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Tag: Jeff Butera

  • Palmetto hosts 3-day Multicultural Festival

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    PALMETTO, Fla. — The city of Palmetto is hosting its 2026 Multicultural Festival. The event will run from Friday, Feb. 13 through Sunday Feb. 15, with the main festival happening on Saturday Feb. 14.

    The festival is a free event “designed to celebrate the cultures that thrive in Palmetto and Manatee County,” according to organizers.

    Friday: Battle of the Bands, 6-10 p.m., Lincoln Park

    Saturday: Festival, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Lincoln Park

    Sunday: Community Prayer Brunch, 2-4 p.m., Palmetto Boys and Girls Club

    The festival will feature live music performances, including celebrity artist Glenn Jones. Organizers are also promising international food and family-friendly activities.

    “Fun, food, music, the arts, great poetry,” said Xtavia Bailey, leader organizer for the festival, when asked what people could expect.

    Bailey told Spectrum Bay News 9 that last year’s event drew 1,800 people. She is expecting more people to attend this year.

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  • The Deuces: Where Black community thrived, barred from other parts of St. Pete

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Before the end of segregation, there were two St. Petes: a white one and a Black one. 

    What You Need To Know

    • Segregation and Jim Crow laws restricted where the Black community could go in St. Pete 

    • The Black community created a mostly self-contained community around 22nd Street South 

    •  It offered houses, businesses, schools, healthcare and entertainment

    • Groups now strive to preserve the history of that area 


    Laws restricted Black residents from going to certain portions of the city except for work, limiting them to designated areas and neighborhoods.

    The most famous of those neighborhoods is the one centered around 22nd Street South, often called “The Deuces.”

    “It was more than a street. It was an ecosystem. It was our ecosystem,” said Latorra Bowles, executive director of Deuces Live. “It was the only place African Americans thrived.”

    It was also a self-contained area that tried to cover all facets of life.

    Housing

    The neighborhood offered housing options for African Americans, though early housing was built without formal planning. In 1941, the Jordan Park Housing Complex opened. It incorporated 446 apartments, the state’s largest public housing endeavor to that time.

    “He knew African Americans needed decent and affordable housing,” said Basha Jordan Jr., whose grandfather, Elder Jordan Sr., donated the land for the project. The housing complex is named in Jordan’s honor.

    Businesses

    At its peak, more than 100 businesses lined 22nd Street South and some of the streets that ran parallel and perpendicular.

    “Everything we need is in the corridor,” Bowles said. “You have your small businesses, you have your restaurants, you have your hotels, you have your clubs.”

    Churches

    Numerous churches lined the streets in the neighborhood, especially along 9th Avenue South, which intersected with 22nd Street South. The city notes that in 1939, 19 of the city’s 123 churches were located in the 22nd Street neighborhood.

    Schools

    Jordan Park Elementary opened in 1925, a segregated school located on 9th Avenue South. Gibbs High School, the first all-Black high school in St. Pete, opened in 1927.

    Healthcare

    Mercy Hospital was established in 1923, one of the few healthcare institutions that accepted Black patients during the segregation era. Jim Crow laws precluded some hospitals from treating Black people, while prejudice stood in the way as well.

    Entertainment

    The Royal Theater opened in 1948, one of just two theaters that African Americans could attend in St. Pete.

    Down the street, the Manhattan Casino Hall had launched in 1925. It was the focal point of entertainment, socializing, and music in the neighborhood. It was even a well-known stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit, a network of performance venues safe for African Americans to play during the segregation era.

    “This was a place where African Americans could come, feel at peace, feel human, in the midst of segregation and racism that was running rampant in the city,” Jordan said, sitting underneath a statue of his grandfather that stands on 22nd Street South.

    Deuces Live is attempting to “preserve, promote and revitalize” this corridor, preserving its history while promoting a rich future.

    “It’s extremely important to preserve the history of this area because if we don’t tell the story, it will be rewritten or untold,” Bowles said. “If we don’t tell our story, no one will.”

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  • Organizers promise ‘living history lesson’ at Auburndale Festival and Pow Wow

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    A festival event in Auburndale is celebrating traditions and cultures from Mexico, Haiti, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, along with the Native American community.

    The Spirit of the Buffalo Multicultural Festival and Pow Wow is being held at International Market World on U.S. Highway 92 West, in Auburndale.

    The festival runs 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., from Friday, Jan. 30 through Sunday, Feb. 1. The festival will run and be open those same hours the following weekend, from Friday, Feb. 6 through Sunday, Feb. 8.

