It always begins the same way. The sun yawns over Tampa Bay, spilling molten gold across the water like a secret whispered between time and tide. You can feel it in your bones—the weekend’s near. But this isn’t just any weekend. No. This one has energy, mystery, and a pulse that could almost speak if you leaned in close enough. Welcome to your ultimate guide to the best things to do in Tampa this weekend—a vivid collection of events, festivals, and unforgettable moments waiting just around the corner.
Simply the Best: The Music of Tina Turner
🗓️ All Weekend, May 16-18 | ⏰ Various Times
📍 Venues Across Tampa Bay
🔗 Official Site | Follow on Instagram
You hear it before you even enter—the beat, the power, that unmistakable growl. This is not just a concert. It’s Tina Turner, resurrected in sound and soul, as the Florida Orchestra performs orchestral renditions of her greatest hits. Across Tampa Bay, venues are about to become cathedrals of rhythm, echoing with the voice of a legend. If your heart doesn’t race during “Proud Mary,” are you even alive?
Bold, iconic, electrifying—this tribute show is the weekend’s heartbeat.
Invisible Immigrants Exhibition
🗓️ All Weekend, May 16-18 | ⏰ 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
📍 Tampa Bay History Center
🔗 Official Site | Facebook Page
Beneath Tampa’s modern façade lies an often forgotten story—the Spaniards who shaped America’s silent roots. Step into this exhibition like stepping into a ghost-filled corridor, lined with lost names and unseen legacies. “Invisible Immigrants” sheds light on those who arrived, labored, loved, and vanished from the pages of mainstream history between 1868 and 1945.
Historic, haunting, revealing—this exhibition is a journey into America’s hidden DNA.
Rides by the River
🗓️ Saturday, May 17 | ⏰ 8 a.m.–11 a.m.
📍 Armature Works
🔗 Official Site | Instagram
Morning mist clings to chrome, engines hum like distant thunder, and the river watches it all. At Rides by the River, the city’s soul rides on wheels—muscle cars, exotics, and timeless classics come together under one Florida sky. It’s a car lover’s paradise, open and free for every curious soul.
Vintage, thrilling, immersive—come early. Stay mesmerized.
The Fresh Market at Wiregrass
🗓️ Saturday, May 17 | ⏰ 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
📍 The Shops at Wiregrass
🔗 Event Page | Instagram
It smells like roasted almonds and spring. Music drifts on the breeze. Over 80 vendors line the paths with handmade goods, farm-fresh produce, and sugary delights. Kids laugh as a mini choo-choo train snakes its way through the open-air market.
Lively, charming, community-driven—this is what Saturdays are meant to feel like.
Spring Market at Novel Beach Park
🗓️ Saturday, May 17 | ⏰ 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
📍 Novel Beach Park
🔗 Novel Beach Park Events | Social Media
Sunlight spills across booths of fresh florals, local boutiques, and carefully curated crafts. There’s music in the air, a taste of lemon tart on your tongue, and laughter behind every stall. It’s an oasis of spring tucked into the heart of South Tampa.
Boutique, seasonal, picturesque—perfect for early birds and aesthetic souls alike.
Sunshine and Stitches: Lutz’s May Craft Fair
🗓️ Saturday, May 17 | ⏰ 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
📍 Hilton Garden Inn Suncoast
🔗 Event Info
Craftsmanship has a pulse here—one you feel with every quilted stitch and beaded bracelet. Over 30 makers gather in Lutz for a fair that’s handmade, heartfelt, and one-of-a-kind. You’ll leave with a bag full of treasures—and a head full of inspiration.
Artisan, local, heartfelt—a haven for the creatively curious.
Spring Shopping Stroll in Hyde Park Village
🗓️ Saturday, May 17 | ⏰ 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
📍 Hyde Park Village
🔗 Event Details | Instagram
Hyde Park transforms into a living storybook, where every shop window tells a tale and each cobblestone whispers elegance. Enjoy exclusive offers, complimentary treats, and interactive displays under string lights and magnolia trees.
Elegant, upscale, enchanting—a shopper’s dream laced with seasonal magic.
Mario 3D Land Theme Party
🗓️ Saturday, May 17, 1 p.m.–Sunday, May 18, 3 a.m.
📍 Coyote Ugly Tampa
🔗 Event Page | Instagram
Ready to party like it’s Mushroom Kingdom? Themed drinks, DJ battles, and cosplay chaos await as Tampa turns pixelated for a wild Mario night. Whether you’re a Peach, a Bowser, or a goomba with a dream—this is your level-up.
Nostalgic, electric, bizarre—Game on, party people.
The Tox Tampa Grand Opening Party
🗓️ Saturday, May 17 | ⏰ 4 p.m.–7 p.m.
📍 South Tampa
🔗 Official Site | Instagram
Health meets high-style at this grand opening featuring exclusive wellness services, DJ beats, and bubbly in crystal flutes. Get a glimpse into the future of self-care—and snag a few spa deals while you’re at it.
Holistic, trendy, revitalizing—a breath of fresh air in every sense.
Forrest Frank: Child Of God Tour Part 2
🗓️ Saturday, May 17 | ⏰ 7 p.m.–10 p.m.
📍 Yuengling Center
🔗 Tickets | Instagram
The stage glows gold, the crowd sways in collective spirit, and Forrest Frank steps into the light. His show is part gospel, part concert, part spiritual revival. Whether you come for the music or the message, you’ll leave changed.
Uplifting, soulful, magnetic—a night to remember, no matter what you believe.
Ministers of Grace: The Unauthorized Shakespearean Parody of Ghostbusters
🗓️ Saturday–Sunday, May 17–18 | ⏰ Various Times
📍 Carrollwood Cultural Center
🔗 Tickets | Instagram
Who ya gonna call—Thee Ghostbusters? This absurd mash-up of Shakespeare and 80s cult cinema is equal parts brilliant and bananas. Sit back, sip your ale, and let the Elizabethan ectoplasm flow.
Hilarious, original, theatrical—a genre-bending night of laughs.
Tampa Roller Derby: Tantrums vs New Jax City
🗓️ Sunday, May 18 | ⏰ 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
📍 Astro Skate of Brandon
🔗 Official Site | Facebook Page
The clash of wheels. The thrill of speed. Tampa Tantrums take on New Jax City in a roller derby finale that promises bruises and brilliance. Cheer until your throat’s raw. This isn’t just sport—it’s a spectacle.
Fierce, fast, unforgettable—don’t blink or you’ll miss it.
Water Street Market
🗓️ Sunday, May 18 | ⏰ 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
📍 Across from Sparkman Wharf
🔗 Water Street Events | Instagram
Seventy artisans and local vendors. Live performances. A market born of community spirit and coastal breeze. Stroll, sip, and support Tampa’s creative heartbeat.
Artisan, coastal, curated—Sunday serenity starts here.
The Wiz (1978) 4K Re-Release
🗓️ Sunday, May 18 | ⏰ 3 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
📍 Tampa Theatre
🔗 Tickets | Instagram
Ease on down the road to Tampa Theatre, where The Wiz returns in glorious 4K. Diana Ross. Michael Jackson. A visual feast and nostalgic trip through Oz like you’ve never seen before.
Cinematic, iconic, dazzling—don’t miss the magic.
One Weekend. Infinite Stories.
From soulful anthems to silent immigrants, spring markets to ghostly parodies, Tampa’s weekend is a kaleidoscope of experience. Each event is a page, and the city is inviting you to read between the lines. So what’s your story this weekend?
And here’s the real question… What will you miss if you don’t go out and find it?
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