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Week of events celebrating Tampa's 138th birthday

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Published  July 14, 2025 6:23pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News
Celebrating Tampa's birthday

Celebrating Tampa's birthday

The city of Tampa is celebrating its 138th birthday with a week of free events happening around the area. Lloyd Sowers reports

The Brief

    • The city of Tampa is celebrating its 138th birthday this week with several events throughout the area.
    • This year’s schedule includes cake, tours, hidden history and even a brunch with mimosas, all of which are free and open to the public.
    • The official 138th birthday for Tampa is on July 15.

TAMPA - The city of Tampa is celebrating its 138th birthday with a week of free events happening around the area.

Tampa will collaborate with local cultural institutions to honor the city's special milestone.

Archives Awareness Week, which was established in 1992, brings together archivists, historians and organizations to highlight the vital role of archives in preserving Tampa’s legacy.

Tampa was founded on July 15, 1887. The city quickly grew from a lonely outpost to the Cigar Capital of the world.

Monday

City of Tampa Archives: Celebrate the life and legacy of former City Clerk Frances Henriquez and explore Tampa 100 years ago with historian Fred Hearns. The event begins at 3 p.m.

Tuesday (Tampa's official birthday)

J.C. Newman Company: Enjoy a special guided tour of the newly restored Sanchez y Haya Building. The event starts at 11 a.m.

Tampa’s Black History Museum: Discover how personal artifacts can help preserve and share Tampa’s Black heritage. The event starts at 6 p.m.

Wednesday

Tampa’s Black History Museum: Commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Booker T. Washington School with stories and history. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.

Thursday

USF Libraries: Learn how the Progress Village Collection is building community through archives. The event starts at 11 a.m.

Tampa International Airport: View rare historical artifacts, early airport drawings and archival footage from Tampa International’s past. The event goes from 5-8 p.m.

Friday

Soulwalk Marker Dedication: Celebrate Tampa’s history with new markers at Marti-Colon Cemetery, Woodlawn Cemetery and St. Joseph Aid Cemetery/Montana City Cemetery. The event starts at 11 a.m.

Tampa Bay History Center: Exclusive guided tour of Invisible Immigrants: Spaniards in the U.S. (1868–1945). The event starts at 2 p.m.

Saturday

Centro Asturiano: Join Dr. Sarah McNamara, author of Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South, for a compelling talk. Free brunch and mimosas will be served. The event starts at 11 a.m.

John F. Germany Library: Learn how to interpret historic maps with expert staff. The event starts at 3 p.m.

What you can do:

For a full schedule and more information, you can visit their website.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by the city of Tampa.

Tampa