Downtown Tampa braces for heavy Saturday traffic as Pig Jig, Lightning and USF games overlap

Dated location file photo: Wooden benches, hanging straps and passengers inside Tampa’s TECO Line Streetcar No. 430 on June 22, 2024. Photo: Pokemonprime / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Resized; website wordmark added. Photo source · License

Plan for slow going downtown on Saturday, Oct. 17. In an advisory posted Oct. 14, the City of Tampa said to expect heavier than usual traffic in and around downtown as a packed lineup of events, including the Tampa Pig Jig, draws crowds.

The schedule below comes from the city's advisory, which says its list is not complete, so other gatherings could add to the crowds. One detail the advisory's start times don't show: the Pig Jig runs until 10 p.m., according to the city's event listing, so festival traffic near the park on North Boulevard is likely to continue into the night.

Saturday, Oct. 17 events on the city's traffic advisory

Event	Venue	Start time
Walk to End Alzheimer's	Benchmark International Arena / Bayshore Blvd.	9 a.m.
Art Fair Tampa	Tampa Convention Center	10 a.m.
National Franchise Expo	Tampa Convention Center	11 a.m.
Tampa Pig Jig	Julian B. Lane Park	1 p.m.
Lightning game	Benchmark International Arena	4 p.m.
Straz shows	Straz Center	6, 7:30 and 8 p.m.
USF football game	Raymond James Stadium	7 p.m.

Source: tampa.gov

About the Pig Jig

The 15th annual Pig Jig is a ticketed charity festival at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N. Blvd. The city's calendar listing shows a cost of $140, marks the event as not free or open to the public, and says pre-registration is required. The festival is held in support of families facing serious medical challenges.

Thomas Rhett headlines, with Midland, Kameron Marlowe, Sister Hazel and Cassidy Daniels also on the bill. The city notes that its neighborhood event listings are community generated and not necessarily verified, so ticket buyers should confirm details with the organizers.

Ways to avoid the gridlock

The city recommends leaving the car behind where possible, pointing to the free TECO Line Streetcar, DASH service, HART buses, rentable scooters and bikes.

Cyclists can use free covered bicycle parking in all city-run downtown garages, and Benchmark International Arena offers a free bike valet for event attendees.

Before heading out, check Tampa.gov/road-closures for closures that could affect your route and Tampa.gov/parking for city garage options. Give yourself extra travel time and watch for pedestrians entering and leaving event areas.