Thousands expected to crowd downtown Tampa this weekend ahead of multiple events

TAMPA, Fla. - Officials in the City of Tampa said you may want to avoid the downtown area unless you are attending one of the many events happening Saturday afternoon and evening. 

"Saturday is going to be a madhouse downtown, which is a great thing, because these are good problems for a city to have. It means that Tampa has arrived," said Vik Bhide, the director of mobility for the City of Tampa.

But, if you want to arrive for an event on time, better get an early start. There are multiple performances at the Straz Center from 2-11p.m. 

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The On Bikes Wonder Ride will also start at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Some downtown streets and parts of Bayshore Boulevard will be closed for it.

At Curtis Hixon Park, the Winter Village will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Comedian Nate Bargatze also has two shows, at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Amalie Arena. 

Armature works also has seven events on Saturday that stretch from 11 a.m. through midnight, and a large cheerleading competition and USAA's Holiday Party will be going on at the Tampa Convention Center. 

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"What that means is that we're going to have well over 30,000 people participating in events in downtown and people supporting these events, because you have service staff and all of that," said Bhide.

Tampa officials encouraged anyone attending an event to consider parking in Ybor City and taking a free ride on the streetcar to downtown Tampa. If you feel like doing some exercise, you can walk or bike to the events via the Riverwalk. 

City garages have protected areas where bikes can be secured.