With more than 50 interactive exhibits, the Back to School Bash at the convention center gave parents a wealth of information and free goodies.
By ELISABETH DYER
Published August 1, 2003
DOWNTOWN - About 14,000 children and parents played games, pet farm animals and sampled food for the eighth annual All About Kids Back to School Bash last weekend at the Tampa Convention Center.
"We are out to tickle the noggin," said event coordinator Sherri Simonetti.
Lousa Price of Dunedin brought her five children for the second year.
"I came again because my kids have so much fun," she said. "They can run around and try out so many things."
The event July 26-27 offered more than 50 interactive exhibits and information for the upcoming school year. Hillsborough County school officials set up booths about magnet schools and school choice. Afterschool programs, such as La Petite Academy, offered enrollment information.
For extracurricular activities, USA Tennis on the Move of Dunedin held tryouts in a mini court. Leopold School of Voice and Piano in South Tampa let children test their musical skills on a keyboard.
Participants sampled yogurt, macaroni and cheese, chicken sticks, beefsteak, cookies, ice cream and cheesecake from various vendors. Lines snaked for the inflatable moonwalk, Willy Wonka's Wonkamobile and free pictures with Scooby-Doo and Scrappy.
University Community Health set up a MASH unit and wrapped fingers in plaster casts that hardened in five minutes. Granma's Hug-N-Farm in Crystal Springs brought rabbits, sheep, goats and chickens. During the two-day bash, one hen laid several eggs.
Parents left with a wealth of information and free goodies, including pencils, sharpeners, crayons, coloring books and insulated lunch bags.
A few left with bigger prizes.
Kim Bakst of Temple Terrace won four tickets from Southwest Airlines.
Meow Mix auditioned children for their Meow TV 2003 Summer Tour. In the next week or so, the top five Tampa performers will appear on the Meow Mix Web site at http://tour.meowtv.com where visitors can vote for their favorite. The winning video will be aired on Meow TV, a show for cat lovers that resumes this fall on the Oxygen cable channel.
Garrett Luzadder, who attended the party for the second year, said he's ready to go back to class at the Tampa Downtown Partnership School. The 9-year-old walked away with bags filled with candy, two basketballs, even cat food for the neighbor's cat.