    Organizers call the event “a living history lesson for all ages”, and are promising the following events and fun for attendees:

    • Dance competitions
    • Crafts
    • Historic village displays
    • Falconry demonstrations as part of bird shows
    • Tipi camping spaces

    For more information, click here.

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  • Crystal River’s favorite manatee ‘celebrity’ to attend Manatee Festival

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    CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — The “Manatee Capital of the World” is hosting the 39th annual Florida Manatee Festival this weekend in downtown Crystal River. 

    What You Need To Know

    • The “Manatee Capital of the World” is hosting the 39th annual Florida Manatee Festival this weekend in downtown Crystal River

    • The festival features two days of live entertainment, food, activities and vendors along with guided manatee boat tours and kayak tours

    • “Marley the Manatee,” who locals lovingly describe as a Crystal River celebrity, will also be in attendance


    The festival features two days of live entertainment, food, activities and vendors along with guided manatee boat tours and kayak tours. “Marley the Manatee,” who locals lovingly describe as a Crystal River celebrity, will also be in attendance.

    Tickets are $10 for adults. Children under the age of 12 can get in for free.

    “The Manatee Festival is so important to this community,” said Kim Altman, owner of Explorida Adventure Center in Crystal River. “It draws people in who otherwise wouldn’t know about the manatee.”

    “This is really a great way economically to boost our local economy and get local dollars flowing … in the most fun way possible,” added Jade White, Associate VP of Operations and Outreach for the Citrus County Chamber of Congress.

    Organizers recommend utilizing free parking at nearby Crystal River High School or the West Citrus Government Center. Shuttles to the event are available. 

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  • Tampa Oyster Fest set for Saturday, benefits local group

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    The 7th-annual Tampa Oyster Festival happens Saturday, Jan. 10. 

    Organizers are promising an afternoon of fresh oysters, slow-cooked barbeque and traditional low-country boils. 

    A Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band will headline the live music entertainment. 

    The festival will benefit Frameworks of Tampa Bay, a local nonprofit focused on helping children with their emotional intelligence.

    What: Tampa Oyster Festival 

    When: Saturday, Jan. 10, 1-5 p.m. 

    Where: Tabellas at Delaney Creek 

    Tickets: Click here

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  • Three Kings Festival in Hernando to help kids, moms

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    HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — The Hispanic Cultural Resource Foundation and Hernando County YMCA are hosting the fourth-annual “Three Kings Day Festival” on Sunday, Jan 4.

    The celebration will offer live music, dancing, entertainment, games and vendors.

    The organizers are also hoping the event can give back to the community.

    The Three Kings will give toys to children who attend. Dress For Success Tampa Bay will give clothes and other items to moms who attend.

    The event runs from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday at the Hernando County YMCA, located at 1300 Mariner Blvd., in Spring Hill.

    Learn more about the event on its Facebook page.

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  • Left hooks and life lessons: East Tampa Boxing Gym offers both

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    TAMPA, Fla. — As you walk into the East Tampa Boxing Gym, you walk under a sign that reads, “It Is Better To Bleed In The Gym, Than In The Street.” 

    What You Need To Know

    • Odeon Esson launched East Tampa Boxing Gym almost 10 years ago 

    • He’s there every Monday through Saturday offering boxing lessons to kids as young as six

    • Esson’s bigger goal is to teach the kids life lessons and help them “be somebody” 

    • Esson, a former boxer himself, is joined by a handful of coaches helping in his effort


    It’s one of the many mantras of owner Odeon Esson, for his boxing facility off East Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa.

    “You’re in East Tampa. It’s rough over here, you know,” Esson said. “Out there in the street, you might not come back from it. But in here, you got a chance.”

    Esson gives children as young as six years old the chance to come boxing at his gym Monday through Saturday nights.

    It’s a three-hour boxing practice where the lessons are more about lifestyle than about left hooks and right jabs.

    “Help these kids — a lot of these kids in this neighborhood — become somebody,” said Esson, talking about his goal for the gym. “Let them know, ‘You have a dream, you can do it. Whatever you set your mind to, you can do it.’”

    Hanging on the walls of the gym are signs that reinforce those life lessons:

    • “If You Can Accept Losing, You Can’t Win”
    • “Life Has Got To Be Lived”
    • “Winners Are Simply Willing To Do What Losers Are Not”

    And those lessons on the wall are clearly making their way to the intended audience.

