Tarpon Springs hold First Friday festival
On the first Friday of each month, downtown Tarpon Springs transforms into a free, family friendly street festival from 6-10 p.m.
The event gives visitors a chance to explore local businesses and discovr something different each time they come out.
“I’ve been coming here since high school. What brings me back is seeing all the
different vendors, the food stalls and just getting to try new things,” said Kiera Sullivan, a First Friday attendee.
It’s not just about the fun, First Friday helps shine a spotlight on small business owners throughout Tarpon Springs.
“It gives small business more visibility, it’s easy to get lost in today’s ecosystem especially retail and stuff like that, so events like this allow people like me who are trying to build small businesses to get out there and build our customer base,” said Jonathan Luciano, vendor at First Friday Festival.
First Friday takes place on November 7 in downtown Tarpon Springs.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton … One year later
Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a Category 4 storm. While it did not directly go over Tampa, its storm surge and 60 mph winds hit the coast hard. Just 13 days later, Hurricane Milton struck as a Category 3 near Siesta Key. This time of year brings several risks for businesses and homes along the bay area beaches.
Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill has been a staple in the Clearwater community since 1981, and several locations in Pinellas county took a beating during last year’s storms.
“A few of the restaurants got about three feet of water in them, so they had to get like pretty much get completely gutted and redone,” said Chris Tiemier, Frenchy’s General Manager.
Frenchy’s five restaurants all reopened by November 2024. Businesses were not the only ones impacted by these powerful storms. Many residents in the region also dealt with damage to their home, long power outages and severe flooding.
“I had to trudge through, like knee-deep water in order to get to my apartment,” said Morgan Bridges, a former St. Pete resident.
While no hurricanes have threatened our area so far this year, the tropics are heating up. Forecasters say to stay on guard, have your hurricane preparedness kit ready and stay tuned to local meteorologists.
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