It’s a weekend of art, theater, movies in the park, car & motorcycle shows, an Italian celebration, a big museum anniversary, and some great causes for you to support. Let Registry Tampa Bay curate your calendar and show you the very best of Tampa Bay!
Thursday and Beyond
Wonder: Art + Healing Symposium
Ringling Museum, Sarasota
Here’s a great opportunity for a day (or two) trip to our southern neighbors and the amazing Ringling Museum. Wonder is alive in museums as a powerful undercurrent of artistic expression, discovery, and meaningful connection.
The 2025 Wonder Symposium will dive deep into wonder as the connective tissue between the arts and healing. We will explore the potential of the arts to inspire wonder, which in turn, promotes healing. Through thought-provoking presentations and inspiring activities and experiences, this symposium will explore the arts as agents of wonder and the role that wonder can play in emotional, mental, and physical healing. The event includes lectures, a Carnival of Wonder and Ringling WONDERground.
Now through Saturday, May 16th
Find tickets, schedules, and more information HERE.
I have attended this event on several occasions, and I can tell you that it’s a truly fun evening for a very good cause. Voices of Hope for Aphasia will host its third annual Word Play event. Word Play is a fun-filled night of word-game competitions, dinner, and opportunities to support Voices of Hope for Aphasia, with a special tribute to Tampa Bay’s own puzzle master, the late Merl Reagle, the nationally known and syndicated crossword puzzle constructor.
Thursday, May 15th @6:30pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Venus in Fur by David Ives – Presented by Dead Canary Theatre Company
The Studio @620, DTSP
David Ives’ mesmerizing play explores themes of submission, domination, and power with a fast-paced, mutable language he is known for. Reality and pretend become blurred lines in Venus in Fur, and the question of “who’s on top” always has a different answer.
Thomas Novachek, a director/playwright, has suffered through a long day of abysmal auditions for his adaptation of the German sadomasochistic novel Venus in Furs, until Vanda, a crass and pushy actress, stumbles into his audition room. While Vanda shares the lead character’s name, she lacks her sophistication. However, when Thomas agrees to let Vanda read for the role, she displays a surprising understanding of the material. Working through the script with Thomas playing the masochistic male lead, the roleplay becomes intense, erotic, and less like acting.
*Broadway actor and St. Petersburg native, Rachel Prather stars.
Opens Thursday, May 15th and runs through Sunday, May 25th
Find tickets, performance times, and more information HERE.
Friday
The Shape of Us – Opening Reception
The Gallery @Creative Pinellas. Largo
This is truly an important show! (I got a sneak peek). So, join in for the opening reception of The Shape of Us, an inspiring exhibition curated by Freddie Hughes that brings together six talented Pinellas County artists. Experience a dynamic collection of work that explores how identity, environment, and the shared narratives shape us.
Meet the artists, (like Zulu Painter), immerse yourself in vibrant art, and enjoy a fun evening of creativity with music, small bites, and cash bars. This event is free and open to the public. Admission is FREE.
Friday, May 16th @6pm – 8pm
Find more information HERE.
Get ready for an unforgettable weekend of celebration, camaraderie, and community support.
The festivities begin on Friday, May 16, 2025, at The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art, featuring a “Western Theme.” So dust off your boots and Saddle Up for a night of fun!
On Saturday, May 17, 2025, join us at Bardmoor Country Club for a fantastic day of golf, all in support of Parc’s mission to empower children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Party – Friday, May 16th @6:30pm – 10pm
Golf Tourney – Saturday, May 17th @1pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
OCC Invitational Bike Show
OCC Roadhouse & Museum, Clearwater
Calling all bikers, builders and custom ride enthusiasts — get ready for the 3rd Annual 2025 OCC Invitational Bike Show at OCC Road House & Museum! From May 16–18, rev up for an action-packed weekend with live music, vendors, top-tier custom builders and the FREE Public Ride-In Bike Show. Whether you’re showing off your ride or just soaking in the scene, this high-octane event is one you won’t want to miss!
Fridy, May 16th through Sunday, May 18th
Find event schedules and more information HERE.
As You Like It by William Shakespeare
Carrollwood Community Players Theatre, Tampa
A Shakespeare classic and A CWP Black Box Classical Comedy, As You Like It is a pastoral comedy with major themes of love, gender, sexuality, and injustice. The play follows its heroine Rosalind as she flees persecution in her uncle’s court, accompanied by her cousin Celia to find safety and, eventually, love, in the Forest of Arden.
You can never get too much of the Bard, so check out Carrollwood Community Players and support local theater.
Opens Friday, May 16th and runs through Sunday, May 25th
Find tickets, performance times, and more information HERE.
Saturday
St. Pete Italian Fest
Vinoy Park, St. Pete
Come to Vinoy Park this Saturday and experience all things Italian. There will be great food, a full slate of live music and even a cool car show featuring vintage and unique vehicles. There will also be a park full of vendors, a VIP tent, and much more. What a delicious way to spend a Saturday on the beautiful St. Pete waterfront exploring the culture of Italy.
Saturday, May 17th @10am – 5pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
**Registry Spotlight Event**
Not only is this event free, but you can win free admission to the museum for the whole family. MFA has graced DTSP for 60 years, so let’s help them celebrate this milestone with their wonderful activities. You’ll have a great time making art with the whole family,
FREE – Painting in the Park
Museum of Fine Arts, DTSP
Here’s a great way for your whole family to celebrate MFA’s 60th Anniversary. Painting in the Park is the MFA’s annual FREE community celebration of all things art – and this year promises to be the biggest bash yet, featuring 20 colorful, creative, messy, and marvelous activities inspired by the artworks inside our museum. Activities are designed for toddlers, teens, and in-betweens, and adults are welcome to join in on the fun, too.
Participants will receive a Painting in the Park Discovery Passport to help guide them to each station and will earn a stamp for their passports as they complete each activity. Complete at least 10 activities to earn the prize of free Family Admission to the MFA!
Saturday, May 17th @11am – 3pm
Find more information HERE.
FREE Event – Movie Night in the Park
Coquina Key Park, St. Pete
Meet up with friends, family, and neighbors at beautiful Coquina Key Park in South St. Pete for a fun and free movie night. Bring your blankets and chairs and food, if you like. There will be a food truck available (Egg Roll’n) for yummy bites. See The Greatest Showman, starring Hugh Jackman, on the big screen outdoors and have a wonderful, free Saturday night outing. Music and fun begin at 8:00pm and movie begins at 8:30pm.
Saturday, May 17th @8pm – 10pm
Find more information HERE.
**Concert Corner**
AC/DC: PWR UP Tour
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Friday, May 16th @7pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Brit Floyd – 50th Anniversary Tour of Wish You Were Here
Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Friday, May 16th @7pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Hauser
Baycare Sound, Clearwater
Saturday, May 17th @8pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Wanda Sykes: Please & Thank You Tour
The Mahaffey, DTSP
Sunday, May 18th @5pm
Find tickets and more information HERE.
Have a great Top10 weekend!
Cindy
