Now that the 2012 holiday season – and the myriad community events that go with it – is behind us, it’s time to start looking ahead to the events that will be happening in the New Year.

When perusing the Safety Harbor events calendar for 2013, you will find 46 events listed, some of which will be familiar to Harborites, while others will be foreign.

Longtime staples like the monthly 3rd Friday series, the Wine Festival and Snow Fest are all there. But there are also a number of new events marking the calendar, as well as some that have dropped off.

“2013 is upon us, and that means special events for 2013,” City Manager Matt Spoor said during the city commission meeting on November 19, in which the schedule of events was unanimously approved. 

Spoor went on to list the events that were seeking 501-c, or non-profit status, as well as the new events that were seeking approval, which include a myriad of road races/mini-marathons.

“The first annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K by Nolan’s Pub is new, the Safety Harbor 5K/Draft Dash is new, the Tampa Bay Ladies Race Series is new, and the Jingle Bell Run is new,” Spoor stated.

Whew. Evidently there will be a lot of running going on in town in 2013.

One event from last year that was not on the list for 2013 was the Veterans Boat Show With a Twist of Parrot.

The first-time festival suffered from poor attendance and a backlash from vendors and local veterans. Despite organizer Glen Caristinos’ claim that he would like to host another one, it doesn’t appear that will happen in 2013.

“They have not submitted an application at this time,” Spoor informed the commission during the November 19 meeting.

Attached is a copy of the 2013 events calendar that is produced and distributed by the city. According to Communications Manager Rebekah Mason, the glossy cards will be available in town within two weeks. 

So Harborites, what event are you most looking forward to in 2013? Is it one of the staples, like Chalk Fest or the holiday parade? Or perhaps you’re ready to run in one of the many new road races? Let us know in the comments below!