Tampa’s Carrollwood Village Celebrates 50th Anniversary

On October 22, Carrollwood Village’s Fall Fest will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tampa neighborhood.

In, Tampa developer Matt Jetton came up with the idea for the village as a sister community to the Carrollwood neighborhood he founded in 1959. Today, Carrollwood Village, once groves and farmland, is home to roughly 35,000 residents and continues to grow

The concept behind the design is to allow quick travel within the village by using the loop street system. The idea is to have access to the things you need for daily living within a short radius.

“In the last 10 to 15 years, I’ve seen a total change in people living here,” resident and HOA member Diana Rao says. “It started as a young community, then was more of a senior community, and now it has transformed to a lovely family community.”

The array of amenities in Carrollwood Village includes the Cultural Center, a venue always busy with a mix of live performances, art exhibitions and community classes, and Carrollwood Village Park, which opened in 2018 and features a skate and dog park, playground, splash pad and more. Carrollwood Village also features Vista Gardens Park, Hillsborough County’s first-ever community garden park.

The fall fest and 50th-anniversary celebration is scheduled for 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday, October 22nd at the Carrollwood Cultural Center, 4537 Lowell Rd. Tampa. There will be live musical entertainment from local acts like Liz Hollister and the Glen Fox band as well as performances by Carrollwood Brass, Carrollwood Jukebox and the Carrollwood Community Chorus.

Rao says Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who was “very instrumental” in the effort to get the cultural center built, will make comments at approximately 3 p.m.

The fest will also have activities for kids and families, including bounce houses, a petting zoo and games. Food trucks will be there throughout the day. A golf cart decorating contest will have a fall theme.