🗞️ Pasco Weekender: Dec 5 – Dec 7, 2025

🎉 5+ Cool Things to do This Weekend (Dec 5 – Dec 7)

🎄 Light Up The Night Tree Lighting (New Port Richey)
 📍 Sims Park, Grand Blvd & Bank St, New Port Richey • Fri, Dec 5 • 6–9 PM • 💲 Free
Kick off December as the city lights the big tree, plus crafts, games, train rides, Santa photos, food trucks, and more. Great family “first weekend of Christmas” tradition.
 🔗 Tree lighting details

🎉 Dade City Christmas Parade – “Florida Christmas” (Dade City)
 📍 Downtown Dade City, 7th St (MLK Blvd to Church St) • Fri, Dec 5 • 7–9 PM • 💲 Free
Floats, lights, and small-town charm on 7th Street. Bring chairs or a blanket and grab dinner downtown before the parade rolls.
 🔗 Parade information

🎁 Pioneer Christmas & Vintage Market (Dade City)
 📍 Pioneer Florida Museum, 15602 Pioneer Museum Rd, Dade City • Sat, Dec 6 • 10 AM–4 PM • 💲 About $5 adults
Old-Florida holiday feel with vendors, food trucks, live music, kids’ crafts, and photos with Santa at the train depot. A fun daytime outing before evening lights and parades.
 🔗 Event details

✨ Festival of Lights & Christmas Parade (Zephyrhills)
 📍 Downtown Zephyrhills • Sat, Dec 6 • 4–9 PM (Parade starts ~7 PM) • 💲 Free
Live music, food trucks, craft vendors, and a “Christmas in Toyland” themed parade down Main Street. A great pick for East Pasco families.
 🔗 Festival & parade info

🎄 Light Up Trinity at Generations (Trinity / Odessa)
 📍 Generations Christian Church, 1540 Little Rd, Trinity • Sat–Sun, Dec 6–7 • 4–9 PM • 💲 Parking fee or toy donation
Huge community Christmas event with Santa photos, live Nativity, “snowball” fun, Christmas market, and food trucks. Expect crowds and plenty of lights.
 🔗 Light Up Trinity overview

🏅 Florida Senior Games – Opening Weekend (Countywide / Pasco)
 📍 Various venues across Pasco • Sat–Sun, Dec 6–7 (Games run Dec 6–14) • 💲 Spectators usually free
Florida’s Olympic-style games for athletes 50+ kick off this weekend, with events like pickleball, archery, and more happening around Pasco. Great inspiration if you’re thinking about staying active in 2026.
 🔗 Florida Senior Games info

🌟 Spotlight Story – Pick Your Perfect Holiday Night:

The first December weekend in Pasco is full of choices. If you’re trying to pick just one (or two!) holiday outings, here’s an easy way to decide what fits your family best.

🎄 Option 1: Downtown Tree & River Vibes (New Port Richey)
Start your weekend at Light Up The Night in Sims Park. The riverfront setting, big tree lighting at 6 PM, and train rides for kids make it a gentle, low-stress way to kick off the season.

Parking tip: Arrive by 5:30 PM if you want an easy walk from your car and a good spot near the tree. Bring a light blanket or jackets — the river breeze can feel cooler after dark.

🎉 Option 2: Classic Small-Town Parade Night (Dade City or Zephyrhills)
If you love marching bands, decorated floats, and that “everyone’s downtown tonight” feeling, pick:

• Dade City Christmas Parade on Friday, Dec 5 at 7 PM, or

• Zephyrhills Festival of Lights & Christmas Parade on Saturday, Dec 6 from 4–9 PM (parade ~7 PM).

These are especially fun for kids old enough to enjoy staying out a bit later. Pack chairs, snacks, and maybe glow sticks so they can be part of the fun.

🎁 Option 3: Daytime Market + Evening Lights (Dade City + Trinity)
Want to make a full Saturday of it?

1. Morning/Afternoon: Stroll the Pioneer Christmas & Vintage Market in Dade City (10 AM–4 PM). Let the kids do crafts, sample treats, and say hi to Santa.

2. Evening: Head home for a rest, then finish at Light Up Trinity in Trinity (4–9 PM) for big light displays, Santa photos, and food trucks.

This combo gives you daytime sunshine, plus nighttime sparkle.

🌳 Option 4: Quiet Holiday Walk Instead
If crowds aren’t your thing, you can still lean into the season:

• Walk the paved paths at Starkey Park or the Suncoast Trail before dinner.

• Bring a thermos of hot cocoa and take a “Christmas light drive” through nearby neighborhoods afterward.

However you do it, this first December weekend is a great chance to set the tone: simple, local, and together.

🍴 Dining Spotlight — Starkey Market

Starkey Market is part produce stand, part coffee bar, part hangout — and it’s an easy stop before or after holiday events in West Pasco.

You’ll find:

• Fresh local produce and grocery items

• Coffee, lattes, and baked goods

• Ice cream and outdoor seating that works well with kids

📍 3460 Starkey Blvd, Trinity
 🔗 Starkey Market site

Try grabbing coffee and a snack here before you head to Sims Park, Trinity, or Starkey Park for lights and trails.

