20+ FUN Things to Do in Tampa Bay this Weekend
It's another busy weekend with tons of awesome things to do in Tampa Bay with the kids!
School's out and it's time for some summer fun! There are still some awesome summer camps to check out around Tampa Bay and plenty of ways to splash and play at some of the best beaches, waterparks, and splash pads!
But, before we dive into our list of Weekend Top Picks of Things to Do in Tampa Bay This Weekend– here's how we've set it up to make it easier for you to find an event on a day that works best for your family: Featured Events that make this page possible, More Awesome Things to Do, Save the Date, What's on Exhibit, and more.
Happy weekend exploring!
A few new stories we think you'll LOVE:
- Tampa Bay Rays announce “Best Summer Ever at Tropicana Field” with deals for families and more!
- READ NOW: Flip through the digital version of our June issue!
- INSIDE LOOK: Pig Family Travel Adventure at PEPPA Pig Theme Park
Featured Things to Do in Tampa Bay this Weekend
We're giving the following partners' events an extra shout-out since their support helps us provide this amazing weekend guide to you for free!
Princess Cruise on Yacht Starship
- Date: Sunday, June 7 from 11:30 am-2 pm
- Location: Tampa
You’re invited on a princess lunch cruise aboard Yacht StarShip! Princes and princesses of all ages are welcome to come aboard this magical cruise out of Tampa. The 2-hour cruise will include a boarding photo opportunity with a princess followed by a lunch buffet where Parties with Character Princesses will visit each table. After lunch, guests are welcome to join the princesses for a sing-along and DJ dance party on the top deck. This event's princess lineup includes Tiana, Elsa, Ariel, Anna, and Rapunzel (subject to change).
Head to a Tampa Bay Rays game for the “Best Summer Ever at Tropicana Field”
- Dates: Games this weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Location: St. Pete
Root, root, root for the home team!!! The Tampa Bay Rays are back at the Trop with home games all summer long! This weekend, there are home games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and on Sundays…kids can stay after the game and groove with DJ Kitty and Run the Bases! We're sharing more about the amazing Rays game day deals for families here.
Summer Nights at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
- Dates: Friday, May 22-August 9, 2026
- Location: Tampa
Summer Nights returns with extended park hours, world-class coasters, and electrifying entertainment. New this year, catch the wave of retro fun at Beach Bash. Beat the heat during the day and catch returning favorites like Cirque Electric, Animal Tales, Icons, and Rhythm of Nature. The fun keeps going into the night with everyone's favorite 90s-style dance fest at Boombox Dance Party. End your day with their immersive Wild Skies drone show with fireworks on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with all-new shows and more drones!
AquaGlow at Islands of Adventure
- Dates: Select Nights, Friday, May 22-August 8, 2026
- Location: Tampa
Get ready to light up your summer nights at AquaGlow, a family-friendly nighttime event that transforms Adventure Island into a dazzling neon paradise! Experience an electric atmosphere filled with vibrant lights, pulsing music, and immersive surprises around every corner. From glowing entertainment to high-energy vibes, it's the ultimate way to celebrate summer after dark. With limited capacity, you’ll enjoy a more relaxed, exclusive experience with plenty of room to glow, dance, and make memories with friends and family.
Peppa Pig Theme Park: Pig Family Travel Adventure (pictured in featured image)
- Dates: Now through June 28
- Location: Winter Haven
PEPPA PIG Theme Park Florida is kicking off summer with an all-new limited-time event, “Pig Family Travel Adventure,” running May 23 through June 28. Designed for preschoolers and their families, the experience invites guests to join Peppa and her family on their first holiday as a family of five through a playful, globe-trotting adventure filled with interactive activities and hands-on experiences.
Above & Beyond exhibit at MOSI
- Dates: Now Open!
- Location: Tampa
From the earliest dreams of the Wright brothers to the future of space exploration, this immersive exhibit lets you design, test, and experience flight firsthand through cutting-edge, hands-on technology. Step into the action as you build your own aircraft, explore the forces of flight, and push the limits of what’s possible.
WORTH THE DRIVE: Cirque du Soleil Drawn to Life
- Location: Disney Springs, Orlando
- Showtimes: Wed-Sat. at 5:30 pm and 8 pm, and on Sundays at 1:30 pm and 4 pm
Set your imagination in motion with Drawn to Life, a love letter to the art of Disney animation. In this first-ever creative collaboration between Cirque du Soleil and Disney, journey into a whimsical world of animation where an animator’s desk becomes the stage and drawings come alive. It’s the magic of Walt Disney Animation interpreted through dazzling performances and the acrobatic mastery of Cirque du Soleil. Live on stage, only at Disney Springs.
