By Althea Johnson, University Communications and Marketing

The University of South Florida 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 USF 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 USF's Tampa campus at the MLK Plaza.

More than 100 local vendors and exhibitors are expected to participate in Bulls Family Fest, including various representatives from USF, 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. USF 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 USF Dining Village, featuring popular local food vendors.

The event also will feature the fan-favorite mascot race with USF'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. USF Athletics CEO Rob Higgins is set to emcee the race, which starts at 11 a.m. USF 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 USF Lifelong Learning, the Office of Youth Experiences operates under the umbrella of the Office of University Community Partnerships. Youth Experiences works to connect the Tampa Bay community to the colleges, programs and people of USF through summer camps, field trips, community events, guest speakers, educator professional development and curriculum support.

While the event is free, attendees are encouraged to register.