And off they go, all fancied up, their bikes decorated with feathered boas and flowers. This global event has evolved into a big movement promoting women’s visibility and personality. Photos by Carole Devillers

Presented by TT Art Collective at Curtis Hixon Park for Fourth Friday, muralist artist and former NFL player Aaron Evans works on a painting representing his brand “King-Frog” to be on display in IKE Smart City kiosks in Tampa. Photos by Carole Devillers

Friends enjoy the casual and relaxed atmosphere of Sparkman Wharf on the Fourth Friday of August. Photos by Carole Devillers

A spiffy couple makes their way to one of the Fourth Friday cultural venues. Photos by Carole Devillers

Walking the Tampa Riverwalk is a great choice to connect to the participating venues while enjoying the colorful lighting display on the architecture. Photos by Carole Devillers

Fourth Friday, the monthly arts & culture crawl in Tampa’s downtown, resumed on Aug. 27th, attracting visitors with free live music and food and drink specials. Photos by Carole Devillers

Singer artist and emcee/producer Jinx, a Tampa native, performs with his wife Shelby Sol and their band, on the Straz Center’s Riverwalk stage during a free outdoor concert for Fourth Friday. Photos by Carole Devillers

Artist Crystaline Rojas of A Splash Of Passion Art contributes to the event at Curtis Hixon Park by creating a new artwork. Photos by Carole Devillers

As a "Sip & Stroll" Fourth Friday venue, Sparkman Wharf is a popular destination. Alcoholic consumption is allowed when purchased from participating vendors. Photos by Carole Devillers

A beautifully detailed mural depicting Tampa’s past and present maritime history adorns one side of Maven Designs building in the Channel District. Photos by Carole Devillers

Tampa

Tampa is on the verge of achieving many long-planned ambitions. Downtown and waterfront developments, the expansion of the city's port and airport, a planned and a substantial increase in research and academic activities at the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa and Hillsborough Community College fuel its progress.

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Development News

The new Midtown Tampa Whole Foods Market includes a full-service butcher, coffee bar, and certified cheese professional.

What's new at Midtown Tampa?

Lauren WongTuesday, August 3, 2021

Feature Story

Welcoming millennials: Tips for buying your first home

Lauren WongTuesday, August 3, 2021

Feature Story

Tracy Midulla and Devon Brady of Crab Devil talk about the arts at Cafe con Tampa as City Councilman Bill Carlson streams the program live.

Commentary: 7 ways for Tampa to support local artists and why it matters

Tracy MidullaTuesday, August 3, 2021

Feature Story

This Monarch butterfly takes a momentary pause on a Cutleaf Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), one of many native plants that can be grown easily in Tampa Bay area landscapes.

Tampa butterfly whisperer shares secrets on attracting monarchs, pollinators to neighborhoods

Joshua McMorrow-HernandezTuesday, August 3, 2021

Buzz

A nurse administers a dose of COVID-19 vaccine in Tampa.

USF Health joins national study on COVID-19 vaccine in young adults

Friday, July 30, 2021

Source: USF Health

Innovation News

Entrepreneur Ben Sever is launching a new app aimed at improving medical communications.

New health app offers robust patient privacy protection

Cheryl RogersTuesday, July 27, 2021

Feature Story

Josh Kwasnicki facilitates an off-site training session for Crisis Center of Tampa Bay employees at Parks Lincoln in Tampa.

Workplace mental health awareness earns a long-deserved promotion

Julie GaristoTuesday, July 27, 2021

Feature Story

Influencers: Meet 8 local Black leaders you will want to know

Lauren WongTuesday, July 27, 2021

Feature Story

Author Susan F. Edwards wrote Man Overboard about the mysterious disappearance of the namesake of Davis Islands in Tampa.

Book excerpt: Man Overboard by Susan F. Edwards

Susan F. EdwardsTuesday, July 27, 2021

For Good

Tonia Hutchins readies fresh veggies for heating in industrial size steamers.

Tampa Meals on Wheels expands, delivering faster and farther

Julie GaristoTuesday, July 20, 2021

Buzz

Dr. Edwin Micheal, USF professor of epidemiology

USF professor will use AI to create predictive models for disease outbreaks, spread

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Source: University of South Florida Newsroom

Innovation News

Dr. Jeffrey Krischer of USF leads several diabetes studies.

NIH awards $70M grant to USF diabetes research

Cheryl RogersTuesday, July 20, 2021

Feature Story

Seminole Elders Edna Bowers and Rita Youngman share a moment of contemplation at the U.S. Army's Fort Dade ruins at Egmont Key.

Seminole Tribe, USF Sustainable Tourism and USF Access 3D Lab preserve history at Egmont Key

Jessi SmithTuesday, July 20, 2021

Feature Story

Commentary: Making the case for enhancing public safety

Tampa City Councilman Luis VieraTuesday, July 20, 2021

Feature Story

Patel College Sustainable Tourism graduate student Samantha Vorce takes 3D scan imagery of a circa 1900 warehouse on Egmont Key.

USF Sustainable Tourism team reframes visitor experience to help save Egmont Key

Jessi SmithTuesday, July 20, 2021

Feature Story

Alyse Trent, 2021 ACHC Grantee, working on soldering in one of the classes she used her grant money for.

How to win grants: Top tips from winning artists and resources on how to write your best application

Caitlin AlbrittonMonday, July 19, 2021

For Good

Bishop Gregory Parkes offers a blessing at the groundbreaking for a new pavilion at Villa Madonna School.

