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Today's Chasco parade is festival's biggest draw

By Barbara Fredricksen
Published March 25, 2006

Chasco Fiesta in downtown New Port Richey continues today with the event that attracts the largest crowd of the entire festival: the downtown street parade at 1 p.m.

Professionally made floats, marching bands, clowns, decorated vehicles and the newly crowned Queen Chasco and King Pithla will be among the parade participants. The organizer is Roger Michels, who has been in charge of the street parade for more than 40 years.

The parade starts at Gulf Avenue and Grand Boulevard, and goes north on Grand around Orange Lake, then south on Bank Street to Main and west on Main to U.S. 19.

There will be free off-site parking and shuttle service every 30 minutes to the downtown area from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. today.

Parking lots are at the West Pasco Board of Realtors and Faith Lutheran Church on Sunset Road east of U.S. 19 and north of Main Street and at the property of the future Upper Room Apostolic Church at the corner of Indiana Avenue and Congress Street.

The shuttles will drop off passengers at Indiana Avenue and Washington Street and just east of the bridge on Main Street.

The shuttles will also run from those three lots to the Indiana Avenue site from 5 to 11:30 p.m. on March 31 and from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on April 1.

Events are in Sims Park unless otherwise noted:

9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Florida Blood Services Bloodmobile

10 a.m.: Registration for Main Street Chasco Mile begins at Schwettman Education Center

10 a.m.-Noon: Junior Service League Children's Village

10 a.m.-4 p.m.: West Pasco Historical Society's Memorabilia Exhibit

10 a.m.-11 p.m.: Native American Festival

11 a.m.-11 p.m.: Chasco Carnival; West Pasco Sertoma Beef BBQ

12:30 p.m.: Main Street Chasco Mile

1 p.m.: Chasco Fiesta Street Parade

4-10 p.m.: Rock 'n' Roll Tribute Day

8-11 a.m.: Cotee River Lions Club Breakfast

8 a.m.-3 p.m.: Gulfside Corvette Club Chasco Car, Truck & Bike Show, Orange Lake at Sims Park

9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: West Pasco Kiwanis Flea Market, New Port Richey Recreation Center, Van Buren Street

10 a.m.-11 p.m.: Native American Festival

Noon-4 p.m.: West Pasco Sertoma Beef BBQ

Noon-5 p.m.: Talent Search

1-6 p.m.: Chasco Carnival

6-9 p.m.: Magical Night of Entertainment

Monday

9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.: West Pasco Kiwanis Flea Market, New Port Richey Recreation Center, Van Buren Street

5-10 a.m.: Native American Festival; Chasco Carnival

6-10 p.m.: Bluegrass Music with Pine Mountain Railroad and Blue Grass Parlor

[Last modified March 25, 2006, 01:51:17]