Category Archives: Uncategorized
Caught @ Southern Nights Ybor City
Ybor City Bed Races 10/2021
Dishing with Mark n Carrie 10-1-21, OPENING NIGHT of the TIGLFF
TONIGHT
OPENING NIGHT of the 32nd TIGLFF
https://www.facebook.com/TIGLFF
NEW LGBT filming in Tampa
There is a new documentary LGBT film being shot in Tampa. Nancy & John Desmond of PFLAG Tampa were features in a recent filming. Also documented was Trevor & Richie and Carrie West More details to come soon.
Jay Miah as Navaeh King on ALTER EGO
Did you know Navaeh spelled backwards in Heaven?
Viewing Party @ City Side Lounge
The 2022 Tampa PRIDE Pageant @ PRIDE-ZOO-LA
In an effort to continue to promote inclusivity and gender equality, the Tampa Pride Pageant has decided to knock down all gender barriers, and open its entry to anyone who wants to compete. The registration fee is $100, and the categories of competition are listed here on the flyer. It is IMPERATIVE that if you have any questions, you reach out to Kori Stevens Jade Embers or Kirk T. DaVinci so that you can get the best answers. Hope to see you all there
TICKETS ON SALE NOW https://tampapride.org/product-category/ticket/
Tampa PRIDE MEETING
Everyone is welcome
YBOR CITY WIN
In a Samson vs Goliath fight. The residents of Ybor City stood up to a developer who wanted to convert a Cigar factory into an event space. The building only has 10 parking spaces, so the over flow would go into the neighborhood lawns. There was also a roof top event space planned. This would have brought noise, traffic and more to a very quiet neighborhood. The residents came together and stood up to the developer. The Tampa City Council with a 4 to2 vote agreed with the residents. The residents all applaud the repurposing of this build. A conversing to homes would be a better fit in our community.
MCC Tampa
https://www.facebook.com/events/449753809700442/?ref=newsfeed
Rue Paul Girls are IN THE HOUSE
SUNday FUNday
Make your reservations today for our Sunday Funday Drag Brunch at SHOWBAR Ybor
Doors open at 12 noon Showtine 2PM, T_Dance 3PM
Hosted by Joey Brooks – DJ Mike Starz – Bartenders Tea Cup & Miss April May & June
Featuring: Cher illusionist César Augusto,
Esme Russell, Amanda D’hrod
Make your reservations today and secure your table
( 813 ) 443-8581
Halloween Spirit at Southern Nights
NEW JOBS in Ybor City
SUNday FUNday @ The Showbar Ybor City
The 24th Annual Miss Florida Pageant in 1996
WOW the things we find in our closets!!!! Here is the 1996 Miss Florida Pageant. We were just starting to use computers and the art was clip and paste! The cover was Miss 1995 Heather Fontaine. The back cover was TRACKS / El Goya with Miss Joey Brooks in the center of course. Also featuring Divinity Everlasting AND Amy DeMello. How many of the past Queens do you recognize? 1993 was our Favorite Miss Esme Russell. Today Joey & Esme are at The Showbar in Ybor City every Sunday. Amy is the show director at Bradley’s on 7th.
Caught @ Southern Nights Ybor City
You Just Can Not Make This Up
WTF Tampa
We are very lucky and can live almost anywhere we choose. In Ybor City. there is a true sense of community that embraces and celebrates diversity here. That is why we picked to live in Ybor City. For the past 15+ years a small group, in the Ybor City Community, have come together to watch the 4th of July Fireworks. It is a very fun tradition to meet on the roof top of the parking garage to view the fireworks. This year there were a couple families with pickup truck that had their kid playing in the back. Senior Citizens had set up lawn chairs and neighbors were catching up on the latest news. Everything was quite and peaceful. There was No alcohol (red cups, beer cans etc.) No loud Music. Just “O’s” and “WOW’s” as the Temple Terrace and Busch Gardens fireworks went off. Then the City of Tampa parking garage security came and told us we were loitering and need to “GET OUT NOW!!!!” Several people said that we were not loitering just watching firework. The security said very rudely and loud GET OUT NOW OR YOU ALL ARE GOING TO JAIL!!!! In true Ybor fashion, we all showed respect and left. WTF TAMPA!!!!
While I am on this soap box. I would like to bring up that the City of Tampa are now charging $10 Special Event Parking every Friday & Saturday Night (as they did on Sunday, July 4th) in Ybor City. They are saying that it gets people out faster. Hum… but the gates are all down and everyone still has to stop and put the ticket in. This looks more like a way to drive business out of Ybor City.
Dishing with Mark n Carrie 7-8-21 “RQV”
“RQV”
For 29+ years we were the owners of the Gay Pride Shops, “MC Film Festival Music & Video Store.” We had locations in Orlando, Tampa, Ybor City & 4 in St. Petersburg. We actual started with beta tapes then went into VHS. At one point we had the largest collection of non porno LGBT videos. Many universities would call and purchase videos from us. People would ask many times a day,” What’s good to watch?” That is when we started “RQV” Required Queer Viewing. When a film would come along that we all thought was GREAT it would get a “RQV” sticker on the box. People loved this and these videos were always in high demand. When DVD’s started to gain in popularity, we phased out VHS and brought in DVD’s. Then the new on demand services started up. With the popularity of Amazon it was time to close our stores. That brings us to today. Some good friends told us we must watch “The Handmaid’s Tale”. This is one of the most powerful films we have ever seen. It is very believable especial in the times we live in NOW! There are many LGBT parts and social comparisons. We proudly give “The Handmaid’s Tale” our RQV RATING!!!!
