What's New in Tampa Bay

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. October 14, 2008

TAMPA, FL, March 2, 2007. Spring brings some of the best weather, foliage, animal sightings and great deals to Tampa Bay. There's a lot going on in this vibrant destination and there's no better time to visit. Please review this newsletter for some highlights of the coming months and visit our Web site www.VisitTampaBay.com for up to the minute information on Tampa Bay.

ATTRACTION NEWS

The Florida Aquarium is preparing for the March return of the stingray touch tank which will be located at the main aquarium entrance. The new and improved tank is quite a dramatic change and has become a center piece for the lobby featuring acrylic viewing windows and a floor-to-ceiling mural of swimming Cownose stingrays in a deep blue ocean.

On April 13, The Florida Aquarium will host its second annual All-Release Fishing Tournament and Anglers Kick-Off Dinner. If visitors love fishing, this is the "can't miss" tournament of the year. Not only will guests be teamed up with some of the best fishing captains in the Bay, they'll also be promoting responsible fishing practices and helping Tampa's waterways in the process. For more information please visit www.flaquarium.org.

The Lowry Park Zoo - In spring of 2007, the zoo will open a planned expansion of the Safari Africa habitat area with a collection of new exhibits named after the Ituri Forest, a dense tropical rain forest in the northern part of the Congo River Basin. This exciting area adds 1.5 acres of animal exhibit space and several new African species including cheetah, okapi, pygmy hippo, red river hogs and shoebill storks. Also this spring, the zoo will welcome a colony of African penguins to a spacious new outdoor exhibit presently under construction near the entrance to Safari Africa.

The zoo has recently re-opened its Asian habitat area after extensive renovations nine months in the making. This area, now known as Asian Gardens, is a beautiful, lush forest with exotic animals, a new free-flight aviary themed after the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, waterfalls and incredible palms,bamboos and other tropical plants. For more information on this and much more, please visit www.lowryparkzoo.com

MOSI - A powerfully moving IMAX(R) Dome Theatre film like none other, MacGillivray Freeman's Hurricane on the Bayou carries audiences behind today's news headlines on a journey deep into the soul-stirring heart of Louisiana - before, during and after the unprecedented devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane on the Bayou is presented by HSA Engineers & Scientists.

Unfolding against the poignant backdrop of Hurricane Katrina and featuring state-of-theart CGI special effects depicting its fury, Hurricane on the Bayou follows a group of four musicians, both legendary and rising, as they uncover the electrifying culture of New Orleans; explore the beautiful alligator-filled bayous on airboats; recount their personal stories of Katrina; and most of all, bring the focus to the rapidly disappearing wetlands that are New Orleans' first line of defense against deadly storms. For more information on the IMAX(R) Dome Theatre film, Hurricane on the Bayou, visit www.mosi.org. Now Showing!

Busch Gardens - Two years ago, Busch Gardens Africa introduced the world to a one-of-a-kind experience: 200 feet up, 90 degrees straight down. And that was just the beginning. On June 16, the adventure park will reintroduce SheiKra to the world with a new twist: "floorless" cars that allow riders an unobstructed view of the 70 mph rush. Mechanically, SheiKra's track will remain unchanged, with its combination of drops, inversions and a water feature finale. Psychologically, though, the effect of the floorless cars will be intense: SheiKra's cars will continue to seat eight passengers across, three rows deep, but riders will no longer be able to brace themselves for Florida's No. 1 thrill ride against the floor of the car. With the front rail gone, passengers in the first row, especially, will be completely exposed as they come over the crest of SheiKra's signature 200-foot, 90-degree plunge.

Guests' last day to experience SheiKra in its current form will be Memorial Day, May 28. The following day, America's first dive coaster will close for approximately three weeks for the floorless conversion. The coaster's existing seats and shoulder harnesses will be fitted into new chassis that support only the chairs above and the wheels below. Between each row of seats will be nothing but open air.

The bulk of the changes occur at the loading platform, where retractable floors and handrails will be installed. As each floorless car comes into the station, the floors will raise into position, filling the gaps between the rows so that passengers may board. A pivoting handrail will swing into place in front of the car to assist those boarding the first row. For more information on Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, call 1-888-800-5447 or log onto www.buschgardens.com.

The Yacht StarShip - is proud to announce the "Sea of Wine Celebration Cruise" during all dinner cruises from March 2 through April 8, 2007. Cruises will feature: a one hour wine reception with complimentary hours d'oeuvres and six free wine tastings, free wine paired with each dinner course (three courses) and a free wine gift.

