Why recycle beads?

• Beads take centuries to break down, eventually becoming non-composable microplastics which remain in the water indefinitely.
• The shiny plastic objects can be harmful for wildlife who mistake them for food.
• Thousands of hours of work are needed to clear up the mess.

How to recycle beads

• Bring your beads to the Florida Aquarium through Sunday, Feb. 11.
• Recyclers get 50% off one adult general admission ticket to the aquarium for every five gallons of beads devliered.
• At the end of the program, the aquarium will donate the beads to the MacDonald Training Center — a nonprofit which provides vocational training for people with disabilities.
• MTC will then sanitize, repackage, and reuse the beads at future events, helping to reduce the need for single-use plastics.

• One Slight Hitch | Thursday, Jan. 25-Sunday, Feb. 18 | Times vary | Early Bird Dinner Theatre, 13355 49th St. N., Clearwater | $50 | Grab a seat to check out this comedy show which tells the story of a wedding day gone wrong.
• UPAG 2023 Opening Reception | Thursday, Jan. 25 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, 1630 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa | $0-$12 | Check out the opening night of the museum’s 11th annual United Photographic Artists Gallery community show.

• Galaxy Explorers Theme Day | Friday, Jan. 26 | 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | Great Explorations Children’s Museum, 1925 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg | $0-$15 | Head for the stars and give the kiddos a chance to check out the museum’s planetarium.
• T.J. Miller | Friday, Jan. 26-Saturday, Jan. 27 | Times vary | Tampa Funny Bone, 1600 E. Eighth Ave., Tampa | $35-$45 | Chuckle at the Ybor City comedy club at jokes told by the actor + comedian of “Deadpool” and “Big Hero 6" fame.

• Historic Kenwood Tour | Saturday, Jan. 27 | 10 a.m. | Craftsman House, 2955 Central Ave., St. Petersburg | $10+ | Explore and learn about the Burg’s historic neighborhood on this guided stroll.
• Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New Jersey Devils | Saturday, Jan. 27 | 7 p.m. | Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr., Tampa | $50+ | Cheer on the Bolts in downtown Tampa as they look to beat the Garden State team for the second time this month.

• Beer Yoga | Sunday, Jan. 28 | 10:30-11:30 a.m. | 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg | $20-$25 | Flow in the beer garden before grabbing a complimentary brew after this class presented by Crystal Kage.

• Meet the honorees for the 2024 Tampa Bay Business Journal’s BusinessWoman of the Year Awards. The 30 women on the list were chosen from 200+ nominations, and work in fields including health care, cancer research, software development, finance, education, and tourism. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

• A vacant Davis Islands lot (201 Blanca Ave.) formerly owned by the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos just sold for $10.3 million. That’s $2.3 million more than Stamkos got for the 0.32-acre lot in 2022. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

• Chill, bro. Tampa’s popular ice cream chain Chill Bros. Scoop Shop just dropped a new Gasparilla-inspired flavor. “Pineapples of the Caribbean” features toasted coconut ice cream, fresh pineapple marmalade, and rum-soaked cake.

• Virtual-reality arena “Zero Latency” is now open in Tampa’s Westshore Plaza. The video-game experience offers “free roam” gameplay over a large area designed to improve safety. The company now has locations in 25 countries. Book a session. (ABC Action News)

• Breeze Airways is adding two direct seasonal routes out of Tampa International Airport. Flights from TPA to Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, and Orange County-Santa Ana, CA, will both begin in May. (That’s So Tampa)

• Bring the flavors of the Tampa Bay area into your own kitchen with the new cookbook, “Tampa’s Table Vol. 2: A Culinary Evolution.” Inside, you will find recipes inspired by popular TBAY restaurants like The Columbia, Predalina, Flor Fina, and Blind Tiger.

• 25,000+. That’s how many people flocked to St. Pete’s waterfront last weekend for the Burg’s 46th annual Power and Sailboat Show. Attendees experienced seminars, classes, boats for sale, food + drink, and a host of other nautical fun. (St. Pete Catalyst)

• In need of a date night? You could save some money with the Cross Bay Ferry which is offering BOGO tickets every Wednesday + Thursday throughout February in honor of Valentine’s Day. Grab tickets using the promo code “LOVECROSSBAY” for 50% off your fare.

• Hey, Floridians: How does going to college for free sound? Florida has robust financial aid programs that can cover much (or all) of the cost of college tuition. See an example of how your tuition at SEU may already be covered — with $1,203 leftover.*

• See how a storybook comes to life at Illustrations from the Mirror: The Art of Ahmad Taylor, on display at the Polk Museum of Art through Feb. 4. This imaginative exhibit invites visitors to learn about the illustration process, from initial storyboarding + character studies to colorful publication. Plan your free visit.*

• Hillsborough County Public Schools is looking to fill 250+ vacant bus driver positions. Check out information about the role + hiring process.
• Gerard Madrinan was named Pinellas County Schools’ 2024 Teacher of the Year at this week’s Evening of Excellence ceremony. The Seminole High School music teacher + band director now leads the band he fell in love with as a kid while watching his older brother perform 33 years ago.
• HCPS will receive a federal grant of ~$64 million to build a new school on the site of Tinker K-8 on MacDill Air Force Base. Officials voted unanimously this week to extend the school’s lease from 25 years to 33 years, through 2057.
• Hillsborough County is hosting its 2024 Excellence in Education Awards on Thursday, Feb. 1.