    On a Tuesday night, the gym is packed. A mixture of elementary, middle and high school students jump rope, do push-ups, spar with a coach, pummel a punching bag, practice punching combinations and even get into the ring to face off against Esson himself.

    “Things that you learn in here, teach you things in the real world,” said Vince Clavizzao, a friend from Esson’s boxing days who he recruited to coach here.

    When the young boxers were asked what they learned by coming to East Tampa Boxing Gym, responses varied from heartfelt to real skills.

    Some young people there that night cited boxing strategy and technique. Fifth grader Cody Amos said he’s learned “you have to punch to win.” Sixth grader Jayden Gilbert said Esson had taught him “how to jab” and get his stance right.

    But Gilbert also said his nightly trips to the gym taught him “not to give up.” Fifth grader Pedro Ruiz said the gym helped him learn to “stay focused.” Third grader Alantis Howard, the only female boxer we met at the gym, said the practices had instilled in her the idea that “you have to work hard to get rewarded.”

    Esson launched this place nearly a decade ago, and he has no plans to stop. For Esson, teaching life lessons — and boxing — will continue.

    “They could have been doing anything else. They could have been caught up in the street. But they’re here. They’re in a safe place. They’re here,” Esson said.

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  • Jingle Bell Family Fest comes to Clearwater

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    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Clearwater’s Coachman Park will transform into a winter wonderland on Saturday, Dec. 20.

    The park will host Jingle Bell Family Fest, a free event featuring numerous activities and dozens of local businesses.

    Organizers are promising:

    • An appearance from Santa and Mrs. Claus
    • Bounce house
    • Gingerbread-themed obstacle course
    • Toddler zone
    • Decorations, music and photo opportunities

    Jingle Bell Family Fest also features more than 150 small businesses offering holiday gifts, crafts and food.

    The event is free.

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  • Wallenda promises mix of circus, Broadway, American Ninja Warrior at new show

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    SARASOTA, Fla. — Daredevil high-wire artist Nik Wallenda is back this winter with a new show in Sarasota. 

    With Wallenda as executive producer, University Town Center is offering Wonderland: Believe from Friday, Nov. 21 to Sunday, Jan. 4.

    Wallenda told Spectrum Bay News 9 that the show offers a combination of story, acrobatics, daring high-wire precision and show-stopping numbers.

    “We are very much a blend of American Ninja Warrior, Broadway and circus,” Wallenda said.

    It’s the latest show for Wallenda, a member of the legendary Flying Wallendas family. He holds more than a dozen Guinness World Records and labels himself a “producer, daredevil, entertainer, TV personality, motivational speaker and author.”

    Wallenda said he recruited performers from around the globe — “the best of the best” — to show off their skills at this event.

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  • Homosassa celebrates half-century with festival

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    The Homosassa Civic Club hosts the 50th Arts, Crafts and Seafood Festival on Saturday and Sunday.

    Held in Old Homosassa, the festival will also offer a kids zone, live music and raffles.

    The Homosassa Yukers will play both days from 10:00-11:30 a.m.

    The event gives those in attendance a chance to see some of the best work from local artists.

    “There’s so many artists right here that live here. It’s exciting. I love being a part of this,” said Cindy Ersch, the festival’s coordinator.

    The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, the festival will be happening from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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  • St. Pete Gets Taller: How the city’s skyline grew in last decade

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As recently as 2018, the tallest building in St. Petersburg stood 386 feet tall. It was Priatek Plaza, a 28-story skyscraper that opened in 1990 on Central Avenue.

    What You Need To Know

    • In just seven years, four new buildings in St. Pete have eclipsed what was once the city’s tallest building  

    • The tallest building in St. Pete now soars more than 500 feet tall 

    • There are plans for a building that stands even taller than the current tallest building (400 Central)  

    • City leaders say the downtown area is evolving in a way that involves not only “expansion” but also “innovation” 


    But in the seven years since, four new buildings in downtown St. Petersburg have eclipsed Priatek Plaza in height:

    The four new condo towers have transformed the St. Petersburg skyline, a change city leaders sought.

    In response to an inquiry from Bay News 9, a city spokesperson said the city was “dedicated to driving inclusive economic development that enhances the quality of life for all residents.” The spokesperson suggested the “city’s downtown is evolving in ways that demand not just expansion, but innovation.”

    That innovation includes building housing upward instead of just outward. With limited land options for housing development, the four new high-rise towers offer new places to live-and-work in the city.

