Florida Summer of Savings
To kick off the summer with savings for families, Governor Ron DeSantis has waived admission for all visitors to Florida State Parks for Memorial Day weekend. This includes May 24-27, 2024.
In addition, Governor DeSantis announced that he would be signing the Freedom Summer Sales Tax Holiday, in the budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25. The Freedom Month Sales Tax Holiday will take place the entire month of July and will make items such as fishing supplies, outdoor recreation equipment, admissions to state parks and, museums sales tax free.
“Florida is stepping up to make summer more affordable for families,” said Governor DeSantis. “While the federal government is causing high inflation and skyrocketing costs for families, Florida’s smart fiscal policies allow us to reduce taxes and help reduce the burden on Floridians.”
“Florida’s 175 award-winning state parks are second to none,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton. “I encourage all of Florida’s residents and visitors to take advantage of these extra savings and discover the unique experiences the real Florida has to offer.”
The Freedom Month Sales Tax Holiday will remove the sales tax on items families use during the summer, including:
Boating and water activity supplies:
Goggles and snorkels ($25 or less)
Pool toys ($35 or less)
Coolers, Life jackets, Paddles ($75 or less)
Inflatable water tubes and floats, Wakeboards ($150 or less)
Paddleboards, Surfboards ($300 or less)
Canoes, Kayaks ($500 or less)
Fishing Supplies:
Bait and Tackle ($5 or less for individual items, $10 or less for multiple items sold together)
Tackle boxes ($30 or less)
Reels, Rods ($75 or less)
Camping Supplies:
Flashlights ($30 or less)
Sleeping bags, Camping chairs ($50 or less)
Tents ($200 or less)
Outdoor Supplies:
Sunscreen ($15 or less)
Water bottles ($30 or less)
Bicycle helmets ($50 or less)
Outdoor grills ($250 or less)
Bicycles ($500 or less)
Admissions to events or performances scheduled to be held between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024:
Live music events
Live sporting events
Movies to be shown in a movie theater
Ballets
Plays
Fairs
Festivals
Admissions purchased for any of the following:
Museums, including annual passes
State parks, including annual passes
Season tickets for ballets, plays, music events, and musical theater performances
Summer Reading Program
Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC) will hold its summer reading program June 1 – July 31.
Registration for the program opened May 20. Participants can track reading starting June 1. Along the way, children and adults can earn digital badges for reading and for participating in fun summer activities.
Kids ages 1 to 12 – submit each hour read for a total of 24 hours.
Teens (ages 13 – 18) – submit each hour read for a total of 24 hours.
Adults (ages 18+) – Submit each book read for a total of 4 books.
Plant City Community Chorale
The Plant City Community Chorale will present A Nation’s Strength on Saturday, June 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Limona Village Chapel, 408 Limona Road in Brandon. The Choral will offer patriotic music, songs of hope, and will debut music from local composers. Tickets are $15.
New South Florida Baptist Hospital Opening Reset for mid-2024
BayCare has determined that further work is needed before opening the new facility in Plant City. There are quite complex systems within the state-of-the-art facility and once BayCare is ready, they will open the new hospital with all the promise patients expect of South Florida Baptist Hospital and BayCare. At that time, BayCare will make a formal announcement of a definitive opening date.