WEEKEND AGENDA:
(ALL TIMES BELOW ARE EASTERN STANDARD TIME)
Friday, November 6
Check-in & Social Gathering at Cutsuries
4 PM – 9 PM (EST)— FLA Event Check-in and Social
- During the social, attendees will sign up for their preferred boat-shuttle departure times to Anclote Key Lighthouse for Sunday. Boats can carry up to eight passengers.
- A delicious self-serve, charcuterie grazing table will be provided. It will consist of cheese (cheddar, Swiss, and feta), sliced meat (pepperoni and salami), crackers, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, olives, spanakopita, hummus, pita, and tzatziki.
- There will be a self-serve beverage station providing bottled water, soda, local beer, wine, and signature drink.
- Weeki Wachee Springs State Park mermaid available to pose with you for photos (6:00 PM – 9:00 PM)
- “Life as a Mermaid/FL Springs”-- presentation by Rita King, former mermaid (7:00 PM)
- Raffles & silent auctions (tickets & selections available)
- Seaplane ride over Lighthouse on Sunday Silent Auction winner to be announced.
- Anclote Lighthouse souvenirs and T-shirts available for purchase
6 PM – 10 PM (EST)— Walk to downtown Tarpon Springs for First Friday — All That Jazz theme.
After the social, attendees are encouraged to walk five to six city blocks (0.3 miles) to downtown Tarpon Springs to enjoy First Friday. Enjoy jazz music, dinner at one of the many restaurants or from sidewalk food vendors, and shopping. Please leave your car parked at Cutsuries. There is limited parking. The biggest challenge is that streets are closed to vehicles and parking areas fill up before 6 PM.
Saturday, November 7— FLA Fall Meeting at Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum
100 Beekman Ln, Tarpon Springs (free parking at venue)
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM (EST)— Check-in. Coffee, tea, and water will be provided
9:00 AM— Flag, invocation, “Flash” beacon lighting
9:10 AM— Commissioner/Mayor proclamation/city key
9:20 AM— Living at Anclote Lighthouse presentation—Todd Cornell
9:40 AM— Chris Still video about Tarpon Springs
10:10 AM-10:25 AM —Break— FLA‘s 50/50 & prize raffle ticket sales
10:25 AM— Park Preservation & Wildlife— Kyle Easley & Beth Reynolds
10:55 AM— Keynote speaker— Lighthouse Preservation Work—Tyler Finkle
11:25 AM— FLA business meeting— Ken Smith & FLA board
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM— Lunch provided
- Saturday lunch sponsored by Tyler Finkle, Finkle Preservation & Construction. FLA extends its sincere thanks to Tyler for his generous sponsorship of today’s lunch and his continued support of lighthouse preservation.
- Lunch will include a self-serve Greek salad (tomato, cucumber, olives, feta, onion, olive oil, oregano, and potato salad), bottled water, lemonade, and ice tea. It also includes your registered choice of either a:
- Traditional Greek gyro (pita filled with lamb and rotisserie ground beef, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce),
- Chicken kabobs Souvlaki (in a pita, with onion, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce),
- Pork kabobs Souvlaki (in a pita, with onion, tomatoes, and tzatziki sauce), or a
- Veggie Souvlaki (in a pita, with lettuce onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, and tzatziki sauce)
- Attendees can take their food outside and enjoy a relaxed picnic-style lunch in Craig Park, with tables and shady trees overlooking beautiful Spring Bayou, where you can look for manatees. Those who prefer can also enjoy their lunch inside the Heritage Museum.
- Purchase raffle tickets—last chance
- Anclote Lighthouse souvenirs available for purchase
- Shuttle-boat to Anclote Key time sign up
- 12:45 PM raffle & silent auction winners posted/announced
- Presentation & serving of FLA's 30th Anniversary cake
1:00 PM— US Lighthouse Society President & FLA Founding Member— Kathy Fleming
1:30 PM— History of Anclote/Tarpon Springs— Josh Liller
2:00 PM— Mandatory Distributions of IRAs— Herb Means & Ken Smith
2:45 PM-3:00 PM— Break with sweet treats
3:00 PM— Photography— Jim Reed
3:15 PM— Lighthouse Friends Website— Kraig Anderson (virtual)
3:30 PM— Wrap-up & FLA raffle winners. FLA live auction— Ken Smith
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM— Tarpon Springs Historical Society/Train Depot (160 East Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs)— free parking behind Depot.
