Have Fun with HART this Spring Break!

Middle/High School students ride HART FREE in March!

Staying in town for Spring Break this year? Can't afford to do much? Have no fear, we've put together a list of FREE (mostly) things to do for your Spring Break! What's even better is pairing it with FREE rides on HART! If you haven't heard about the HART STAY-cation promotion, read about it here. The gist is FREE rides for Hillsborough County middle and high school students (with student/HART Youth ID) throughout March on HART Local, Limited Express, In-Town Trolley and HARTFlex services!

River O' Green Fest
Curtis Hixon Park, March 16, 11 am - 4 pm
600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa FL 33602

Photo credit: Tampa Bay Times

On March 16, the Hillsborough River will be turning green. But don't worry, it's just dye! The City of Tampa is dying the Hillsborough River kelly green between the Cass Street and Kennedy bridges in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Local Irish bands and dancers along with eight food trucks will be on hand for the event. A number of kid's activities including, a kid's craft area, the Glazer Children's Museum, Tampa Theatre and more! The event is free and open to the public.

Curtis Hixon Park is served by HART local routes 7, 10, 14, 30, 46.

SPoT X Etnies benefiting Boards for Bros
Skatepark of Tampa, March 16, 10 am - 3 pm
4215 E Columbus Drive, Tampa FL 33605

Photo credit: SPoT

What better than the wind whipping through your hair as you rip through the air, defying gravity on a wooden deck? If "Ollies," "kickflips" and "fakies" are in your vocabulary, you might want to check out the Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT) during your Spring Break. On Saturday, March 16, SPoT provides the opportunity to skateboard with professional skateboarders Nick Garcia, Jose Rojo, and Tyler Bledsoe (among others). It's all for a good cause too, as the event will be raising money for Boards for Bros, a SPoT initiative aimed at collecting and refurbishing skateboards to be provided to kids in the community that can't afford their own.

Bring in a used board, wheels, or trucks and eat and skate free, with the etnies team. For more information, visit the event page on the SPoT Facebook.

SPoT is served by HART local route 15.

Hillsborough County Spring Break Camps
Various Hillsborough County Parks/Recreation Centers, March 11-15,
7:30 am- 6:00 pm

Youth, ages 5-15, can take part in special spring break camps set up by Hillsborough County at 12 different county parks and recreation centers. The Spring-Break Camps are designed to develop creativity and imagination, and offer a number of fun activities including arts and crafts, fitness, good sportsmanship, team sports, and more. Many camps will also offer field trips.

Things to know:

Fees: $38 per child for the week
          $30 with a current reduced lunch letter
          $20 with a free lunch letter

Pack snacks, drinks, lunches, etc. for your child.

A special Teen Camp is available at the Jackson Springs Teen Center providing free Wi-Fi, video games, a game room (ping pong, billiards, etc.), a gym, and more!

Click here for a list of Spring Break Camp locations.

Over 50 artists will be out creating chalk art!

Chalk Walk Festival
Hyde Park Village, March 15-17
742 South Village Circle,  Tampa, FL 33606

Watch as over 50 artists create sidewalk masterpieces Friday - Sunday at Hyde Park Village in Tampa. The event is free and will also feature children activities and live music.

Hyde Park Village is served by HART local route 4.

Have fun this spring and get there with HART!

Things to Do This Weekend: 3/8 - 3/10

Looks like gorgeous weather for the weekend coming up!

André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra

Tampa Bay Times Forum - Friday, March 8 - 8:00 p.m.

Internationally-renowned maestro and violin superstar Andrѐ Rieu brings his 60-piece Johann Strauss Orchestra to the Tampa Bay Times Forum as part of his international "And The Waltz Goes On" tour. In addition to his trademark waltzes, Rieu's concert features famous Viennese operettas, film scores, spirituals, musicals, folk songs, and marches; Rieu's concerts are a perfect mix of thrilling, romantic, festive and emotional melodies combined with surprises, balloons, beautiful soloists and Rieu's great sense of humor.

Gasparilla Music Festival
Curtis Hixon Park - Saturday, March 9 - 11:00 a.m.

Over 30 acts will play the fest!

The festival will feature over 30 musical acts from a wide variety of genres on several stages and cuisine from the region's top restaurants. The Meter Men with Page McConnell and Dr. Dog headline the festival held at Curtis Hixon Park.

For the full lineup and more information visit www.gasparillamusicfestival.com
 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens
Tampa Bay Times Forum - Saturday, March 9 - 7:30 p.m.

The Bolts are back and are at home Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens as they look to stop their recent slide. Come BE THE THUNDER and cheer on the team.

Check out the game in one of the country's best venues. The Tampa Bay Times Forum features REAL lightning bolts, plush seats, a sweet party deck, the world's most powerful synthetic pipe organ and the U.S.'s largest century-hung Arena HD video display!

The TECO Line Streetcar drops off at the Tampa Bay Times Forum - HSBC Station.  Don't worry about getting stranded, the streetcar has your back until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Enjoy the weekend!

Middle and High School Students Ride Free All of March!

Take a break this spring!

Are your kids gearing up for Spring Break? More importantly, are YOU prepared? Cold sweats, nightmares at night, oh the places you’ll take them (on your dime): movies, malls, concerts, theme parks.

If only there was a FREE, efficient way to get them around town without a car, and more importantly, YOU.

There is!

Throughout the month of March, middle and high school students ride FREE on all HART Local, In-Town Trolley, and Flex Services! All your child has to do is show their student or HART Youth ID and they’re jetting around town for FREE!

Here is just a small list of the Hillsborough County attractions that HART serves:

• Adventure Island – Route 5
• AMC Regency 20 - Route 37
• AMC Veterans 24 - Route 7
• AMC Westshore  14 - Routes 15, 30, 45, and HARTFlex South Tampa 
• Busch Gardens – Routes 5, 18, and 39
• Centro Ybor – Routes 8, 9, and 12
• Channelside Bay Plaza – Route 8
• Florida Aquarium – Route 9
• GameTime – Routes 8, 9, and 12
• Glazer Children's Museum - Routes 7, 10, 14, 30, and 46
• International Plaza - Route 15 
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41 and 45
• Museum of Science and Industry – Route 6
• Regal Citrus Park - Route 39
• Tampa Bay History Center - Route 8
• Tampa Museum of Art – Route 8
• Tampa Theatre - Routes 4, 6, 8, 19, and 30
• University Mall – Routes 12, and 45
• Westfield Brandon - Routes 8, 31, 37, 46, and HARTFlex Brandon
• Westfield Citrus Park – Route 39
• Westshore Plaza – Routes 15, 30, 45, and HARTFlex South Tampa
• Ybor City State Museum - Routes 5, 8, and 12

We know you love your kids, but we also know that you love your free time too. Gain your independence, give them a little and go HART!

For more information on HART routes, maps, schedules and Trip Planner, visit www.goHART.org.