Shaggy, Baha Men headline Summer of Rum Festival in Tampa

The best idea would be to refrain from overindulging in the title beverage at this weekend’s Summer of Rum Festival in Tampa. But if you do, at least you’ll have an extra day to recover, assuming you have Labor Day off from work.

The festival will be held at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, in the heart of downtown Tampa, on the banks of the Hillsborough River. You’re invited to try all sorts of rum drinks, created with a variety of rum brands.

Regardless of whether you’re into rum drinks, the festival features a day full of live music, headlined by Shaggy, the Jamaican-American singer best known for “Oh Carolina,” “Boombastic,” “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel.” The other big name act of the lineup is the Baha Men, the one-hit wonder best knows for inflicting us with the novelty song “Who Let the Dogs Out?”

Other acts scheduled to perform include Tef London, Unmotivated, the Brass Roots Band, Freecoasters, Impulse and DJ Cardinal. Most of the music will have a reggae, ska or otherwise Caribbean feel.

But if you’re there for the rum, you have a few different ways to partake. You can simply buy individual cocktails, you can buy a Grand Rum Tasting Pass ($30 at the gate, $20 in advance) that gets you five rum tastings plus a collectible shot glass from each, or you can try a VIP ticket ($125 at the gate, $115 in advance) that gets you a private bar and lots of other goodies.

Details: Sept. 2, noon-11 p.m., Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa. $25 at the door, $20 advance. 813-274-8615, summerofrumfest.com.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Shaggy, Baha Men headline Summer of Rum Festival in Tampa."