Glazer Children's Museum Turns 16 With Free Birthday Bash Downtown Today

Glazer Children's Museum turns 16 today, and it's throwing the party outside its own walls. The museum's free "Birthday Bash" runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa, with bounce houses, a soft-play area, live music and dance, and dozens of local organizations set up with tables and activities for families.

There's no admission and no ticket required. The museum, presented in partnership with Publix Supermarket Charities, is calling it a thank-you to the community that has kept it running for 16 years, and it typically draws thousands of parents and kids.

Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park sits right along the Riverwalk downtown, an easy walk from the museum's own building. Families who show up early should expect the usual weekend crowd downtown plus a much bigger one than normal drawn by the free activities.

What's actually there

Beyond the bounce houses and face painting, the bash doubles as a one-stop stroll through Tampa's family-services world. The Children's Board of Hillsborough County, the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County, the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, Gulf Coast JFCS, and the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA are all set up alongside the party stations, plus Lutheran Services Florida's Children's Board Family Resource Centers.

Tampa Police Department's Car Seat Safety program will be on hand, a chance for parents to get a seat checked or ask questions without an appointment. HART, the region's transit agency, and HCPS's Paige the Literacy Bus round out the list, alongside groups like Explore On The Spectrum, Autism is Real, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and USF's Center for Social Marketing.

Live performances come from Dancing for a Difference, the Barrington Jazz Band, Entertainment Revue Foundation, The Studio of South Tampa and On the Edge Dance Studio. Tampa Bay Sun FC and FDOT are also part of the lineup, and a small "Kid-Preneur" row lets young entrepreneurs sell their own creations alongside the grown-up food vendors.

Food and drink for sale comes from Aleph Coffee, Baton Roux, Grace & Garnish Mocktail Bar, Côté France French Café, Kickin Caribbean and Alsies Brandon. Sponsors for the event include Florida Prepaid, GTE Financial, Imagine Orthodontics, PAR Inc., Primrose Schools and Suncoast Credit Union.

The museum has not said whether it plans to bring the party back to the park next year, but the Birthday Bash has become an annual tradition tied to its founding date. Families looking for parking downtown on a Saturday morning should plan to arrive early, since garages near the Riverwalk fill up fast whenever a big free event lands at Curtis Hixon.

Find more neighborhood happenings and family-friendly plans on Tampa Community Website, and join the conversation about this event in our Community Forum. For more free things to do with the kids around town, check out our events coverage and our community stories. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates on what's happening around Tampa this weekend.

Header photo: Elisa.rolle / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)