Also, the Yacht StarShip will have a "Mac Dill Airfest Brunch Cruise" on March 31 and April 1. This patriotic cruise will feature brunch buffet, coffee and iced tea, and an up close view of the MacDill Airfest and the Blue Angels. Easter Brunch and Dinner cruises will also be available on April 8, 2007. Book online at www.yachtstarship.com or call 813.223.7999

ART & CULTURE NEWS

The Salvador Dali Museum - which holds the pre-eminent American collection of the artist's work will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2007! For more information about the Salvador Dal'i Museum, please visit the Museum web site at www.SalvadorDaliMuseum.org or call (800) 442-3254.

The Tampa Museum of Art - will host Pride & Passion 2007: A Celebration of Identity on Friday, June 8, 2007 from 8 p.m. to midnight. The event is designed to engage current members and broader segments of the community with the museum. Proceeds from the event will support the museum's exhibitions and educational programs.

The museum will showcase several special exhibitions during Pride & Passion 2007, including Eberhard Havekost 1996-2006: Paintings from the Rubell Family Collection, Memorials of Identity: New Media from the Rubell Family Collection, both on view April 14 - July 8, 2007, Purvis Young from the Tampa Museum of Art's Collection, April 28 - July 22, 2007, VSA Arts of Florida: Through My Eyes, May 12 - June 17, 2007, as well as its permanent collection of contemporary art and Greek and Roman antiquities entertainment, including a live DJ and musical performance, along with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and beverages, will be featured throughout the evening. Admission to Pride & Passion 2007: A Celebration of Identity is $45 for single tickets, $65 for couples/households and $20 for current museum members. Admission includes a one-year membership to the Tampa Museum of Art. For more information about the Tampa Museum of Art, call 813/274-8130 or

visit www.TampaMuseum.com.

HOTEL & RESTAURANT NEWS

Wyndham Westshore - The newest upscale hotel in the Westshore business and shopping district of Tampa will feature superb customer service with a contemporary and comfortable feeling, reflective of the Florida seaside, while maintaining the sophistication of a business hotel. The remodel will reflect a luxury style and will feature 323 richly appointed guest rooms and suites with over 21,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces.

The hotel was acquired by an affiliate ofLowe Enterprises Investments in March, 2006. A commitment of more than $18 million has been made by the new owners to remodel and reposition the hotel under an upscale brand.

All public areas, meeting space and guest rooms will be renovated in a sophisticated, yet casual style. Also, the hotel will offer more than 21,000 square feet of event space following the addition of 2,500 square feet of meeting space and an additional 7,000 square foot atrium venue and half of the hotel's 17 junior suites will be upgraded to business suites with ergonomic chairs, meeting tables and outfitted for technology. The remaining junior suites will be designed for leisure travelers with comfortable living space. What's more the lobby will receive a fresh new look while maintaining the elegant atmosphere of a fine business hotel.

The Days Inn Port of Tampa/Ybor City, newly renovated Dec. 2006 and now has suites available with a king bed and two full beds. New landscaping and a fresh look will enhance guests stay at the Days Inn Port of Tampa/Ybor City. Continental breakfast from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. so bring your apatite!

The Embassy Suites hotel - in Tampa/Brandon is scheduled to open this fall, 2007. It will be our fourth White Lodging Services hotel in the Tampa/Brandon area. Its sister properties include the Courtyard by Marriott, the newly renovated Fairfield Inn & Suites and the new Homewood Suites by Hilton. All four hotels are located on Palm River Road; exit 257 off of I-75 and the Falkenburg exit off of the Leroy Selmon Expressway.

The Resort & Club at Little Harbor - Little Harbor, the biggest waterfront resort and residential living experience on Tampa Bay, is adding a brand new $48 million resort/condo tower, which is scheduled to open this summer. In addition, they recently completed a $4.5 million renovation of The Resort and Club at Little Harbor.

The luxury resort/condominium called Harborside, will offer a collection of 158 waterfront studios, as well as one, two and three bedroom condominiums in its vacation rental accommodation program. The renovation of the AAA Three Diamond resort hotel included the 94 hotel rooms, lobby, and meeting, convention and banquet facilities, as well as the Sunset Grill restaurant.

"Little Harbor is the most unique beachfront resort and residential community on the West Coast of Florida," said Oliver Kugler, marketing director for The Resort and Club at Little Harbor. "With the recently completed renovations to The Resort and Club, the addition of 60 new two and three bedroom townhomes and the upcoming grand opening of the Harborside resort/condo tower, Little Harbor now provides an accommodation for every type of visitor whether individuals, couples or families. Our convenient, yet secluded beachfront location between Tampa and Sarasota makes us Florida's undiscovered, best kept secret."

Interior design on both projects was done by Hallock Design Group, an interior design company that specializes in design concepts for luxury residential, resort and commercial developments.

Little Harbor is a Caribbean-style residential and island resort living experience on Tampa Bay. This one-of-a-kind seaside village presents an enchanting combination of beach, bay, river and harbor-front residential homes and resort-style residences, along with a colorful mix of amenities that evoke images of a bygone Caribbean lifestyle. The project is being developed by EarthMark Companies, a real estate development company known for creating resort-style, amenity-rich and environmentally sustainable communities. For more information, call (800) 327-2773, visit www.StayLittleHarbor.com or drop by the resort at 611 Destiny Drive in Ruskin.

Hampton Inn & Suites - is very excited to be creating a package that includes three of Tampa's favorite theme parks - the Lowry Park Zoo, The Florida Aquarium and the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) for the "Tampa Triplet Ticket." The package will cost $189.00 plus taxes and includes a one night stay and two adult tickets to all three parks. What's more, once guests pick up their Triplet Ticket it will not have an expiration date so they are able to come back another time if they were unable to visit every attraction at no additional cost. The package will be available from March 17 2007 - September 30, 2007.

The Hyatt Place Tampa Busch Gardens - A new kind of hotel that puts style, innovation and The Hyatt Touch(R) within everyone's reach. Each guestroom has a 42" flat panel HD TV and our Hyatt Grand BedTM. Free Wi-Fi is available throughoutthe hotel, a complimentary continental breakfast is offered daily and freshly prepared entrees and snacks are available 24/7 in our Guest Kitchen or Gallery Caf'e. Business meetings, corporate events and private functions are comfortably accommodated in our 1,200 square feet of flexible meeting space.

Hyatt Place Tampa Busch Gardens and Hyatt Place Tampa Airport/Westshore provide a contemporary and innovative hotel experience soon to be offered at more than 120 Hyatt Place locations nationwide. Discover just how perfectly a hotel can fit your lifestyle. For more information visit www.hyattplace.com.

The 717-room Tampa Marriott Waterside - Hotel & Marina will be renovating all of their meeting space in the summer of 2007. The Grand Ballroom, 3rd floor meeting rooms, The Florida Ballroom and meeting rooms 1-7 will all undergo improvements. The property continues to provide elegant and sophisticated accommodations for convention & leisure travelers.

EVENTS

Florida Strawberry Festival March 1, 2007 - March 11, 2007

A celebration of strawberries that dates back to 1930. It began when members of the PlantCity Lions Club decided to celebrate the area's bountiful harvest of strawberries. The 11-day festival, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world. The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World --Plant City-- is located about 24 miles east of Tampa.

The festival features daily entertainment by some of music's biggest stars. Headline acts like Wayne Newton, Randy Travis, Willow Nelson and LeAnn Rimes have all graced the festival's stages. Events and exhibits of the popular festival include agriculture shows, commerce, education, industry, livestock, a baby contest, and the Midway featuring over 60 rides. Competitions range from cook-offs and clogging to diaper decorating and strawberry shortcake eating contests.

The festival features two country music shows each evening on the main stage. Limited FREE seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Tickets may be purchased for reserved seats for afternoon and evening shows. For more information please visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com

Apollo Beach Manatee Arts Festival March 10, 2007 - March 11, 2007

The Annual Apollo Beach Manatee Arts Festival is a major fine arts and crafts show that promotes visual and performing arts as well as awareness and preservation of the endangered Florida Manatee. The event features 100 artists and craftsmen from across the nation displaying their work in addition to "Young At Art" children's art show, a Children's Creativity Center, a Culinary Arts Program, live entertainment, beer garden and wide variety of food and beverage vendors. Numerous organizations will be on hand to educate and demonstrate ways to protect Tampa Bay waters and Florida wildlife such as the Florida Manatee. Email: [email protected] or call 1-888-224-1733, for more information.

Bern's WINEFEST April 28, 2007 - May 1, 2007

Legendary Tampa restaurant, Bern's Steak House, sister SideBern's and Bern's Fine Wines & Spirits, will hold its 10th Annual Winefest event April 26-29, 2007. At this four-day event, guests will have the opportunity to experience extraordinary food and wine tastings and attend winemaker dinners and educational seminars with special guests.

Spectacular winemaker dinners begin and end the Winfest weekend. Friday evening dine at SideBern's with some of the most cutting edge wine on the planet and wrap up the weekend on Monday evening with a classically styled dinner at Bern's Steak House. These dinners feature five-courses of Executive Chef Jeannie Pierola's award winning cuisine, paired with some of the most highly rated wines in the world.

Saturday evening the 2nd Annual Winefest Cocktail Event will be held. Launched at the 2006 Winefest, the cocktail party features passed appetizers, drink stations and live entertainment with a special spirits tasting inside the Wine Shop. There is no wine at this event - just cocktails - Bern's & SideBern's-Style!

