Onward | Local Libraries Bringing the Funk, the Blues and a whole lot more - and it's all free

Bands-Shaelyn-lede-0226 — Lead Singer Shae Mulberry of the Shaelyn Band belts it out during the Riverside Concert Series held on February, 20, 2026 in Sims Park. Photo | Michele Miller

March 1, 2026

By Michele Miller
What’s What New Port Richey

As freebies go, The New Port Richey Library’s Riverside Concert Series I’d dare to say is one of the best bets going, a Friday happy-hour kind of offering that I’m even more enthusiastic about after loosening it up with the Shaelyn Band as the sun receded against the backdrop of the Pithlchascotee River in downtown New Port Richey.

The showy and energetic Florida-based blues band with a penchant for mixing it up with the crowd gave it a more than good go, ratcheting it up to the delight of many in the small amphitheater by the Main Street Bridge in Sims Park, their songs wafting over the blanket, beach-chair, and seawall sitters to passersby and the golfcarts parked beyond.

There was some dancing and definite toe tapping going on. Wide smiles galore.

Really, who could sit still with lead singer Shae Mulberry and the band’s rousing rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Superstition, horns and all, kicking it off?

Kudos to Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator Matthew Ortman, Adult Programming Specialist & Volunteer Coordinator, Tori Ladd, and Library Director Andi Figart for bringing the Florida-based blues band with two cds under their belt and a national tour that includes stops this month in Tennessee, Washington DC, Indiana, and Buddy Guy’s Legends Club in Chicago to our little city for the second year in a row.

The Riverside Concert Series is a gift to the community from the library and the altruistic Friends of the Library volunteer group, which is a mainstay in the founding, fostering, and fundraising for many library programs beyond what tax dollars provide.

It is an eclectic seasonal musical offering that is culturally enriching in promoting area talent and, to be sure, a fun way to cap off whatever kind of week you were having, whether to unwind after a tough slog at work or as a fun prelude to the next Friday night stop. (Ice cream for us.)

The next day, on Saturday, we had matinee tickets to the Richey Suncoast Theatre’s riotous production of Something Rotten, directed by Robert Grogan and featuring a very talented cast and crew. (Thank you all! We needed the laughs. It was AWESOME!)

The cast of “Something Rotten” salutes the crew in the RST production of “Something Rotten.” Photo | Michele Miller (02/2026)

And while I was more than happy to pony up for the tickets, it was not lost on me that I could have requested free tickets courtesy of the New Port Richey Library’s theatre Pass Program.

Or that the following week I could pick up fresh vegetables and other sundries at Tasty Tuesdays Community Market, which, by the way, participates in the EBT program. Or attend a Master Gardener seminar to get some advice on the backyard venture that took a hit with the recent freeze. Or pick up that book I reserved online at the Starkey Ranch Library – a regular practice which literally saves me hundreds of dollars each year, no matter what branch I patronize.

These are just a handful of offerings that interest me, but it’s just a drop in the bucket of what is available in our local community and beyond, courtesy of the New Port Richey Public Library and the Pasco County Library branches that are sprinkled throughout the county, including a recently opened branch in Wesley Chapel.

I have to marvel each month as I assemble the various monthly event calendars for this website and see just how many ways local libraries are threaded through the New Port Richey and Pasco County community.

Photo by Michele Miller. Grey’s Preserve in New Port Richey.

Libraries sponsor StoryWalk^® sites in local parks where visitors can read a children’s book while taking a hike in the woods at Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park or Grey’s Preserve, both in New Port Richey

The New Port Richey Library brings books and services into the community via the Elroy bookmobile. Most Master Gardener programs and seminars are hosted by libraries. Language classes, too.

There are book clubs and special programs for those with an interest in chess, D & D, art, crafting, poetry, filmmaking, and more. You can use a computer or access a Wi-Fi hotspot. Borrow a Chromebook or a piece of art. Get your blood pressure checked.

There are dance classes, pottery classes, and woodworking classes. Programs and services to help you figure out Medicare, fill out a resume, do your taxes, and digitize your photos.

An upcoming Film Festival (March 15 @ Richey Suncoast) at Richey Suncoast. A Monarch Butterfly Fest in May.

Need I go on?

Not going to happen. There’s just too much.

It’s up to you to take advantage. Check out the What’s What New Port Richey calendars on the site, or visit the library links below to see what might suit your fancy.

Now onward.

Be sure to explore local libraries on your own online by accessing the New Port Richey Public Library website here and the Pasco County Libraries website here.