NFL says ‘Football is gay. Football is queer. Football is accepting.’
Hurricane Elsa
Well, that was a cute test run for this year’s hurricane season. Every year we ask our friends what are the must have things in your hurricane kit. We have heard things like work gloves and boats for cleanup, deck of cards, old fashion radios. We stumbled on a very cool thing. It started when we purchased a RYOBI battery drill. RYOBI also has lights, radio, fans and cell phone chargers. Now there is no need for all the extra batteries. We even wrote to RYOBI and suggested a all-in-one hurricane kits. They actually wrote back and said there already was one in design. Our other Hurricane tip is. The night before the storm make an extra pot of coffee. If the power goes off the next day. Cold coffee is better than no coffee LMAO!
The Columbia Restaurant Name
Thank you for sharing where your name the name “The Columbia Restaurant” came from. This is just anougher reason why we love Ybor City so much! Below is from facebook…
On Fourth of July, we remember the patriotic origins of our name. In 1903, founder Casimiro Hernandez, Sr., named his new Ybor City cafe the Saloon Columbia out of gratefulness for his asylum in the land of opportunity. The saloon’s name was inspired by the song “Columbia, Gem of the Ocean,” a popular patriotic tune at the time which functioned as an unofficial national anthem in competition with “Hail, Columbia” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The name Columbia, in fact, served as a nickname for the United States of America in the 19th century. Reading the song’s lyrics, you can imagine why the soul of a Cuban immigrant of Spanish descent would be stirred by singing them: https://youtu.be/8wIDXclKtGQ
This Saturday
Tuesday @ City Side
Virtual Campfire Series | LGBTQ+ Youth
https://www.facebook.com/events/2962405714044151/?ref=newsfeed
Coming Soon… A New Store in Ybor City
https://www.facebook.com/BulgeTampaBay
PFLAG National
Netflix’s new “We the People” Teaches Civics Through Song (with More Than a Little Help from Some Queer Moms) 🧡🌈 via Mombian
SUNday FUNday
Dishing with Mark n Carrie…. Let’s Play Ball
WELCOME The Gasparilla Soft Ball Classic
This weekend is the Annual Gasparilla Soft Ball Classic in Tampa. 1,000’s of players and fans will be in town. This year due to covid all of the meetings, registration and parties will be done on line. Even with all the changes we are sure there will lots of eye candy in Ybor City this weekend. FMI visit https://gasparillasoftballclassic.com/
SUNday FUNday
This Sunday 2-14-201 is also Valentine’s day!!! YAAAA The doors to The Showbar Ybor City open at 12 noon with a Great Brunch. The Miss Joey Brooks BOYlesque starts at 2PM. On the patio keeping the party going is Tea Cup, April & DJ Mike Sklarz. That night there is very special LIVE BAND Burlesque. Make your reservations now.
Calling all Ybor Residents
Join HYGNA for their first Community Coffee event! Friday, February 26th from 7:30 am -8:30 am at Foundation Coffee (the old Bunker). This will be outside and/or socially distanced. We hope to see folks from the other Ybor neighborhood associations as well!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HEYGNA/
WARNING
The street preacher’s aka bible bangers were out in full force over the Super Bowl Weekend. The hate that comes out of their mouths is just terrible. Take a close look at this photo. Our local Hero Miss April was engaging them. They were trying everything to get her to touch them. Notice the 2 guys filming everything. Here is their ungodly trick. If you touch them, they will charge you with assault and have it all on camera. If you do not want to be charge, they will take a large cash payment. $500 + in many cases to not press charges. We personally know of 3 who have paid. Now back to April LOL…. When this photo was taken the nasty preacher had just said “What man owns this woman?” of course April yelled back “no one owns me!!!” The preacher than said “That’s because you don’t have Jesus and no man wants you!!!” We grabbed April and left. It kinda make you think when you see the sad women and children with the preachers. Hum… is this a form of human trafficking?
Good News from East Ybor
It was announced this week that the Tierra del Lago Cigar Factory, located at 1908 N 36st Street will have a hearing to consider the property designation as a City of Tampa Local Landmark. If you agree, like us, please let them know by e-mail to Beverly.Jewesal@tampagov.net
Lights On Tampa
Explore beautiful downtown Tampa after hours through this self-guided tour of new and existing Lights on Tampa art installations featuring local music, dance and other celebrations of Public Art. While Lights on Tampa will live on for you to experience at your own leisure, the evenings of March 5th and 6th will include special arts encounters featuring dance and music around the perimeter of the Tampa Convention Center.
We encourage visitors and residents to explore our vibrant city after dark, in a socially distanced manner. While the tour is outdoors, we ask that you consider wearing a mask as you move through the space, or purchase your limited-edition Lights on Tampa LED mask at the event!
Lights on Tampa brings critically acclaimed artwork to downtown and is a public/private partnership between the City of Tampa, Division of Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Public Art Alliance, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. Show your support for the Public Art Alliance with the purchase of a Lights on Tampa T-shirt at https://lightsontampa.org/shop
Thank you for supporting Public Art and your beautiful city!
https://www.facebook.com/events/471698220494611
WOW Things Have Changed
From https://www.facebook.com/urbnTB
Rent prices for the The Henry in Downtown have gone live. This is a student housing project so the move in date is set for August 19th, and the lease runs through 7/31/22 to coincide with the school year.
Rents start at $1199/month to share a 4/2 with 3 other people (you get your own bedroom).
The most expensive unit, a solo studio shared with no one else, is $1849/month.
To see their leasing page:https://www.thehenrytampa.com/tampa/the-henry/student/
