Blueberry Bucks only

Brooksville, Fla. - Eating blueberry shortcake on the courthouse steps was a way to relax from the heat of the day.

The first annual Blueberry Festival drew a medium size crowd Saturday afternoon.  Booths lined several downtown streets. The food court was nestled  between vendor trucks on Brooksville Avenue. It was conveniently located across from the beer garden serving Budweiser.

Organizers of the event set up booths to sell Blueberry Bucks. No cash was allowed to be used at the event. Vendors took Blueberry Bucks in exchange for their wares. Organizers kept track of vendor sales through the Blueberry Bucks.  Vendors were required to share 10 percent of their profit with festival organizers.

The bounce toys were getting a workout by the children in the parking lot of Brooksville City Hall. There was  live music for the younger set.

Hernando Park was locked to the public with signage on the gate on Saturday afternoon. During the Blues Brothers event in the evening, it was a different story.  Ticket sales only moderately-filled the grand stands so Blues Brothers told event coordinators to open the gates to the crowd that had assembled outside the locked gate.

Arts and craft booths lined the parking lot of Suntrust Bank on Fort Dade Avenue. Alesi Bakery was busy making blueberry shortcake at a  stand in the bank's drive-thru parking lot, but the pie-baking stand was nowhere to be seen.  People were unable to find fresh blueberries for sale at the event.

Local streets were lined with cars of those who opted not to pay the $10.00 parking fee to event organizers.  Signs were posted throughout the city offering five dollar parking on private property.

One local business owner jumped into the excitement on Saturday by setting up their own lemonade and water stand on Main Street.  Randy Mazourek from Arm Appraisal Service had brisk cash sales at his stand which was just outside the reach of  Blueberry Bucks territory.  He even cashed in on private parking.

After enjoying the festival, Rep. Richard Nugent and his wife Wendy were seen making their way back their car which had been parked at the local health department on Main Street.


"We talked to several vendors from Miami
 and they were pleased with the crowd," Wendy Nugent said.