By Althea Johnson, University Communications and Marketing
The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø expects thousands of Tampa Bay community members to attend the third annual Bulls Family Fest presented by LMCU, a free, family-friendly event that gets children of all ages interested in higher education and engaged with ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø early in their lives. The festival showcases the university through a variety of opportunities, from educational and cultural activities to sports and entertainment. Bulls Family Fest will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, on ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s Tampa campus at the MLK Plaza.
Bulls Family Fest 2025
More than 100 local vendors and exhibitors are expected to participate in Bulls Family Fest, including various representatives from ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, local businesses and community organizations. For the first time, event-goers will have the opportunity to interact with a live bull and petting zoo animals. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Athletics will offer photo opportunities and games. Stilt walkers from Busch Gardens and mermaids from Weeki Wachee are also set to entertain attendees. Food will be available for purchase at the brand-new ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Dining Village, featuring popular local food vendors.
The event also will feature the fan-favorite mascot race with ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s Rocky the Bull and several other local favorites, including ThunderBug from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Solé from the Tampa Bay Sun FC and Xochi from The Florida Aquarium. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Athletics CEO Rob Higgins is set to emcee the race, which starts at 11 a.m. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø President Moez Limayem will present a trophy to the winning mascot.
For many local children, this may be among their first exposures to a higher education institution, which helps to set the stage for future interactions and the pursuit of a college degree.
As part of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Lifelong Learning, the operates under the umbrella of the . Youth Experiences works to connect the Tampa Bay community to the colleges, programs and people of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø through summer camps, field trips, community events, guest speakers, educator professional development and curriculum support.
While the event is free, attendees are encouraged to .