Area 4th Of July Fireworks And Events

Clearwater Celebrates America
Sunday, July 4
Coachman Park, 301 Drew St., Clearwater
Clearwater Celebrates America, the city’s annual Independence Day celebration will feature the Mostly Pops Orchestra, fireworks, children’s activities, a craft show, food and drink concessions. Gates open at 4 p.m.; fireworks at 9:30. No alcoholic beverages, glass containers or bottles, umbrellas, canopies, throwing objects, pets or personal fireworks allowed. The Memorial Causeway Bridge will be closed from about 9:15 to 10:15 p.m. for the fireworks. Expect traffic delays as a result and consider alternate routes.

St Pete Beach Fireworks
Sunday July 4th 9pm
Upham Beach, Gulf Boulevard and 68th Street, St. Pete Beach
City officials say the 30-minute display can be viewed from the City's beaches to the South. All of Upham Beach will close to the public at 6 p.m. Fireworks begin at dusk.

Redington Shores Fireworks
Sunday, July 4 9pm
County Park, 18120 Park Blvd., Redington Shores
Head to the beach for the Town of Redington Shores fireworks display by East Coast Pyrotechnics.

Madeira Beach Fireworks
Sunday, July 4 9pm
Madeira Beach Rec Center and Ball Fields 200 Rex Place, Madeira Beach
Launched off the recreation center ball fields and over the water, the display is viewable from either side of the Madeira Beach Causeway.

Largo Fireworks and Celebration
Sunday, July 4
Largo Central Park, 101 Central Park Drive, Largo
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Largo Recreation, Parks & Arts as well as the 50th anniversary of the dance move, The Twist. To celebrate, Largo will be attempting to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest number of people doing The Twist at the same time. Music provided by Joey Dee and the Starliters. Participation fee includes a commemorative world-record attempt hat. Registration will take place on-site. Fireworks viewing and other activities follow at 9 p.m.

July 4th At The Pier
Sunday, July 4
800 Second Ave. NE, St. Petersburg
A full day of family activities kicks off outside with original folk/rock music by the Daniel B. Marshall Band (1-4 p.m.), Juggler Bob (4 p.m.), R&B/funk by Fast Lane in the courtyard (4:30 p.m.) and alternative/pop by Save the Radio (8-11 p.m.). Inside, you can get your face, arms or back painted (1-9 p.m.), and shows by hypnotist Eric Kand (5-6 p.m. and 7-8 p.m.). Fireworks light up the bay at 9 p.m.


Patriotic Sand Sculpture
North Straub Park, Fifth Avenue NE and Bayshore Drive, St. Petersburg
See what a team of world-renowned artists can do with a 40-ton pile of sand dumped near the Plaza of North Straub Park at this Transitions Sight ‘n Sand Family Event. Team Sandtastic begins building a patriotic-themed sand sculpture soon after the noon sand delivery on July 2 and must be finished by July 4. A smaller tabletop sand sculpture contest also begins at 8 a.m. July 3 with judging on July 4.

Safety Harbor 4th of July Parade
Sunday, July 4 10am
Main Street and Second Ave. N, Safety Harbor
Kids are invited to decorate their bicycles and wagons to join in this short parade that includes military vehicles, honor guards, firetrucks, Shriners, motorcycle groups, car clubs, the Dunedin Pipe and Drum band, walking units and floats.

Safety Harbor Fireworks
Sunday, July 4 5pm
Safety Harbor City Marina, 110 Veterans Memorial Lane, Safety Harbor
The City of Safety Harbor's annual July 4th Celebration and Fireworks Display will take place along Bayshore Boulevard, at the City Marina and on the back lawn of the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. The event includes games and activities for all ages, food and beverages available for purchase, beer and wine available with proper ID and local bands performing on the Budweiser True Music Stage. It also features one of the larger fireworks displays in the Tampa Bay area.

Concession Stand Now Open At Sand Key Park

A new concession stand opened at Sand Key Park on Memorial Day weekend offering food and beverages, along with chair and kayak rentals.

Buffett Meets Sinatra Abilities Guild Benefit

The private Carlouel Yacht Club will be open to the public for a special event next week. The Abilities Guild is hosting Buffett Meets Sinatra, an evening of fine dining, music and laughter for all generations on Friday, April 9. Guests are encouraged to dress for the them, ie "tropical" or "manhattan".

