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Oldsmar Days more like a week
A partnership with Tampa Bay Downs allows the once three-day festivities to stretch out over several more days.
By Tamara El-Khoury
Published January 17, 2007
OLDSMAR - Oldsmar Days just added a couple more. Stemming from a new partnership with Tampa Bay Downs, the city's annual three-day celebration will stretch out this year. Sponsors will stage events for a week, starting March 16, according to the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, which runs the event in conjunction with the city. Several events traditionally spread out in March by Tampa Bay Downs have been condensed to several days to lead into the traditional celebration. "I think we're trying to enhance the profile of all the city events as well as the Tampa Bay Downs events, since it correlates at the same period of time," said Tampa Bay Downs spokeswoman Margo Flynn. Festivities start with a Tampa Bay Derby prerace cocktail party at Tampa Bay Downs. The next day is Tampa Bay Festival Day at the racetrack, the largest race day of the season. March 18 is a taste of Tampa Bay. A golf outing is on March 19, and a chamber mixer with a stroll of historic Oldsmar is on March 21. The traditional celebration will run from March 23 to March 25. The classic car shows, carnival, entertainment and vendors will all be there. The parade is on March 24. Joining the lineup will be the city-owned working replica of the 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile as well as other Oldsmobiles from the Olds Club of Florida. Chamber representatives said they hope to include as many community groups, businesses and organizations as possible in the parade. About 11,000 people participated in last year's event. The idea to join with Tampa Bay Downs was Vice Mayor Janice Miller's idea. "I think this should have been done a long time ago," said Miller, who came to Oldsmar in 1970 because of Tampa Bay Downs. Miller's late husband was a jockey, and she trained horses there, she said. Fast Facts: Bigger, better Oldsmar Days For information on how to be part of Oldsmar Days, call Diane Paul at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce at (813) 855-4233. For more information on events at Tampa Bay Downs, call Margo Flynn at (813) 855-4401.
[Last modified January 16, 2007, 23:22:40]
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