On Sunday, at the VIP event, guests have the opportunity to sip an exclusive champagne cocktail and enjoy passed bites before the Grand Tasting opens for one hour - just for them! Tickets for this event go fast - make sure you don't miss it! The Grand Tasting will again feature nearly 200 wines and bites from Bern's and SideBern's along with artisan cheese and dessert. As always, there will be featured guests during the educational seminars and the silent auction will return. Portions of each ticket will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information call (813) 253-0358 or visit www.bernswinfest.com.

Ruskin Tomato Festival May 5, 2007 - May 6, 2007

All of Tampa Bay is seeing red during the Tomato and Heritage Festival at E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin, a small historic coastal community south of Tampa. The delicious Ruskin tomato is undoubtedly the star of the festival and highlights include "The Great Tomato Cook-off," the crowning of the "Ruskin Tomato Festival Queen" and the all-you-can-eat sliced tomatoes. Live entertainment, a farmer's market and a Street Rod Show.

Ruskin is located in Southern Hillsborough County, on the eastern shore of Tampa Bay. The community was settled in the late 1800's by followers of John Ruskin, a writer from England. Today, the town is famous for Ruskin tomatoes and other agricultural crops. Visit http://ruskintomatofestival.org/ for more information.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 2007

The Columbia Restaurant and Bern's Steak House, two venerable restaurants located in Tampa, Fla., have both received the "Award of Ultimate Distinction" from Wine Enthusiast magazine. Only 29 restaurants in the United States received this award in 2007, and the Columbia and Bern's were the only restaurants in Florida to earn this honor.

This is the highest level of award given by the magazine and is earned by restaurants that excel on all measures, offering the ultimate experience in wine with imagination and passion. The Columbia has earned this honor for the third year in a row, beginning in 2005, the inaugural year for this award. Bern's has earned this honor for the second year in a row, beginning in 2006.

Wine Enthusiast states regarding theColumbia, "4th generation co-owner Richard Gonzmart is in charge of the wine program, which features an awe-inspiring selection of Spanish wines, with an emphasis on verticals, plus wines from California with connections to Spain, and bottlings from Chile. One of the most complete collections of Torres Mas la Plana in the world, including some Torres made expressly for the king of Spain. Verticals of Vega Sicilia Unico dating back to 1960. Plus CUNE and Alejandro Fernandez's Pesquera."

Wine Enthusiast says about Bern's, "With a staggering 500,000 bottles in its cellar, Bern's Steak House does wine in a big way." Bern's houses the most extensive selection of wines of any restaurant in the world.

The wine list of the Columbia has also been recognized by many of Spain's leading winemakers as having "he most complete and the world's best collection in the world of wines from Spain." The Columbia's wine list contains more than 1,000 wines with an inventory exceeding 50,000 bottles.

A wine cellar seen from the Don Quixote dining room, Tampa's first air-conditioned dining room in 1935, holds over 15,000 bottles of wine -- showcasing some of this extensive wine collection. www.columbiarestaurant.com and www.bernssteakhouse.com.

Boizao Steakhouse - Enjoy authentic Brazilian cuisine - without the jet lag! Boizao Steakhouse serves up 14 perfectly grilled cuts of beef, lamb, pork, chicken and sausage carved tableside by their Gaucho chefs. Each premium cut is seasoned, skewered and slowly roasted over an open fire. The fixed price menu includes an elaborate appetizer and salad buffet offering fresh greens, premium and exotic vegetables, imported cheeses and traditional Brazilian accompaniments.

Offering an array of internationally acclaimed fine wines, a full bar and the notto-be-missed Caipirinha, made of Brazilian Cachaca, sugar and fresh lime, Boizao is certain to be a welcome addition to the area. Lunch weekdays/dinner each evening. Private dining for 20 - 125. Gift cards

available.

Located at 4606 W. Boy Scout Blvd., across from the International Plaza. For reservations call 813-286-7100; for more info, visit www.boizao.com. Major credit cards accepted.

Tampa International Airport - The Air Transport Research Society (ATRS) presented Tampa International Airport with its 2006 Top North American Airport Efficiency Award and Global Top Efficiency Award among airports with less than 20 million passengers. Tampa International Airport's rating indicated that it is 37 percent more efficient than the average North American airport.

TIA is also pleased to announce the arrival of two new art exhibits - all part of the Airports' on-going public art program. Reflections of Tampa Bay highlights the Tampa community with a focus on its diversity, culture and history through the eyes of student artists. The exhibit, located in the Arcade, the walkway between the Landside Terminal Building and the Marriott Hotel. For further information please call 813-289-5488 or go to www.TampaAirport.com.

Tampa Port Authority - In 2006, the Port of Tampa greeted 908,647 cruise passengers, which represents a 12 percent increase over 2005. The Port of Tampa is one of the fastest growing cruise ports in the U.S.