1. The Incredible Duck Race
The Hillsborough River may turn green for a moment on St. Paddy’s Day, but on Saturday it shifts to yellow, when 15,000+ rubber duckies race to the finish line to raise money for kids’ programs. Adopt a duck (or ducks) for 5 bucks a piece, with all proceeds going to the Tampa Kiwanis Foundation in support of local children’s programs and charities, then root for your yellow friend on Saturday morning. Cash prizes range from $500 to $5,000 for the top three finishers, and the ducks are kept in a lane so they don’t wander off and pollute the river with their rubber duckie-ness. Sat. 8/24, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ducks race at 11:45), Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa. Adopt your duck at duckrace.com; you don’t have to be present to win, but then you’d miss all the kid-friendly games, food and entertainment leading up to the big race.
2. wearable ART 15
The 15th annual installment of Dunedin Fine Art Center’s wondrously creative, delightfully outlandish runway show. Participating artists this year include Mark Byrne, Melissa Dolce and Frank Strunk III, among others, with a special installation by the fabulous Wearable Art stalwart Lina Teixeira, plus there’s an exhibit of artist-designed shoes, a Groove-tique where you can purchase some wearable art for your very own, and pre- and after-parties. Sat. 8/24, 7-11:30 p.m., Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin.
3. The Silent Clowns (1917-1929)
It’s always a treat when the 1926 Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ rises from the depths at the historic Tampa Theatre, and on Sunday its glories will be in full effect when organist Dr. Steven Ball accompanies shorts by comic geniuses of the silent film era: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy. Sun. 8/25, 3 p.m., Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., Tampa.
4. Showgirls w. Matthew McGee
Tampa Bay’s not-so-silent clown Matthew McGee will provide running commentary for this screening of the so-bad-it’s-good flick about the scrappy ladies of Las Vegas. Audiences are encouraged to dress in their “raunchiest, leopard print, see-through nighties or glam it up in sequined costumes.” Proceeds benefit the Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Sat. 8/24, 7:30 p.m., Metro Wellness and Community Center, 3251 3rd Ave. N., St Petersburg.
5. Rodeo Fest
Saddle up and head over to the Florida State Fairgrounds for a night of bull-ridin’, barrel-racin’ and mutton-bustin’ fun (that’s sheep riding for you non-cowpokes), plus mounted shooting and a four-horse relay race. Sat. 8/24, 6-9 p.m., Charlie Lykes Indoor Arena, Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa.
It’s baaaack! The World Liquors globe was a beloved icon on St. Pete’s Central Avenue for decades, until the business was sold and demolished in 2018. Thankfully, the sign survived; Mark “Ferg” Ferguson bought it at auction and installed it outside his eponymous sports bar, and on Friday night he’s throwing a party to celebrate its new home, just a few blocks away from its old one. Fri. 8/23, 6-10 p.m. (live music, food and fun, with lighting ceremony sometime after sunset), Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill, 1320 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.
7. Marly Music Series: Tesla Quartet
St. Pete’s Museum of Fine Arts concludes its summertime Marly Music Series with an internationally acclaimed young chamber foursome, the Tesla Quartet. The inspiration behind their name seems to have been the inventor, not the car, but they’re every bit as sleek and powerful as anything put out by Elon Musk. (And there’s a local connection: violinist Ross Snyder’s parents live in St. Pete.) Sun. 8/25, 2-4 p.m., Marly Music Room, Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg.
8. Environmental Impact II at the James
It’s the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art (italics mine), and this traveling exhibition of contemporary paintings, photographs and sculptures is designed to remind us of the fragility of our world — including our wildlife. The showpiece: a 16-foot-long, 6-foot-wide hanging installation of a blue whale made of recycled plastic objects, aluminum armature, wire and cable ties. Opens to the general public Sat. 8/24 (members’ reception Fri. 8/23, 7-9 p.m.), continues through 12/1. James Museum, 15o Central Ave., St. Petersburg.
9. A music-packed weekend at the Palladium: Elizabeth Baker and Two Souls of Jazz
Head to the big P’s intimate Side Door Cabaret this weekend for two very different but equally intriguing shows: the innovative composer and pianist Elizabeth Baker’s INTERSECT on Thursday, billed as “an evening of spontaneous compositions, graphic scores, and interactive visual media,” and Synia Carroll and Thea Valentin: Two Souls of Jazz on Sunday, featuring two jazz vocalists who channel influences from Sarah Vaughan to gospel. INTERSECT, Thurs. 8/22, 7:30 p.m.; Two Souls, Sun. 8/25, 3 p.m. Side Door Cabaret at The Palladium, 253 Fifth Ave N., St. Petersburg.
10. A word-packed weekend at Studio@620: Bill DeYoung, “The Bitter And” & Zine Fest
Head to the Studio Thursday night to see one of our area’s most talented and prolific wordsmiths, Bill DeYoung, interviewed by another, Paul Wilborn. The occasion is a launch party for DeYoung’s new book, I Need to Know: The Lost Music Interviews, a collection of excerpts from his interviews with musicians ranging from Tom Petty to Linda Ronstadt to Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson. On Friday night, the improv series “A Murder of Shows” — usually based at Black Crow Coffee, hence the name (“murder of crows,” “murder of shows,” get it) — celebrates the “Bitter And” of its season with guest stars Hawk & Wayne, Billy Mays III and more. And on Sunday, get your browse on at the Studio’s first Zine Fest, where creatives get to showcase their “zines,” small-circulation self-published works of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via photocopier. You’ll also get the chance to make a zine of your own. Bill DeYoung, Thurs. 8/22, 7 p.m.; “The Bitter And,” Fri. 8/23, 6:30 p.m.; Zine Fest, Sun. 8/25, 12-5 p.m.
