Middle and High School Students Ride Free in March!

Free rides for middle and high school students in March!

Are your kids gearing up for Spring Break? More importantly, are YOU prepared? Cold sweats, nightmares, oh the places you’ll take them (on your dime): movies, malls, concerts, theme parks. If only there was a cheap, efficient way to get them around town without a car, and more importantly, YOU.

There is!

Middle and high school students ride FREE on all HART local, MetroRapid, and Flex Services throughout March during the HART Stay-cation promotion! All your kids have to do is show their student ID and they’re jetting around town for FREE!

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

• Busch Gardens – Routes 5, 18, 39
• Adventure Island – Route 5
• Florida Aquarium – Routes 8, 9, 97
• Museum of Science and Industry – Route 6
• GameTime – Routes 5, 8, 9, 12
• Westfield Citrus Park – Route 39
• Westshore Plaza – Routes 15, 30, 45
• University Mall – Routes 12, 45
• Channelside Bay Plaza – Route 8
• Centro Ybor – Routes 8, 9,12
• Tampa Museum of Art – Routes 7,10,14, In-Towner

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 a Trip Planner, visit www.goHART.org.

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!

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.

Getting there, with HART!

In town for the day? Staying for a weekend? Live here? Tampa has a number of things to do for visitors and residents alike.

Traveling with kids? Discounted passes for 17 and under on HART and the TECO Line Streetcar mean the fun doesn't have to end just because school's starting back up.

Use HART to get to the following Tampa attractions and avoid the costs and hassles of parking:

• Adventure Island - Route 5
• Busch Gardens - Routes 5, 18, 39
• Centro Ybor - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar
• Channelside Bay Plaza - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• Florida Aquarium - Route 8 and the TECO Line Streetcar
• Glazer's Children Museum - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley Green and Purple Line
• Henry B. Plant Museum - Route 30
  
• International Plaza - 15, 30, 59LX
  
• Lowry Park Zoo - Routes 41, 45
• Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) - Route 6
• Port of Tampa Cruise Terminal - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
  
• Raymond James Stadium - Routes 7, 32 36, 4
• St. Pete Times Forum - Route 8, In-Town Trolley Green and Purple Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• David A. Straz Jr. Center - In-Town Trolley Green Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Convention Center - Route 4, In-Town Trolley Green Line and Purple Line, TECO Line Streetcar
• Tampa Bay History Center - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
  
• Tampa Museum of Art - Routes 7, 10, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• University of South Florida - Routes 5, 6, 18, 57
• Westshore Plaza - Routes 5, 30, 45, 89
• Yacht Starship Cruises - TECO Line Streetcar, In-Town Trolley Green Line
• Ybor Museum State Park - Route 8, TECO Line Streetcar
  

All day HART passes begin as low as $1.85 for children and $3.75 for adults. For more information on HART fares, click here.

Getting around downtown?

Getting around downtown is easier than ever with the In-Town Trolley. The In-Town Trolley is a rubber-wheeled "trolley-bus" made to replicate old-time streetcars/trams. The In-Town Trolley costs only 25¢, and covers most of the downtown Tampa attractions. The Purple Line runs during weekdays and the Green Line runs on weekends. Both lines operate on 15 minute frequencies.

Click here for Purple and Green In-Town Trolley operating hours.

The TECO Line Streetcar offers a unique opportunity to take a ride through Tampa's past, while also serving the majority of the attractions listed above.

Things to know about the TECO Line Streetcar

The 2.7 mile streetcar line runs every 20 minutes (exceptions apply) on rails that connect Ybor City, Channelside and Downtown Tampa. It operates 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday service begins at noon and runs until 8 p.m.

A "family pass" was recently introduced and costs only $12. The pass includes all day rides for up to 2 adults and 3 children, or 1 adult and 4 children! Please note that Streetcar Motormen do not provide change.

Click here, for HART maps and schedules.

For TECO Line Streetcar fares, maps and schedules, visit www.TECOlinestreetcar.org.

Enjoy your day(s) in Tampa with HART!