Dragon Boat Races, Jazz and Sea Creatures

This weekend the Dragon Boats will be taking over Tampa. Racing starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. There are more than 50 teams racing, and there will be heats every 10 minutes. Word is the best place to watch is the Marriott Tampa Waterside. And the best part is it's all free. I haven't been to this event, but I've heard great things. (photo by theSuperStar)

Jazz - You can get into Clearwater's Smooth Jazz Fest for free if you get a ticket from a select sponsor. The jazz fest starts Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on the waterfront, and on Sunday there will be a Fun 'n Sun Quest in Coachman Park featuring Kansas, the Little River Band and a Journey tribute band.

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. you can also get in free at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg for MarineQuest 2011, where they'll let kids hold all kinds of sea creatures and create prints from fish, called gyotaku.

There's also the Green Thumb Festival Saturday and Sunday in St. Petersburg, the Beach Goes Pop concert at Pass-a-Grille Friday and Saturday, and Art on the House at the Tampa Museum of Art tonight from 4-8 p.m.

Moms Get in Free at the Tampa Bay History Center

Mother's Day weekend the Tampa Bay History Center will let moms in free of charge both Saturday and Sunday. Read about it on their blog: Tampa Bay History Center: Tampa Bay History Center Celebrates Moms.

Free EVOS Milkshakes Friday

EVOS is giving out free milkshakes on Friday for Earth Day - no purchase necessary! I heard about it first from Creative Loafing. I love the company's mission ... sometimes more than the food, but the milkshakes are the REAL DEAL. My favorite is the Cappuccino (and the large is only 190 calories). I know where I'll be on Earth Day. And I may just have to get some air fries. With garlic ketchup.

When I started this blog, I planned on only writing about experiences, not free stuff, but this was too good to not pass on. Happy Earth Day!

Mainsail Arts Festival in St. Pete

For some outdoor art-gazing, check out the 36th Annual Mainsail Arts Festival on downtown St. Pete's waterfront. There will be 250 juried fine art and craft exhibitors, live music and good food. The show is free and goes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The show has been named one of the "100 Best" fine arts events in the nation by Sunshine Artist.

The rockabilly band Midnight Bowlers League will play Saturday at 3 p.m. and reggae group Tribal Style will perform on Sunday at 1 p.m. The show is at Vinoy Park on Bayshore Drive and 7th Ave.

Free Blues Tonight in Curtis Hixon

Feeling Blue? Well, get your blues on for free at the Friday Extra Concert tonight at Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa. The opening act, Al “Coffee” McDaniel, starts at 7 p.m. and the main event, Lois Greco, will come on at 7:30 p.m.

Greco released a new CD titled "Takin' Hold of Your Heart," last year, right around the time she opened for Robert Cray at the Clearwater Sea Blues Fest. Check out www.loisgreco.com to get a preview.

Free Beer!

The Renaissance Festival is offering free beer tonight! Go to MOSI at 7:30 a.m. for free admission to the festival, plus free beer and a free showing of Animal House. Don't forget to wear your toga for the costume contest!

Free Manatee Talk at TB History Center

Catch a free talk about the fate of the sea-cow on Sunday when Craig Pittman, environmental reporter for the St. Pete Times speaks as part of the Florida Conversations series at the Tampa Bay History Center.

Pittman will discuss his latest book, Manatee Insanity: Inside the War Over Florida's Most Famous Endangered Species.

His previous book, Paving Paradise: Florida’s Vanishing Wetlands and the Failure of No Net Loss, was recognized by the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Pittman will talk from 3-6 p.m. in the History Center's TECO Hall. The talk is free and open to the public.

Hyde Park Art Fair

Hyde Park Village is holding an Art Fair on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free. More than 100 artists will showcase their work, from life-size sculpture to paintings to ceramics to jewelry.

Free Rent ... Tickets, That Is

The tbt* is offering free tickets to a preview of "Rent" at 8 p.m. on April 13, part of the American Stage in the Park production.

The hit rock musical, based loosely on Puccini's La Bohème, follows the lives of a community of young artists, all struggling to get by in New York's East Village. Tickets are usually $11 to $27.

Performances are at Demens Landing Park, on the corner of 1st Avenue South and Bayshore Boulevard SE in downtown St. Petersburg.

Just e-mail giveaways@tbt.com with your first and last name and a mailing address.

Free Film and Reception at the Museum of Photographic Arts

The Florida Museum of Photographic Art will give a free screening of "Visual Acoustics," a documentary about architectural photographer Julius Shulman. There will be a free reception from 6 to 7 p.m. and the film will start at 7 p.m. If you like photography, and you like architecture, this film's for you.

Shulman photographed work by Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra and Frank Gehry.

Rock the Park Thursday

Rock the Park this Thursday with Peter Baldwin, The Hip Abduction and Cory Cottrell. The free concert in Curtis Hixon Park is open to all ages and runs from 6:30-9 p.m.

Free Concert, Despicable Movie

The weather has cleared up just in time for a free concert in Curtis Hixon Park tonight and a showing of "Despicable Me" on Saturday night in Al Lopez Park.

The Friday Extra Concert Series resumes tonight with a show by the O Som Do Jazz band. I work downtown, and I can already hear the openers (Larue Nichelson and Jeremy Powell) warming up. The show starts at 7 and goes through 9 p.m. Alcohol is not allowed, but well behaved pets are. Visit the city's website for a full concert lineup. Concerts will move to Lowry Park in May.

The Tampa Theatre will show "Despicable Me" as part of its Sunset Cinema series at Al Lopez Park on Saturday, April 2, at 8 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. The next showing is the new version of the "Karate Kid" on May 21, also in Al Lopez. Last year I caught "Where the Wild Things Are," as part of the series. I didn't care for the film, but the experience was fun. Just don't sit too close to the speakers.

This Sunday the Lowry Park band shell will be the setting for the Talking Animals Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be contests, bands, speakers on pet care, and what I'm most looking forward to ... soccer playing collies.

All three events allow you to bring your dogs! So, your pooch can enjoy Free Tampa this weekend, too.