Organizers of the Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest have a mantra: “It takes a community to make a festival.”
In keeping with that theme, Swamp Fest 2013 welcomes additional volunteers to step forward and help with the variety of chores that have to be done to make any festival a success, Swamp Fest coordinator Doug Hutchinson said.
Students who are older than 16 can pitch in at the event to earn some community service hours, Hutchinson said, and any other civic-minded volunteer who wants to help out would be appreciated.
The annual festival — Friday through Sunday this year — will be in its usual place at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
The Land O’ Lakes High School Booster Club hosts the event, which aims to bring the community together for a good time, while raising money for area schools, nonprofit organizations, community groups and area businesses.
The event generally attracts around 5,000 to 6,000 people, Hutchinson said.
Tickets purchased in advance are $15, a sizable discount from the $22 ticket price at the event, Hutchinson said. Various ticket outlets help sell the tickets and receive a portion of the proceeds, he said. Event parking is $5.
The midway is handled by W.G. Wade Shows, the same company that has participated since the festival’s inception five years ago.
The midway will feature up to 25 rides. Stands will be selling food and candy, and soft drinks will be available from local groups.
The event also features a Miss and Mr. Swampfest pageant, which will be on Saturday.
Swamp Fest began as a fundraiser at Land O’ Lakes High School, home of the Gators, and that’s what inspired the festival’s name. It is always on the first weekend of November.
Besides rides, games and food, the event also features live performances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Anyone who would like to volunteer at the event should call Hutchinson at (813) 293-3684, or sign up on the festival’s website, www.LOLSwampFest.com.
If you go
Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest 2013
When: Nov. 1-3, Friday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 6 p.m.
Where: Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.
What: Rides, games, entertainment, food, business and community organization booths
For more information, visit www.LOLSwampFest.com
Buy your tickets
These are the presale ticket outlets:
• Connerton Elementary School, 9300 Flourish Drive in Land O’ Lakes
• Lake Myrtle Elementary School, 22844 Weeks Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• Rushe Middle School, 18654 Mentmore Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• Land O’ Lakes High School, 20325 Gator Lane in Land O’ Lakes
• Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• Kids Stuff Daycare, 21360 Lake Floyd Drive in Land O’ Lakes
• Sugar & Spice, 3508 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes
• All Kids Academy, 1910 Livingston Road in Lutz
• Beef O’ Brady’s — Wilderness, 7040 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Suite 108 in Land O’ Lakes; Sunlake, 18835 State Road 54 in Lutz; and Village Lakes, 21539 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive in Land O’ Lakes.
