🌱 Fly Bar Closes Down + Taste At The Straz Food Fest Returns Today

Hey, hello! It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here's all the community news you need to know right now, including:

• The annual Taste at the Straz food festival returns today to downtown Tampa.
• Fly Bar & Restaurant in South Tampa has abruptly shut its doors.
• The Tampa Empanada Festival is coming on April 8 to Common Dialect Beerworks.

But first, today's weather: Partly sunny and very warm. High: 86 Low: 71.

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Here are the top stories in Tampa today:

1. The Straz Center for the Performing Arts will host its annual Taste at the Straz food festival today at 7 p.m. on the Tampa Riverwalk in front of the Straz. The gathering will include more than 40 of Tampa's best restaurants as well cocktails, craft beer, and more. (Tampa Patch)
2. The Tampa Empanada Festival is coming on April 8 to Common Dialect Beerworks located at 5023 N Florida Ave. from noon to 7 p.m. The event is being organized by Brewed Life Festivals. Participating vendors include Nonas Artisan Kitchen, Stuft Gourmet Foods, Top Nada, Empanada King, and others. (That's So Tampa)
3. Fly Bar & Restaurant, located at 442 W Kennedy Blvd. has closed, according to a report from CL Tampa. The bar was well-known for its craft cocktail drinks and was forced to move from downtown Tampa on Franklin Street to South Tampa. (Creative Loafing Tampa)
4. A new bill in the Florida House would ban "critical race theory, radical feminist theory, queer theory, and others." It would also defund Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs at universities and could impact gender and women's studies courses around the state including at universities and colleges in the Tampa area. The law will go to a vote in the next few weeks. (Bay News 9)
5. Tampa has been ranked in the "top 15 riskiest cities for driving" in the U.S.A., according to a new U.S. News & World Report study. Tampa ranked no. 12 on the list of cities. Criteria included fatal auto accidents per capita in each city from 2016 to 2020 and the number of people per capita involved in fatal crashes each year during the same period. (ABC Action News)

Today in Tampa:

• Ybor City Saturday Market at Centennial Park. (9 a.m.)
• Bank of America Museums On Us Weekend at Tampa Museum Of Art. (10 a.m.)
• Small Dog Breed Meetup at Two Shepherds Taproom. (10 a.m.)
• Easter Eggstravaganza at The Humane Society Of Tampa Bay. (11 a.m.)
• Florida Penguin's International Food Truck Festival at Tampa Premium Outlets. (noon)

From my notebook:

• Tampa Bay Lightning shared: "Another one for the W column. ⚡️ 📝: tbl.co/gamerecap3-30" (Tampa Bay Lightning via Facebook)
• Tampa Bay Rays: "MarGOODNESS GRACIOUS WHAT A CATCH" (Tampa Bay Rays via Facebook)
• Humane Society of Tampa Bay shared: "THE EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA IS TODAY 🐣 Join us at the shelter from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a fun day for the whole family. There will be Easter egg hunts for dogs and children, pictures with the Easter bunny, games and prizes, and food." (Humane Society of Tampa Bay via Facebook)
• City of Tampa shared: "e-Bike Voucher Program applications are now OPEN. City of Tampa residents age 18+ can apply by April 14 for a chance to receive up to $2,000 off the purchase of a new eBike. Learn more and apply online at: tampa.gov/ebike." (City of Tampa via Facebook)
• Tampa's Downtown shared: "Get your cameras and baskets ready 👀 We’re BACK with Downtown Tampa’s LARGEST egg hunt, April 8 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.🥚 Explore Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, visit the Easter Bunny and find a golden egg from Ashley which will lead to grand prizes." (Tampa's Downtown via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at SouthTampa@Patch.com