    “We’ve seen the tallest building in St. Pete go from 380 feet to now close to 515 feet, and that ceiling will continue to increase as new buildings are completed,” said Anthony Close, founder of St. Pete Rising, a website that chronicles growth and development in St. Petersburg.

    This year, a development firm announced plans to build the Waldorf Astoria residences in St. Pete, with the intention of making it the tallest building in the city.

    These new buildings, though, offer luxury condos with a high-rise view. They do not solve the issue of affordable housing, which remains a need in Pinellas County.

    The Shimberg Center for Housing Studies at the University of Florida just released its 2025 Rental Market study.

    It shows 29 percent of all renters in Pinellas County are low-income, cost-burdened renters. That means those renters are at or below 60 percent of the area’s median income level (low-income) but also spending 40 percent of their income on rent including utility bills (cost-burdened).

    A spokesperson for the city of St. Petersburg noted that, in addition to the new condo towers, the city brought 281 affordable units online in 2024. During Mayor Ken Welch’s term, the spokesperson said the city brought 855 affordable and workforce housing units online.

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  • Experts, lawmakers debate the lack of A/C in most Florida prisons

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A former Tampa Bay lawmaker calls it a “moral collapse” that a majority of Florida prisons do not have air conditioning. 

    While federal prisons are required to have air conditioning, state prisons are not. A 2023 report suggested about 75% of the facilities in Florida do not cool the air.

    What You Need To Know

    • A 2023 report found that around 75% of Florida prisons don’t have air conditioning  

    • Officials say it would cost around $582 million to install A/C at all state prisons
       
    • Some consider not having air conditioning at prisons to be cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of the Eighth Amendment 

    • Others think the money should be used on continuing education and job training for inmates 


    “That isn’t just logistics,” said former State Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican who represented Tampa Bay in the Florida Legislature from 2010 to 2022. “That’s morally saying, ‘We’re doing something wrong.’”

    The Florida Department of Management Services commissioned KPMG in 2022 to develop a 20-year master plan for the Florida Department of Corrections. The plan, released in 2023, found that more than a third of state prisons were in “critical” or “poor” condition, and work for “immediate needs” — basic life, health and safety modifications needed to make Florida prisons inhabitable — would cost $2.2 billion.

    According to the plan, adding air conditioning to Florida prisons that currently lack HVAC systems would cost $582 million.

    Brandes suggested that all state lawmakers should tour prisons to understand what inmates are dealing with. He said his experience touring facilities — he described the heat by saying it  “felt like 105 (degrees)” — convinced him the money should be spent to outfit facilities with air conditioning.

    “Going to prison is supposed to be the deterrent,” said Brandes, who is currently the president of the Florida Policy Project. “That is the punishment. You are in prison. Prison is not supposed to be additional punishment while you’re there.”

    State Sen. Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers) said he disagrees with Brandes. He has argued the $582 million would be better spent on job training and continuing education for inmates, saying they have told him that’s what they prefer.

    “There’s a finite amount of resources,” Martin said. “Could we do more if we moved these resources somewhere else?”

    Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) argued that not having air conditioning during Florida’s hot summers is a violation of the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which outlaws cruel-and-usual punishment.

    “It’s not meant to be a luxury hotel. We all get that,” he said. “But the punishment is time away from their families and society and their loved ones. The punishment is not cruel and inhumane conditions.”

    Martin, though, pointed to Florida statute 921.002 (“The Criminal Punishment Code”) which specifically states: “The primary purpose of sentencing is to punish the offender. Rehabilitation is a desired goal of the criminal justice system but is subordinate to the goal of punishment.”

    He went on to argue that the Eighth Amendment was ratified in 1791, before modern air conditioning existed.

    “To say somehow that not having air conditioning is a violation of your constitutional rights flies in the face of everybody over the age of 30 in the state of Florida who rode a school bus to school without air conditioning,” Martin said.

    Attorneys representing the state during a lawsuit over hot conditions at a prison in Miami-Dade County recently argued “the lack of air conditioning does not pose a substantial risk of serious harm.” They contended that, to violate the Eighth Amendment, conditions must be “objectively extreme enough to deny an inmate the minimal civilized measure of life’s necessities.”

    Brandes said he believes the state was arguing the conditions were cruel, just not “cruel enough.”

    “What is cruel? Is it 110 degrees? 115? If you could fry and egg on the floor, would that make it cruel and unusual?” Brandes asked.

