Parents and Grandparents too brought along the kids to experience the snow falling down 7th Avenue in GaYBOR/ Ybor City for the Holiday Spirit Parade. The forecasted snow flurry had area middle and high school marching bands showing off there best musical talents for the holiday gigantic crowds. The precision dance groups were all in step! The beautiful white horses and white carriage had Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and his wife, Cathy and 2 beautiful smiling daughters lead the 1st annual promenade procession with over 30,000 parade watchers. Behind the mayor was a large entourage from GaYBOR District Coalition including Mama, holding banners for each of the marching, dance and drill team groups. The highlight of course was welcoming Santa & Mrs Claus to the historic district riding in beauteous pair of leather harnessed horses & sparkling holiday carriage. Under the leadership of Mathieu Stanoch, Florida Entertainment Group Visual director, local groups helped make this event happen including YCDC, Ybor Merchants Assoc., Tampa Parks Dept and GaYBOR District Coalition all came together to make a very memorable gleeful night.

The parade ended at the Winter Carnival in the Czar parking lot. The weather was perfect. The clear skied night was very festive. All band and dance group troop members received special gift bags from Ybor merchants and Santa Claus.

The carnival had local merchants riding the rides and maneuvering through mechanical thrill rides. Freddy from NY NY Pizza had his family taking on the colorful lighted mechanical beasts. Don Vicente Inn’s Jack Shiver, Tessa and Veronica  hitting the sideshows. Alan Kahana and friends munched on the sugar candies as Santa & Mrs Claus greeted 1000’s of kids (old & young) giving away cookies in the holiday tent. YCDC’s economic director Brenda Thrower had her family riding the slides for the Tampa TV program, “Ybor Flavors”. Kudos to all the groups working together making for a great weekend in Historic Ybor City.

It was that time of the year to break out your favorite RED SHOES!!! The Krewe of Alegria http://www.kreweofalegria.com/ annual fundraiser “Kickin’ For Kids”. The event was held in conjunction with a very special BINGO Night at Hamburger Mary’s. Miss Amy Demilo and Tea Cup were the co hosts. With 50/50, Give a ways & BINGO the group raised $1,000’s for children. A special Thank You to organizer Paula Luce. Viva La Krewe of Alegria!!!

What a great show Sunday night of pageantry at the Honey Pot for the 3rd Annual Miss Heart of Florida Pageant. An awesome professional feel for this new competition. The contestants were from all around Florida. The pageant owners, Marshall Welch, Jr and Amy DeMilo did a job to almost perfection. The great out of the usual box talent surpassed a lot of pageants that we have attended. A great set of MC’s were Amy De Milo and Esme Russell. It is in the classy choice of creative clothes that was most inviting. Nothing off the rack for this compete! Pics below give you a touch of class this show offered.

A large group of judges including Tampa icon Miss Tiffany Middlesex and Hamburger Mary’s owner Kurt King and 6 others had a hard time weighing out the final scores. Thanks to all the reigning drag star acts that segwayed into the next round of girls competition.

And the winner is Miss Britty Moore from Jacksonville Beach.

    For the 2nd year the holidays come alive during the Christmas Season in GaYBOR/ Ybor City with the Ybor City Holiday Spirit Snowfall and Parade. Last years hobo parade was an impromptu one with the streets being blasted with snow machines all along 7th Ave. There wasn’t a place on 7th that you didn’t see TV media covering Ybor City in a very positive point of view with snow like flakes coming from the Disney snow machines high above the tops of Ybor buildings.

    It all happens again this year, this Saturday in fact with the lighting of the Community Christmas Tree in Centro Ybor just last week. This year local high school bands, horse drawn carriages and holiday characters are going to attract a huge holiday audience. Thanks to the hundreds of businesses, organizations, GaYBOR District, YCDC, Hamburger Mary’s, Florida Entertainment Group ( G.Bar, Honey Pot & Social Club) and Holiday Spirit coordinator, Mathieu Stanoch.     

    The parade kicks off Saturday, Dec. 15th  at 7:00 pm  starting at 19th Street heading west on 7th Ave creating many sparkling smiling eyes.

 http://youtu.be/458X4kOl1rE

    Congratulations to J. Aller, AIDS Development Manager (and our nephew) from A.S.A.P. on bringing the Annual Santa Speedo Run to GaYBOR/ Ybor City. This year the red bikini running boys in jingles help fund Brighter Seasons for Children. The youth program strives to help make a better Holiday Season for children affected with HIV/ AIDS  by giving gifts, parties, meals and back to school backpacks fully stocked for the children.

    By the pictures below it was a perfect day for a Fun Run Benefit. This year over 200 runners and more that just registered but did not do the run, brought  in over $30,500 on this Sunday Ybor afternoon jog.

A large crowd of over 500 people cheered on the bling and campy racers. There was a Santa and his 8 running chained bikini reindeer entry that won over the wide eyed gatherers. This was the first time it came to GaYBOR/ Ybor City. There are 5 other major running events held annually in Ybor City.

     A couple getting ready to go on a cruise was totally amazed by the skimpy clothed runners getting ready in our MC FILM store. Ybor City Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center told us about many visiting tourists were snapping pictures and talking all about the holiday dazzled red bikini runners.

 ” Is this common here in Ybor?” one lady asked the info center staff, we were told.

    Winners received a welcome bag and tee-shirt and were awarded with a Santa Speedo Medal for their personal achievement.

    Dockside Lakeland manager, Joey and owner Rick closed the club for the day to have his clubs team be a part of the tradition children’s charity benefit run.

Santa Speedo Run on National CBS Morning News

<embed src=”http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf” scale=”noscale” salign=”lt” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” background=”#333333″ width=”425″ height=”279″ allowFullScreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” FlashVars=”si=254&&contentValue=50136763&shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50136763n” />

Ybor Wine Bar

Opening Soon in GaYBOR

.

Buffalo Wild Wings Opening Soon in GaYBOR

 .

Things that Make Us Laugh

 .

Saturday in the Park

 .

Toss it NY NY Guys!!!