Plus, enter our Fall Photo Contest.
 
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Today’s Forecast

91º | 20% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:18 a.m. | Sunset 7:27 p.m.
Tides | Old Tampa Bay | High: 6:42 p.m. | Low: 11:54 a.m. + 11:07 p.m. | Clearwater Beach | High: 3:12 p.m. | Low: 8:39 a.m. + 8:12 p.m. | Full Weather Report | Traffic Report
 

Editor’s Note
Did you see the strange triangular object flying in the sky over Tampa earlier this week?

A bunch of videos on social media captured whatever was cruising above the Cigar City, with some thinking it could be extraterrestrial activity. Sorry to be all journalistic and boring here, but it was probably just a drone. Probably.
 
Top Stories
A little girl with a blonde ponytail and leopard shirt picks out a pumpkin from rows of bright orange pumpkins.

Plan ahead with these Tampa Bay area fall events | Is that a cool breeze? Whether you’re in the mood for a pumpkin patch photo op, Oktoberfest festivities, or some ghoulish Halloween-inspired fun, we rounded up 15+ events for the whole family to enjoy.

The rendering of the Busch Gardens' new realm: Wild Oasis, a leafy, jungle-inspired area with a drop tower, fake mountain, and mist.

Busch Gardens announces new realm coming next year | The jungle-themed Wild Oasis realm will open in the spring, bringing a whole new experience for parkgoers. A drop tower, a water-play wonderland, a climbing canopy, and a new multi-species animal habitat are all planned.

An up-close shot of Ruka, the baby pgymy hippo at ZooTampa. Her head emerges from murky water and she appears to be feeding on her mother who is mostly off-screen. Her brownish skin is wet, and looks slimy with light reflected off it.

Tampa has its own baby pgymy hippo | Have you heard of Moo Deng? She’s a pygmy hippo calf in Thailand going viral for her cuteness. Here in Tampa Bay, we’ve got Ruka, who was born earlier this year at ZooTampa.
Asked

Take part in our Fall Photo Contest
We want to see your best snaps of the Tampa Bay area in all its glory. It doesn’t matter if you snapped a sunset on your phone, or brought your DSLR to capture some waterfront wildlife, we welcome all entries.
Send them in
 
Events
This Weekend
  • Safety Harbor Restaurant Week | Saturday, Sept. 21 + Sunday, Sept. 22 | Participating restaurants in Safety Harbor | Price of purchase | It’s the final weekend to savor 25+ participating restaurants’ prix fixe menu options.
  • Oktoberfest | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Bayboro Brewing Co., St. Petersburg | Free entry | Get into the Oktoberfest spirit in the Burg with live music, German-inspired eats, and a beer or two.
  • “Landslide": A Tribute to the Music of Fleetwood Mac | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 8 p.m. | Mahaffey Theater | $23+ | Embrace nostalgia with the sounds of the legendary band.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos | Sunday, Sept. 22 | 1 p.m. | Raymond James Stadium | $50+ | The Bucs are looking to extend their perfect start to the season in the Ray Jay heat.
Plan Ahead
  • Travel Photography Workshop | Wednesday, Sept. 25 | 5-7 p.m. | Florida Museum of Photographic Arts | $82 | This two-hour presentation-style workshop will help you bring your vacation and traveling adventures to life.
  • 11th Annual Run for All Children | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg | Price of donation | Support the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Foundation by running/walking at the family-friendly event.
  • Science of the Cuban Sandwich 2024 | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 6-9 p.m. | Museum of Science & Industry | $20+ | Learn some very tasty history and the scientific processes surrounding our area’s most iconic dish — adults only.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Coming Soon
  • Soon, you’ll be able to dine on eats from a Michelin-starred chef at the Pink Lady. Elliott Aster — dedicated to the Florida wildflower + developer that named the Vinoy — will open in early 2025 and offer refined dishes, an antipasti bar, and drinks with waterfront views. (Tampa Bay Times)
Development
  • What’s happening in the Heights? Tampa’s Architectural Review Commission just approved the design for the redevelopment of Central City YMCA’s Tampa Heights land. The project features a new 70,000-sqft YMCA, a 200-room hotel, and 400 living units. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Announced
  • The University of South Florida’s new football stadium is coming into focus. Earlier this week, USF released a shiny new rendering of the proposed venue’s student section. Bulls fans can look forward to cheering on the team from the sparkling new stands starting in 2027.
Outdoors
  • How are Pinellas County’s beach renourishment projects going? Public Works estimates the county lost ~300,000 cubic yards of sand during Hurricane Debby last year. Right now, Pinellas is behind on renourishment needs. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Listen
  • The Bolts are gearing up for preseason. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Lightning with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Wellness
  • Posture check — this is your weekly reminder to straighten your back. If that felt good, imagine how nice a stretch at The Body Electric would feel. Find your flow at these Tampa Bay area yoga studios.
Travel
  • Want to make sure your next vacation takes off without a hitch? Check out our guide to Tampa International Airport for a full food rundown and to know just how early you should arrive to get through security. Bon voyage.
Regional
  • If you’re a Tampa Bay resident, you know about leaving the Ybor Chickens alone. Here are all the unwritten rules locals should know about our area, according to TBAYtoday readers.
 
City Guide

It’s time to hit the trail

Hit the trails with this guide to Tampa Bay area hikes
Tampa hike
Grab your hiking boots and discover TBAY’s most remote views. | Photo via Hillsborough County
From quick and easy loops around town to drives that take you to fantastic beaches and forests, our region has so many options to lace up those boots.

Key: Easy = 🥾| Moderate = 🥾🥾 | Hard = 🥾🥾🥾
(Spoiler alert, we don’t have any hard trails because most of Florida is flat.)

Hillsborough

Baynard Trail and Seminole Trail, Hillsborough River State Park
  • Difficulty: 🥾
  • Length: 5.5-mile loop
  • Pet friendly: Yes, leash required
The lengthy trail winds through the beloved state park, which boasts its own river rapids. The hike should only take a little under two hours. Parking is $6 per vehicle.

Pinellas

Weedon Island Preserve Trail, St. Pete
  • Difficulty: 🥾
  • Length: 4.3-mile loop
  • Pet friendly: No
Make your way through a pristine slice of Tampa Bay’s outdoors on the boardwalk or dirt trails, taking in all the wildlife and flora of the preserve. The Weedon Island Cultural and Natural History Center also offers a variety of tours.
City Guides are presented by Water Street Tampa.
10+ more hikes
The Buy

The Buy 9.21.24 (Affiliate)
A high-quality five-piece knife set that’s on sale for a limited time. Each knife boasts durable Damascus steel and an elegant rosewood handle.
More worth The Buy
 
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