New Esports Lounge Opens In Palm Harbor!

Attention gamers! The new Esports Lounge is finally here!

Palm Harbor Parks and Recreation unveiled its exciting new Esports Lounge to the public on June 18th. Excited gamers, community leaders and local businesses gathered at The Centre, located at 1500 16th Street in Palm Harbor, to see the state-of-the-art gaming area. At the grand opening celebration guests had a blast trying out the gaming equipment, playing today’s popular games and learning more about the upcoming programs.

The new Esports Lounge features high performance gaming consoles including Xboxes, Play Stations and Nintendo Switches along with today’s most popular games. To further enhance the play experience, the lounge setting is a colorful, comfortable and fun environment. Overall, it is designed to help players develop skills and allow participants to socialize with like-minded competitors and make new friends in a high energy environment.

“We are committed to providing innovative recreational opportunities and take a lot of pride in truly being the Heart of Your Community, as our tagline says," said Erica Lynford, Director of Palm Harbor Parks and Recreation "This new Esports Lounge is a great example of that. It offers a contemporary space where gamers can connect, compete, and have fun.”

The Esports Lounge is now open for gamers to embark on an epic experience. Summer hours are Monday – Thursday 5:00 – 8:00 PM and Saturday & Sunday 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Gamers need to be age 5+ and those under 10 need to have a parent/guardian in the Centre. Kids participating in the Palm Harbor Parks & Recreation summer camp programs will have access to the lounge during their program hours.

Esports has surged dramatically in popularity in recent years. Currently, the Esports industry is a $1.6 billion dollar market, which as increased over 70% in the last five years.

“The Esports Lounge is part of Palm Harbor's broader initiative to embrace contemporary trends in recreation and technology, ensuring that our facilities meet the evolving interests of residents. This new lounge aims to promote teamwork, strategic thinking, and digital literacy, aligning with our mission to enhance the quality of life for everyone in our community,” continues Erica Lynford.

Palm Harbor Parks and Recreation has future plans to host gaming tournaments and special events to foster a vibrant community for both competitive and casual gamers alike.

For more information on the Esports Lounge at The Centre in Palm Harbor, call 727.771.6000 or visit https://phparksandrec.org