Thanksgiving Weekend Packed with Adventure

Not in the mood for the usual round of Thanksgiving Day parades and football? Want a little more action in your holiday weekend? Well, Thanksgiving is an action-packed time of year in Pasco County. Would you believe this area will host a sky diving extravaganza, cricket tournament, foxhunt AND an appearance by a NASCAR favorite all in one weekend? Check out the details below and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

The Thanksgiving Sky Dive Boogie & Turkey Meet is a high-altitude tradition at Sky Dive City in Zephyrhills. Hundreds of the best jumpers from around the world come to east Pasco to compete for fun, prizes and the admiration of fellow jumpers. Spectators can enjoy the thrill of eight, ten and 16-man jump competitions, plus a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. The boogie actually started last week and continues through Sunday.

If race cars are more your style than jumping out of airplanes, consider the David Reutimann 4th Annual Charity Golf Tournament & Auction at Silverado Golf & Country Club in Zephyrhills. Reutimann is a Zephyrhills native and NASCAR favorite who hosts a cookout and auction of NASCAR and other sports team memorabilia to benefit a variety of Florida charities. The cookout and auction is Friday and the golf tournament is Saturday. For more information, call 813-788-1225.

Cricket is not a sport you hear too much about in the Tampa Bay area. But that could change as the Wesley Chapel Cricket Club has been generated a lot of buzz for the sport in recent months. The club will host its first Tampa Bay Thanksgiving Cricket Festival on Saturday and Sunday at Wesley Chapel District Park. Not sure what this bat-and-ball-style game is all about? Check out these articles on the club that appeared recently in the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune. Get full details on this weekend's tournament at the cricket club website or call 813-994-8481.

Finally, we might have to root for the fox in this one but a new event to this area is the opening meet of the South Creek Foxhounds at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City on Saturday. South Creek Foxhounds is the oldest foxhunt in Florida and the sport itself dates back to the early 1800s in Great Britain and Canada. In today's version of the hunt, according to the club's website, the fox is not killed. Whew. For information on the club or this weekend's hunt, visit the club website.

Whether you make it to any of these events or not, you can stay on top of all the events in Pasco County throughout the year at our online Events Calendar and Sports Calendar.

Farmer's Market & Book Signings This Weekend

With cooler weather finally arriving, organizers of the successful Downtown Farmer's Market in New Port Richey are planning for even more vendors and cool activities this weekend.

In addition to the usual fresh produce, plants, herbs and teas, two local authors will sign their recently published works: Adam Carozza, author of Images of America - New Port Richey and Jim Rathbone, author of There's a Pirate in the Family. Also for sale will be Florida's Monuments & Memorials, a book that includes two New Port Richey sites, the George Sims Monument and the city's colorful downtown murals. For kids who wish to make their own Christmas gifts while their parents shop, a local church will offer arts and crafts activities.

Starting this weekend, the Saturday Farmer's Market moves to a new location, the newly renovated Railroad Square on Nebraska Avenue east of Grand Boulevard.

"The city did such a wonderful job beautifying Nebraska Avenue with Railroad Square, it made sense to put it to use,'' said Judy DeBella Thomas, executive director of Greater New Port Richey Main Street, which organizes the market.

For information on other downtown New Port Richey events, visit the Main Street website or call 727-842-8066. You can also check out the Pasco Tourism website and our Calendar of Events.

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VW Bugs Fill Pasco County Fairgrounds

There were bugs of every shape, size and color at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City this weekend. Not the creepy, crawly kind - the cool and fun Volkswagen kind! Organizers estimate there were nearly 500 VW bugs, campers, dunebuggies and buses exhibiting at the 20th Annual Pasco Bug Jam, one of the largest shows of its kind in the U.S. Visitors came from all over the country and as far away as the UK and Canada. It was a beautiful day and a fun event. Plus, all proceeds benefit All Children's Hospital. Cans of food were also collected for the Suncoast Harvest Food Bank. Check out these great photos from Pasco County's Kevin Jadick. To learn more about the Bug Jam, visit www.pascobugjam.com

Bug Jam Rolls Into Dade City This Weekend

If you have never seen 400 Volkswagen bugs of every color gathered in one place, you can do exactly that this weekend in Dade City. Rumored to be the largest gathering of VW enthusiasts in the Southeast, the Pasco Bug Jam roars into town on Sunday, Nov. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City. More than 400 vintage and new Volkswagens will be on display, along with VW collectibles, a swap meet, auction, games and live entertainment. Awards will be presented in multiple categories including Best Engine, Best Paint and Best Interior. They will even recognize the vehicle driven the farthest to participate in the show. Admission is $5 plus one can of food for the Suncoast Harvest Food Bank. For more information, visit www.pascobugjam.com