    Connie Baroth Edson, an inmate advocate in Central Florida, has fought for years to bring air conditioning to prisons.

    She said adding air conditioning would decrease turnover among correctional officers (which is a significant issue in Florida) and offer basic humanity to inmates.

    “Why are you made to feel like you’re not worthy of anything by not having air conditioning?” Baroth Edson asked.

    While she did not think the state would ever pay the $582 million necessary to put air conditioning into all the Florida prisons, Baroth Edson said she was encouraged when the Florida Legislature agreed in 2025 to spend $300,000 on a pilot program to add wall units to some institutions.

    The expenditure was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    When Spectrum News requested an interview with the secretary for the Florida Department of Corrections, the department provided a statement that said: “FDC has air-conditioning housing units serving the most vulnerable inmate populations, including the infirmed, mentally ill, pregnant and geriatric.”

    The statement said all new institutions are designed to include air conditioning, but noted many existing facilities were built before air conditioning was commonplace.

    The Florida Department of Corrections uses “various climate control measures” to reduce heat, according to the statement.

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  • Kids create, kids sell (parents stay out of it) at local market

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    TAMPA, Fla. — A group encouraging young people to learn about business will be selling items this weekend in Tampa Bay.

    The Tampa branch of Kids Markets will be selling products at the Spooktacular event in Wesley Chapel. Avalon Park is hosting that event on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

    The event is free.

    Kids Markets is a group where children, ages 5 to 17, can participate in a farmer’s market-style event, run entirely by kids.

    “They have to be able to do all the selling themselves. Parents are not allowed to help them. We really want the kids to be selling, and not the kids to be selling on behalf of the parents,” said Taylor Cauley, the Children’s Entrepreneurship Manager for Tampa.

    Kids Markets is a group where children, ages 5 to 17, can participate in a farmer’s market-style event, run entirely by kids. (Spectrum News/Matt Infante)

    Cauley’s kids — 10-year-old Landon and 8-year-old James — are making soap and chapstick that they will sell at the event.

    “It’s just helpful for stuff we might do later in our life,” James told Spectrum Bay News 9.

    The Spooktacular is promising food trucks, live performances and bounce houses, in addition to the market.

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  • On The Town: Sizzlin ‘n’ the Sukkah in Bradenton

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    BRADENTON, Fla. — The Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch is inviting everyone to come celebrate the holiday of Sukkot with them.


    Sukkot is a week-long Jewish harvest festival, celebrating G-d’s protection during the Exodus from Egypt. As part of the holiday, Jews will dwell in a temporary structure called a sukkah, eating and celebrating.

    “The part that we focus on is the unity among the Jewish people,” Rabbi Mendy Buckiet said. Buckiet is a Rabbi at the Chabad of Bradenton & Lakewood Ranch.

    Buckiet is inviting everyone to Sizzlin ‘n’ the Sukkah on Sunday. As part of the event, there will be good food, fun events and religious activities.

    “Try to bring as many people together as possible,” Buckiet told Spectrum Bay News 9. “That’s the only way to truly connect with G-d, only through unity, only through kindness, only through love.”

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  • Pasco goes ‘spooky,’ offers haunted history of county

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    PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Pasco County is offering an opportunity to hear about the county’s ‘haunted’ history.

    On Wednesday night, author and historian Madonna Wise will share “haunted folklore and ghostly legends” about Pasco County’s past.

    “It’s a wonderful genre,” Wise said. “I think there’s an emotional connection we have to something that’s haunted, and probably a spiritual connection.”

    Wise compiled the stories for her book “A Haunted History of Pasco County.” It includes stories of ghosts, oddities and warlords from Zephyrhills, Dade City, New Port Richey and Wesley Chapel.

    Paranormal investigator Nicole Ferro will join Wise for the presentation.

    It starts at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Richey Suncoast Theatre in downtown New Port Richey. Tickets are $20. Members of the West Pasco Historical Society only need to pay $15.

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  • MOSI tackles AI, exhibit offers glimpse

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    TAMPA — Whether you like it or not, artificial intelligence is going to play a pivotal role in the future.

    The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is now offering you an opportunity to explore that future with a new traveling exhibit.

    It’s called “Artificial Intelligence: Your Mind & The Machine.” It opens Saturday, Sept 6, at the location in Tampa across from the University of South Florida.

    “Our goal in having the exhibition is to make AI real and relevant,” HP Newquist, the exhibit’s creator, told Spectrum Bay News 9.

