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Cool ideas for your time off

Weekend best bets

By WILMA NORTON
Published April 29, 2005

[Times photo: Scott Keeler]

The Tampa Rose Society show features 50 classes of home-grown roses Saturday and Sunday at Centre Court at University Mall.

A ONE-DAY MUSIC PARTY

Instead of the raucous annual Livestock festival, radio station 98 Rock is throwing a one-day music party called BFD at the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa. Gates open at noon Saturday for a bill that includes 3 Doors Down, Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin, Alter Bridge and more. All seats are reserved; no lawn seats for this show. $30-$47. (813) 740-2446, (813) 287-8844 or (727) 898-2100.

Joan Jett is still rockin' after three decades. She and the Blackhearts play in the Blue Line Theatre configuration at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa at 8 tonight. $18-$50. (813) 287-8844, (727) 898-2100 or (813) 301-2500.

For family fun, check out one of four beach festivals along the Pinellas County coast:

Beach Goes Pops, with a pop concert from 6 to 10:30 p.m. today with the Venturas and Rob Tyre & the Rockets of Love; on Saturday, the Beach Goes Pops Orchestra plays from 7 to 9:30 p.m., all at Pass-a-Grille Beach at Ninth Avenue, St. Pete Beach. Gates open at 4 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Saturday. Free. (727) 367-8590.

Beach Fest at Pier 60, Clearwater Beach, with music, arts and crafts, street performers, rides, games and food. Check out the sand sculpting competition from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and fireworks at 8:45 p.m. today and Saturday. Festival hours are 6 to 11 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Free. (727) 449-1036.

Island Fest, on Honeymoon Island, west of Dunedin, with food, arts and crafts, children's activities and music, guided nature walks, cars, boats and more. Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. $5 per car, plus $2 per person; kids admitted free. (727) 733-3197.

Festival of the Sun on the municipal beach in Treasure Island, with music by reggae recording legend Mikey Dread and local bands, plus activities geared to teens. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. $10 advance, $13 at the gate. (727) 544-7705.

Verdi's grandest opera, Aida, with its tale of a love triangle in ancient Egypt, closes Opera Tampa's season. Performances are at 8 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa. $24.50-$75. (813) 229-7827 or toll-free 1-800-955-1045.

Florida Orchestra programs this weekend range from biblical oratorio to Hollywood swing. The orchestra, with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, will perform William Walton's biblical oratorio, Belshazzar's Feast; Vessels of Courage and Hope, written in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Israel's statehood; and Beethoven's Eighth Symphony. The concerts are at 7:30 p.m. today at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg. $15.50-$50.50. On Sunday at 7:30 p.m., the orchestra hosts one of its "Blue Jeans Classics" casual concerts at the Coliseum in St. Petersburg. On the program, called "Hollywood and All That Jazz," is music by Scott Joplin, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin and others. $9-$18. (813) 286-2403 or toll-free 1-800-662-7286.

Canine athletes from across the country will compete in the Central Florida Canine Flying Disc Challenge with throw and catch, accuracy and freestyle divisions on Saturday and the Quadruped Long-Distance Competition (for farthest throwing and catching) on Sunday. The competition is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Clearwater High School football stadium, Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard and Hercules Avenue. Admission is by donation for spectators. (727) 562-4800 or www.cfdiscdogs.com

- WILMA NORTON, Times staff writer

[Last modified April 28, 2005, 09:44:43]