Tampa Sports and Concert Events

Tampa

Tampa is a city located in Hillsborough County on the west coast of Florida. It is the largest city in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area which is composed of roughly 2.5 million residents. It is the county seat of Hillsborough County. The word "Tampa" is an American Indian word used to refer to the area when the first European explorers arrived in Florida. Spanish conquistador Panfilo de Narvaez was the first European known to have visited the Tampa area, on April 8, 1528. When England acquired Florida in 1763, the bay was named Hillsborough Bay, after Lord Hillsborough, Secretary of State for the Colonies. Spain transferred Florida to the United States in 1821. Tampa was incorporated in 1849 with 185 inhabitants and Judge Joseph B. Lancaster became the first Mayor in 1856. Like much of Florida, Tampa's economy is heavily based on services and tourism. The major attractions and points of interest in Tampa are: *Big Red Balloon Sightseeing Adventures offers hot air balloon rides. *Hyde Park is an upscale district in South Tampa. There are many fine shops and restaurants in the area as well as a movie theatre. *Malibu Grand Prix is an entertainment complex with two 18-hole miniature golf courses, a gameroom, and two race tracks. *Seminole Gaming Palace - Seminole reservation, casino, Hard Rock Cafe *The Skatepark of Tampa is a world-famous skatepark, with many professional skateboarders flocking to it in January for the Tampa Am, and in March, for the Tampa Pro. *Tampa Union Station is an historic train station between downtown and Ybor City. *Ybor City is a National Historic Landmark District near downtown. It is a hotspot at night (especially on the weekends due to the many nightclubs, bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues in the area). Ybor City and *Tampa in general were an integral part of the Florida death metal scene. The colleges and universities in the Tampa region are: Florida Metropolitan University (FMU), Hillsborough Community College has several campuses around the Tampa Bay area; University of South Florida (USF) is located in north Tampa, near the Busch Gardens amusement park, and the town of Temple Terrace; University of Tampa (UT) is located next to downtown Tampa, on the Hillsborough River, where is enters Tampa Bay UT often is a preferred winter practice destination for northern rowing teams from Ivy League schools. Tampa is home to three different professional sports teams: Major League Baseball: Tampa Bay Devil Rays: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. National Football League: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. National Hockey League: Tampa Bay Lightning: St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.