Things to Do in Holiday

Andrea Whiting, Arbordale Riding Academy's head instructor, draws upon 14 years of professional experience to teach budding equestrian all-stars. Andrea has served as a board member of the Tampa Horse Show Association and a member of the United States Equestrian Federation, a group known for supporting quality care and voting rights for prettier ponies. On the academy grounds, Andrea's students hop atop one of the outfit's carefully maintained horses to receive an introduction to the skills required for competition. Students can learn how to ride in the english style of saddle seat during lessons, and summer camps are also available. One of Andrea's most accomplished students won a National Championship title with the help of her tutelage, and two other horses and three riders who studied under her earned top ten World Championship ribbons.

Arbordale also offers full boarding facilities for steeds, providing all the bedding, grain, and blanketing their tired haunches require. Horses and their owners exercise on 15 acres with various turnout options, and take advantage of the facility’s large outdoor arena, jumps, and full tack room.

Since opening its doors in 1988, Snappers Grill & Comedy Club has entertained guests with events including standup comedy shows, live music performances, karaoke nights, and poker tournaments. A variety of comedic performers, including Dustin Diamond, have paced across the showroom stage, telling jokes that stirred eruptions of laughter and applause. The club also hosts live music performances and offers seating for patrons looking to munch on the menu's burgers, wraps, and sandwiches.

Guests may also hang out on Snappers' patio, where a DJ spins live music every Friday and Saturday night and locals explore new ranges of their falsetto during Tuesday karaoke.

At Champagne Stables, riding paths wind through five scenic acres, beckoning trail riders and students alike. The stables’ patient teachers pair their pupils with steady, reliable steeds before guiding them through the basics of riding, including proper posture, and more advanced techniques, such as how to navigate the swimsuit portion of equestrian competitions. Instructors correct and encourage students as they and their mounts prance around the stables’ show ring during lessons and summer camps.

The Show Palace Dinner Theatre piles plates high with cuisine from an endless buffet and salad bar while also sating cravings for entertainment. Their productions range from musical revues such as Swing! and New York Nights to more traditional musicals like The Sound of Music. Prior to the show, audiences mingle at a brief cocktail reception before taking their seats at linen-draped tables. A spread of comfort food fills stomachs with the fuel necessary to give a standing ovation, shout for encores, and scream at pet falcons to get down from the rafters.

Standing atop a board, a paddler rhythmically dips an oar into Old Tampa Bay's sparkling waters, smoothly skimming the surface while soaking in views of the sun sinking beyond the horizon. Tampa Bay SUP's team welcomes the uninitiated and veterans alike to experience this for themselves via paddleboard lessons and rentals. Their lessons last 20 minutes before students are free to enjoy leisurely paddling, which affords lofty vantage points from which to gaze upon marine wildlife and boosts core strength so that students may wrestle the animals into submission. Once they are ready to go out on their own, paddlers can request that staffers bring boards to various launch sites around the Tampa/Clearwater region, or pick them up at Tampa Bay SUP's beachside shops. Tampa Bay SUP also rents kayaks with all the necessary equipment included, sells paddleboards, and gives tours.

Dunedin WaterSports sets visitors sailing past fluffy clouds and gentle wakes on the Gulf of Mexico on jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, and jet boats. With rental sessions lasting from 30 minutes to a full day, staff members equip renters with the means to paddle out to the likes of Caladesi Island State Park and its mangroves or zip along the tranquil coastline. Jet-boat rentals speed groups to fishing locations, and when the water is right, visitors may try paddleboarding with Poseidon's trident. The team can also provide fishing gear for angling trips or sets of snorkeling gear to get visitors close enough to swim alongside fish.

The newest addition to the fleet is the jet-pack-like flyboard, which uses hydraulic water pressure to create forceful streams that help to propel participants from the water’s surface and through the air. Not keeping solely to the Dunedin beachfront, the team also delivers speedboats and watercraft to customers’ launch sites.