🌱 Christmas Holiday Show Premiers + Holiday Boat Parade Tomorrow

Happy Friday, Dunedin! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and nice. High: 70 Low: 56.

Here are the top stories in Dunedin today:

1. Pinellas County food pantries are seeing a substantial increase in families and individuals in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, there are also more people and organizations making donations. With the holidays coming up, Dunedin Cares is preparing to feed thousands. The organization's president Joe Mackin shared, “Food pantries across the area are experiencing a 40 to 50 percent increase in people who are hungry.” If you'd like to help, non-perishable items can be dropped off at 1630 Pinehurst Road in Dunedin Monday through Saturday, between 9:30 AM and noon. (Tampa Bay Newspapers)
2. Start off the holiday season right and bring the kids to see with tickets to see Dunedin's musical, "Snow Globe Christmas Holiday" featuring Jack Frost, Disney Princesses, and other fairy tale creatures. The show will be playing this weekend only at the Scottish American Society of Dunedin. Attendees will have the chance to participate in a sing-along and a meet-and-greet with the characters after the show. Ticket prices range between $14 and $16. (Progressive Arts)
3. Dunedin's Holiday Boat Parade & Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place Saturday between 6:00 and 9:00 PM in Edgewater Park. Festivities will include decorated boats parading through the marina, a tree lighting ceremony, holiday music, s'mores, and a visit from Santa Claus. This is a free event with concessions available for purchase courtesy of Olde Bay Café. (TBN Weekly)
4. More upgrades are coming to Pioneer Park over the next few months including an art mural designed by world-renowned artist Suzi K. Edwards. Expected to be installed in February, the piece is made up of eight mosaic panels that highlight everything Dunedin has to offer. The panels will be installed on the low walls along Main Street. (Dunedin Gov)
5. The Scottish American Society of Dunedin will kick off the new year with a weekend-long Celtic music festival in January. Dunedin Live: Haggis Winter MusicFest 2022 will showcase the return of the Scottish band, Skerryvore, to Dunedin’s Scottish Cultural Center as well as a Scotch Whisky Tour. The festival will take place January 20-22, 2022. (TBN Weekly)

Today's Dunedin Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Dunedin!

Today in Dunedin:

• Live music at New Home Plate Cafe & Restaurant (12:00 PM)
• Live music at Happy's Bayou Bites (4:00 PM)
• First showing of the Holiday Princess Musical (6:00 PM)
• Jingle In The Grove: Holiday Party at Hope Grove (6:00 PM)

Dunedin Patch Notebook

• The City of Dunedin reminds residents to register their kids for a live personal phone call from Santa Claus. The service is free for children 7-years-old and younger. The deadline is Tuesday, December 14. (Facebook)
• Learn about the City of Dunedin's Ambulance Membership, a Pinellas County Government program that works with an individual’s insurance company to minimize out-of-pocket ambulance expenses. Annual membership fees for the Sunstar FirstCare Ambulance Membership plan are $83 for a Single Membership and $125 for a Family Membership. It covers 100 percent of expenses associated with deductibles and co-payments and 50 percent of medically necessary trips denied by insurance. (Facebook)
• The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce is hosting another networking event on Tuesday, December 15. The event includes wine tasting, a silent auction, and some holiday cheer. Registration ends December 7. (Facebook)
• Dunedin Elementary School's PTA reminds us that today is the last day the school will be operating its Holiday shop. If your child wants to shop for family and friends, remember to send them to school with cash in a sealed envelope with your child’s first and last name written on it. (Facebook)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• DavisDNA & Family Research — Family Tree and Digital Booklet: Best Christmas Gift Ever! (Visit website)
• Tarot Readings & Intuitive Consultations with Nicole — Tarot Readings with Nicole "Spirit"
• Hope Grove Co-Work & Care — An innovative co-work space with a focus on mental health. (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• SUN 'n FUN Holiday Fly-In Festival and Car Show (December 3)
• Honeymoon Island Bluegrass Festival (December 4)
• Oakdale Christmas Display (December 4)
• Sarasota / Bradenton JOB LINK Job Fair / Tampa Bay - DECEMBER 8 - Hundreds of Jobs Available! (December 8)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update! If you're feeling these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.