The show is presented by musical stylists Dale Williams and Chuck Cobb. The event begins at 6 p.m. and includes a cash bar. Tickets are $65 a person and all charitable proceeds benefit the Abilities Guild. For reservations or more information, contact Barbara Hoskinson at 727-586-2268 or smhbhh@yahoo.com. For information on the Abilities Foundation, visit www.abilitiesfoundation.com

Court Rules In Favor Of Cabana Club

A legal hurdle has been cleared for the redevelopment of the Cabana Club on Sand Key. The 6th Judicial Court denied an appeal by five petitioners who questioned an earlier ruling on parking and traffic requirements.

The Cabana Club restaurant, which closed last year, will be replaced with a 6 floor boutique hotel. The redevelopment was approved the the Community Development Board in 2008 and as part of the $100 million 3 year renovation of the historic Belleview Biltmore in Belleair. The Cabana Club will serve as the Biltmore's "beach club".

Beach Parking Garage Gets City Council Approval

On February 18th Clearwater City Council approved an agreement with L.O.M. Inc. to build a parking garage on Coronado Drive, next to the new Hyatt Regency Resort. The 300 spaces will replace the ones that were lost to the BeachWalk project. The site is currently occupied by Britt’s Laguna Grill and Surf Style, who will occupy the ground level of the new facility. Construction is expected to start by the end of September.

Beach Renourishment Projects

Pinellas County Commissioners unanimously approved on Jan. 5 amendments to two beach renourishment contracts.

Amendment No. 1 to the Treasure Island beach renourishment grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection increases the state share of the project from $400,000 to $700,000. The project is scheduled to begin in late spring 2010.

Amendment No. 2 to the FDEP contract for the Sand Key renourishment project increases the state share of costs from $333,320 to $3.9 million. Construction is set to begin between November 2010 and February 2011.

The Treasure Island project will be constructed in conjunction with the Upham Beach renourishment project and will be administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The estimated cost of $3.5 million for the project will be cost-shared, 60 percent federal government, 20 percent state and 20 percent county. The $20 million estimated cost for the Sand Key project will be paid for with the same cost-sharing formula.

History of the Treasure Island project shows that the beach has “two erosional hot spots:” One on the north end and along the southern two-thirds of the island.

Treasure Island was the first federal project to be constructed on the west coast of Florida in 1969. The beaches have been restored 14 times. Treasure Island was last restored in 2006.

Project plans call for sediment to be dredged from John’s Pass and pumped onto the beaches. The project will renourish a total of 1.4 miles of shoreline encompassing two areas: One in north Treasure Island and the other further south along Sunset Beach.

Officials estimate that construction of both areas will take less than four months.

The Sand Key project is 9 miles long and extends from the Sand Key portion of Clearwater south to North Redington Beach, according to staff notes.

The project history shows the area was first renourished as a single unit in 1998. Prior to that time, individual communities, such as Indian Rocks Beach, Redington Shores and others, were nourished separately.

The 2005-06 Sand Key project was the most expensive beach renourishment project in the history of the Jacksonville District U.S. Army Corp of Engineers at $45 million. The high cost was mainly attributed to fuel costs from barging sand from the Egmont Key Channel borrow area to the beach.

Officials are trying to reduce the cost of the 2010-11 project by contracting Coastal Planning Engineering Inc. to do a sand search for new borrow areas several miles offshore Sand Key.

Clearwater Beach Featured On ESPN

Clearwater Beach will be featured in this year’s Outback Bowl Preview Special on ESPN2 and ESPNU. In addition to Clearwater Beach, Busch Gardens Tampa, the Florida Aquarium, Channelside Bay Plaza, Ybor City, St. Pete museums and area events will also be featured.  The Outback Bowl, named for sponsor Outback Steakhouse,  kicks off at 11 a.m. on Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa and will be telecast internationally on ESPN TV. The event is in its 24th year.

The half-hour show also will highlight Auburn University and Northwestern University football teams, who will compete in the bowl. The show will air at 2 p.m. on Dec. 28th on ESPN2 and is scheduled to run eight additional times until Dec. 31 on ESPNU.