Keep Pasco Beautiful Wins National Award
We are thrilled to announce that Keep Pasco Beautiful was honored by Keep America Beautiful for its success with the Pasco Upcycle & Art Festival. The nationally prestigious America Recycles Day Program award was given to us for the innovating creation of this event.
Each year there are thousands of events throughout the country that celebrate America Recycles Day. We decided to take a different spin on traditional recycling. Many people hear recycling and think of the standard household recycling of aluminum cans at the curb, but the options are much broader than that. Many things can be reused to reduce the amount of waste in our environment. There is a term for the ingenious process of reinventing something with a new purpose: upcycle. The purpose of the Pasco Upcycle & Art Festival is to reduce waste by changing peoples’ perceptions of what can be salvaged into not only something useful, but often times a work of art.
The event started in 2015 with 30 vendors and 500 attendees at the Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City. In 2016 it moved to Sims Park in New Port Richey. Attendance grew to 5,000 in 2017, with approximately 100 vendors. There were individuals selling roosters made out of golf cart tires, clocks from glass bottles, and bracelets from old t-shirts. Americana music added to the eco-friendly vibe, while people chatted over native plant sales and strolled along the river walk.
The event is a partnership with Keep Pasco Beautiful and Pasco County. It is made possible through the sponsors: Covanta Pasco, Rotary Club of New Port Richey, and JMG Engineering. Each year expenses rise, so the organization is looking for additional sponsors for 2018. All donations are tax deductible since the entity is a 501(c)3. The Pasco Upcycle & Art Festival will once again be at Sims Park in New Port Richey. The date will be November 17, 2018.