    There are fun aspects to the exhibit. You can play the classic video game ‘Pong’ and see how AI can teach itself through repetition.

    But there are also more serious aspects to the exhibit. For example, you can see how artificial intelligence is being used in facial recognition and surveillance.

    Newquist recognizes that people have some unease about AI.

    “Can this get out of hand? Could this become ‘Terminator?’ Could it take your job? Could it be the thing teaching your kids? All of these things should be considered,” Newquist said.

    The exhibit will attempt to answer some of these questions from now until the end of the year at MOSI. It’s included in your regular admission.

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  • Paintings of Morgan Pierce, who died at 17, on display at Plant City gallery

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    PLANT CITY, Fla. — A Plant City art gallery will offer a special art exhibit this weekend, honoring the legacy of a Bay area girl who died far too young.

    The Red Calliope Art Gallery on Evers will display the work of Morgan Pierce. Doctors diagnosed Morgan with neuroblastoma when she was just five years old. She died in 2020 at the age of 17.

    But in the 12 years she fought cancer, Morgan also created powerful works of art.

    “Through treatment, art was a way for her to express herself but also a form of therapy for her,” said Emily Pierce, Morgan’s mother.

    “It was an outlet for her. It was something she could do to stay busy and she enjoyed doing it,” added Clint Pierce, Morgan’s father.

    The event runs from 4-6 p.m. Sunday. It benefits the No More Umbrellas Foundation. That’s a foundation Morgan parents started, providing financial support for kids fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. (No More Umbrellas Foundation)

    The artwork caught the attention of Rachel Dummeldinger, owner of Red Calliope Gallery on Evers in Plant City.

    “They’re not just the doodles of a little girl. There’s so much texture and depth,” Dummeldinger said. “She was giving us an invitation to pay attention to who she is and what she was doing through. That, coming from a child, it’s a big deal.”

    Dummeldinger said she would be “careless and remiss” if she didn’t try to share the artwork with others. So she is hosting an art exhibit of Morgan’s paintings at the gallery on Sunday afternoon.

    The event runs from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. It benefits the No More Umbrellas Foundation, a foundation Morgan’s parents started, providing financial support for kids fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

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  • Palm Harbor turns 100, plans celebration

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    PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Palm Harbor is celebrating its 100th birthday.

    On July 15, 1925, the city’s official name was changed from Sutherland to Palm Harbor. This weekend, city leaders will celebrate a full century under that name with multiple events.

    • Commemorative Proclamation, 10 a.m., Palm Harbor Museum
    • Family-Friendly Event, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Harbor Hall and historic White Chapel, with local vendors, food trucks, nonprofit organizations
    • City Celebration, 6 p.m., Pop Stansell Park, with live music, food, fireworks

    “We are so excited,” said Nancy McKibben, a Pinellas County coordinator who represents unincorporated county communities. “We have a wonderful history here.”

    There will also be a pop-up exhibit depicting the community’s history, developed by the Palm Harbor Museum.

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  • What is a sapodilla? Bok Tower celebrates fruit

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    Bok Towers is hosting its Fruit Fest on Saturday, July 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    The festival offers an opportunity to sample numerous types of fruit, learn about fruits and vegetables, buy plants and listen to live music.

    The Caribbean Crew Steel Drum Band will perform from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

    The food sampling happens from noon until 2 p.m.

    Visitors can try dragon fruit, mangoes, mamey, jackfruit, longans, lynches and sapodilla (a tropical fruit with a sweet flavor often described as a pear soaked in brown sugar).

    Admission to the Fruit Fest is included in your admission to Bok Tower Gardens. Fruit sampling does require additional purchase.

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  • Citrus County, including famous mermaid aficionado, to hold Pride Family Fest

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    Unity of Citrus County is sponsoring the second annual “Pride Family Fest” this weekend.

    It’s happening on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. p.m. at 2628 Woodview Lane in Lecanto. They’re promising raffles, food, vendors, dancing, fun and activities for kids.

    One of the vendors at the event will be Eric Ducharme, co-owner of Mertailor Mermaid Aquarium.

    Ducharme performed as a merman at the famous mermaid shows in Weeki Wachee. Then he launched his own business, making mermaid-inspiring clothing. The aquarium now offers people an opportunity to swim with mermaids.

    Ducharme is excited about this weekend’s fest.

    “It’s an awesome event where people can come and have a safe space and just celebrate their lives and be part of the community,” Ducharme said.

    Entry to “Pride Family Fest” costs $7.

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