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The theme for this year's Florida State Fair is "A Timeless Tradition" and the fair runs from February 5th through February 16th. This 111th Florida State Fair will have a new one-of-a-kind midway. The fair will also have an expanded agricultural area with 6,000 animals and livestock. Live entertainment will include free concerts by :
- The Charlie Daniels Band
- Lazy Bonez
- The Fifth Dimension
- Beatlemania Live
The fair will feature two new patriotic exhibits:
- "The Wall that Heals" - a half-size replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall and traveling educational museum, will run from opening day, February 5 through February 9.
- The "9/11 Never Forget" Traveling Museum, honoring all those who sacrificed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This exhibit will run from Feb 10th -Feb 16th.
By clicking on a particular day in the events calendar, you can see a list of fair events for that day. Although some concert events require an additional charge for tickets, there are over lots of free things to do at the fair. The admission cost is lower for Seniors on "Senior Days" (see below).
Senior Days
February 9th-11th
55+ Gate Admission $9.00
Advance Tickets $7.00
You can get directions to the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa here.
Would you like to join a knitting group, get help with enrolling for Medicare, or attend an AARP smart driver class? These are just a few of
the upcoming Pasco County library programs. The Friends of the Library sponsors
our programs. Here are some of the upcoming library programs for Older
Adults in Pasco County:
Fridays at 11:00am
SHINE Medicare Help
New River Library
A SHINE volunteer (Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders) will help people with their Medicare enrollment questions.
New River Library
34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, FL 33543
(813) 788-6375
Fridays at 11:00am
Knitters for Charity
Hudson Regional Library
Come join this fun group as they knit different items for different charities.
Hudson Regional Library
8012 Library Road, Hudson, FL 34667
(727) 861-3040
Fri, Jan 23th at 2:00pm
Senior Popcorn & Cinema
Hugh Embry Library
Adults, enjoy recent releases of best films of 2014/15 with free popcorn. Call 352-567-3576 for title.
Hugh Embry Library
14215 Fourth Street, Dade City, FL 33523
(352) 567-3576
Tues, Jan 27th at 10:00am
AARP Smart Driver Course
Land O'Lakes Library
You can click here to find local classes and register for a class.
Land O'Lakes Library
2818 Collier Parkway
Land O'Lakes, FL 34639
(813) 929-1214
Wed, Jan 28th at 6:15pm
Hugh Embry Chess Club
Hugh Embry Library
This chess club is for beginning and advanced players! We have chess sets, or bring your own.
Hugh Embry Library
14215 Fourth Street, Dade City, FL 33523
(352) 567-3576
Tues, Feb 3 and Feb 17th at 12:00pm
Knitting Club
Hugh Embry Library
Bring your supplies and a bag lunch if you wish, 1st and 3rd Tues each month January-May!
Hugh Embry Library
14215 Fourth Street, Dade City, FL 33523
(352) 567-3576
Wed, Feb 4th at 11:00am
Alzheimers Association/
Caregiver's Support
Land O'Lakes Library
This program will inform the community about services and support available for patients with dementia.
Land O'Lakes Library
2818 Collier Parkway
Land O'Lakes, FL 34639
(813) 929-1214
Thurs, Feb 5th at 10:00am
Social Seniors
Land O'Lakes Library
Join our group of Social Seniors for coffee, cake, and conversation. Get involved at the library by offering programming suggestions. Or, take this time to meet new friends, discuss common interests, and engage in recreational activities. Occasional workshops on topics of interest may be scheduled. This is a brand new club for seniors, and we need your input!
Land O'Lakes Library
2818 Collier Parkway
Land O'Lakes, FL 34639
(813) 929-1214
Wed, Feb 11th at 2:00pm
Senior Social
New River Library
Adults, age 50 and above, can enjoy card games, board games, and Wii bowling. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Library.
New River Library
34043 State Road 54, Zephyrhills, FL 33543
(813) 788-6375
Also, many branches offer book discussions and technology programs (such as a computer Q & A, a Basic Ipad Class, and Tablet Talk programs).
The IRS will not be sending the instruction booklets for the 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ to any libraries this year. They will only be sending the main forms to libraries. If you would like to get the print instructions, you can call or write to the IRS and they will send the booklets to your home.
You can order forms and instructions online here:
Forms and Publications by Mail
or call 1-800-829-3676 - to order tax products to be delivered by mail.
There will be free tax help in Pasco county through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program. The TCE program helps those who are 60 years of age and older and they specialize in questions about pensions and retirement-related issues unique to seniors. This assistance will start sometime near the end of January. You can look for nearby sites for help by going to this webpage: Free-Tax-Return-Preparation-for-You-by-Volunteers or by calling 211 (the Pasco County United Way helpline) at the end of January.
The "Up Close with Cathy Unruh" program on WEDU has a caregiving special coming up tomorrow, January 8th at 8:30 pm. The program will include experts on elder care and resources for caregiving in West Central Florida. Here is a trailer for the program:
What are reverse mortgages? They are a special kind of home equity loan for homeowners aged 62 and older. The homeowners receive a portion of their home equity as cash. The loan is repaid when borrower either dies, sells his home, or moves out of the home. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends that you get HUD-approved housing counseling before you decide to get a reverse mortgage. The USA.gov blog reported that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has recently updated its guide to reverse mortgages. This update was needed due to new government rules concerning reverse mortgages. The changes are:
- first year payout limits - there are now limits on how much money you can get from the loan during the first year.
- new protections for the non-borrowing spouse.
You can learn more about reverse mortgages by reading the guide here.
The Florida Department of Elder Affairs publishes a bimonthly newsletter, the "Elder Update", for Florida Seniors. The current issue includes the following articles:
- Always Hire a Licensed Contractor
- Vet Trio Recalls Events of World War II
- She was a Marine- the story of a woman in the Marines in 1943
- The WWII Disaster No One Knew About
- 2014's Best Intergenerational Communities
You can download the current issue here. Alternatively, you can sign up for a print subscription here.
Credit card fraud can happen as the result of thieves finding a credit card billing statement in your trash, or by someone taking a picture of your credit card when you are checking out, or someone could hack into an online account. You can read more about credit card fraud on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) consumer information page here. To avoid fraud, the FTC recommends that you:
- Don't give out your account information to a company unless you called them and know that they are reputable company.
- Open your bills promptly and check for questionable charges.
- Carry only one credit card for a shopping trip.
Here is a link to an article about "elder fraud" and services that have started up to help prevent elder fraud.
In the short video below, Marietta, the editor-in-chief of the Consumer Action Handbook, discusses how you can avoid being a victim of credit card hacking this holiday season:
