Lighting of Holiday Tree

    Once again the community has come together in GaYBOR/Ybor City for the Holidays. The 34′ elaborately  decorated Christmas tree in Centro Ybor was officially lit by Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn last Wednesday to a packed crowd.
     The organizers of “Ybor City Holiday Spirits”, Mathieu Stanouch and D. Stephen Moss with their non profit, “One Tin Soldier Productions” is heading up a full assortment of activities throughout historic Ybor. Last years parade in the snow had over 25,000 parade attendees. The holiday parade is larger this year with 14 high school bands, floats and local political leaders and of course Santa Claus!  Anticipated crowd of  over 45,000 residents and tourists is expected. It is a real community holiday affair and holiday experience for all members of the family.
    This is the 3rd year for the Ybor City Holiday Spirit and the snow falling 7th Ave. parade. Also the 7th year of decorating GaYBOR and Historic Ybor City started by GaYBOR District Coalition and worked with the YCDC in Ybor City in 2007. 
Last Sunday hundreds of volunteers help decorate Ybor City by putting up holiday garland decorations on all the historic Ybor lamp posts.
    The next big open Holiday event will be the “Snow on 7th Holiday Parade” on Dec 14th at 6pm. Please plan to attend

You Can Not Make This Up.

    KiKiKi III Sold
    The Oldest Gay bar in Tampa was sold this past week. We understand the building was purchased at auction by the engineering company next door. The KiKiKi #1 was downtown where the bus station is today. The KIKI#2 was just a few blocks away in the downtown area. The KiKiKi #3 was at 1908 W Kennedy Blvd for over the past 30 years. Many of us jokingly called the KIKIKI… The Frat House.
    The one thing you could say about the KiKiKi is that they were “Consistent.” Our very first time at the KiKiKi 2 was in 1980. We had just moved to Tampa from Minneapolis to go to USF. Minneapolis was at least 10 years ahead of Tampa in those days. It was Gasparilla and we went to our 1st Gay Bar in Tampa to watch the parade.         
    The parade was winding it’s way thru Downtown Tampa. Inside the dark wood planked walled bar there were 2 guys shooting up drugs in the men’s room. Mark said “That’s it we are moving back to Minneapolis today!!!” 34 years later and we are still in Tampa, I guess Carrie won that one.
    Over the following years we made many good friends at the KiKiKi. The owner was Cesar R. and the manager Stevie. Cesar’s brother was the famous Rene who owned the Kennedy Blvd. Gay Show Bar, “Rene’s” on Kennedy Blvd. There are many fun stories about the KiKiKi.
    Everybody always said… “The KiKiKi has the Wildest floor show in Tampa Bay and doesn’t even have a floor show! If you sat in there long enough you would see everybody walk thru the doors of the KiKiKi!!!”  

Dishing

“Show Your Joe”

K-mart commercial Joe Boxer Christmas put in a few Jingle Bells”

 
<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/-RWzd3Q-Qtg” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>
.
Calendario Romano
Some friends of ours just returned from a trip to the Vatican in Italy. They were so very excited because they found us the perfect Italian souvenir. It was a calendar of the HOTTEST Priests in the Vatican!!!  LOL LOL It was the perfect gift!!!  
 Get yours at www.calendarioromano.org
.

Photo of the Week

Sometimes we all just forget how much things have changed for the better in America. After the Kennedy Dedication Marker we were looking at the photos. This one just hit us. WOW, …  50 years ago when President Kennedy was in Tampa this photo would have turned heads on so many different levels.

Take a close look at this photo. There is Mark & Carrie (Bd member) with Shirley Foxx-Knowles, Tampa’s City Clerk & chair of HCHAC ( Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council ) holding the City of Tampa Flag.

Mark & Carrie 2 openly gay white guys. Shirley a woman in power and African American woman. All three in one photo. In 1964 this would have been a NO WAY.

Today, we don’t think anything about it. What a Great City & Country we all live in!

Photos of the Week

Photos of the Week    

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==


Photo of the Week
Keith “KC” Looking GREAT!!!!

Caught @ King Corona

Caught @ Bernini’s 

  http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

Click for More Photos at Ybor City Wine Bar


Click for More Photos at Steam Fridays

Click for More Photos at G.BARhttp://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

Click for More Photos @ Bradley’s on 7th

Click for More Photos at Hamburger Mary’s
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

Click for More Photos atJJ’s Cafe & Bar 


http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

Click for More Photos at Centro Cantina
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

