All Aboard the Winter Village Express!

Winter Village Express operates Sundays through Dec. 22!

The holiday season is so close, we can almost feel Jack Frost nipping at our nose - 65° at night. Brr! ❄

The Tampa Downtown Partnership is once again holding their Winter Village, featuring an ice rink, a cafe with warm beverages, and a holiday marketplace with local boutiques! The winter wonderland is located in Curtis Hixon Park and will take place from November 22 - January 5.

Along with the Winter Village, comes the transformation of the TECO Line Streetcar System into the Winter Village Express! Launching November 24, the Winter Village Express offers a festive experience aboard a holiday-themed Streetcar. Enjoy treats, music, and fun, while on board!

The Winter Village Express will operate every Sunday through December 22. You can pick up the Winter Village Express at either Whiting Station in Downtown Tampa (Station #11) or Centro Ybor Station (#2) in historic Ybor City.

The Winter Village is open 11/22-1/5

Winter Village Express Operating Schedule:

Whiting Station in Downtown Tampa:

• 3:25 p.m.
• 4:25 p.m.
• 5:25 p.m.
• 6:25 p.m.
• 7:25 p.m.

The cost of the Winter Village Express is $10.00 for a roundtrip ticket. Tickets are ONLY available online. All trips are first-come, first-serve, due to limited availability. Arrive early!

For more information on Winter Village, or the Winter Village Express, visit http://www.wintervillagetampa.com/.

Happy Holidays!

Take the Streetcar to Memorial Day Weekend Events!

The Streetcar will operate late night all weekend!

Memorial Day weekend is upon us!

Typically seen as a day for cranking up the grill with family, Memorial Day has become an extended weekend full of events!

From Fourth Friday Tampa, to a Memorial Day celebration at Channelside Bay Plaza, downtown is chocked full of fun this weekend!

The fun kicks off on Friday with the monthly Fourth Friday Tampa. The event is a monthly celebration of Downtown Tampa's culture. The night features special offers and curated programs by museums, restaurants, and more!

Beginning this Friday, the TECO Line Streetcar System is joining in on the fun with free rides! The addition of the TECO Line Streetcar to the event opens up Ybor City venues to Fourth Friday Tampa for the first time.

Saturday celebrates a Memorial Day favorite, the margarita. The Tampa Bay Margarita Festival in Curtis Hixon Park calls for a huge variety of the famed beverage, a fireworks display, and a headline performance from the Barenaked Ladies! Have fun, but enjoy responsibly. TECO Line Streetcar service will be available from 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.

Sunday provides a number of ways to celebrate the holiday.

Streetcar service extended until MIDNIGHT on Sunday!

Enjoy Memorial Day weekend at Channelside Bay Plaza! The free event features an eclectic mix of food and beverage on the waterfront in downtown Tampa. Live music from the Jimmy James Band kicks off Sunday at 6:00 p.m.

Next door, titans of Country music, Alabama, will be rocking the house at Amalie Arena.

As we do with all weeknight Amalie Arena events, the TECO Line Streetcar System is extending service hours until MIDNIGHT on Sunday.

Avoid all of the event traffic in the Channel District and Downtown this weekend, by parking in Ybor City and taking the TECO Line Streetcar!

The TECO Line Streetcar System will operate on a normal schedule on Monday for Memorial Day.

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Route of the Week: The In-Towner

With a diverse service area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders. Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the HART transportation network!

This week, we (re)feature The In-Towner as our Route of the Week!

The In-Towner is FREE!

The In-Towner is a shuttle service looping through Tampa's Downtown! The In-Towner provides rush hour service Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

The In-Towner is FREE and operates on a loop every 15 minutes. The service is great for connecting residents, workers, and tourists to/from downtown businesses, hotels, parking garages, and more! Riders can even connect to the HART network with a stop at Marion Transit Center.

HART recently changed the In-Towner route to better serve outlying Downtown Tampa parking garages and destinations.

Here are just some of the destinations the In-Towner serves!

USF CAMLS is just one of the businesses served by the In-Towner!

Businesses:

• Bank of America Plaza
• 100 North Tampa
• Rivergate Tower 
• Wells Fargo Center
• One Tampa City Center
• SunTrust Financial Centre
• Tampa City Hall
• Hillsborough County District Courthouse
• Amalie Arena
• USF CAMLS
• Tampa Convention Center  

Hotels:

• Hilton Tampa Downtown Hotel
• Aloft Tampa
• Sheraton Riverwalk
• Embassy Suites
• Marriott Waterside
• The Barrymore Hotel
• Floridan Palace Hotel
• Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott

Parking Garages: In-Towner connects remote parking to the business core!

• William F. Poe Garage
• Fort Brooke Garage
• Tampa Convention Center Garage
• City Hall Lot
• Twiggs Garage
• Whiting Garage

Entertainment:

• Tampa Museum of Art
• Straz Center for the Performing Arts
• Glazer Children's Museum
• Curtis Hixon Park
• Channelside Bay Plaza
• Tampa Theatre
• The Florida Aquarium
• Tampa Bay History Center
• Amalie Arena
• Florida Museum of Photographic Art

Sometimes it's work. And sometimes it's just for fun. Whatever brings you to downtown Tampa, the In-Towner gets you around while you're here!

From business to leisure, HART Takes You There.

Route of the Week: Route 7

With a diverse service area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders. Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the HART transportation network!

Route 7 gets the Route of the Week treatment this week!

