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PatchCast is your window to what's happening in your greater Tampa Bay community. Every weekday we'll bring you a new story from neighborhoods around the bay. Look here for exciting events, colorful characters and regional news that impacts you.
The Seminole Heights Community Gardens held a seed swap. Watch our PatchCast to find out how the community is expanding it's "green thumb".
The De Soto Heritage Festival Grand Parade in Bradenton lured people of all ages to the event. Watch our video to see why.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi spoke in the Greater Brandon community of Valrico on April 30, 2011, to lend support to a nationwide movement to rid homes of unused or expired medication. More than 4,700 sites signed up for the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Locally, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sponsored collection sites at the Sweetbay supermarkets on State Road 60 in Valrico and on Ehrlich Road in Tampa. The Tampa Police Department sponsored collection sites at the Sweetbay supermarkets on North Dale Mabry …
See how people are taking trash and turning it into high fashion at the City of Largo's Trashy Fashion Show. We take you to the runway in today's PatchCast. Hear why people are raising awareness about going green by using recycled items in the show.
Moms and dads get together at Thank You Mama in St. Petersburg for the Great Cloth Diaper Change! Hear why parents are trying to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most cloth diapers changed at the same time. Also hear why parents choose cloth over disposable diapers.
Can you imagine living on a roof for a month? That's exactly what Jim Surrett, General Manager, at Lokey Automotive in Clearwater is doing. Surrett is working from the roof of the business as a promotion to raise money for three fallen St. Petersburg Police officers. Hear how employees plan to raise $150,000 with your help.
The children of Bradenton were treated to a visit from the Easter Bunny at the 17th annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday at G.T. Bray park. This longtime local tradition, hosted by Manatee County Parks and Recreation in conjunction with the DeSoto Heritage Festival, included a search for 36,000 colorful eggs, plus carnival games, bounce houses and slides, face painting and concessions.
As part of the annual Great American Cleanup, more than 300 volunteers came out to pick up garbage in Tampa Bay. People found everything from clothing, paper cups, plastic bottles, cans and broken glass along the highway at Courtney Campbell Causeway. Hear more about their efforts to give back to Mother Nature in today's PatchCast.
Families, friends and even butterflies made an appearance at the annual Springfest celebration in Gulfport on Saturday April 16th, 2011. The free event featured a live butterfly exhibit, children's play area, live music and dozens of vendors. Food vendors offered a wide variety of culinary delights. Watch our PatchCast to see why the event was a hit. Organizers with the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce, City of Gulfport and Gulfport Merchant's Association put on the annual event to celebrate the season. For more information about events in Gulfport check out our Events Calendar on Gulfport Patch…
The Tiny Tot Olympics lured families from across Tampa Bay to compete in an obstacle course, bean bag toss, sack race and more. All participants walked away with a medal.
We The Kings, the platinum-selling, power-pop band from Bradenton with a growing legion of followers, returned to its hometown last week for a good cause. The Kings — who take their name from Bradenton's King Middle School — joined five other bands for the Rock Out For a Cause concert last Friday at Lakewood Ranch High School. The event was hosted by the Lakewood Ranch International Key Club and Taking Back Lives, a Bradenton-based charity organization who raises money to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged youth in Malawi, Africa. Other local charities took part in the …
Common Ground Christian Church in Seminole Heights is home to a new community garden created in conjunction with Urban Farming, a national non-profit organization, and Kraft Foods. Urban Farming got its start in Detroit in 2005 and has now planted 800 gardens in 29 states. The purpose of the organization is to transform vacant urban spaces into a source of fresh food for the surrounding community. The church will partner with local food banks and homeless shelters to deliver the produce to hungry people. Tuesday's ground breaking was simulcast to the web along with the creation of 14 other …
During a hot day in Florida, a cold glass of lemonade sounds like a lifesaver doesn't it? Well, those who bought a cup from Alex's Lemonade Stand on Saturday April 9, 2011 are helping do just that. Harrison Godwin, Palm Harbor, got involved with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. Watch our video and see how one stand is making a difference.For more information on how you can help, check out the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.
The 45th annual Dunedin Highland Games featured bagpipe-and-drum bands, Celtic dancers, traditional Scottish games such as tug-of-war and caber tossing, sheep dog demonstrations and lots of people wearing kilts. Highland Games Week is celebrated annually around International Tartan Day, a worldwide celebration of Scottish tradition. Dunedin, a quaint coastal town situated north of Clearwater on St. Joseph Sound, takes pride in its rich cultural heritage. Scots settled the city, named for Scotland’s capital of Edinbugh, during the 1800s, and it has preserved its cultural identity through …
Vinyl Will Keep Sarasota Spinning All Weekend Last night, the third annual Vinyl Music Festival kicked off in downtown Sarasota at Ivory Lounge. The VIP/Press party last night was just the beginning to a weekend where more than 40 DJs will be playing throughout SRQ. Event organizer Matt Orr said each year Vinyl has grown and this year is no different. By moving from the summer to April this year, VMF has been able to collaborate with the Sarasota Film Festival. The two festivals run separately but operate with the same idea in mind, bring people to Sarasota. “Leveraging each other’s strengths…
The Dunedin Military Tattoo, the city’s premier annual Scottish pipe and drum event, kicked off a week of festivities leading up to its main event— the 45th annual Dunedin Highland Games. April 2 to 9 marks the city’s Highland Games Week, which is celebrated annually around International Tartan Day, a worldwide celebration of Scottish tradition. Dunedin, a quaint coastal town situated north of Clearwater on St. Joseph Sound, takes pride in its rich cultural heritage. Scots settled the city, named for Scotland’s capital of Edinbugh, during the 1800s, and it has preserved its cultural identity …
The three-day annual event lured people of all ages to downtown Bradenton on April 1, 2 and 3rd. Check out why the 2011 DeSoto Heritage Festival was the place to be this past weekend.
