01.16.2025

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Tides | Old Tampa Bay | High: 5:48 p.m. | Low: 10:58 a.m. + 9:56 p.m.

Clearwater Beach | High: 1:44 p.m. | Low: 7:19 a.m. + 6:44 p.m.

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🐖 Meat your weekend plans

Presented by Visit Central Florida

Ribs, brisket, and pulled pork, oh my. What’s your favorite kind of BBQ? | Photos provided by Visit Central Florida, via Emily Mort

Do you smell that? It’s the sacred combination of tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, and spices colliding with juicy and tender, slow-cooked meats to create one of the South’s greatest simple pleasures: BBQ.

The 28th Annual Lakeland Pigfest returns Friday, Jan. 24 + Saturday, Jan. 25 at the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus.

The two-day extravaganza kicks off the Florida Triple Crown of BBQ, a series of three competitions throughout central Florida where both professional and amateur chefs vie for the prestigious Triple Crown title — and up to $1,500 in cash prizes.

Pigfest attracts 150+ competition teams, and attendees have the first chance to try what could become a Triple Crown winner.

So, grab a package of hand wipes and leave your white t-shirts at home, because we’ve got all of the details for a sweet + spicy weekend.

🎟️ Know before you go

Admission is $5 (free for kids 12 and under) with free public parking
Exchange cash for Pig Bucks to purchase food from 150+ vendors and support local non-profit organizations and charities
Enjoy live music and family-friendly activities

🏆 Pigfest history

Pigfest is one of the largest BBQ competitions in the Southeast and the biggest Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned event in Florida.

Bringing world-class BBQ to the masses isn’t the only goal of Pigfest. Since its inception in 1997, the festival has raised over $2 million in charitable donations to the Lakeland community.

🐖 Taste the competition

If Pigfest leaves your mouth watering for more, there are two Triple Crown events happening next month:

Grills Gone Wild | Davenport, FL | Feb. 7-8
Ribs on the Ridge | Haines City, FL | Feb. 14-15

Bonus: Think your secret sauce recipe has what it takes? There’s still time to register for these contests.

Risk it for the brisket

Asked

Which “secret” ingredient makes the perfect BBQ sauce?

A. Molasses
B. Smoked paprika
C. Apple cider vinegar
D. Cayenne pepper

We can keep a secret

Events

Thursday, Jan. 16

Friday, Jan. 17

Raymond James Pops Dancing in the Street | Friday, Jan. 17, Sunday, Jan. 19 | The Straz Center for the Performing Arts | $35 | Groove to hits from Motown heroes like Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Stevie Wonder.

Saturday, Jan. 18

Ashley Children’s Gasparilla presented by Chick-fil-A Tampa Bay | 12-7:30 p.m. | Bayshore Boulevard, Tampa | Free | Flock to the iconic South Tampa street for a kids’ Gasparilla celebration featuring multiple parades, air invasions, and a fireworks show.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings | 7 p.m. | Amalie Arena | $79+ | Watch as Red Wings stars like Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, and Lucas Raymond take on the Bolts.

Sunday, Jan. 19

Fitness Frequency x Nike | 9-11 a.m. | Hyde Park Village | $25 | Kick off your week with a high-energy, Pilates fusion workout set to tunes from a live DJ— then shop for Nike gear with an exclusive discount.

The Market: Lunar New Year Celebration | Sunday, Jan. 19 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Water Street Tampa | Free | Check out a SACA dragon boat, lion dance and drum performances, live art, and themed arts and crafts at the monthly market.

Calendar events here

Click here to have your event featured.

Health

Take control of your health goals without leaving home

Presented by Hims & Hers

From personalized plans to unlimited check-ins, this program helps make weight loss simple and sustainable. | Photo provided by Hims & Hers

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Plus, the included behavioral program offers simple healthy meal ideas and lessons tailored to your lifestyle to help healthy habits stick.

Take the free assessment

News Notes

Number

$5 billion. That’s nearly how much damage Hillsborough and Pinellas residents and businesses suffered during the back-to-back hurricanes. The total isn’t final yet, but it will likely be the most expensive hurricane on record in Tampa Bay. (Tampa Bay Times)

Community

St. Pete leaders just approved a $1.2 million contract to make hurricane-related repairs to Albert Whitted Airport. Workers will tear down and remove a hangar as the 2025 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg — which runs through the airport —approaches. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Award

We were snubbed, TBAY. Our Tampa Bay restaurants weren’t noted on Florida’s Michelin Guide for 2025. But, tons of our standout eateries like Rocca and Kōsen, Ebbe, and Koya have already received praise from the French company. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Transit

Get ready, St. Pete drivers: Eighth Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street may become a two-way street. The city just scored almost $1.4 million to redesign the roads. Leaders hope the move would make the streets safer and relink neighborhoods south of Tropicana Field. (Tampa Bay Times)

Open

Introducing a more casual option for P.F. Chang’s fans: Pagoda Asian Grill. The popular Asian fusion restaurant’s offspring just opened in West St. Pete. Expect build-your-own bowls and wraps, plus egg rolls and wonton chips. (I Love the Burg)

Announced

Rays Fan Fest will carry on despite the damage to the Trop. Bring that Rays up attitude and head to the St. Pete Pier on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 1 to 5 p.m. to shop the Bargain Beach section benefiting the Rays Baseball Foundation, meet players, and play games. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Active

Registration just opened for one of Tampa Bay’s coolest traditions. Every year, thousands of runners take to TPA’s runway for the 5K on the Runway. Book your spot for the Saturday, April 12 race, before time runs out. (That’s So Tampa)

Plan Ahead

The ultimate literati experience is here: Hunting for books at Jack Kerouac’s old house. The Underground Book Fair is booked for Saturday, March 8, and will feature eight bookseller pop-ups, a slew of authors, record sellers, musicians, and artists. (I Love the Burg)

Sports

Who should the Bucs get back from their pending free agent list? Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Finance

Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? (It sounds wild, but it’s true.) The secret: Find a credit card with a “0% intro APR” period for balance transfers. This is hands-down one of the best of 2025.*

Volunteer

Did you know MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service? Join AmeriCorps this MLK Day to honor the life and legacy of Dr. King and help your community by volunteering on Monday, Jan. 20. Find volunteer opportunities to serve locally.*

The Buy

A pair of 14K gold plated heart hoops. The huggie-sized earrings are hypoallergenic and tarnish-resistant. Psst — they’re also the perfect Valentine’s Day accessory.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

As Gasparilla proper approaches, we want to know what stories you want TBAYtoday to cover. Do you want us to dig into the history of the invasion? The krewes? Share all of the pirate-themed eats across Tampa? Do you have a question about the tradition you’d like us to look into? Let us know.

Answered

Yesterday, we asked “What is Tampa’s oldest Gasparilla krewe?”

gasparilla pirate photo jack sparrow — Don your best pirate duds for the Tampa trek.

You know your Gasparilla.

About 73% of you correctly guessed that the first group of merry pirates to invade Bayshore was Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, which was founded in 1904.

The second most popular guess was the Grand Krewe De Libertalia, with ~16% of the vote. The group actually formed in 1992 with a mission to bring together people of all races, backgrounds, and genders. About ~7% of you voted for the Krewe of Venus. And you were close, it’s the second oldest krewe.

Finally, about 4% of folks voted for the Sirens Krewe, Tampa’s all-female krewe, which formed in 2010.

Send us a scoop, question, or feedback

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