Spring break is coming: Here are things to do in Tampa Bay while kids are off

Spring break brings us some of Florida’s best weather and time to spend enjoying it. It also brings crowds to our tourist mecca.

March 11-15 is time off for public school students in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties as well as college students at the University of South Florida, Florida State and the University of Florida. That means nearly half a million students have the same week off, not to mention all the teachers and staff who will also have time on their hands.

Easter isn’t until March 31, so expect the spring travelers to keep on coming. Tampa International Airport expects to see between 40,000 to 60,000 passengers daily during the spring break period, with some peak days seeing as many as 65,000 passengers. Not surprising, considering that Florida is the top destination for getting away, according to travel outlook reports.

Day trips

Cross-Bay Ferry: The seasonal boat ride between downtown Tampa and downtown St. Petersburg is offering a new promotion this March and April, giving free rides for kids. That’s a $10 savings when you use the promotional code KIDSRIDEFREE24. The ferry runs Wednesday-Sunday with a few late-night departures on Friday and Saturday. This deal is not available for dates of Tampa Bay Lightning home games, however. Once you have landed, the ferry’s website has special deals and offers through its Community Partners Program. Attractions with discounts include the St. Petersburg Museum of History, the Florida Aquarium, Bay E-Bikes and many others.

The ferry pickup spot in Tampa is by the Tampa Convention Center, and the St. Petersburg Port is located at 250 Eighth Ave. SE. Adult tickets are $12 one way; veterans, seniors and students get $1 off. Wheelchair users pay $5, and children 4 or younger ride free. thecrossbayferry.com.

Pi Day: March 14 is Pi Day (3.14 … get it?) and it also is the birthday of Albert Einstein. The Glazer Children’s Museum will celebrate with a giant pie fight in Curtis Hixon Park, along with some math games and an appearance by Einstein himself, played by a museum worker. The event is free and starts at 3:14 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, at 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa.

Skating at the Pier: The St. Pete Pier’s 5,000-square-foot Rockin’ Roller Rink has returned near the Splash Pad and Tilted Lawn. It will be open March 7-April 14, with extended hours for spring break. Spring break hours (March 9-17) are noon to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and till 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Otherwise, regular hours will be 4-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Throughout its run, there will be regular theme nights, live DJs, live bands, disco balls, food and drinks for sale. Theme nights during spring break include a Pitbull tribute (March 11), Taylor Swift Day (March 12), a Bad Bunny tribute (March 13) and an Usher tribute (March 14).

Tickets are $17 per person and include skate rental and 75 minutes on the rink. Groups of 10 or more can skate for $15. 600 Second Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. rockinrollerrinkstpete.com.

St. Patrick’s Day: The green holiday falls on Sunday but the River of Green Festival will be Saturday, March 16, and Tampa is pulling out the stops. For the first time, the big Rough Riders parade will be held in downtown Tampa instead of Ybor City. And they are bringing along Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and local fan favorite Wade Boggs as grand marshal.

Curtis Hixon Park will be home to seven hours of activities for the River O’ Green Festival, when the city dyes the Hillsborough River a deep shade of emerald. There will be two stages of live music, traditional Irish dance, a pet costume contest, a Lucky Charms eating contest and hurling demonstrations, which organizers said involves “a rowdy Irish mix of hockey, baseball, and football.” The parade kicks off at 5 p.m. at Joe Chillura Square and will end at Florida Avenue.

The day’s events are free from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at the park at 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa.

Theme parks and attractions

Busch Gardens: This will be one of the busiest weeks of the year at all of the state’s theme parks. Plan accordingly by arriving early or at the end of the day, when those with little ones are leaving. The Food & Wine Fest has returned for its ninth year, featuring an array of outdoor kitchens and free concerts through May 19 on Saturdays and Sundays. For spring break week, the concerts are Goo Goo Dolls (March 9), Starship featuring Mickey Thomas (March 10), Tauren Wells (March 16) and Sister Hazel (March 17). The concerts are included with admission, though the food and drinks are extra, in the $5-$15 range. Other notable new features at the park include the reopening of the Skyride (which now costs $5 per gondola ride) and the revamp of Kangaloom, the kangaroo and wallaby habitat that has 29 kangaroos, eight wallabies and one wallaroo that guests can hand feed. The Busch Gardens Fun Card gets you unlimited admission for $132.99 for the rest of 2024 and a free Adventure Island water park Fun Card, too. Block-out dates apply. 10165 McKinley Drive, Tampa. buschgardens.com.

Adventure Island: The water park across the street from Busch Gardens has opened for the season. A new feature that opened last summer is Shaka-Laka Shores, 17,000 square feet of zero-depth activity space for the youngest guests with play elements to climb, slide and splash. Keep an eye out for the spring opening of Castaway Falls, a new multi-level water-play attraction. Tickets start at $47, though there are combination deals with Busch Gardens and SeaWorld you can find at adventureisland.com. 10001 McKinley Drive, Tampa.

Legoland: The new Ferrari Build & Race Experience opens March 8 with a life-sized Lego model of the snazzy race car. Inside, kids can create their own Ferrari race car and test drive it through three extreme test tracks. Then, they can digitally build and race on a virtual track. One-day tickets to Legoland start at $74 per person online. And unlike other big theme parks, when rain or bad weather forces Legoland to close attractions, Legoland will allow you to use your ticket to come back for another visit within a year. 1 Legoland Way, Winter Haven. legoland.com/florida.

ZooTampa: The zoo is now doing a soft opening for its March 15 debut of the new Stingray Shores. The state-of-the-art habitat features a naturalistic 30,000-gallon saltwater pool that is low enough for children to reach into the water. A visiting exhibit called Prehistoric Predators that puts guests face to face with giant animatronic predators not seen since the Ice Age runs through April 28. The construction fences at Wallaroo are coming down this spring with the opening March 24 of a reimagined Australia realm with a new safari-type ride called Aussie Trek, an expanded splash pad and a remodeled restaurant, bar and restrooms. Admission is $47.95 and $37.95 for ages 3-11, though they have a pay for a day deal that gives you unlimited admission for the rest of the year. 1101 W. Sligh Ave., Tampa. zootampa.org.

MOSI: Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry has two traveling exhibits you can experience this spring. The a-MAZE-ing Butterflies is a 5,000-square-foot exhibit space that runs through May 5. It will shrink you down to the size of a caterpillar to see their world in metamorphosis. And DC Superheroes lets you channel your superpowers in the former IMAX theater with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. It runs through May 5. Admission is $14, $10 for kids. 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. mosi.org.