Following is a summary of festivals and events set for this month. If you know of an event or festival not listed here, please e-mail the details to tampa.guide@about.com.
Hernando
- Florida Classic Clusters AKC All Breed Dog Show
Where: Florida Classic Park, 5360 Lockhart Road, Brooksville
When: Jan. 8-12, 14-18
What: The event will include breed classes and judging; obedience and rally trials; vendors; and K-9 demonstrations.
- Brooksville Raid Re-enactment
Where: Sand Hill Scout Reservation, 20428 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville
When: Jan. 17-18
What: The event will include commemorative skirmishes, ladies’ tea, 1860s baseball game, the Blue and Grey Ball and a re-enactment of the Brooksville Raid Battle.
- AGRItunity 2009
Where: Hernando County Fairgrounds, 6436 Broad St., Brooksville
When: Saturday, Jan. 24
What: AGRItunity 2009 is a conference and trade show with the latest in agricultural technology and business information and trends that will benefit agricultural operations large and small. A general session will focus on vital topics of importance to every segment of the agricultural community. A keynote speaker from the famous Breakers Hotel will highlight successes of the using local grown foods.
Hillsborough
- Black Heritage Festival
Where: Various locations throughout Tampa
When: Jan. 15-24
What: The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival is a 10-day cultural event that features speakers, musicians, artists, poets and craftspeople locally and nationally. The festival begins the weekend before and ends the weekend after the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to promote diversity and cultural sensitivity. Activities are geared towards children and adults. Each segment of the festival provides all attendees with an opportunity to increase their awareness of African and African-American culture and history.
- Super Tailgate Throwdown
Where: Al Lopez Park, 4810 N. Himes Ave., Tampa
When: Thursday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 30, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Jan. 31, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What: The event will feature a variety of foods including barbeque, Cajun, Jamaican, Spanish and Italian; audience participation in eating contests; tributes to U.S. troops and public servants; a Throwdown Cook-off Contest; classic car show, ice sculpting, live entertainment and cigar rolling shows.
- Gasparilla Extravaganza
Where: Bayshore Boulevard, Show Center at Howard, Tampa
When: Saturday, Jan. 24, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
What: The event will kick off with a Bicycle Safety Rodeo presented by the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee of Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Other highlights will include the Gasparilla Air Invasion, a preschooler’s stroll, the Children’s Gasparilla Parade and a “Piratechnic Extravaganza.
Manatee
- Second Annual Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce Wedding Festival
Where: Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce, 5313 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach
When: Saturday, Jan. 25, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
What: A fun and informative day on beautiful Anna Maria Island with over 40 wedding related vendors positioned at 12 locations helping to plan all aspects of a dream wedding.
- Manatee County Fair
Where: Manatee County Fairgrounds, 1402 14th Ave. W., Palmetto
When: Jan. 15-25
What: The fair will feature youth attractions such as the Manatee Regional Science and Engineering Fair, a baby pageant, cheerleading competition and middle and high school talent show; Belle City Amuseuments midway rides; a livestock arena with dairy, dog, goat, horse, heifer, poultry, rabbit, steer and swine shows as well as steer, heifer and swine sales; a food court with pizza, corn dogs, hot dogs, hamburgers, Texas barbeque, smoked mullet, Cajun catfish, funnel cakes, candy apples and kettle corn; and a live entertainment with Emerson Drive, The Grascals, Bucky Covington, Rock-It-The-Robot, T. Graham Brown and Ed and Geraldine Old Time Music.
Pasco
- Kumquat Festival
Where: Downtown Dade City
When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What: The festival features outdoor community fun with live music, food booths, shopping, a farmer’s market, wagon rides, antique cars and tractors, tasty kumquat dishes and craft shows. The Kumquat Festival celebrates the harvest of kumquats, a sweet and sour fruit that is a member of the citrus family.
Pinellas
- Dunedin Fine Arts Festival
Where: Downtown Dunedin
When: Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 10 and 11
What: An outdoor art festival on Main Street in Dunedin which will feature more than 100 crafters in a variety of mediums. Call 727-298-3198.
- Pinellas Folk Festival
Where: Heritage Village, 11909 125th St. N., Largo
When: Saturday, Jan. 31
What: Listen to dozens of the Tampa Bay area’s premier folk musicians on stages throughout Heritage Village at the free Pinellas Folk Festival. Historical demonstrations, antique cars and a food court will be featured.
- The Ultimate Tailgate Pawty
Where: Coachman Park, 301 Drew St., Clearwater
When: Saturday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What: Tailgating fun for the animal-loving football fan with vendors, games, food, kids’ area and adoptable pets from the Humane Society of Pinellas.
Sarasota
- Southwest Florida Heritage Festival
Where: Crowley Museum and Nature Center, 16405 Myakka Road, Sarasota
When: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What: Showcasing the life of the Florida pioneers, the event includes blacksmithing, sugar cane grinding, basket weaving, wood carving and quilting. There will be pioneer craft and trade demonstrations, storytellers and re-enactors, hayrides, covered wagon rides, gourd painting and toy making, and country, folk and banjo music. Seminole Indians, conquistadors and working cowboys will be on hand. See reptiles, birds, butterflies and go on a pony ride. Old-time food such as barbecue pork, roasted corn and sweet potatoes will be available.