Events in Tampa Bay Area

by Adele Woodyard

SPECIAL: Alan Arkin will receive the John M. Tiedtke Lifetime Achievement Award 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 15 at the Enzian Theater, Maitland during their 20th Annual Florida Film Festival. The event includes the 45th anniversary screening of The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! that earned Arkin his first Oscar nomination in 1966. Individual ticket: $30 (See March 27 blog for more info). 407-644-6579. http://www.floridafilmfestival.com
Saturday, April 16
PAL Sailor Circus of Sarasota stages their 4-ring production at the Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m. For over 60 years students from Sarasota schools have made global presentations of the Greatest “Little” Show On Earth. $12 adult, $10 member, $6 student. 727-942-5605. http://www.tarponarts.org
April 16-17
30th Annual MAINSAIL Arts Festival, St. Petersburg brings 250 top visual artists, a Kids Create craft tent, culinary treats, and musical performances to please every taste, to Vinoy Park. FREE admission 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. http://www.mainsailartsfestival.org
Earth Days 2011 at Honeymoon Island State Park, Dunedin adds kayak races, bungee jumping, wall climbing, music, and arts and crafts to park activities you can enjoy every day. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. Included with park admission, $8 per vehicle, up to 8 people. 727-738-2903.
Sunday, April 17
Fiesta Italiana in Centennial Park, Ybor City is a please the palate day tastings from 40 Bay area restaurants and caterers. Open 11:30 a.m.., last servings at 4:30, but live entertainment, kids activities and more continue until 6:30 p.m. Admission $5 adult, kids under 12 Free. http://www.fiestaitalianatampa.com
6th Annual Taste of South Tampa brings music, food and drink from 40 restaurants to Hyde Park Village, 1-5 p.m. $35 advance online, $40 day of event; $20 and $25 ages 11-20, ages 10 and under Free. 813-635-0706.http://www.tasteofsouthtampa,com
Saturday, April 23
Earth Day Egg Extravaganza, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park offers an Easter egg hunt at 9 a.m. (registration starts 8 a.m.) Kids bring a basket to collect plastic eggs they redeem for goodies and trinkets. An Easter Bunny and costumed characters add to the fun. Earth Day Exhibits in Garden of the Springs are open from 10 a,m, – 4 p.m. Regular park admission; $5 donation for kids includes admission, 33% discount adults. 352-628-5343.

Beyond St. Pete’s Honda Grand Prix

by Adele Woodyard
The ear-splitting sound of Indy cars screaming down St. Pete’s streets this past weekend had the Tampa Bay area full of additional, or competing, take your pick, attractions. For those who like races but can’t stand noise, there was the Cigar City Criterium and Festival of bikes pedaling around Tampa’s downtown streets. Or quiet evenings at the 5th annual Gasparilla International Film Festival. Or join in Oldsmar’s 50th annual family-oriented Oldsmar Days. And that was just for starters. Hope you all had fun. Here’s some of what’s happening next month.

Lakeland’s Annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-in Festival takes to the air from Tuesday, March 29 through Sunday, April 3. Linder Regional Airport and the Florida Air Museum are the site of display aircraft, airshows, exhibits, and much more from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Daily admission $35 adult, $15 youths, FREE ages 10 and under. Weekly packages available. 863-644-2431.

April 2-3 and 9-10 are weekends of fun for kids on a Day Out With Thomas, the tank engine with the Florida Railroad Museum, Parish. There’s storytelling, live music and more on each 25 minute ride in a real choo-choo train. 651-468-7222, 866-468-7630. http://www.frrm.org

April 7-17 welcomes the annual Sarasota Film Festival, 11 days and evenings of over a hundred films, from short stacks, to full-length indies, foreign films, parties, educational seminars, arts festival, and more. 8 p.m. April 7 kick-off with Harry Connick, Jr. and his Orchestra at Van Wezel Perfoming Arts Hall. Venues, times, and tickets (now available online), vary. For all information: 941-364-9514. http://www.sarasotafilmfestival.com

Maitland hosts their 20th annual Florida Film Festival at the Enzian Theater, April 8-17. The 10-day festival includes independent and foreign films, documentaries, narratives, family films and more. Admission varies, individual or package. Box office open Mon-Thur: 6-10 p.m., Fri.-Sun. 3-10 p.m. 1300 S. Orlando Ave. 467-644-6579. http://www.floridafilmfestival.com

Remember PEEPS, the marshmallow chicks and bunnies you found in your Easter basket? How about campfires and toasting marshmallows for those delightfully gooey S’mores? Well, the Daytona Beach Shores Resort and Spa have combined the two for a seasonal twist. During the month of April, you can add a PEEP to the graham crackers and milk chocolate square by the oceanside firepit . It was a surprise to learn the first recorded recipe for the original S’mores was in a 1927 Girl Scout Handbook. 2637 S. Atlantic Ave. 386-767-7350, 866-396-2217. Be sure and check their specials (rates based on family of four in one room): The Family Spring Break Package starts at $134 per person, through May; Stay & Play Family Beach package begins at $80 person. http://www.shoresresort.com

Arts and Craft shows abound in April. Check Bargains on http://www.vacationfunflorida.com for lots of “freebies” and “cheapies”

Two Ways to Preserve a Peoples’ Past

by Adele Woodyard

Next Monday is Passover, one of the most important holidays in Jewish history, for it commemorates their Exodus from Egypt, after 400 years of slavery. Thanks to Hollywood, and Charlton Heston, this Gentile is familiar with the story of Moses, from his discovery as an infant in the bulrushes to the man behind the parting of the Red Sea. I even vaguely remember the 10 plagues, at least the one about the locusts. But in researching this blog I found the story actually began over 3000 years ago. http://www.theholidayspot.com/passover and Exodus, Chapters 1-14.

When Canaan suffered from a devastating drought, a .Hebrew named Jacob and his 12 sons were allowed to settle in Goshen, a section of Egypt. Succeeding generations were fruitful and multiplied to such an extent, it scared a not-so-nice Pharaoh. Afraid they’d overrun his people, he not only enslaved the entire Hebrew population, but ordered all their newborn baby boys thrown into the Nile River. It was then Moses mother set him afloat in a little boat made of rushes to be saved by one of the Pharaoh’s daughters.

Once Moses was an adult, God commanded him to deliver his people from slavery. Among His orders was Plague #10: kill every firstborn Egyptian. To save themselves, the Israelites anointed their doorposts with the blood of a spring lamb, so God “passed over” their houses. The Jews have celebrated Passover, in one form or another, ever since.

A second way to preserve the past, is through museums. For Hebrews and Gentiles alike, Holocaust Museums are memorials to the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during WWII. The reason? Adolph Hitler ordered this mass genocide to “purify” the German race. Many of our states have one or more Holocaust museums. The following are four of those in Florida.
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Maitland:
As the name suggests, the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Florida, emphasizes middle and high school student and teacher groups. The library with over 5000 volumes, and 500 videotapes, the majority on the Holocaust, place it in the tops for research. It’s also the only one I’ve been to, so far. Museum displays are divided into 12 segments featuring photographs, artifacts (I remember two little dolls made by camp inmates) short film presentations and overview history of the Holocaust. A current exhibit, In Fitting Memory, photographs by Ira Nowinski, texts by Sybil Molton, runs from April through June, 2010. FREE. Mon-Thurs. 9 a.n.-4 p.m. .Fri. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Sun. 1-4 p.m. Library same Mon-Fri, closed weekend. 851 N. Maitland Ave. http://www.holocaustedu.org

St. Petersburg
The Florida Holocaust Museum ‘s permanent exhibits, History, Heritage and Hope, display relevant photos, text and original artifacts on the first floor. The railroad box car from the Treblinka Killing Center held more than a 100 men, women and children at a time, in such close quarters, and abominable conditions, many died during the journey. Temporary exhibits are on the 2nd floor; currently Icons of Loss: the Art of Samuel Bak, through April 4, 2010. Open Mon.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (last admission 3:30 p.m.). $14 adult, $12 (65+), $10 college student, $8 under 18. Military, USF students with ID, and kids under 6, FREE. Children under 16 must be with adult. 55 5th St. South. http://www.flholocaustmuseum.org

Naples
The Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida actually began as a middle school student-teacher classroom exhibit. In 2001 it became a museum and educational center that focuses on school groups. Open to public Tues-Sun, 1-4 p.m. $8 per person. Not recommended for children under 12. 4760 Tamiami Trail, Suite 7, Sandalwood Square http:/www.hmswdl.org

Miami Beach
The Holocaust Memorial was created as a large environmental sculpture by Sculptor Kenneth Treister. Twelve outdoor spaces flow in a visual, historical, and emotional procession surrounding a 200 foot diameter memorial water lily garden. Open daily , 9 a.m.-9 p.m. FREE. 1922-1945 Meridian Ave. http://www.holocaustmmb.org