🕗 Weekday Daylight Picks

• For retirees, flex-schedule folks, or parents with daytime freedom:

  • 📚 Library Holiday Crafts & Storytimes – New Port Richey Library and others are running themed kids’ events all month.
     🔗 Library events calendar

  • 🌲 Starkey Park Morning Walks – Cooler mornings + paved trail = easy weekday exercise with or without the grandkids.

  • 🛍️ Local Shops & Boutiques – Downtown NPR, Dade City, and Zephyrhills all have small businesses with weekday hours for relaxed Christmas shopping.

🧭 Local Tips & Guides — Holiday Night Out

• ⏰ Arrive 30–45 minutes early for parades and tree lightings. You’ll find better parking and easier bathroom/food stops before things get busy.

• 🪑 Pack simple gear: fold-up chairs, a light blanket, bug spray, and a small flashlight for walking back to the car.

• 🍽️ Eat before or after the rush. Food trucks and downtown restaurants can get slammed during event peak times. Consider an early dinner, parade, then dessert afterward.

• 🚗 Check road closures. Dade City and Zephyrhills close several streets for their parades — follow posted detours and give yourself time.
   🔗 Florida’s Sports Coast event calendar

💆‍♀️ Local Wellness Spotlight – Florida Senior Games Inspiration

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to stay active as I get older,” this weekend is a good time to look around Pasco.

The Florida Senior Games are in town Dec 6–14, bringing athletes 50+ from across the state to compete in sports like pickleball, swimming, archery, and track.

Even if you’re not competing, you can:

• Watch an event near you for free

• See what sports catch your eye

• Use it as motivation to move a little more in 2026

🔗 Florida Senior Games overview

🗺️ Around Town — New Construction & Developments

Pasco is still growing fast. Here are a few big projects shaping the next few years:

🏥 Moffitt’s SPEROS Campus in Angeline (Land O’ Lakes)
Moffitt Cancer Center is building a huge research and treatment campus just off the Suncoast Parkway in the Angeline community, with outpatient clinics and a proton therapy center slated to open in 2026. It’s expected to bring thousands of jobs and make Pasco a regional medical hub.
 🔗 Moffitt Pasco expansion update

🌆 Angeline – “City in the Making” (Land O’ Lakes)
Angeline is a 6,200-acre master-planned community with miles of trails, a community farm, a future lagoon, and new schools already open. It’s one of the largest long-term projects in Pasco and will keep adding homes and retail over the next decade.
 🔗 Angeline community overview

🥗 Greenlane Healthy Drive-Thru Comes to Lutz
Greenlane, a local salad-and-wrap drive-thru concept backed by Rob Gronkowski, has opened a Pasco location in Lutz near Sunlake/SR 54. It’s a fast option for bowls and wraps on the go — and a sign of more food concepts following growth along SR 54.
 🔗 Greenlane Lutz location

🏡 Real Estate Corner (Fun New Listings)

Quick picks for this week (no sponsorships, just browsing fuel):

Starter Home (≤ $350K) – New Port Richey
3 bed • 3 bath • ~1,686 sqft townhome in a newer community off Little Rd. Great “starter” ownership option on the west side.
 💲 ~$254,000
 🔗 View on Zillow

Family Move-Up ($400K–$650K) – Wesley Chapel
4 bed • 3 bath • ~2,260 sqft in a planned community near SR 54, with access to Wesley Chapel schools, shopping, and parks.
 💲 ~$410,000
 🔗 View on Zillow

“Wow” Home (Waterfront Feel) – Land O’ Lakes
Lakeside home with 3 bed • 3 bath and screened outdoor space in an established Land O’ Lakes community — think sunset views and weekend kayaking.
 💲 High-$900s (approx.)
 🔗 View on Zillow

(Prices and availability can change quickly — always double-check details before you drive out.)

🎃 Fun Section

Last week’s answer: Snowcat Ridge Alpine Snow Park (Dade City)

This Pasco park has:

• A long paved multi-use trail

• Access to nature trails and primitive camping

• A big role in local running and cycling groups

Is it…

A) Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park
B) Crews Lake Wilderness Park
C) Withlacoochee River Park

💌 Closing

Thanks for sticking with us even on a “late” week. We’re glad to be back in your inbox and hope this helps you plan a cozy, local, holiday-filled weekend.

If you hit any of these events, we’d love to see it — reply with a photo or tag us on social.

Know a neighbor who always says, “I never know what’s going on around here”?
Forward this email to them so they can join the fun too.

Help us improve (30 seconds):
👉 Take our quick reader survey →

🎉 November Giveaway Winner

A huge thank-you to everyone who filled out our quick reader survey last month — your input helps us plan better events, guides, and hidden gems each week!

🎉 Congrats to our November winner: Rosa from Wesley Chapel!
She’ll be receiving a $25 local gift card as a thank-you for being part of Pasco Weekender.

Stay connected for daily ideas and last-minute finds:

• Follow us on Facebook →

• Follow us on Instagram (@pascoweekender) →