Happy Thursday, Pasco friends! 🍁
Fall fun is in full swing. This week we’ve got festival previews, big development news, and a few local tips for your weekend plans. Let’s jump in!
🎉 Events Roundup (Oct 16 – 19, 2025)
Tiny Trekkers – Paper Pumpkins @ Starkey Wilderness Park
🍂 Friday, Oct 17 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
A family program where kids get to craft paper pumpkins and take a short nature walk at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park.
👉 https://whatswhatnewportrichey.com/stepping-out-into-the-great-outdoors-october-2025/SMARTstart @ The Grove Entrepreneur Roundtable
💼 Thursday, Oct 16 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Local business owners meet, share ideas, and collaborate. Free to attend; hosted by Pasco EDC at the Grove.
👉 https://pascoedc.com/events/details/smartstart-the-grove-entrepreneur-roundtable-OctoberSpooktacular – Avalon Park Wesley Chapel
🎃 Saturday, Oct 18 | 5:00 PM onward
Free family-friendly Halloween event with food trucks, vendors, bounce house, and costume fun.
👉 https://avalonparkwesleychapel.com/spooktacular/Halloween Sock Hop: Johnny Wild & The Delights
🎶 Saturday, Oct 18 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Sims Park, New Port Richey — vintage music, costumes, dance for all ages.
👉 https://www.cityofnewportrichey.org/Events-directory/Halloween-Sock-Hop-Johnny-wild-delightsStarkey Market, 3460 Starkey Blvd, Trinity, FL
🗓 Saturday, October 19 | 12 PM – 9 PM
🎶 Live music, food trucks, craft vendors, and seasonal beer releases. Outdoor, family-friendly setting with plenty of fall photo ops.
👉 Source: Visit Florida’s Sports Coast – Oktoberfest at Starkey Market
🌟 Spotlight Story
Kinfield by Hines Breaks Ground at I-75 & SR-52
Developer Hines has started work on a 785-acre mixed-use project called Kinfield at I-75 and SR-52.
👉 Hines announcement: https://www.hines.com/news/hines-breaks-ground-on-785-acre-mixed-use-project-in-pasco-county-florida
👉 Business Observer coverage: https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2025/oct/11/early-work-starts-pasco-development
Why it matters: It’ll bring homes, shops, and new jobs to central Pasco while reshaping traffic around SR-52. We’ll track road plans and retail announcements as they come.
🧭 Local Tips & Guides
☕ Coffee Stop of the Week:
Dutch Bros Coffee – Lutz, FL (now open!)
📍 18640 State Road 54 | Drive-thru & patio seating
Grab an Iced Golden Eagle or Caramelizer on your way to work — their first Pasco-area location opened this month.
👉 https://www.dutchbros.com/locations/fl/lutz/18640-state-road-54
🚶 Trail Pick: Starkey Wilderness Preserve is perfect for morning walks before it warms up. Bring water and bug spray. https://floridahikes.com/starkey-wilderness-park/
🎃 Pumpkin Tip: Paint now, carve later — Florida heat shortens jack-o-lantern life.
🏗️ New Construction & Developments
Two Rivers Community ($27 Million Social Club)
Construction is moving ahead on a private amenities center inside Two Rivers (southeast Pasco).
👉 https://tworiversfl.com/news/tampa-bay-business-journal-two-rivers-developer-plans-27-million-private-social-club/Ekos at Bayonet Point (Hudson)
A 360-unit affordable housing project near HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital is underway, with 234 apartments for seniors.
👉 https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2025/jun/08/pasco-county-affordable-housing-development/SR-54 Traffic Improvements
More growth = slower commutes. FDOT is working on intersection upgrades and sidewalk gaps to ease bottlenecks.
👉 https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2025/10/06/development-around-state-road-54-in-pasco-county-leading-to-more-traffic-headaches
🎯 Fun Section
Trivia: Pasco County is home to one of Florida’s longest continuous rail-to-trail paths. Do you know its name?
👉 Answer: The Suncoast Trail, running 42 miles from northern Tampa through Pasco into Hernando.
Let’s chat: If you visited the new Target in Wesley Chapel last weekend, how was it? Share your experience on our Facebook page — we’d love to hear your first impressions.
💌 Closing
Thanks for reading this week’s Pasco Weekender! If you found something new here, forward this email to a neighbor who’d love local news without the noise.
Next week: a complete Wesley Chapel Fall Festival guide, new restaurant openings, and fresh housing updates across Pasco.
Stay local — stay curious 🌴
Follow us for daily updates: https://facebook.com/PascoWeekender
— Josh
