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Good Morning From Lutz,

It’s Mother’s Day weekend! Kids, pets, whatever it might be, make sure you give some love to the moms of all kinds out there. There’s a lot happening north of Tampa this weekend, and honestly, it feels like a pretty good excuse to slow down a little and spend some time together.

The weather is lining up nicely too. Low rain chances, plenty of sunshine, and about as comfortable as May gets around here before summer fully kicks the door in. Between markets, festivals, baseball, and everything else going on locally, there’s no shortage of ways to get out of the house for a bit.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

-Mike

Access local events three different ways:

Community Calendar
Schedule w/Links
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Pre-Mother’s Day Floral Arrangement Workshop
The Whistle Stop Depot, Lutz
Saturday, May 9 | 11:00 AM

This floral arrangement workshop is a nice, low-key way to do something a little different for Mother’s Day weekend. You’ll build your own arrangement using fresh stems and a container you choose, with guidance there if you want it.

It’s set up to be easy and flexible, so you can take your time, get creative, and walk away with something you actually want to keep or gift. No sign-ups, just show up and grab a spot while materials last.

2026 Hernando County Blueberry Festival
Florida Classic Park, Brooksville
Friday, May 8 – Sunday, May 10

The Hernando County Blueberry Festival is one of those bigger local weekends where there’s a little bit of everything going on. Expect blueberry-themed food and drinks, live music, craft vendors, games, livestock showcases, and a full market-style setup spread across Florida Classic Park.

It’s built more like a community festival than just a farmers market, so you can easily spend a few hours walking around, eating, shopping, and letting the kids bounce between activities. Definitely one of the more unique events happening north of Tampa this weekend.

✨SUNDAY MARKET✨
Florida Avenue Brewing Co, Wesley Chapel
Sunday, May 10 | 1:00 PM–5:00 PM

The Sunday Market at Florida Avenue Brewing is an easy way to spend a laid-back afternoon in Wesley Chapel. Expect local vendors, handmade goods, flowers, food, and craft beer all set up around the brewery.

It’s family-friendly, easy to walk through, and a good excuse to grab a drink and browse around for a bit.

Wildcats Still Rolling

Wesley Chapel baseball is suddenly just two wins away from another trip to the state final four.

The Wildcats swept Sebring last weekend, including a huge performance from senior pitcher Wyatt Nelson, who threw five scoreless innings in a 5-0 win. Wesley Chapel has now reached the regional championship for the fourth straight year and will face Winter Springs next with a state semifinal spot on the line.

Land O’ Lakes Tops Hot List

Looks like a lot more people are paying attention to Land O’ Lakes lately.

Redfin just named Land O’ Lakes the hottest neighborhood in the country for 2026, pointing to a major jump in home listing views and sales activity. Plant City also landed near the top of the national list, with affordability and access to the Tampa area helping drive interest.

Old Navy Headed To Outlets

Looks like the mystery tenant at Tampa Premium Outlets may not be much of a mystery anymore.

A new discount fashion retailer is taking over the former Saks Off 5th space, and Tampa Bay Business Journal reports it’s expected to be an Old Navy Outlet. The large storefront has been sitting vacant since Saks pulled back from many mall locations earlier this year.

Tampa Executive Airport Keeps Growing

The world’s favorite airport is adding even more. Phoebe must be glowing.

Tampa Executive Airport in East Hillsborough is adding four new hangar facilities through more than $6.4 million in private investment. The expansion will add roughly 42,000 square feet of aircraft storage space, with several of the hangars expected to open later this year.

One of the new hangars was already completed in March, while others are still under construction or permitting. Airport officials say the added space is meant to support long-term growth and increasing aviation activity around the region.

Hurricane Zones Expanded Locally

Might be worth double-checking your evacuation zone this year, even if you never had to before.

Hillsborough County updated its hurricane evacuation maps for 2026, and parts of Citrus Park, New Tampa, Town ’N Country, Apollo Beach, and Palm River were either added or expanded into evacuation zones. A large section of New Tampa is now included in Zone E after previously not being in a zone at all.

County officials say the changes come after the active 2024 hurricane season, and homeowners can now look up their updated zone using the county’s online HEAT tool.

Regional Transportation Merger Moves Ahead

A pretty important regional transportation discussion took another step forward this week. Leaders are continuing to move toward combining the transportation planning groups for Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco into one larger regional board that would help shape future road, transit, and infrastructure priorities across Tampa Bay.

The biggest update from the May 5 meeting was a compromise on voting structure. Pasco would gain an additional seat under the latest proposal, while Tampa International Airport and Port Tampa Bay would still keep dedicated representation. Supporters say the move could help the region compete for larger federal transportation funding, while critics still worry Hillsborough could end up with too much influence over where projects get prioritized next.

Rays Stadium Deal Hits Pause

Overcoming these constant hurdles might just be what it takes.

Hillsborough County commissioners were expected to discuss the Rays stadium deal this week, but the vote never made the agenda. That leaves May 20 as the final scheduled chance to approve something before the Rays’ June 1 deadline.

Some county leaders say they still want more clarity on financing and the promised development around the proposed stadium site before moving forward.

I’ll spare you another copied image of the renderings of the new stadium.

A Huge Thank You to our wonderful local partners!

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

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