan. 1 | 6 p.m.-12 a.m. | Wyndham Grand, 100 Coronado Dr., Clearwater | $85-$1,200 | Dive into 2023 with mermaids, live music, and lots of new eats.

Yacht StarShip NYE Cruise Party | Saturday, Dec. 31-Sunday, Jan. 1 | 10 p.m.-1 a.m. | Yacht StarShip, 603 Channelside Dr., Tampa| $229.95 | Ring in 2023 with a cocktail in hand while sailing the seven seas.

NYElectric 2023 | Saturday, Dec. 31-Sunday, Jan. 1 | 8:30 p.m | JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, 510 Water St., Tampa | $185-$1,149| Dress to impress at this party with a five-hour open bar, top DJs, party favors, and a glass of champagne at midnight.

But act quickly; these tickets are going fast.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Brad.

Editor’s pick: This year, while celebrating the festival of lights, Hannukah, I helped my dad build a new kitchen table and couch — and I really enjoyed it because I got to use my handyman background. But, besides a menorah, we don’t have a Christmas tree or many holiday decorations, so we have nothing else to set up. Send us what you think is the worst or most annoying holiday tradition or chore during the holiday season. Also, no matter what you celebrate, I want to wish you a very happy holiday.

Missed Friday’s newsletter? We put our safari hats on and pieced together ZooTampa’s potential new expansion.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Brad Haft, Bailey LeFever, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Kailey Burke | Advertise with us.

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