MORE Awesome Things to Do in Tampa Bay this Weekend
Go check out the NEW Magic Grasshopper at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete
- Date: on display now
- Location: St. Pete
The MFA just unveiled Magic Grasshopper, a pink-hued fantastical art sculpture by a renowned artist, Yvette Mayorga. It's the first in a series of public art displays the museum will showcase outside of its gallery walls for all to enjoy. No admission is required to experience it!
Storytime with the Animals at Fat Beet Farm
- Date: Friday, June 5 from 9:30 am-10 am
- Location: Tampa
Tampa Bay Sports Collectors Expo at Florida State Fairgrounds
- Date: Friday, June 5 – Sunday, June 7
- Location: Tampa
Meet legendary athletes, shop exclusive collectibles, and connect with fellow collectors all weekend long!
Skate and Play at United Skates
- Dates: Friday, June 5 from 6:30 pm-9:30 pm
- Location: Tampa
The perfect combination of skating and arcade fun all summer long! Admission includes 20 game credits to use in the arcade.
Empower Adventures Sunset Zip Line Adventures and Moonlight Canopy Tours
- Dates: Friday, June 5-Sunday, June 7
- Location: Oldsmar
Tampa Tarpons Splash Into Summer at George M. Steinbrenner Field
- Date: Friday, June 6 at 6:30 pm
- Location: Tampa
The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Tampa Tarpons Rally Towel! Stick around for a spectacular postgame fireworks show!
Fairy Festival at Bok Tower Gardens
- Date: Saturday, June 6 from 9 am- 5 pm
- Location: Lake Wales
Come dressed in your fairy best as Bok Tower Gardens presents a summer Fairy Festival like none other! This magical day is perfect for fairies and fauns of all ages, with activities and entertainment throughout the gardens. See a fairy godmother take flight from the Singing Tower as she dances amongst the trees, meet fantastical fairies and awesome animals, discover hidden Fairy Doors, and delight your senses with art, music, and plenty of bubbles! This event is free for members and included in general admission.
DIY Workshop at Home Depot
- Date: Saturday, June 6 from 9 am-12 pm
- Location: Various Locations
Head to your local Home Depot to create a free DIY craft! All supplies included (while supplies last). This month, create your own Goalie Game!
Mini Train Rides at Largo Central Park
- Date: Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7
- Location: Largo
Head to Largo Central Park to take a ride on one of their 1/8 scale mini trains through the beautiful Largo Central Park! Weather permitting.
Repticon at Florida State Fairgrounds
- Date: Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7
- Location: Tampa
This event features a wide range of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and other exotic animals. Visitors can explore educational presentations, live animal displays, and opportunities to purchase reptiles, supplies, and accessories. Repticon is a family-friendly event, perfect for both seasoned reptile hobbyists and those curious to learn more about these fascinating creatures!
Summerfest at Keel Farms
- Date: Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7
- Location: Plant City
Spend your weekends soaking up summer at Keel Farms! Bring the family out to enjoy free kid-friendly fun while parents relax in the backyard with food, drinks, and plenty of space to unwind and hangout. There will be water slides, bounce houses, food truck style eats, and more!
Day of Play with Early Learning Coalition at Feeding Tampa Bay
- Date: Saturday, June 6 from 10 am-12 pm
- Location: Tampa
Day of Play celebrates why play matters! Enjoy fun, hands-on activities for ages 0-5 to build skills, spark creativity, and support kindergarten prep. Through play, children develop important skills like problem-solving, communication, and creativity. Day of Play highlights the value of play in fostering early learning and helps families discover new ways to support their children’s development. Each Day of Play is packed with engaging activities designed to help prepare children ages birth to 5 for their kindergarten journey.
Cyber Bowling Kids Matinee at Pin Chasers
- Date: Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7
- Location: Tampa, Zephyrhills
Cyber Bowling is the fusion of high-energy entertainment and bowling, where anything is possible! Bowling with kids? Enjoy special family matinees with family-appropriate music so families can enjoy the fun together at an earlier time.
Summer Block Party at Elev8 Fun Tampa
- Date: Saturday, June 6 from 12 pm-6 pm
- Location: Tampa
Kick off summer with 50% off ALL attractions! Enjoy some free fun with local vendors and summer style eats. Best of all, it's all indoors so you can beat the summer heat!
