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My name is John. Most of you know me as the East of Tampa Guy. But before any of that, I was a kid sitting in a high school classroom watching the Twin Towers fall.
I was a sophomore. I didn't fully understand everything I was watching, but I understood enough. I made a decision that week that I never walked back. I wanted to serve.
I went to West Point. I commissioned as an Army officer. I spent 14 years on active duty, including time overseas in combat zones. I've stood in places where freedom was not a given. I've served alongside men and women who paid for it with everything they had.
So when I tell you I love the Fourth of July, I mean it in a way that's hard to put into words. The parties. The fireworks. The smell of a grill at noon. Kids running around the yard. Families outside together. That specific kind of loud, messy, happy American summer day -- that stuff means something to me.
Tomorrow is a big one. America's 250th birthday. And we get to celebrate it right here East of Tampa, one of the best communities in the country to call home.
A word on patriotism before we get into the weekend.
Tampa Bay has a deep military tradition. MacDill Air Force Base sits right in our backyard. Thousands of veterans and military families live East of Tampa. You probably know some of them. You might be one of them.
But patriotism East of Tampa doesn't look like just one thing. It looks like a family from Puerto Rico flying an American flag for the first time after becoming citizens. It looks like a Haitian immigrant who works six days a week because this country gave them a shot nobody else would. It looks like a Vietnam vet who doesn't talk about it much but tears up every single time he hears the national anthem.
It looks different depending on where you came from. That's not a weakness. That's the whole point.
Tomorrow, whatever it looks like for you and your family -- enjoy it. Be outside. Be loud. Be with people you love. That's what it's for.
Happy Fourth of July.
THIS WEEKEND: Final Reminders
Tonight -- THIS is COMEDY! Season 2 Premiere
Friday July 3, 7:30 PM
State Theatre Antiques, Plant City
Local comedy series kicks off round two at the converted downtown movie theater. Good way to spend the night before the Fourth.
Get details
Tomorrow -- Brandon's 4th of July Parade and Festival
Saturday July 4, parade at 10:00 AM
Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, 215 Sydney Washer Road, Dover
New location this year. Yes, the address says Dover. That is correct. Morning parade followed by chili cook-off, watermelon-eating contest, and games all afternoon.
Get details
Tomorrow -- Plant City 4th of July Fireworks
Saturday July 4, 5:00 PM, fireworks at 9:15 PM
Plant City Stadium
Alcohol-free family event. $5 cash per car. One of the best local fireworks shows East of Tampa.
Get details
Tomorrow -- Liberty by the Bay
Saturday July 4, 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Julian B. Lane Park, Tampa
The city's biggest Fourth. 250-drone show plus fireworks marking America's 250th. Food trucks, beer garden, kids zone. If you do one big event this weekend, this is the one.
Get details
Sunday -- Free Gentle Yoga, Brandon
Sunday July 6, 11:00 AM
Rakhma Love and Harmony Holistic Center, 129 N. Moon Avenue, Brandon
Free. If the long weekend catches up with you, this is how you land the plane.
Get details
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YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOUR BUSINESSES.
Tomorrow calls for Stoner's Pizza Joint in Bloomingdale. Thin crust, buffalo chicken, and those half-baked cookies that will ruin every other dessert for you. Allison and Kevin run a good shop. Order tonight, pick up tomorrow, show up to the cookout a hero.
stonerspizza.app | 813-436-0016
Brandon Crossroads Bowl has kids bowl free all week this summer. If the Fourth weekend gets too hot outside, 40 lanes and a full pub is a solid backup plan.
brandoncrossroadsbowl.com
Hurricane season doesn't take July 4th off. If you have a seawall, dock, or boat lift that needs attention before the storm season heats up, Integrity Seawalls offers free estimates and upfront pricing. Henry Spoly runs a tight operation from Apollo Beach to Bradenton.
integrityseawalls.com | 813-535-1634
If you run a restaurant, bar, or any hospitality business with a commercial ice machine, this weekend is exactly when it lets you down. Clean Ice LLC handles cleaning, sanitizing, and preventive maintenance across Tampa Bay. Schedule it now before the holiday rush finds the problem for you.
cleanyourice.com | 786-933-5947
Ivy Plumbing does not take holidays off either. Licensed, local, will not quote you one number and bill you another. If something goes wrong over the long weekend, they show up.
ivyplumbingservices.com | 813-590-1443
Steve Glaros at Glaros Law is an attorney who shows up for this community the same way he shows up for his clients -- all in. He is also the most enthusiastic candidate for Honorary Mayor of the Valrico FishHawk Chamber. Both things are true at the same time.
glaroslaw.com | 813-854-1234
Sharon Hendrix at Hitched by Hendrix is a veteran officiant, fully mobile, every ceremony built around the couple. If someone in your family is planning a summer wedding, send this their way.
hitchedbyhendrix.com
Dionne Cona built Maid Pure Cleaning the right way -- former teacher, FishHawk to Apollo Beach, eco-friendly, insured, bonded. Perfect for the post-Fourth cleanup nobody wants to deal with on Sunday.
maidpurecleaningservices.com | 813-670-2004
Madison Patron knows every street East of Tampa. Former local teacher, knows the neighbors, knows the market, answers her phone.
Book a call | 813-955-9092
Thanks for reading. Go enjoy the Fourth.
-John
The East of Tampa Guy
our 4 sons learning about America 8 years ago while we were stationed in New York
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