AMYELLIS | Special to theTimes

BEST SPECIAL EVENT: Pam Marron and Marj Golub, center, of the Suncoast Arts Fest, accepted the Best Special Event of the Year award from Commissioner Pat Mulieri, left, and

Commissioner Jack Mariano, right. The Pasco County Tourist

Development Office recently recognized two county-sponsored events and one tourism-related business at its annual Tourism

Summit, held Oct. 22 at the Homewood Suites in Port Richey.

The summit brought tour operators, event organizers and hotels, motels and RV parks together to discuss new ways of attracting overnight guests to Pasco County. The Suncoast

Arts Fest began in 2005 as Longleaf Fine Arts on the Green and moved this year to the Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel.

The fest drew more than 120 artists and craftsmen, as well as an estimated 70,000 visitors. The arts event has consistently grown and improved each year, linking up with several other

Pasco arts organizations to create a complete arts weekend in Pasco. The 2010 event is scheduled for Jan. 23 and 24 at

Wiregrass. For information, visit www.suncoastartsfest.com or call (727) 247-6182. The Tourism Partner of the Year Award went to Kumquat Growers Inc., St. Joseph. In operation in

Pasco since the early 1900s, the Kumquat Growers is the nation’s largest shipper of kumquats, earning the community just east of Dade City the designation of “Kumquat Capital of the World.” Each year, Kumquat Growers Inc. generously donates dozens of boxes of the tiny citrus fruit to Pasco

County Tourism for use at trade shows and events, giving a unique flavor to the Pasco display. At the Snowbird Festival in

Lakeland, a trade show for returning visitors to Florida, people line up by the hundreds to sample the fruit. For information, go to visit www.kumquatgrowers.com or call Greg Gude at (352) 588-0544.

BEST SPORTING EVENT: At its recent annual

Tourism Summit, Pasco County Tourist Development

Office recognized as Best Sporting Event the

Southeast Regional Artistic and Speed Skating

Championships held at Spinnations in Port Richey.

Angela Serini, organizer of the championships, accepted the award from Commissioner Pat

Mulieri, lef t , and Commissioner Jack Mariano.

The championships event brings in more than 500 skaters and their families from seven states and is a qualifying event for the national championships.

Serini has set the standard for all county-sponsored events in terms of generating overnight stays, a requirement for events that receive tourist tax funding. The skating championships are also sanctioned by a national governing body, USA Roller

Sports. For information, visit www.soregskate.com/ or e-mail Serini at .

AMYELLIS | SpecialtotheTimes

JULIEMARKS | SpecialtotheTimes

PIZZA FOR THE WINNING CLASS: Quail Hollow Elementary PTO announced Kanyn Wynne’s students as the winning class for the

September membership drive. The class won with 100 percent participation. Santo’s Pizza and Pasta, 27419 State Road 54, donated free pizzas for the class celebration. Pictured with members of the class are Ms. Wynne, Shelby Hook, PTO secretary, and Ken

Santo, owner of Santo’s Pizza and Pasta.