Esports Open Play at Northdale Rec Center
- Date: Saturday, June 6, from 1:30 pm-4:30 pm
- Location: Tampa
Esports lounges are staffed with Esports specialists who inspire and encourage new social skills, help develop gaming fundamentals, and set a safe, inclusive, and positive social environment. Coaches are Esports competitors who have the skills and experience to help any player develop and grow their skills to perform better in competitions. In addition to developing Esports skills, participants socialize with like-minded competitors and make new friends in a high-energy environment.
Kids vs. Adults Trivia: Toy Story at B&B Theatres
- Date: Saturday, June 6 from 4 pm-5 pm
- Location: Wesley Chapel
Bring the family out for a kids vs. adults trivia to celebrate the new Toy Story 5! Enjoy four rounds of trivia questions and one visual round all about these fan favorites.
The Florida Orchestra Symphony by the Sea
- Date: Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 pm
- Location: Clearwater
The orchestra’s waterfront concert is part of the nationwide America 250 celebration, a chance to come together and salute the American spirit through music. The program mixes patriotic favorites like Armed Forces Salute and America the Beautiful with Tchaikovsky’s explosive 1812 Overture, plus John Williams’ movie themes from “Star Wars” and “Jaws”, Broadway hits, and classical crowd-pleasers.
Treat Trot-Tampa at Gadsen Park
- Date: Sunday, June 7, from 7 am-10 am
- Location: Tampa
Head to Gadsen Park for a 5K, 10K, 15K, and Kids' Dash! This chip-timed race includes a finisher's medal, free photos, snacks, and more!
Sunday Breakfast Bowl at Pin Chasers
- Date: Sunday, June 7, from 9 am-11 am
- Location: Tampa, Zephyrhills
Bring the whole family to Pin Chasers for unlimited bowling plus breakfast! You get two hours of bowling, two eggs (your way), bacon, and toast.
St. Pete Pride Famliy Day on the Pier
- Date: Sunday, June 7, from 10 am-2 pm
- Location: St. Petersburg
This is a welcoming, all-ages celebration for families of every kind. Family Day on the Pier features kid-friendly activities, community resources, and entertainment featuring local bands, artists, and their very own St. Pete Pride Court!
The Florida Orchestra Defying Gravity at The Straz Center
- Date: Sunday, June 7 at 2 pm
- Location: Tampa
The beloved songs of Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Stephen Schwartz are given breathtaking performances by world-class vocalists during this special show. This uplifting, soul-stirring concert uses the power of the orchestra to deliver hits from classic shows like “Godspell” and “Wicked.” Don't miss this unforgettable evening of magical musical theatre.
Dueling Pianos for Kids at Treble Makers Dueling Piano Bar and Restaurant
- Date: Sunday, June 7, from 4 pm-6 pm
- Location: Wesley Chapel
Fun for the whole family! Bring the kids out to dance, sing, and request all their favorite tunes! Movie songs, TV shows, and pop music are all on the table! This event is free but reservations are encouraged!
Save the Date for these Awesome Events in Tampa Bay:
Tampa Theatre's FREE Summer Sing-Along Screenings
- Dates: Select Sundays, at 6:30 p.m.
- Location: Sparkman Wharf
With Tampa Theatre’s historic auditorium closed for restoration ahead of its 100th anniversary in October, the majestic movie palace is taking the show on the road with a series of FREE Summer Sing-Along Screenings on select Sundays at Sparkman Wharf and other locations throughout Tampa Bay, presented by QC! The first 100 guests at each show will also receive a free LED fan, courtesy of series sponsor QC, and a free bag of Tampa Theatre’s famous popcorn, starting at 6:00 pm.
Monthly Movies at Sparkman Wharf:
- June 28: High School Musical (2006)
- July 26: The Little Mermaid (2023)
- August 23: Wicked (2024)
19th Annual Back to School Fair – NEW LOCATION!
- Date: Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Location: Citrus Park Town Center
Hillsborough County Public Schools presents: The 19th Annual Back to School Fair is headed back to an ALL-NEW location in 2026! Head to Tampa Bay's ultimate back-to-school bash inside the air-conditioned comfort of Citrus Park Town Center during the Sales Tax Holiday, meaning you won’t have to pay sales tax on your school-related purchases. Take pictures with ThunderBug, sing with Princesses, get your face painted, enjoy performances, games and contests, plus, we’re giving away FREE backpacks for the first 1,000 kids in line!
MORE THINGS TO DO: See What’s on Exhibit in Tampa Bay
Galacticoaster at LEGOLAND Florida Resort
- NOW OPEN!