Villa Madonna campus pavilion and renovation project gets underway in Tampa

Amy HammondTuesday, July 13, 2021

Development News

Historic Tampa Theatre moves forward on plans for microcinema (T2)

Lauren WongTuesday, July 13, 2021

Feature Story

Hillsborough House of Hope clients make greeting cards to sell in local gift shops.

Hillsborough House of Hope makes room for women starting over

Julie GaristoTuesday, July 13, 2021

Feature Story

The Community Foundation Tampa Bay has taken over administration of Digital Inclusion St. Pete, which is now also known as the Digital Inclusion Project, with plans to expand the program's work to bridge the digital divide.

Commentary: Bridging the urban digital divide

Stanley GrayTuesday, July 13, 2021

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Tampa Highlights

Downtown Dwellers: Raising urban kids in Tampa Read Article

For Downtown Tampa families with young children, the neighborhood isn’t an urban jungle. It’s an urban jungle gym.

Photo: Lauren, Hudson, and Bryan Durkin pick up a popsicle at Duckweed Urban Market in downtown Tampa. by Amber Sigman

1 Million Cups: Meet local doers tackling opportunities in the global marketplace Read Article

Pitch your business concept and get constructive criticism among friends and neighbors at 1 Million Cups Tampa.

Photo: (L-R) Maria Gibbs, Scott Hutterman, Dr., Loren Murfield, and Jared Kohn at 1 Million Cups in Tampa. by Amber Sigman

Q&A: Ashly Anderson and Shaun Drinkard, Tampa Downtown Partnership Read Article

When President and CEO Christine Burdick retires from her post at the Tampa Downtown Partnership, she will leave behind a team of creative thought leaders working to enhance the city's urban scene. Meet two key team members.

Photo: Ashly Anderson, senior design manager for Downtown Tampa Partnership by Amber Sigman

Transformational change underway in North Hyde Park, West Tampa Read Article

The diversity of apartments, restaurants and shops in North Hyde Park is particularly attractive to young professionals and college students looking for an affordable neighborhood near downtown.

Photo: (L-R) James Rue and Gian Carlos Birriel co-own Raw Smoothie Co. Photo by Julie Branaman

Channel District grows along waterfront in Tampa Read Article

Looking across the horizon of downtown Tampa, what do you see? Construction cranes hovering over the Channel District as apartments, hotels and new shops emerge to create a walkable urban community.

Photo by Julie Branaman

Tampa Hackerspace provides a place to tinker Read Article

Tampa Hackerspace is helping to fuel Tampa Bay’s creative instincts, facilitating experimentation and collaboration with shared tools and space.

Photo: Mabel the T-Rex sculpted by J. Kent at Tampa Hackerspace. by Amber Sigman

Moving to downtown Tampa: Smart Lab brings innovative view Read Article

Suffolk’s Smart Lab featuring 3D virtual reality opens in the Channel District near Tampa Bay WaVE and Water Street Tampa, joining the Tampa Bay Area's growing innovation ecosystem.

Photo: USF’s new building rises a short distance from Channelside. Cheryl Rogers

Urban Stimuli: Meet CW a.k.a. Carolyn Wilson Read Article

Beyond her eponymous Gin Joint in downtown Tampa, Developer Carolyn Wilson is doing (and will continue to do) what she does best: Flex eternal good taste.

Photo: Carolyn Wilson or CW, owner and designer at CW's Gin Joint in downtown Tampa, wins the 2018 Private Sector Award. Amber Sigman

Commuter Challenge: Going carless in Tampa Read Article

Getting to work isn't easy for most of us using Tampa streets and Hillsborough County roads. So spend a week using alternative transportation and see what happens.

Photo: Tampa bicycle commuters Karen Kress, Alana Brasier, and Justin Willits. Photo provided by Karen Kress

Tampa Bay WaVE: Diversity highlights latest tech cohort Read Article

A diverse group of entrepreneurs completes its formal program with Demo Day at Tampa Bay WaVE, a nonprofit tech accelerator in downtown Tampa.

Photo: Jonathan Truong, co-founder of Verapy, a start-up at Tampa Bay Wave's Accelerator Build program. by Amber Sigman

Urban Stimuli: Armature Works, Tampa Heights Read Article

This is really Tampa: Armature Works will evolve how you think about Tampa Heights and the urban core.

Photo: A duo studies and reads at Union Coffee and Tea in Armature Works. Amber Sigman

What's next for Florida: Sam Gibbons, Tampa Read Article

When it comes to transportation, the goal must to be find equilibrium between what is socially, economically, and environmentally just for all people.

Photo: The Smart Mobility Division, created in early 2018, will oversee Tampa's $40 million transit system upgrade. Diane Egner

Tampa Bay Area thought leaders share what they anticipate most in 2018 Read Article

Find out what's on the minds of local thought leaders at the start of the new year, and what it could mean for you.

Photo: Tampa thought leaders

A typical day along the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. Diane Egner

The new smart car pilot program launched by Florida DOT, HART, and BEEP of Orlando gives driverless rides along the Tampa Riverwalk and in Tampa Heights. Courtesy of HART

The Tampa Museum of Art is celebrating its centennial year with special exhibits and events. Photos by Kimberly DeFalco

Alexsandra Wolfe runs Pure-Sipity, a company combatting date rape. Courtesy of Alexsandra Wolfe

Zarra Elias and her family enjoying The Tampa Riverwalk.

A still clip from the documentary Tampa Beer: Crafting the Bay. Courtesy of Tampa Theatre

Elementary school kids color during the after-school program. Amber Sigman

Approximately the size of a shipping container, WaterCube TM is portable and can provide up to 10 million gallons of water daily without access to any water supply. Courtesy of Genesis Systems, LLC