Labor Day weekend in Tampa Bay is anything but quiet this year. Whether you're looking for cosplay and celebrity meet-and-greets or a slow Sunday morning making chalk art with neighbors, there's something across the region worth leaving the house for.
The Tampa Bay Comic Convention runs Friday through Sunday at the Tampa Convention Center, drawing guests including Ken Jeong, Katee Sackhoff, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, and Laura Prepon, alongside cosplay, trivia, comics, and film and TV panels. Ticket prices vary. Over in Wesley Chapel, Epperson Lagoon is hosting a full lineup of day and night events Friday through Monday — Cigar Night, LED Game Night, a Foam Party, and live music — with admission required for each. Meanwhile, The Sarasota Players are closing out their run of Bat Boy: The Musical, a comedy-horror show recommended for ages 14 and up, with standard tickets at $35.
For something free and community-driven, the Sunday Morning Chalk Collective gathers at the Sunburst in St. Petersburg's EDGE District (1111 Central Avenue) from 9 to 11 a.m. All ages and skill levels are welcome to draw, connect, and enjoy a relaxed morning hosted by the Global Love Project. Also on Saturday, Pier 60 Park in Clearwater Beach hosts a local vendor market noon to 4 p.m., with more than 75 vendors, live entertainment, free balloon twisting, and free henna tattoos.
Plant lovers should pencil in Plant Bingo at Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters in Seminole Heights on Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. — 20 rounds of bingo with houseplants as prizes, plus trivia, raffles, and a guaranteed small plant for every ticket holder at $36.39 general admission. And in Plant City, the Kids Market puts young entrepreneurs front and center, letting children sell their own handmade products directly to the community.
This roundup was originally reported by Malaika Hollist for WUSF.
