🌱 Sunset Music Festival Returns Memorial Day Weekend + Ybor City Fire

Morning, friends! It's me, Carlos Hernandez, your host of the Patch newsletter. Let's get this weekend started off right with a quick review of everything you need to know about what's happening in town these days, including updates on:

• Firefighters contained a fire in Ybor City on Friday morning on 7th Avenue.
• A viral video shows a Black man demanding reparations of at least $3 million from Tampa City Council.
• Sunset Music Festival is returning to Tampa on Memorial Day weekend.

But first, today's weather:

Humid; an afternoon t-storm. High: 92 Low: 73.

Business owners and marketers in Tampa: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top stories today in Tampa:

1. A building under renovation in Ybor City at the 2200 block of East 7th Avenue caught fire early Friday morning. No injuries were reported in the incident. An investigation is underway into the cause of the fire. (Tampa Patch)
2. A viral video shows a Black man in Tampa telling the Tampa City Council that Black residents are owed "at least $3 million in reparations." The videos comes as California prepares to pass reparations for Black residents. He claimed without evidence that reparations are "the only thing Black people have got to care about." (WFLA)
3. New College of Florida graduates held an "alternative graduation" after what students describes as a "hostile" takever of the liberal arts school by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Organizers said 90 of the school's 118 graduates attended the graduation. DeSantis replaced the board of the school with conservatives and has appointed a powerful ally to run the university. (ABC Action News)
4. Lucy, a Florida panther that lives at ZooTampa in Seminole Heights, is set to be featured in a commemorative U.S. Postal Service Forever stamp collection. Lucy was raised by the ZooTampa medical and animal care teams after being found with cuts and suffering from severe dehydration. The collection marks the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Endangered Species Act. (Tampa Patch)
5. Sunset Music Festival is returning to Tampa for Memorial Day weekend. The popular EDM festival will bring several acts from around the world including Kayzo, AC Slater, Kai Wachi, Slander, Adventure Club, and more. Tickets are now available. (Bay News 9)

Today in Tampa:

• Nothing Bundt Cakes Birthday Bash at The Humane Society Of Tampa Bay. (6 a.m.)
• Ybor City Saturday Market at Centennial Park. (9 a.m.)
• Hillsborough County To Host Family Public Works Event at Hillsborough County Traffic Operations And Management. (9 a.m.)
• Sweet & Savory Croissant Class at Sur La Table. (9 a.m.)
• ThinkTank's May Cabaret at Stageworks Theatre. (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Tampa General Hospital shared: "We’re thrilled to announce that Wendi Goodson-Celerin, DNP, APRN, NE-BC, has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Tampa General Hospital." (Tampa General Hospital via Facebook)
• Tampa International Airport shared: " Our friends at Breeze Airways launched non-stop flights to Hartford.🥳 In addition to adding Portland on Wednesday, they’ll begin offering nonstop flights to Providence soon." (Tampa International Airport via Facebook)
• Tampa Police Department shared: "Chief Bercaw and #YourTampaPD welcomed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea to Police Headquarters. Becoming safer together does not stop at city borders." (Tampa Police Department via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Sweet & Savory Croissant Class At Sur La Table With Truly Grass Fed Butter (May 20)
• Open House - Luxury Listing in Canoe Creek (May 20)
• Open House - Luxury Listing in Canoe Creek (May 21)
• Understanding Social Security - Free Online Course (May 24)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (May 26)
• Bead Making Classes 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (May 26)
• Memorial Day Service (May 29)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right! See you tomorrow for 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