- Location: LEGOLAND Florida, Winter Haven
Be one of the first to experience LEGOLAND Florida Resort's awesome new indoor family coaster, Galacticoaster! You'll find it in the new LEGO Galaxy, where you can immerse yourself in 40+ years of LEGO space history. The ride is a first of its kind, and we're sharing all of the details about Galacticoaster here!
Lucy Sparrow's Quick Shop at FloridaRAMA
- Dates: Now until the exhibit sells out of the felt art creations
- Location: St. Pete
World-renowned artist Lucy Sparrow is bringing her incredible felt artwork back to Tampa Bay in a 700-square-foot exhibit at FloridaRAMA called Lucy Sparrow's Quick Shop. The whimsical exhibit is filled with thousands of handmade felt art creations inspired by the everyday items you would find at the market, including produce, seafood, laundry detergent, and more. And here's what's really cool–you can purchase the artwork, too. FloridaRAMA is also decorated for the holidays! They also just unveiled Lucy Sparrow's Sugar Rush, featuring favorite candies in felt form!
Science LIVE! All-New Science Demos at MOSI in Tampa | Daily at 2 p.m.
Watch a MOSI educator bring science to life with exciting, hands-on demos. Each show lasts about 15 minutes and features fun experiments in chemistry, physics, biology, and more. You’ll see colorful reactions, cool demos, and amazing science in action. MOSI makes science easy to understand, and even easier to get excited about!
Wild Oasis at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
The Wild Oasis Realm is finally open at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay! There's a new ride, a splash pad, and so many ways to climb and play!
SEA LIFE Florida at LEGOLAND Florida Resort in Winter Haven
Get ready for this under-the-sea adventure at this all-new indoor attraction! You can expect to see more than 3,000 sea creatures and even walk through a 180-degree underwater tunnel! We'll be there for the official opening on Friday morning!
Forts Exhibit at Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa
The beloved FORTS exhibit returns to Glazer Children's Museum this weekend in its newly expanded and permanent home on the second floor, just in time for spring break! You'll find it on the second floor, where kids can use their imaginations to build an epic fort!
Let's See at Glazer Children's Museum in Tampa
This colorful, bilingual (English and Spanish) exhibit, created in partnership with the Glazer Vision Foundation, invites families to explore the science of vision through hands-on, mind-bending experiences. Discover how your eyes work with playful interactives that bring light, color, and perspective to life. Mix colors on spinning wheels, walk into a giant kaleidoscope, and cast dazzling colored shadows. Peer through a water sphere to see the world flipped upside down – just like your eyes do before your brain flips it back! Try on glasses, test for color blindness, and watch your pupils dilate as you explore how we see the world.
Wonders of Wetlands at Great Explorations Children's Museum in St. Pete
This new permanent exhibit, created in partnership with Tampa Bay Water, was designed to engage young minds and spark environmental curiosity. The immersive experience brings one of Florida’s most vital ecosystems to life inside the museum, and kids can even go face-to-face with some of the creatures that call our wetlands home, like turtles, lizards, and a snake!
See the World’s Largest Triceratops at Glazer Children’s Museum in Tampa
Big John, the world’s largest fossil triceratops, is now on display at the Glazer Children’s Museum for a three-year exhibition. For the first time, the museum is waiving its requirement that adults attend the museum with a child, to ensure everyone has a chance to see Big John nose to snout for themselves. While you do not need a reservation to go to the museum, you will need to book a timeslot to see Big John. This will eliminate crowds so you can make the most out of the experience. Learn more about how to plan your day to see Big John the Triceratops here.
Paws for Literacy at Humane Society of Tampa Bay in Tampa | Tuesdays and Thursdays
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay gives children who love animals a chance to spend time with them while catching up on their reading or improving their reading skills. Children are paired with homeless pets who love to hear the stories and look at the pictures. The program is offered for children ages 5 and up. They’ll provide reading stools, books, and treats (for the animals), but children are welcome to bring their own books if they wish. Books provided include animal tales, stories of the animal-human bond, and books that teach empathy to young readers. Supervised by a Florida state certified teacher.
Ruskin Family Drive-In in Ruskin | Wednesdays-Sundays
The Ruskin Family Drive-In Theatre has over 50 years of continuous service to the Ruskin and South Hillsborough County. It’s been a community gathering place since its first movie, “Singing in the Rain” played in 1952. They offer great movies, good food, and peace and quiet on a continuous basis with a 2000 square foot screen, clean restrooms, snack bar, and clean parking lot. Please note: you must bring a portable radio with you or use the radio in your car to hear the movie. There will be no showings on Monday and Tuesday.