🌱 Busch Gardens Tampa Bay Summertime Enhancements + Dr. Beach List

Good morning, everybody. It's Monday in Tampa and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in town. Follow along for the latest...

First, today's weather:

An afternoon thunderstorm. High: 91 Low: 72.

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Here are the top five stories in Tampa today:

1. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has announced enhanced summer celebrations for theme park goers. These will include fireworks displays, rides after dark, drink specials and live entertainment. The light show is filled with fireworks, fountains and special effects every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night (as well as Memorial Day and the 4th of July) at 9:15 p.m. on the Festival Field. (That's So Tampa)

2. A Tampa Bay beach came up at No. 2 in Dr. Beach's 2022 Top Ten Beaches in the United States. Caladesi Island State Park in Dunedin was bestowed with the prestigious travel ranking. The list has long been utilized by travelers around the world to decide where to vacation. (Creative Loafing Tampa)

3. The Tampa Bay Rays took the New York Yankees in the finale and gained a series split in a 4-2 win. The game was held in front of a sellout crowd of 25,025 on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. (Subscription: Tampa Bay Times)

4. Two men have been hospitalized with critical injuries following a shooting early Sunday morning in East Tampa. Police were called at 3:04 a.m. to a home in the 3400 block of East North Bay Street and found two men in their 20s with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies. (Tampa Patch)

5. A Lakeland man was arrested Friday after exposing himself near fitting rooms in a Treasure Island clothing store on Friday morning, according to police. Gary Peter Bush, 69, faces charges for exposure of sexual organs and criminal mischief. (WFLA)

Today in Tampa:

• Memorial Day Program at Rest Haven Memorial Park. (10 a.m.)
• Memorial Day Brunch at Steelbach. (11 a.m.)
• NGHTMRE at Wtr Pool And Grill. (noon)
• Memorial Day Celebration at Rivers Edge Pool Bar. (2 p.m.)
• Essentials: The R&B Day Party at 7th & Grove. (5 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• CL has a list of 25 places in Tampa Bay where you can catch scenic views. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
• Check out this sold out crowd at Tropicana Field during Memorial Day Weekend. (Twitter)
• Make sure you've created your disaster preparedness shopping list to take full advantage of the sales tax holiday savings happening now in Florida. (Florida Department of Revenue)
• Volunteers are needed for the iCan Bike Camp from June 13 – 17. No prior experience is needed. This bike program teaches two-wheel biking skills to people with disabilities. (Twitter)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update.

— Carlos Hernandez

About me: Hello my name is Carlos Hernandez and I am a food writer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I write the food blog Carlos Eats (http://www.carloseats.com) and also contribute to several newspapers and magazines with food-related blogs and articles.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Tampa Daily? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com