Fair Enough

Hillsborough County Fair
Ends Sunday
Raymond James Stadium

After 10 years of separation from the Strawberry festival, the Hillsborough County Fair is finally coming back to Tampa’s cultural and entertainment scene. Raymond James Stadium will play host to barnyard animals, cotton candy and elephant ears. There will also be magic shows, gospel music, alligator wrestling and pig races. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for children; children under 8 enter for free.

Hip Hop Weekend

Flavor Fest 2002
Thursday – Sunday
The Crossover (7809 N. Orleans Ave., Tampa)

A four-day event with two nights of concerts, both starting at 7 p.m. Friday night features artists such as Jah Word, DJ Maj, Sean Slaughter and Street Sweeper. Saturday night’s lineup includes Playdough, Upperground, Tre 9 and Urban D. The event will include the annual b-boy competition, as well as the breakdancing, graffiti and new skateboarding expos. The Crossover tries to reach the hip-hop culture and the music industry. There will be instructional sessions on how Crossover started many of its programs. Tickets are $60, which includes the full weekend of entertainment, a festival T-shirt, lunch, an all access pass to all workshops and concerts, and more. Rhythms of the Universe

RiverHawk Rhythm Festival
Friday, 1 p.m. through Sunday, 7 p.m.
Peace River Campground in Arcadia

Previously known as the Wings and Strings Festival, the event features a variety of music, ranging from Celtic, Cajun and Bluegrass to acoustic rock and Americana. Over 50 bands will perform on four stages and give over 100 performances. Artists will include acts of national fame such as Fred Eaglesmith and the Flying Squirrels, The Jim Lauderdale Band, The Burns Sisters, Luther Wright and the Wrongs, Reel Time Travelers and The Waybacks. Attendees of the festival can enjoy music from 1 p.m. through the evening. There will also be craft exhibitions, music jams, camping, canoeing and activities for kids on a specially designated stage. Ticket prices are $18 for Friday, $26 for Saturday and $22 for Sunday or $65 for the full weekend. Kids 13 – 17 are $12 per day, and those under 12 are free. Arcadia is located off of Highway 70 in DeSoto County.

Ribs and Bikes

The Ribfest
Friday – Sunday, all day
Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg

This rib eating cook-off will not only feature classic cars (Corvette show included) and motorcycle shows (Harley Davidson bikes showcased to the public), but also a number of concerts from acts such as The Doobie Brothers, Stormbringer, Cyndi Lauper and Leon Russell. Tickets are $6 in advance and $10 day of show.

Dinner Theater

“Murder In Sparkleville”
Presented by MurderS She Wrote
Saturday, 6 p.m. social,
6:30 p.m. dinner show
The Radisson Riverwalk Hotel, Tampa

This comedy dinner theater hosts its newest production, which, as all others, involves food, music, audience participation and a murder mystery to solve. Tickets are $44 and include dinner, show, tax and gratuity. Reservations required.

Infamous Leader

Lumumba
Tuesday, 9 p.m.
Marshall Center, Room 296

Directed by the Congo-raised filmmaker Paoul Peck, Lumumba is the story of a mail clerk and beer salesman, whose unusual oratory skills and desire to build and separate his country from Belgian oppressors to make it independent allows him to become a famous leader. Using newly discovered historical evidence, Peck shows the life and death of Patrice Lumumba, whose murder is attributed to the conflicting interests of his politics with those of Belgium, the United States and his own administration. The movie was nominated for Best Foreign Film by the Independent Spirit Award.

Bourne to be Wild

The Bourne Identity
Wednesday, 9 p.m.
Crescent Hill

Waking up with amnesia, bullet wounds and a Swiss bank account number implanted in his hip, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) has a lot to deal with, and things don’t seem to be looking up for him. But when he discovers that he has been a undercover agent and an assassin who has now become a target of a secret agency, Bourne is even more troubled, as he must now find a way to get hints as to who he was. He recruits Marie (Franka Potente) to help him, and a romance full of car chases, shootings and mysteries ensues. Unfortunately, the movie, which is loosely based on a Robert Ludlum thriller of the same name, leaves the audience hoping for a better reincarnation of a book that is not nearly as cheesy as the movie.

Underground Trio

Mindless Self Indulgence with Deadsy and Dog Fashion Disco
Sunday, 7 p.m.
State Theater, St. Petersburg

Finally touring, three bands of the underground unite and make their way to Tampa. This is the first time that all three of these bands will be coming together, and the first time in a while that Mindless Self Indulgence comes to any place in Florida.

Headlining the show is MSI, a four- piece co-ed punk band from New York City. The music they play is a combination of Industrial, New Wave, Soul, Hip Hop and Punk that has been aptly described as industrialjunglepunk.

Accompanying them are Deadsy, a nu-metal, synth pop band with distorted guitars, programmed drums and a retro sound that’s very up-to-date. And if the new wave/’80’s combination was not enough, Deadsy’s lead singer happens to be Cher’s son.

The third band, Dog Fashion Disco, comes from a nu-metal scene, as well, and sounds like a heavier reincarnation of the ’60s music of The Doors. With time signature changes and diversified vocals, the heavy rock is a careful ensemble of genre shifts and keyboards.

Tickets are $12 for general admission.