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM— Howard Park Beach; Sunset is 5:41 PM (1700 Sunset Drive, Tarpon Springs)— parking fee waived for FLA. Lighthouse toast to first blink, with sparkling cider & fruit kabobs overlooking the Anclote Lighthouse. Bring your chairs and binoculars.
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM— Explore the historic Tarpon Springs sponge docks (Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs (parking fees vary). Dinner on own— Sponge Docks or downtown Tarpon Springs.
Sunday, November 8— Boat Shuttles to Anclote Key Preserve State Park
Meet at Anclote River County Park boat ramp (119 Baillies Bluff Rd., Holiday). Free parking. If the park is crowded, you may need to walk a distance after parking to get to the boat ramp. Plan accordingly for a short walk. Wear comfortable shoes!
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the shuttle boat departure time that you requested.
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM— Prior sign-up required for boarding pass. Departure times: 10; 10:30; 11; 11:30; 12; 12:30; 1; 1:30; 2; 2:30; and 3. Eight people can climb the Lighthouse at a time. 30-minute climbing intervals; all up and down before next group. Docents at top and bottom can answer questions. Photo opportunities on Anclote Key Preserve & Lighthouse. Enjoy Island water served in a souvenir cup that you can take home with you. Attendees are limited to two hours exploring the Lighthouse compound and beach before they must catch the next shuttle back to shore. All must return by 3:30 PM (EST), when the last boats leave the Key.
The boat ride is about 20 minutes across shallow water. Boats can carry 8 passengers. Attendees can catch any boat shuttle back from the Anclote Key Lighthouse to Holiday depending upon space availability on the boat. Anclote Key Lighthouse Representative Will Be at the Dock: A representative will be assigned at the Anclote River boat dock to direct attendees to the model lighthouse, information kiosk, restrooms and boats. Any boat shuttle rescheduling will be contingent upon space on a future boat. The representative can make these arrangements as we need to be sure to check off attendees as they return as well. Can’t leave attendees on the island!
NICE TO KNOW meeting INFORMATION
SILENT AUCTION: The Anclote Key Lighthouse will offer a unique silent auction for a seaplane ride over the Lighthouse on November 8. There will be only one lucky winner. The winning auction participant will be announced on Friday night at the Social.
RAFFLE TICKETS AND SOUVENIRS: The Anclote Key Lighthouse will sell raffle tickets for gift baskets with FREE day passes from nearby Honeymoon Island State Park and Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (total donations valued at over $150), a Christopher Still piece of lighthouse art, and a handmade stained glass lighthouse piece.
Anclote Key Lighthouse souvenirs, such as T-shirts, ornaments, coasters, cards, and leatherworks will be available for purchase. ATTENDEE GIFT BAGS: Anclote Key Lighthouse will provide each attendee with a gift bag, including a Tarpon Springs map with directions to event locations, such as Howard Park Beach, Anclote River County Park boat ramp (shuttle boats departure point), restaurants, and painted murals on Tarpon Springs buildings.
ANCLOTE KEY LIGHTHOUSE CLIMBING PROCEDURES AND SUGGESTIONS
Attendees will have the opportunity to view and climb the Lighthouse and explore the Anclote Key Preserve. These are the required and suggested climbing procedures:
- At the dock, attendees must climb up or down a five-step ladder depending on whether they are disembarking or embarking the boat.
- Groups of up to eight attendees can climb the Lighthouse at the same time.
- Your group will have a 30-minute climbing experience before the next group can climb.
- There are a total of 130 steps, including 3 steps leading up to the Lighthouse. The top steps are very narrow, so turning your feet sideways helps. Going down, some climbers prefer to start backwards on the balls of their feet until the steps widen.
- There will be docents at the top and bottom of the Lighthouse to answer questions.
- After climbing the Lighthouse, you will be treated to “Island water.”
CUTSURIES & ANCLOTE KEY LIGHTHOUSE RESTROOMS
- Cutsuries has two bathrooms and both are handicap-accessible.
- There are no restrooms at the state park (the hurricane took out the potties on Anclote Key).
- We recommend that attendees plan ahead for restroom needs and consider using the Anclote River County Park restroom before and/or after the trip.
INSECT REPELLANT: This is a must! Mosquitoes, horseflies, and no-see-ums (tiny biting flies) love Anclote Key as much as we do. Bring the insect repellent of your choice and apply liberally! Some options include: Deep Woods Off!, AVON Skin So Soft, and Bounce dryer sheets.
