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Expecting parents and families with young children will have a chance to explore healthcare, childcare and other parenting resources at the Family Vibes Baby Expo from Sept. 19–20 at the Tampa Convention Center.
Organizers expect 4,000 to 5,000 attendees over the two days and nearly 50 local businesses will be participating, including Power Broker’s news correspondent, Alexia McKay, who will be debuting her The Crowned Assignment brand. This is a community centered network committed to supporting mothers and families through every season of parenthood, with a specific emphasis on Black maternal mortality and wellness, as well as postpartum and mental health.
Under the program, Crowned Assignment seeks to connect families with healthcare professionals, birth workers, organizations and advocates committed to improving maternal wellness.
Inspired by her own postpartum experience as a mom of two and passion for Black maternal health and wellness, McKay says as a journalist, she hopes to provide a bridge between families and the resources in need.
“There are two programs under the Crowned Assignment that spotlight every season of parenthood,” says McKay. “We have Crowned Motherhood, which focuses on supporting moms through pregnancy, postpartum and mental health. And Crowned Fatherhood, which celebrates dads while creating space for self-care, honest conversations and resources to help them as well.
McKay will also be debuting her new children’s books at the expo. The toddler-aged books, “Where’s My Crown?” encourages kids to embrace their inner greatness.
“I love writing stories and being a girl mom and journalist, it just made sense,” she says. “And it’s also a great reminder to encourage our kids to see the royalty in themselves.”
IYA Cares, a resource app for expecting mothers, is another Black-owned business that will be at the expo. Tampa mom Khylir Patton is the founder and CEO.
“YA was built on the idea that physical recovery, mental health, identity, community, and spiritual grounding are all the same conversation,” she shared with RoyalTee Magazine. “ You cannot heal your pelvic floor without addressing the birth trauma. You cannot address the birth trauma without community. You cannot build community without time, which most mothers don’t have. It’s all connected.”
Major vendors
Tampa General Hospital is the event’s title sponsor. Other major vendors will include: Children's Board Of Hillsborough County, Florida Department of Health, the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, Tampa Bay Lactation, Pediatric Associates and BCBS Florida Blue.
Notable local businesses that will be involved include Fourth Trimester Wellness and Grounded Wellness Chiropractic.
Founder and producer Allyson Lopez, a Tampa Bay event producer and mother of seven, said the expo is meant to serve more than first-time parents.
“We want the expecting mom, but we also want her partner beside her, the grandparents who are excited about a new grandbaby and the parents who already have a toddler while preparing for baby number two,” Lopez said. “Building a family is a journey, and there are different needs at every stage.”
Family activities
Along with exhibitors, the expo will offer infant and toddler CPR classes, a baby-food tasting experience called Flavor Passport, a Toddler Zone, and a Cool Zoo petting zoo.
Families can also watch the Diaper Derby. Lopez broke down the family-fun game.
“We’re going to have three lanes of competition where people are going to compete with a life-like baby to run down to a changing table, completely changing the baby from head to toe, including the diaper,” explained Lopez. “ Whoever does this first will win a prize from one of our sponsors. Then, the remaining contestants will re-change the baby's diaper and put the day clothes back on and take the baby back to a chair at the beginning of the Derby lane. Whoever does this the quickest comes in second place and gets a prize from one of our sponsors as well.”
Lopez says they are also giving away a stroller system each day to a grand prize winner that will be chosen from the pool of contestants from that day.
Reflecting on the expo, her goal for Family Vibes is to grow into an experience families can trust and look forward to each year.
“I want parents to walk away feeling like they discovered something that will genuinely help their family and also feel like they had a really great day together,” she says.
Three more Family Vibes Baby Expo events are scheduled for 2027 in St. Petersburg, Jacksonville and another one in Tampa.
Children ages 12 and under are admitted free. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 19-20 at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin St. Tickets and additional information are available at FVbabyexpo.com.
