This past week showed that there is something for everyone going on in New Port Richey
Thursday night featured the Ban(ne)d Books concert down by the river in Sims Park. The rain cleared before the event and about 50 of us enjoyed a nice little concert on the steps at the foot of the bridge. The sunset was spectacular and the colors were reflected off the waters of the Cotee River.
I was pleased to see that the local Snow Cone shop had been invited to set up a tent and sell shaved ice treats.
Friday night was the annual Night In The Tropics, put on by Main Street New Port Richey, Inc.. There were a couple of notable changes from previous years: First, the vendor tents were placed in the middle of Grand, making it easier for attendees to see which shops and restaurants were open for business. For an event sponsored by our Main Street group, this is huge. The second difference was that there were no beer trucks anywhere to be seen. If you wanted something to drink, the local bars and restaurants were more than happy to help you out.
Not surprisingly, my favorite part was the car show. There were some VERY cool cars on display, including a 60’s era Pontiac with a “Six Pack” under the hood. (For those of you who don’t remember those days, that means that the car had three dual barrel carburetors.) I make no secret of how much I love seeing classic and muscle cars on display. I guess it is just the “gear head” in me. In addition to everything else, there was live music on the stage at the south end of the event.
Saturday featured yet another family movie in the park. I worked all day and was too beat to stay for the movie, but I went down to check it out and there were hundreds of parents and kids there to enjoy the movie.
“Something For Everyone” also sums up our restaurant scene. You have quite a selection when you come downtown to eat. If you can’t find what you want downtown, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll find it elsewhere in the city.
This coming weekend, we have the first annual Carribbean Food and Music Festival in the park.
It is a great time to live and work in New Port Richey.
Rob Marlowe, Mayor