Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in tampa, FL

This Weekend's Memorial Day and other Family Activities

by Caroline

May 21, 2009

Memorial Day weekend has always been the official start to summer in our family. A barbeque and a baseball game are both prerequisites. But so that we may remember the real reason we have a long weekend, check out some of the Memorial Day events for families – including some fabulous benefits for military personnel – being offered around the Tampa Bay area this weekend.

The Florida Aquarium offers free admission to military. From May 23 -25, military personnel are being offered 2 free general admission tickets. Up to four other family members will receive 50% off their tickets also.

Lowry Park Zoo offers free admission to military. On May 25th, military personnel and as many as three direct dependants will receive free admission into the zoo.

Busch Gardens free admission for military. Don’t forget, Busch Gardens offers free admission to military personnel once a year (which is not limited to Memorial Day).

Memorial Day Freedom Fest 2009 at Riverwalk. From the main stage at Cotanchobee Park to the Florida Aquarium, a patriotic festival will be held with music, entertainment and food. Don’t forget about the Memorial Day Service at 10am on Monday.

Military Families Day at the Henry B. Plant Museum. Military personnel and their family members are offered free admission on Memorial Day. There will be a performance re-enacting the experiences of Henry Dobson, a soldier who traveled through Tampa during in the Spanish-American War also.

Memorial Day Carillon Concert at Bok Tower Gardens. Bok Tower Gardens is offering free admission to military personnel and 50% off three family members. A patriotic musical salute will be featured on Monday at 1pm and 3pm.  

The Florida Orchestra accompanies a screening of the Wizard of Oz. On May 23rd and 24th, the Mahaffey Theater presents the Florida Orchestra as they musically accompany a screening of the Wizard of Oz below a theater sized screen.

Disney’s High School Musical will be performed Friday at 7:00pm at the Patel Youth Theater.

Reminder: Tickets for “Disney Live!”, which will be performed in Lakeland on Saturday, August 22, have just gone on sale.  Read more...