Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trots: Thanksgiving morning is a popular running day for many! Check out these 5ks in the Tampa Bay area:
- It’s the 40th anniversary for the Times Turkey Trot at Clearwater High. They’ve even added a new 4K for strollers and walkers!
- Goody Goody Turkey Trot is along Tampa’s Riverwalk, and starts at Amalie Arena.
- Coffee Pot Turkey Trot is on the waterfront in downtown St. Pete.
Black Friday: Skip the early wake up calls and long lines this year, and support local and unique businesses this Black Friday!
- Ybor’s funky shop Dysfunctional Grace will have a sale for “weird people who don’t like to get up at 3 a.m.” on Friday and Saturday, with major discounts on its inventory of oddities, taxidermy and other funky stuff. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 1903 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City. (813) 842-0830. Dysfunctionalgraceybor.com.
- Shoppapalooza returns to Straub Park in St. Pete with loads of local vendors and gift ideas.
- Local lifestyle brand Sunshine State has captured the surf, skate and coastal culture of Florida to perfection. They’ll have a Sip and Shop from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday featuring holiday discounts, and new designs. Plus, coffee, mimosas and snacks. 1799 N Clearwater-Largo Road. (310) 871-1910. sunshinestategoods.com.
- The Dalí Museum’s store is blowing everything out all weekend with 10% discounts on Saturday, a free tote with purchases totaling $75 or more on Sunday and 20% discounts online on Monday. 1 Dalí Blvd., St. Petersburg. (727) 623-4720. thedali.org
Concerts and Shows: There are plenty of fun ways to spend your Saturday and Sunday after you're done stuffing your face with family and finishing up your holiday shopping!
- KC and the Sunshine Band’s show Friday at Ruth Eckerd Hall is going to be a party... and they’re bringing out the dance pit! Clearing out the first few rows of seats will give fans plenty of room to put on their boogie shoes and shake, shake, shake their booties to Hialeah’s own Harry Wayne Casey, and his 15-piece band. Bring those leopard-print clogs with the aquarium in the heels. 8 p.m. $50 and up. (Dance pit tickets are $100.)
- Happy hour with the Florida Orchestra on Wednesday is a free and fun show at Armature Works. Pops conductor Stuart Malina,conducts the hour-long Two to Tango at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the courtyard of the Heights Public Market at Armature Works.. It's free at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. 1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa. (727) 892-3331. floridaorchestra.org.
- Miami’s Benji Brown has performed with Tyler Perry, Chris Rock and Steve Harvey. His fast-paced comedy throws characters of any race, class or gender with no inhibitions and without ever taking his foot off the gas. 8 p.m. Saturday at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, Ferguson Hall, 1010 N MacInnes Place, Tampa. $24.50 and up. (813) 229-7827. strazcenter.org.
This Week in Dress Up: Christmas is right around the corner! Bust out those ugly sweaters, because it's already party season here in the Bay.
- On Saturday, St. Pete’s all new illuminated nighttime Santa parade begins at 5:30 p.m. in Albert Whitted Park, 480 Bayshore Drive SE, to Fifth Ave. N. Then, at 8 p.m., Mayor Kriseman lights up the tree in North Straub Park.
- Largo Central Park will be lit up starting Thursday and not just lights, there’s a Ferris wheel, carousels, vendors and music.
- Holiday Lights in the Garden at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo lights up on Friday, just the right combination of an easy walk and eye candy.
- Check out Christmas Town at Busch Gardens with more than 2 million LED lights.