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Flapjack Festival Flips To New Location

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By DAVID SOMMER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Flapjack Festival fans will have to cruise over to Dade City this fall when this community's signature event moves to a more spacious location, the event's sponsor announced Friday.

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce set the weekend of Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 as the date for this year's event, and it will be held at the Pasco County Fairgrounds on State Road 52, next to Pasco High School.
Chamber executive director Kathy Dunkley could not be reached for comment. However, she said several weeks ago that the fairgrounds would be the likely choice for the festival, which has outgrown its traditional home at the Land O' Lakes Community Center on U.S. 41.

In addition to a lack of parking for the tens of thousands of Flapjack Festival visitors, the community center property is being renovated to include new softball and soccer fields. Also, nearby Sanders Elementary School is being remodeled and plans call for expansion into the area where the midway has traditionally been set up.

"The Chamber Board of Directors completely supports these moves ... which are intended to improve facilities used to further the minds and bodies of the youth in our community," the chamber's announcement states.
Dunkley said previously that the chamber wanted to move the Flapjack Festival to a larger property in the Land O' Lakes area and had considered sites such as one on State Road 52 near Safety Town and the Suncoast Parkway.

"Every suggestion was explored with the committee members visiting more than 10 possible sites. The only option that could accommodate the needs of the festival is the Pasco County Fairgrounds," the chamber's announcement states.

Plans call for the "same type of festival" with a midway, free Saturday morning flapjacks and all the same Land O' Lakes groups participating, according to the announcement.

The Pasco County Fair Association, which is charging unspecified rent to host the event, is looking forward to working with the central Pasco chamber to ensure the event retains its Land O' Lakes identity, said Wilton Simpson, fair association president.

"The biggest thing from our perspective is we are hopeful the Land O' Lakes community will accept it as a Land O' Lakes event," Simpson said. "We think the people who are opposing the move will be happy once they see the improvements" that the larger facility will provide.

Simpson said his board understands the concerns of those who wanted to keep the Flapjack Festival in Land O' Lakes proper.

"I think they festival organizers were still looking for an opportunity for Land O' Lakes and came to the conclusion that there isn't, at least for this year," he said.

Reporter David Sommer can be reached at (727) 815-1087 or dsommer@tampatrib.com.

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