Allen Collins on far left with his wife Theresa Lynn Collins “TLC”, an Allen Collins Realty Broker Associate -Realtor® , in blue.

St. Petersburg’s Midtown Rotary Club held its 3rd Annual Awards Gala “A Soul Music Celebration” at the Historic Manhattan Casino. Allen Collins Realty Broker/Owner, Allen Collins, is the Assistant District Governor of Area 1 Rotary District 6950. The event featured several speakers who highlighted the projects taking place in the St. Petersburg community. Midtown Rotary Club President, Dr. J. Robert (Bob) Ross started off the event, followed by an invocation from club board member Gershom Faulkner and recognition of the event’s special guests by the Midtown Club’s immediate past president, Joseph Smith.  The club’s President-elect, Carole K. Alexander, gave an enlightening introduction to the night’s keynote speaker, Leah McRae, newly appointed Director of Education and Community Engagement for the city of St. Pete. One of the major initiatives of the St. Pete Midtown Rotary group was providing housing for homeless veterans in St. Petersburg. McRae expressed her appreciation of the Midtown Rotary Club for their partnerships in service projects that benefit city residents and communities.

There was much excitement in the room as Club President Bob Ross presented awards.Grand Villa of St. Petersburg was recipient of the Business Award; the Non-Profit/Community Award was awarded to the Bayboro House and the “Service Above Self” Rotarian of the Year Award went to Gershom Faulkner.

Moving forward, the Midtown Rotary Club is continuing its support of community organizations such as Academy Prep, The Next STEPP Life Center and The Rotary House, a St. Petersburg shelter for homeless families trying to get back on their feet. The club partners with six other Rotary Clubs in St. Petersburg to provide funding for the house and service projects such as annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the resident families.

The St. Petersburg Midtown Rotary Club holds its lunch meeting every Wednesday at Grand Villa, 3600 34th St. S, St. Petersburg. Networking starts at noon and the meeting ends promptly at 1:15 p.m.

Its that time of year!! Get your costumes ready! Here are some of the best places to TRICK or TREAT!

…Tara Wikoff with CW44 Tampa Bay…gives us some great ideas!

1) Old Northeast St. Pete – (Old Northeast Neighborhood in St. Petersburg)

Mapping & location details

Saturday, October 31, 2015 – (Starts around dusk) There will be more than 200 decorated houses, the old brick streets will be blocked off and 1,000s of costumed children and adults will flock to this spooktacular area on Halloween night. I’m told this is the absolute “best” place around for trick-or-treating.

2) England Brothers Band Shell Park – (Pinellas Park Area)

5010 81st Ave. N., Pinellas Park, FL 33781

Saturday, October 31, 2015 – “Halloween in the Park- Treats You Can Trust!” Girls and boys of all ages may collect candy donated by local businesses and community organizations. Treat Trail begins at 6 p.m. Activities, costume contest, prizes, refreshments and popcorn will be provided.

3) Westfield Brandon Mall – (Brandon Town Center)

459 Brandon Town Center, Brandon, FL 33511

Saturday, October 31, 2015 – Stop in for some trick-or-treating fun starting at 6pm. (Some) mall retailers will be distributing candy. It’s great for families with small children and you can maybe get some shopping in too. 

4) Mall-O-Ween at Gulf View Square Mall (West Pasco Area)

9409 US Highway 19, Port Richey, FL 34668

Saturday, October 31, 2015 – Join them for the annual safe & fun Mall-O-Ween Trick-or-Treating throughout the mall. Families with children of all ages are welcome to attend on Saturday between 5:30pm to 7:30pm. There will also be a chance to win Simon Gift Cards and Yancy St. Comics will be passing out free comics.

More details and information

Other ideas… Northdale Neighborhood off North Dale Mabry Hwy, Davis Islands, Walden Lake neighborhoods in Plant City, etc…

I’m sure there are a ton of other good places, but these are the ones that I know. Please comment below any other places that you know of in the Tampa Bay area. 

Happy Halloween!!

Just down the street from the Allen Collins Realty office, the Tampa Bay Watch will be hosting a

family-fun event Pumpkins on the Porch!! Bring your pumpkins & come in your costumes for a chance to win the contest!! 

We hope to see you there! This Thursday October 29 5:00 – 7:30 PM! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Oktoberfest last weekend! It was a great event to get the fall festivities going in the Tierra Verde Community! We thought the Tierra Verde Business Partners did a fantastic job putting it all together! The Downtown parking was filled with a variety of booths, and vendors with plenty of food & drinks! If you didn’t make this one, we are already looking forward to next years! Here are some photos of our team, and the crowd as the night went on… 

Living life under the sun, and by the water can happen at our New Listing located at 4301 10th Street NorthEast in St. Petersburg, FL! This home has beautiful water views along with a private dock for your enjoyment.  $659,000! features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 car garage! Enjoy morning coffees, dinners, & such sitting on your own dock – what a great home to entertain! 

Please Call 727-800-9929 or email at Info@AllenCollinsRE.com

Every Third Thursday of the month, there’s a free lecture at Jade Tree Wellness Center. This month, Tom Elman, AP, LMT, CH, will be talking about how Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can help relieve stress and digestive upsets. Everyone who attends will be offered a free initial Acupuncture Treatment (if you’ve never been a patient before) or a free bottle of herbs (if you’re already a patient). There will also be a drawing for a free massage!

