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Oldsmar celebrates history with 10 packed days, nights

Horse racing, food, music and - of course - Oldsmobiles are among the choices.

By JARED LEONE
Published March 16, 2007

OLDSMAR - The city of Oldsmar and Tampa Bay Downs will celebrate their history with 10 days of events starting today, including the 46th annual Oldsmar Days and Nights Festival at R.E. Olds Park.

"The race track has always been an enduring part of the landscape," said Jerry Custin, president of the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. "It all ties together with Oldsmar history."

Events at Tampa Bay Downs, 11225 Race Track Road, include speaker Julie Krone, the only woman in the jockey Hall of Fame, from 6 to 8 p.m. today, at the Tampa Bay Derby pre-race cocktail party. There also is a silent auction fundraiser for the chamber's education foundation. Tickets are $25 a person and $40 for a couple.

On Saturday, Oldsmar residents will get free admission to the race track for Tampa Bay Derby Festival Day, which features a $300,000 purse and is one of the area's largest racing events. The first race is at 12:15 p.m., and the derby begins at 5:45 p.m.

The Taste of the Bay is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. More than a dozen area restaurants will be arranged in a horseshoe pattern and will be offering food near the paddock area. Also Sunday is the Downs Chaplaincy Golf Tournament at 11:45 a.m. at the East Lake Woodlands Country Club, 1055 East Lake Woodlands Parkway. The tournament benefits a program that supports the disabled jockeys fund, pays for doctor visits for jockeys and helps jockeys to learn English.

An afterhours history walk mixer starts at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in front of City Hall, 100 State Street W. Mayor Jerry Beverland will lead a walk of the area's historical homes.

On March 23, sounds of the Grateful Dead as played by tribute band Uncle John's Band will kick off the festival at 5 p.m. at R.E. Olds Park, 107 Shore Dr. W. A classic car show featuring Corvettes also is planned.

The city's only parade of the year starts at 11 a.m. March 24 at the corner of State Street and St. Petersburg Drive with more than 100 participants. A classic car show featuring only Oldsmobiles and live music starting at noon also are planned.

The bevy of events winds down Sunday with Wing Wars, an event tempting the daring to try the hottest sauces by area restaurants. More live music is planned for the day including Bill Wharton & the Ingredients blend of music and food. Wharton, known as the "Sauce Boss," creates a gumbo on stage and then shares the soup with the audience at the end of the show. A classic car show featuring vintage cars built before 1975 also will be on display.

"The whole thing for us is to tie it to the history and the beauty of R.E. Olds Park," Custin said. "To people around this community it is one of the better-kept secrets and one of the most beautiful parks in the area."

Jared Leone can be reached at jleone @sptimes.com or 727 445-4109.

[Last modified March 15, 2007, 23:13:35]