Click for More Photos at MC Film
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpy_4PGdaimMqfizeaPpGz4kQgnm3agFprmmEogoQaBrghBe1ewNzwexFfj2si9fGUaXKxECx5sR32KZNh6e2G13qVdpSYiRcMWs34Qh6188_-tv88fuMeWg=&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001tBWcaTtBfeqZoicLIudFROeSnHbKNLQodGudnZKYokLnMnCry5EVpxvTv1d5ecWIdIE4v33Iyva81TcSjznZR-_vBRuwtMsmUuF3otLRafw2ZIpfpYTAG9DmPTYbLFJKW3P4ZF2iA2ncezHeh3gLk5gEJa_sCHRuWQF5qiRkjuXVJ8u6nt7-LA==&c=b_7zQ5HND6Q_Wg73JDFfzmCRx60aaPyiPjq5RKVyDzBz7WRFt9TOJQ==&ch=jHY3AAcBL5RF7_W-mg_lcBZDl7EheCPZ001lvJ-_05p0d_e3d08NOQ==

Click for More Photos in GaYBOR


Dishing with Mark & Carrie 11-21-13

Santa Speedo Run
    Buy your Speedos for a very worth while charity event. Santa’s Speedo Run in Ybor City  Dec. 1st (World AIDS Day) in Centennial Park. This is the second largest Santa AIDS benefit run after Boston! Last year we had over 250 entrants. Hopefully this year it will double.  It was definitely a media sensation . Money goes to ASAP for Aids Services and information.
    Get your Speedos out of the closet or Buy your new Red Speedo’s at MC FILM. Go as a team or as an individual. Gaspar’s Grotto on 7th is throwing the after party event.
 .
JFK in Tampa , 50 Year Anniversary Celebration
    The non profit month long special events for JFK in Tampa, 50th Anniversary presently has a JFK display at the Tampa Bay Museum Center through Dec 8th. A remarkable look at our 35th President days before his assassination in Dallas,Tx in the longest Secret Service secured routes. From the Mac Dill Air Force Base to downtown, the Homer Hesterly Armory on Howard Ave., Al Lopez Park and the return back to the Air Force Base was of over 26 miles. This was the first time a sitting U.S. President had come to Tampa!
    An unveiling of the JFK Historical Marker event is set for this Friday, Nov 22nd in the Lykes Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa at noon. It is at the corner of Kennedy Blvd and Franklin Street.
    The public is encouraged to attend this monumental ceremony.
 .
Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza
The count down to open has begun! The excitement is stirring as this much anticipated opening is coming very soon! This is Cristino’s 2nd restaurant in the Tampa Bay area. The other award winning restaurant is in Clearwater. Become a friend on facebook today so you don’t miss anything! https://www.facebook.com/lenny.ybor?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
 .
The Salvation Army says……
 ” Gay’s Need to be Put to Death”
This should be put in our “You can not make this up” but it isn’t!   Read it at…
 .
Swiss Business Leaders Tour GaYBOR/Ybor City
    Tampa has a lot to be thankful for. The great savvy of our leaders to work with sister cities in other countries is one of them.  This week a group of 14 business leaders from Switzerland are cross-over learning across the Atlantic with businesses in the Tampa Bay area. They will be in the area for 1 week.
    Carrie was asked and honored to be the guest Ambassador of Historic Ybor City and to give a district tour of the historical achievements and historically acclaimed buildings. The group included Switzerland’s Edelweiss Airlines, VP Michael, Zurich’s  Marketing Director, Ferris Buehler (yes, really Ferris Buehler), Zurich’s Museum curator working with the famed Salvador Dali Museum, Zoologist working with Busch Gardens, TV news crew working with local TV stations, Swiss marketing hoteliers working at the Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete, Europe’s top bartending competition winner was also going to show off his skills at the Tradewinds Resort and Zurich’s Economic & Marketing group working and sharing their expertise with Hillsborough County’s economic promoters,Visit Tampa Bay, who helped arrange the leadership exchange program. The business exchange program was recently implemented by the sister cities, Tampa & Zurich city leaders.
    The evening tour started at our MC FILM store with a welcome map. The group was taken to the ornate Cuban Club, Don Vicente Historical Inn, Ybor Square Cigar Factory Bldg to talk about the historical cigar manufacturing and of the Cuban military leader Jose Marti at Jose Marti Park who had Cuban immigrant roots here in Ybor City. A walking tour through the alleyways and then down down 7th Ave. The beautiful light bridges were just turning on to make and add to the beautiful Florida night. Onto the historical Italian Club and then dinner for a classic American hamburger at Hamburger Mary’s  and specially arranged drag show. The international group was called out to the packed restaurant patrons. It would not be complete though without a glimpse from an Ybor City 7th Ave balcony and a special tour was provided by the Honey Pot’s management Big Mike.
    It was 1 year ago that a delegation from Switzerland including GLBT Magazine editors,  newspapers and Swiss TV crew came to visit via Edelweiss Airlines to Tampa Bay to cover the new international companies 1st U.S. city venture and share info to the Swiss residents.
    A visa-versa exchange with local leaders is planned to travel to Zurich in 2014. We hope we are on board for the overseas exchange.