Thursday, October 15th, at 7:00 PM.

Jade Tree Wellness Center, Inc.,

3039 – 49th St. N., St. Petersburg,

727-344-8690.

Exciting event in Tierra Verde THIS weekend!! All are welcome to come…There will be lots of activities for the kids, local crafts and art, along with delicious food & drinks! This Saturday, October 17th, 2015 4:00 – 9:00 p.m. We can’t wait to see you there & let the fun unfold! Located in the Downtown Parking Lot. 

Gulf Coast Rhythm & Ribs Music Fest

The name has evolved over the festival’s nine-year history. It started out as Ribfest and then gradually added descriptors along the way. Last year it was Gulf Coast Rhythm & Rib Fest.

This year’s new name signifies an increased emphasis on music, and this year’s festival features one of the best entertainment lineups in the festival’s history. Headliners include country music superstar John Michael Montgomery, Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter Joe, blues man Biscuit Miller, who won Blues Music Award Winner for Bassist of the Year in 2012, and chart-topping smooth jazz artist Eric Darius. Lots of original bands are on the bill as well.

But there’s no less emphasis on the food. Rib cooks from all over the country, including national award-winners, will be on hand for the festival.

The festival has moved from its longtime home at the Manatee County Fairgrounds in Palmetto to McKechnie Field in Bradenton. (It’s actually in the parking lot of McKechnie Field, not on the baseball diamond.)

There should be ample free parking in the lots around the field, organizers say, but they’re also planning a free shuttle service just in case. Details will be on the festival’s website as soon as they’re set.

The best change this year is in the admission price. For the first time ever, the festival is free. In recent years, tens of thousands of people have paid $15 or more for admission, so that’s a significant change. Sponsorships, especially from the Pirates, have enable the festival to allow free admission.  There’s also a fireworks show slated for 8 p.m. Friday.

• Details: Oct. 9-11, McKechnie Field, 1611 Ninth St. W., Bradenton. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Admission: Free. Information: 941-746-7470, gulfcoastribfest.com.

Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival

For nearly a quarter of a century, Hunsader Farms has hosted one of the most popular family festivals of the year in Manatee County. It’s kind of like a county fair, with celebrations of rural and small-town lifestyles mixed with world-class entertainment.

Among the attractions at the festival, which starts Saturday and runs through Oct. 25, are hayrides, a petting zoo, a frog jumping contest, a butterfly experience and of course tons of great food, from fresh produce to homemade ice cream.

Entertainment comes from live bands, cloggers, monster truck shows and motorcycle shows, a rope trick artist and Bello Nock, one of the world’s most renowned circus clowns.

• Details: Oct. 10-25, Hunsader Farms, 5500 County Road 675, Bradenton. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Tickets: $10; children 12 and under free. Information: 941- 322-2168, hunsaderfarms.com.

Beer, Boats & Bacon

Not everybody likes beer, boats and bacon, but probably almost everybody like at least one of the three.

Saturday’s Beer, Boats & Bacon features more than 80 craft and specialty beers (the regular admission price gets you unlimited three-ounce samples), samples of “bacon-centric” foods from local restaurants and caterers, and a rowing competition called the Sarasota-Bradenton head race.

The whole festival is only four hours long, so unless you’re super-speedy you probably won’t get to sample all 80 beers. If you’re not much of a drinker you can get less expensive tickets that let you skip the beer and just enjoy the boats and bacon. You can still buy beer and wine.

• Details: 3-7 p.m. Oct. 10, Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. Tickets: $35 advance, $45 day of festival for general admission; $15 advance, $25 day of festival for tasting admission; $55 VIP tickets. Information: beerboatsandbacon.com.

Venetian Isles

is an upscale waterfront community consisting of 533 home sites. With its deep  water canals, the area is great for power or sail boats of any size. Venetian Isles is a group of man-made islands located in Tampa Bay and reached by bridges, via Overlook Drive, Grand Canal Boulevard and Mermaid Point. The neighborhood with both young and old, contains professional people, executives, business owners, military personnel and retirees.

We currently have two listings for lease in the Venetian Isle Community:

               * 2096 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NE,                          * 1983 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NE

                 ST PETERSBURG, FL 33703                                        ST PETERSBURG, FL 33703

               * $6,000 Monthly                                                            * $6,000 Monthly

~Please Contact Theresa Lynn Collins, “TLC”, for More Information:

Theresa Lynn Collins “TLC” – Broker Associate – Realtor®

International Real Estate Executive

(813)-918-9913

TLC@AllenCollinsRE.com

Learn strategies to help reduce the amount of pain you’re feeling without the use of medication. Tom Elman of Jade Tree Wellness Center discusses everything from Acupuncture and herbs to stretching, natural anti-inflammatories, supplements and acupressure points. At Rollin’ Oats Tuesday, October 6th, at 7:15 PM. Free. 2842 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr St N, St Petersburg, 727-821-6825.

Every Third Thursday of the month, there’s a free lecture at Jade Tree Wellness Center. This month, Tom Elman, AP, LMT, CH, will be talking about how Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can help relieve stress and digestive upsets. Everyone who attends will be offered a free initial Acupuncture Treatment (if you’ve never been a patient before) or a free bottle of herbs (if you’re already a patient). There will also be a drawing for a free massage. Thursday, October 15th, at 7:00 PM. Jade Tree Wellness Center, Inc., 3039 – 49th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-344-8690.