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Good Morning!

You’ve made it this far, let’s keep pushing through it. The bathroom floor sure is cold in the morning. We caught some flurries on our outdoor camera the other night, I’m sure you noticed the many different photos on social media, especially from Denis Phillips. When I moved to the area, I was under the impression that hurricanes rarely hit and we aren’t at risk for snowfall. As Denis’s rule #7 goes, don’t freak out!

If you’re feeling antsy: jump to all of our event links here:

And let’s get to it.

-Mike

In this edition of the North Tampa Buzz:

🛠️ Hope Services graduates construction class
🏗️ 2,000 jobs coming to Pasco
🍊 Kumquat Festival returns March 8

…and more!

Feel free to follow us on Instagram for more local updates.

Share this with a neighbor still refuses to turn the heat on.

Friday’s poll made it pretty clear that you’re looking for a guide of local coffee shops & bakeries. We’ve already started on it.

Do you need a unique place to host an event in 2026?  We are your spot!  Wedding? Birthday party? Grad party? Networking event?  We've got you covered.  

Introducing The Garden, Lutz's Whistle Stop's enchanting wedding space created for intimate celebrations of up to 45 guests.  Surrounded by natural beauty and vintage ambiance, our venue offers a romantic setting where every moment feels personal and unforgettable.  Let your perfect day begin in The Garden. Learn more about it here!

The Lutz Whistle Stop Depot is a family-owned premium boutique with over 60 local artisan vendors.  Come and see  - unique gifts, vintage, antique, repurposed, handcrafted, home décor, furniture, seasonal, delectables, and other whimsical items for sale throughout our property. 

We look forward to welcoming you.

Here’s a quick North Tampa Buzz NEW video giving you a little peek at the beauty and care that make this place so special.

Hope Services Celebrates Its First Construction Graduates of 2026

An incredibly impactful local program dedicated to empowering people with practical, career-ready skills, nationally recognized certifications, and a genuine pathway into meaningful employment is doing inspiring work right here in Land O’ Lakes. Hope Services just graduated four students from its first Construction Training class of 2026, with each graduate now stepping into apprenticeships or on-the-job training with local employers.

With hands-on learning that includes real job-site experience like Habitat for Humanity builds, the program is helping participants build confidence, stability, and long-term opportunity, especially for those who have faced barriers to employment. It’s a powerful reminder of how much positive change is happening quietly in our own community.

2,000 Jobs Coming to Pasco Along S.R. 54

A major new business park is on the way. St. John Properties has purchased 93 acres on the south side of State Road 54 in Pasco near the intersection with Starkey Boulevard and Duck Slough Boulevard in the Trinity area to build Mitchell Business Park, a massive new mixed-use development that will include 23 buildings and nearly 570,000 square feet of office, flex, warehouse, and retail space.

Construction is already kicking off, with the first buildings expected by the end of this year and retail following in 2027. When fully built out, the project is expected to support nearly 2,000 jobs, giving more Pasco residents the chance to work closer to home instead of commuting out of the county. This is one of the biggest business investments we’ve seen on the east side of Pasco in a long time.

A Huge Thank You to our wonderful local partners!

A Beautiful Read About East Pasco’s Favorite Fruit

OK, this is just a great read and we want you to know that. As most of you probably heard, the Kumquat Festival got iced out this weekend, and frozen fruit food fights are not quite the way to celebrate East Pasco’s most famous citrus. But the festival is officially back on for March 8, and there’s a wonderful story behind it that is worth soaking in.

Hernando Sun dives into how it all started with a single kumquat tree planted in 1914, and how that tiny beginning grew into a family-run operation that now produces hundreds of tons of kumquats every year and helped put Dade City on the map. It also walks through the history of Kumquat Growers Inc., the generations of local families who built it, and how creative recipes like kumquat pie and cake helped turn this little fruit into a regional icon.

This year’s festival is expected to bring more than 40,000 people downtown for kumquat treats, a car show, farmer’s market, kids’ activities, and all the small-town charm Dade City does so well. Admission and parking are free, all the shops and restaurants will be open, and it is one of those days that just feels like East Pasco at its best.

If you want to really appreciate why this festival matters, give the article a read, then come out and celebrate it properly on March 8. 🍊

Pasco’s First K–8 School Is Coming to East Pasco

There’s been a lot of conversation lately about new schools and capacity east of the U.S. 75 corridor. Pasco County Schools plans to combine Pasco Elementary and Pasco Middle in Dade City into a single K–8 campus, creating the first school of its kind in East Pasco.

District leaders say the goal is to improve consistency, student behavior, and academic performance by keeping kids in one school environment from kindergarten through eighth grade instead of transitioning to a separate middle school. The school board is set to review the plan this week and could take a formal vote later this month.

Coming in 2026: Big Views in Pasadena Hills

Neighborhood News just spotlighted a fast-growing new community called Pasadena Ridge inside the Villages of Pasadena Hills, just northeast of Wesley Chapel. What makes it stand out is something we do not usually get in Florida. Elevated ridge-top homes with sweeping views over water and conservation land. It is shaping up to be one of the most visually striking new neighborhoods coming to our area next year.

I hope this answers the question, “What is there to do around town without having to drive down to Tampa?”

Instead of listing every single event here, I’m going to start highlighting/featuring a few things each day to keep this section easy to scan. So these are just some standouts.

If you’re looking for everything happening around town, the full Community Calendar is still the best place to go. Or, you can find the full list here.

Line Dancing w/Simone
Treble Makers
Wed 2/4 7p-9p

Get your Boots on and get ready to move as Simone teaches Line Dancing on the 1st and 4th Wednesday of Each Month! Reserve your table now ($10pp at the door credited back on check with $10 food spend).

The Market Elaine
The Grove at Wesley Chapel
Fri 2/6 5p-9p

The Market Elaine is one of the busiest and best night markets in the area, filling The Grove with 150 plus vendors, live music, food, kids activities, and pet adoptions. It feels like a full community festival and is always packed with energy every first Friday.

Historic Downtown Dade City Farmers Market
Agnes Lamb Four Seasons Park
Sat 2/7 10a-2p

The Dade City Farmers Market at Agnes Lamb Park brings a relaxed, charming vibe with fresh produce, baked goods, local meats, handmade gifts, and artisan finds. This Sweetheart edition adds a Valentine’s twist, making it a perfect family-friendly Saturday stroll under the oaks

We’ll be on Instagram with updates wherever we end up. Feel free to slide into our DM’s.

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