Safety Harbor to host 100 special events in 2017

The Safety Harbor City Commission unanimously approved the 2017 special events calendar during its bi-monthly meeting last week, and the slate features 100 events in honor of the city’s centennial year.

A look at the schedule that was submitted to the commission on Nov. 7, the list includes several returning favorites plus a few new, centennial-themed events.

In addition to annual favorites such as the San Gennaro Festa, the Best Damn Race, and the Safety Harbor Songfest, new entries include the Harbor Bar Celebrity Softball Tournament, a Centennial Scavenger Hunt and the Folk and Fruit Brew Fest, a MOSH creation which will combine Safety Harbor’s rich citrus history with the booming craft beer movement.

“Pending approval, there is various popular events returning in 2017 in addition to a new event, the Folk and Fruit Brew Fest, February 11th,” City Manager Matt Spoor said.

“Commemorating the city’s centennial, the event rack card will display a total of 100 event days…including approved outside organization events, city sponsored events and leisure services events totaling 100 event days in 2017.”

The sheer magnitude of the schedule seemed to catch some of the commissioners off guard.

“So, essentially there’s an event every four days or so?” Mayor Andy Steingold calculated.

“Well, 3.56,” Spoor replied.

“Wow,” Commissioner Cliff Merz added.

But Spoor was quick to point out the centennial special event slate is not much different than the city’s typical annual calendar, it’s just being promoted a bit differently.

“We’re utilizing events that we typically wouldn’t put on the event card as part as the centennial,” he explained. “So it’s not that there’s 100 new events.”

“We’ve been doing an event roughly every three days on average for the last several years,” Spoor added. “Probably the last eight years plus, if you want to average it out.”

“Wow. Just seems kind of odd,” Steingold said. “I guess everyone knows Safety Harbor.”

“It’s the city that never sleeps,” Commissioner Carlos Diaz quipped.

Mayor Steingold has gone on record in the past as saying city officials might want to look at capping the number of special events in Safety Harbor after concerns were raised by residents.

“At some point we need to put a ceiling on the number of events we have here in Safety Harbor,” Steingold said during a commission meeting in May 2015.

Related content:

• Commission selects Safety Harbor centennial logo(s)
• Mayor Steingold calls for ceiling on special events in Safety Harbor
• 2017 Best Damn Race approved, founder praised by City Commission
• Harbor Bar to host celebrity softball event during Safety Harbor centennial