Six bands will have the Dock of the Bay fest jumping as visitors tap their toes and feed their taste buds.
By TIFFANI SHERMAN
Published October 7, 2005
SAFETY HARBOR - Combine a chance to kick your heels up and Shout, indulge in some slow-cooked barbecue and Mashed Potatoes, and top it off with a Peppermint Twist and you get a day of fun in Safety Harbor at the second Dock of the Bay festival.
"There's a little bit of everything for everybody," said Cynthia O'Donnell, president and CFO of the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce, which is presenting the festival. "I want people to relax and enjoy."
From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, the Safety Harbor Marina will be filled with craftspeople, food vendors and music.
"We've expanded it this year," O'Donnell said. "I think we'll be very pleased with the music performances."
The musical portion of the event will have an oldies theme, said Tom White, owner of Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa and music promoter for the event. "Each of the bands has a real strong following," he said.
Six bands will take the stage beginning at noon with Freight Train Annie, followed by the Shaguars, Sawgrass Flats, Otis Velt & Old School and the Vodkanauts. The evening ends with headliner Joey Dee & the Starlighters.
All of the bands have local ties.
"It's very special for me to perform in front of family and friends," Joey Dee said. He lives in Clearwater but his bandmates all live in New York or New Jersey.
"I can walk to these places and that's a nice thing. I usually have to fly to most of them," he said with a chuckle.
Dee promised he would sing all of his hits: Shout, Mashed Potatoes, What Kind of Love Is This and, of course, Peppermint Twist.
That's Dee's favorite song.
"It's the song that became No. 1 in 1962," he said. "It has sustained my career for all these years."
But what are mashed potatoes and peppermint twists without something to go with them?
More than a dozen food vendors will be at the festival to sell everything from sushi to barbecue. Many of the food vendors are from local restaurants or have other local ties.
"I grew up in Safety Harbor and I really, really enjoy doing their events," said Curt Luke, 35, of St. Petersburg and owner of the Smokin Rib Shack BBQ. "I'm at each and every one of them." Luke and his crew will bring ribs, chicken, pork, beef, sausage, and beans with them to the event.
Luke prepares for about 1,000 hungry eaters and starts smoking meat the day before the festival, continuing to cook throughout the event. It's hard work, but a change of pace.
"It gives me and my guys a day away from our stores," Luke said. "The guys get the chance to cook outside and get the smoke in the air."
That fresh air is what organizers hope families also enjoy. More than three dozen arts and craft vendors will be set up at the marina, as will a miniature golf course, a rock wall, a bungee and bounce area, and other games for kids.
"It's a great family event," White said. "We want everybody to come out."
If you go
Safety Harbor's Dock of the Bay festival will be Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is $3. Call 727-726-2890 or visit www.safetyharborchamber.com[Last modified October 7, 2005, 01:50:23]