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NOTE TO NON-MEMBERSNon-members wishing to become a new member of FLA and register for the meeting at the same time may do so by following the Register Online Here link above. Simply select the desired registration option of your choice: New Member — Individual or Family, and pay for both your annual FLA membership and event registration with one simple transaction. CONFERENCE VENDORSIf you or your lighthouse would like to sell merchandise at the FLA meeting, please request and once confirmed, you must register. Confirm participation by reaching out to info@floridalighthouses.org. Please note - all accepted vendors must bring your own table and chair. The Heritage Museum will not be providing them.
IMPORTANT NOTE - Participant safety is FLA’s and AKL’s number one priority. If an inclement weather forecast will result in the Lighthouse visit being rescheduled from Sunday to Saturday, the FLA will send e-mails and AKL will make phone calls to notify all attendees. Therefore, when completing your sign-up sheet, please include your phone number and e-mail address so that you can be contacted.
- If the meeting/boating days must be reversed, all Saturday meeting activities will be held at Cutsuries on Sunday.
- The same priority, as well, applies to the winner of the silent auction for a seaplane ride.
RECOMMENDED HOTELS
The following two hotels have courtesy room blocks set aside for FLA for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - November 6, 7, and 8.
 Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott, Holiday Tarpon Springs
3060 U.S. Highway 19, Holiday, FL 34691 HOTEL WEBSITE
Phone: 727-722-9500 (front desk)
Each nightly room rate includes a hot breakfast buffet, mini-fridge, microwave, and free parking.
FLA Discounted Room Rates
- Executive King Suite: $129 – Thirteen (13) rooms, November 6, 7, & 8
- Double Queen $129 – Seven (7) rooms, November 6, 7, & 8
- To receive the discounted group rate when making your reservation, call the Hotel’s front desk, noted above, request the special FLA room block rate, and provide your major credit card number.
Cut-Off Date For Special FLA Room Block Rate: Friday, October 23, 3:00 PM, (EDT). CANCELLATION POLICY: Reservations must be cancelled by 3:00 PM EDT 24 hours prior to the first date of your hotel reservation. If your reservation is not cancelled, your credit card will be charged for the first night of your hotel reservation. The Fairfield Inn & Suites Holiday Tarpon Springs is 5 miles from Cutsuries, Tarpon Springs, the location for Friday’s social, and 5 miles from the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum the location for Saturday’s membership meeting and lunch.  Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton, Tarpon Springs
39284 U.S. Highway 19 N, Tarpon Springs, FL. 34689 HOTEL WEBSITE Phone: 727-945-7755 (front desk) Each nightly room rate includes a complimentary hot breakfast buffet, mini-fridge, microwave, and free parking.
FLA Discounted Room Rates
$139 - Standard rooms (one king or two queen beds) Number of rooms available: Friday, November 6/20 rooms, Saturday, November 7/20 rooms, and Sunday, November 8/20 rooms Cut-Off Date For Special FLA Room Block Rate: Friday, October 23, 5:00 PM, (EDT), CANCELLATION POLICY: Reservations must be cancelled by 3:00 PM (EDT) 48 hours prior to the first date of your hotel reservation. If your reservation is not cancelled, your credit card will be charged for the first night of your hotel reservation. The Hampton Inn & Suites Tarpon Springs is 3 miles from Cutsuries, Tarpon Springs, the location for Friday’s social, and 3 miles from Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum, the location for Saturday’s membership meeting and lunch.
SERVICE ANIMALS AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALSThe Florida Lighthouse Association’s policy only allows service animals at its events, as required under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Emotional support and non-service animals are not protected by ADA regulations and will not be allowed entrance to any scheduled FLA events including the Friday social, Saturday membership meeting and lunch/dessert, Tarpon Springs Historical Society/Train Depot, Howard Park Beach event, Sunday round-trip boat shuttle to the AKL, and Lighthouse climb. Under Florida law, it is illegal to fraudulently misrepresent your pet as a service animal.
BEYOND THE LIGHTHOUSE: OTHER THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN THE GREATER TARPON SPRINGS AREA
https://spongedocks.net/things-to-do-in-tarpon-springs/ INDOORS & OUTDOORS in TARPON SPRINGS
Castle Winery: 320 E Tarpon Ave, Tarpon Springs. All natural European winery that provides wine tasting and purchase. Check Groupon for discounted tickets. (Open 1-6 Friday – Sunday). https://tscwinery.net/ City Hall: 101 South Pinellas Ave. Tarpon Springs. Built in 1915. No website.
LOCAL PARKS
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