VibeTampa Staff 
Update: The August 6, 2026 date has passed. Rock the Park is a free monthly concert series at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and continues on its regular schedule. Fifteen-plus years running and Rock the Park still hasn’t charged admission once. The free monthly concert series, a partnership between the Tampa Downtown Partnership and Brokenmold Entertainment, … Read more
A former strip mall on North Florida Avenue is turning into nine restaurants under one roof, and the guy behind it already runs a well-known pizza spot in New York. Hikari — the name’s still tentative, ownership says it could change before opening — is the work of Chong Yo and Hakki Akdeniz, the same … Read more
The tortillas are the whole point at Con Amor — made fresh from nixtamalized masa, warm and nutty enough that reviewers keep mentioning them before anything else on the menu. Chef Taylor Dillon and Kayla Chang opened the restaurant in February on the ground floor of Avenue Lofts, and the menu splits between comfort-food familiars … Read more
Chef Pablo has more than 40 years in restaurants — this one, he opened with his daughter and son-in-law, the same team behind Central Coffee & Sandwiches downtown. La Central runs everything over open flame: carne asada from New York steak seared over charcoal, pollo al pastor arriving with charred pineapple still clinging to the … Read more
Update: The 2026 festival has ended. Bolts Brew Fest is the Tampa Bay Lightning’s annual craft beer festival — the 2026 edition was its ninth — and is expected to return in summer 2027. Bolts Brew Fest returns to Benchmark International Arena (the building most of us still call AMALIE) on Saturday, July 25, for … Read more
Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotosassa offers canoe, kayak, and bike rentals along a real Florida river — no drive to the coast required.
The team behind Kōsen and Tanto is opening a 1960s Tokyo-inspired rooftop bar and izakaya in Ybor City this fall, with sushi, yakitori, and an open-air patio.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play their lone home preseason game of the summer against the Kansas City Chiefs on August 22 at Raymond James Stadium.
The North Carolina-born chain known for cheap trays and a 40-flavor milkshake menu opened its first Tampa Bay restaurant in Temple Terrace, with two more locations on the way.
The team behind Michelin-starred Rocca just opened a Spanish tapas concept on Rome Avenue, with wood-fired grilling, traditional paella, and a gin-and-sherry bar.