Two separate venues are each running something different every night this week, which doesn’t happen often enough in Pasco County to not point it out — here’s everything on the calendar from tonight, Wednesday, Oct. 14, through Sunday, Oct. 18.
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Free trivia or music bingo at the Grove 16. B&B Theatres’ Wesley Chapel location (6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., the building longtime locals still call by its old name, Cobb Theatre of Grove 16) clears its biggest auditorium for free trivia or themed music bingo every Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. — Disney, Elvis, and decade-specific bingo rounds have all made appearances in past weeks. No reservation needed. Full details here.
Night Market at the Shops at Wiregrass. Local makers, live music, and food take over the center for the second Wednesday of the month, 5:30-9:30 p.m. It’s a different event from the center’s twice-monthly Fresh Market — this one leans toward handmade goods and gifts rather than produce. Full details here.
Thursday, Oct. 15
Free Zac Brown tribute concert. Homegrown plays Wiregrass’s Center Stage, 7-9 p.m., free and open to anyone at the center, no ticket or RSVP. Bring a lawn chair — most of the plaza in front of the stage is standing-room or blanket space, not fixed seating. Full details here.
Friday, Oct. 16
3rd Friday Karaoke Night. Open mic at Wiregrass’s Center Court, 7-9 p.m., free to sing or watch, sign-ups on site. No outside coolers or alcohol — whatever you’re drinking has to come from one of the center’s own restaurants. Full details here.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show opens its run. Richey Suncoast Theatre’s live shadow-cast production, directed by Jess Glass, starts its first of three shows this week, 8 p.m., 18 and over only with bag checks at the door. Most tickets include a prop bag. A costume contest runs before every individual screening, not just one night of the six-show run. Full details here.
Saturday, Oct. 17
Fresh Market at Wiregrass. Over 80 vendors spread across the open-air center — produce, handcrafted goods, prepared food, and a kids’ choo-choo train. The market is now on its fall hours, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., which hold through May before shifting earlier for summer heat. Full details here.
Dade City Oktoberfest. The Dade City Woman’s Club’s 1926 clubhouse — a Prairie School building on the National Register of Historic Places — hosts Oktoberfest starting at 6 p.m. Menu and activity details weren’t posted as of this writing; call (352) 521-0766 to confirm before you go. Full details here.
Rocky Horror, night two. Same 8 p.m. showtime at Richey Suncoast Theatre, same costume contest beforehand.
TL Jentgens at Sims Park. One guy, a drum kit, and a laptop full of EDM fills the amphitheater, 7-9 p.m., free, part of New Port Richey’s “Concert in the Park” series. Food trucks and beer/seltzer (21+) are on site, or eat downtown first — the DART trolley runs 5 p.m. to midnight if you’d rather skip parking twice. Full details here.
Sunday, Oct. 18
Candy Crawl at the Shops at Wiregrass. Touch-a-Truck, a bounce house, an inflatable obstacle course, and free treat bags with a mini pumpkin for the first 500 kids, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., plus a 1:30 p.m. costume contest for kids, adults, and groups. There’s also a costume swap and donation station on site if last year’s costume doesn’t fit anymore. Moved here from its original Oct. 10 date, with no reason given for the change. Full details here.
Rocky Horror closes out the week. The run’s third and final show this week starts earlier, 5 p.m., at Richey Suncoast Theatre. The production continues the following weekend (Oct. 23-25), including an ASL-interpreted performance on Oct. 23, for anyone who misses this round.
Also new this month
Trattoria Napoli. Zephyrhills’ newest sit-down Italian spot has been open on 7th Street since a late-August grand opening, run by Culinary Institute of America-trained chef Matthew Zappoli, who worked under Charlie Palmer at Aureole in New York before coming to downtown Zephyrhills. A $50,000 city redevelopment grant helped fund the buildout, which includes a main dining room, a bar, and a semi-private pizza room. Full details here.
Good to know: everything above except Trattoria Napoli is free to attend except where noted, and four of the week’s events — the Night Market, the Zac Brown tribute, karaoke, and Candy Crawl — all happen at the same Shops at Wiregrass address, so pairing one with dinner at the center is easy no matter which night you go.
Worth the Drive
Hamilton returns to Tampa’s Straz Center. Starting Wednesday, Oct. 21, Morsani Hall runs the touring production for 24 shows through Nov. 8 — its longest Tampa engagement yet. From Wesley Chapel it’s roughly a 35-40 minute drive down I-75 and the Selmon Expressway; from New Port Richey, figure closer to 45-50 minutes via the Veterans Expressway. Parking at the Straz isn’t included in the ticket, and the Poe Garage fills early once the pre-show crowd starts arriving. Full run dates and ticket info here.
Photo: Wesley Chapel, Florida, by LittleT889, public domain (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons.