Photos of the Week

Dressed up as a flower skeleton, 9-year-old Alina Zhussupova, of Lutz, admires her pumpkin that she decorated as an angel. She was taking part in the Pumpkin Fest on Oct. 26 at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway. Alina said that she will be dressed as Wednesday Addams when she goes trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

Brad Myers, of Clearwater, also known as Mr. Brad, delighted a preschool-age audience during his recent performance at the Lutz Branch Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road. Myers is known as the one-man band for kids. His half-hour performance was filled with his renditions of many classic children’s songs, such as ‘The Wheels on the Bus,’ ‘You Are My Sunshine,’ and ‘The Ants Go Marching.’ The highlight of his unique show is his ability to play multiple musical instruments, while using clever ways (such as a tambourine fastened to his foot) to play many at once. Marci Krekorian, the supervisory librarian for the Lutz Branch, said that the library has plans to bring Mr. Brad’s show back quarterly, for 2020. Funding for this program was provided by the nonprofit group Friends of the Lutz Branch Library.

Thousands headed to the Pasco County Fairgrounds over the weekend to take part in the 53^rd annual Rattlesnake Festival. This year’s event began with a special Bellamy Brothers Concert, on the evening of Oct. 18, followed by two days of activities over the weekend. As always, The Eddie Herrmann Wooden Gopher Tortoise Race drew lots of competitors. The races were held on both weekend festival days, geared toward children ages 12 and under.

An estimated 3,000 people gathered on the grounds of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 32145 St. Joe Road in Dade City, for the fourth annual St. Joe Fall Festival. The fun family event, on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featured numerous bounce houses, a petting zoo, pony rides, an obstacle course, live music, face painting and a pumpkin patch. Dozens of local vendors were lined up, selling various handmade wares, such as jewelry, wood-carved furniture, baked goods, homemade olive oils and locally grown produce. The festival also featured a beer garden for adults, as well as many diverse food options. Attendees had their choice to nibble on ethnic foods, such as Cajun, Polish and Ukrainian food, as well as American classics like barbecue ribs, pizza and desserts. Tickets could be purchased for $1, for a chance to win one of the two 50/50 drawings, or one of the nearly 70 gift baskets donated by local businesses and parishioners for the event. All proceeds go toward the upkeep of the church.

The Land O’Lakes Branch Library launched a new monthly program that aims to encourage kids to use their imaginations to create their own art, based on book illustrations. The Copycat Illustrators program is the brainchild of Karen Allen, the library’s youth services librarian, and is geared toward kindergarteners through fifth-graders. The group will meet each month on early school release days, at 3 p.m. A new book will be selected each month, inspiring kids to interpret the drawings in their own way, by using the crafting materials on hand. Registration is not required. To find out more, call (813) 929-1214.

Empty shelves are all that remain inside the New River Branch Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, as the facility prepares for a highly anticipated remodel. The facility is getting a major renovation, which will include changes to both the interior and exterior, as well as new  technology, meeting rooms, lighting, furnishings, and outdoor spaces. While the project is being done, library services will be offered through outreach programs at schools, senior centers, and daycares throughout the area.

Blues musician Gene ‘Sarasota Slim’ Hardage and his band put on a show at the New River Branch Library, in Wesley Chapel, on Sept. 22. The free concert was the first offered from the Pasco County Libraries Passport Concert Series. The six-concert series, will take place on Sundays through Nov. 3, at various Pasco County libraries. Besides the blues, the concerts will feature pop, Latin, bluegrass, classical, disco, and jazz. Next up, Hugh Embry Branch Library in Dade City will host Latin music on Oct. 6, and the Land O’Lakes Branch Library will host bluegrass on Oct. 13. The Sarasota Slim band is part of the Suncoast Blues Society’s outreach program, that brings concerts to libraries and schools. The Passport Concert Series is made possible with funding from the Friends of the Library organization and the Otis G. Pike Charitable Trust.

For 31 years, head sensei Marty Betts has shared his passion of the martial arts by teaching karate at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway. Betts is a sixth degree black belt and champion sport-fighter. He began teaching classes at the Rec Complex in 1988, after retiring from sport-fighting. Betts, and head sensei Christi Weis, teach a beginner’s class for children ages 6 to 12, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m., and a class for ages 13 and older at 8 p.m. For cost and other information, call (813) 929-1220.