Route 7 operates between Citrus Park and Marion Transit Center

Route 7 operates between the Citrus Park Super Walmart and Marion Transit Center. Service is Monday - Sunday, with weekday service from 4:40 a.m. - 9:40 p.m. and weekends from 6:30 a.m. - 7:35 p.m.

Route 7 is fairly unique in that the route doesn't begin and end at a Transit or Transfer Center. The route actually ceases at Henderson Blvd. and Cedar Creek Blvd., located right near the Citrus Park Super Walmart.

Whether for work, school, or play, the Route 7 is your best bet!

Employment destinations include: One Buccaneer Place (Administrative home of The Tampa Bay Buccaneers), St. Joseph's Hospital, Tampa Housing Authority, and the University of Tampa.

Looking for leisure in your off time? Route 7 is there for you after work, or on your day off!

Tampa's "Great Lawn" Curtis Hixon is served by Route 7!

• AMC Theatres Veterans 24 features IMAX and first-run films in a multi-theater complex setting
• LaFleur's Gymnastics - Tampa provides gymnastics training and swim lessons for all ages
• One Buccaneer Place - Headquarters of The Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This 145,000 sq.ft. facility features three, full-length practice fields, weight room etc. In August 2016, the Buccaneers will hold 11 Training Camp practices that will be open to the public.
• Curtis Hixon Park - Tampa's "Great Lawn" is home to some of Tampa's biggest and best events. Even without an event, the park is a great place to play Frisbee or have a picnic.

Need a lift to class? Route 7 serves a mix of high school and college campuses:

UT is served by Route 7 at Cass St. & N. Blvd.

• Leto High School - (Manhattan Ave. & Sligh Ave.)
• Blake High School - (Main St. & N. Blvd.)
• Tampa Preparatory High School - (N. Blvd. & Cypress St.)
• University of Tampa - (Cass St. & N. Blvd.)
• Keiser University - (Anderson Rd. & Waters Ave.)
• Argosy University - (Main St. & Howard Ave.)
• The Art Institute of Tampa - (MLK Blvd. & Himes Ave.)

Students attending the University of Tampa, Keiser University, Argosy University, and the Art Institute of Tampa receive a 25% discount on 31-day passes. Discounted price ($48.75) is only available when purchased directly from the institution.

From first-run flicks, to Curtis Hixon picnics, HART Takes You There.

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!

Free Fun this Spring Break!

Middle/High School students ride HART FREE in March!

Staying in town for Spring Break this year? Can't afford much to do? 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 throughout March on HART Local, Limited Express, In-Town Trolley and HARTFlex services!
 

The museum itself is a work of art

Art on the House
Tampa Museum of Art, Fridays from 4 pm - 8 pm
120 Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, 33602

Looking to treat your inner artist to a thought provoking and aesthetically appealing Spring Break? Tour 66,000 sq. ft of Greek, Roman and Etruscan antiquities, alongside 20th-century fine art, all for FREE! The Tampa Museum of Art, through a gift from Hill Ward Henderson, provides FREE admission to the museum's galleries on Friday evenings. Donations however are appreciated.

The Tampa Museum of Art is served by HART local routes 7, 10 and the In-Town Trolley.

120 Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa, 33602

River O' Green Fest

Photo credit: Tampa Bay Times

Curtis Hixon Park, March 17, 10 am - 4 pm
600 N Ashley Drive, Tampa FL 33602

On March 17, the Hillsborough River will be turning green. But don't worry, it's just dye! Mayor Bob Buckhorn has decided to dye the Hillsborough River kelly green in honor of St. Patrick's Day. The river will be dyed between the Cass Street Bridge and Kennedy Bridge.

Local Irish bands and dancers along with six food trucks will be on hand for the event. A number of kid's activities including, a kid's craft area, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fun Zone, the Tampa Bay Lightning Street Team, a jig contest, sack races, potato toss and a strength competition. The event is free and open to the public.

Curtis Hixon Park is served by HART local routes 7, 10, 14, 30, 46 and the In-Town Trolley.

Spring Break Beach Party
The Florida Aquarium, March 11, 11 am - 6 pm
701 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 32602

Are you a member of the Aquarium? Enjoy this members only night! From hula hoop contests to limbo competitions and exciting games for the kids, there is something for everyone.  A live DJ will keep the party going!

Florida Aquarium members are free, each additional guest is only $5!

The Florida Aquarium is served by HART local route 8 and the TECO Line Streetcar.

There a number of events for those looking toward the skies this Spring Break.

SPoT X Etnies benefiting Boards for Bros
Skatepark of Tampa, March 17, noon - 5 pm
4215 E Columbus Drive, Tampa FL 33605

What better than the wind whipping through your hair as you ripped through the air, defying gravity on a wooden deck with no safety net? 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 17, SPoT provides the opportunity to skateboard with professional skateboarders Andrew Brophy, Cairo Foster 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 so that they can be provided to kids in the community that can't afford their own.

Free food and drinks will be provided with a donation. For more information, visit the event page on the SPoT Facebook.

SPoT is served by HART local route 15.

Those looking for a more subdued aerial event might consider this next one at the Museum of Science and Industry...

Gaze at the stars!

Skywatch

Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), sundown
4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33617

See the universe up close as you gaze at the stars with astronomy experts. See various star clusters, craters on the moon, other planet's moons and more! If you've always been fascinated with the sky, this is the perfect event for you.

MOSI is served by HART local route 6.

Even if you can't get away for spring break, there's plenty to do right here at home! Get there, with HART!