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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 garden seed swap May 1. Find out more about this unique foray into urban gardening in today's PatchCast.
The DeSoto Heritage Festival Grand Parade is one of the largest of its kind in the South and a longstanding tradition in Bradenton. More than 150 entries featuring floats, high school marching bands, dancers and other colorful characters marched through the streets of Bradenton last Saturday for the 72nd year.
The city of Largo's Trashy Fashion Show 4 put a whole new spin on recycling. Find out how in today's PatchCast.
Thank You Mama in St. Petersburg took part in the recent Great Cloth Diaper Change. This event was designed to raise awareness about the need to use cloth, rather than disposable diapers to protect the environment.
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.
Our neighbors across the Bay also have their own practicing animal acupuncturists. Find out why St. Petersburg's Northeast Animal Hospital decided to offer this service in today's PatchCast. Land O' Lakes area residents will find that East-West Animal Hospital offers eastern and western medicinal options for pets a little closer to home. Find out more in today's story on East-West.
Since 1979, Eve’s Garden, 5602 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., has been delivering bonsai tree and bamboo creations to customers all over the county. The nursery is well known for its masterful work that embraces the spirit of bonsai – harmony between man and nature. Serving both residential and commercial customers, Eve’s is also known as the bonsai supplier of the Japanese Pavilion at EPCOT. Find out more about this Land O’ Lakes treasure in today’s PatchCast video.
Getting back into shape after childbirth can be a difficult undertaking at best. Christie Bruner has dedicated her life to helping others through the process. Bruner runs Baby Boot Camp in St. Petersburg. Through the boot camp, she leads new mothers, with their babies in strollers, through a series of rigorous exercises on the waterfront. To find out more about Baby Boot Camp, watch the video. More information is also available on babybootcamp.com. There are other similar classes throughout the Tampa Bay area.
The Great American Cleanup is a national effort that impacts neighborhoods throughout the Tampa Bay area. Find out how area residents recognized this grassroots effort last weekend.
Gulfport residents celebrated their 17th annual Springfest April 16. The yearly event draws between 8,000 and 16,000 people, typically doubling Gulfport's population for a day. Featuring a bonnet parade, arts displays and more, Springfest embraces the season.
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 …
Hillsborough County's Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department recently staged its 28th annual Tiny Tot Olympics in Tampa. The event featured pre-schoolers from all over the county.
Urban Farming and Kraft Foods' Triscuit brand have teamed up with Seminole Heights to create an oasis for gardening in the city. Find out how and why in today's PatchCast.
Harrison Godwin is battling childhood cancer by selling one glass of lemonade at a time to raise money. The Palm Harbor resident will host an "Alex’s Lemonade Stand" at the FishHawk Community Garage Sale April 9 from 8 a.m. to noon at 6351 Bridgecrest Dr. in Lithia. Harrison got involved with the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation after he heard Alexandra “Alex” Scott's story. Harrison is undertaking the effort as part of his gifted class "Helping Hands" requirement. Alex’s Lemonade Stand was Harrison's choice because he felt it was a great way to give back to kids with cancer.He will serve ice…
If you're thinking about putting Dunedin's Highland Games Week on your calendar for next year, watch and see why you might want to do just that. The annual event is held to coincide with International Tartan Day, a worldwide celebration of Scottish tradition.
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, we can make something even better,” Orr said…
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 …
Experience the fun participants had at the DeSoto Seafood Fest 2011. The annual event was staged last weekend, April 1-3. The Land O' Lakes area doesn't have a seafood festival, but there are plenty of events coming up in the near future. Stay up to date by checking out the Patch Calendar.
If you want to see what happens during a Relay For Life event, tune in to today's PatchCast. Here you'll see how they do it in Riverview. To find out what our area has planned, visit the Land O' Lakes High School Relay For Life April 15-16 or the Sunlake Relay For Life, April 29-30.
