Formaggio’s, owned by Manny Tzilvelis (far right) and original founder Bill Robey (second from right) is proud to introduce its on-site pizza truck.

Formaggio’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, which has been open in Lithia as a pizzeria for 12 year, expanded to a dining room 7 years ago and finally, opened an express location in the Stein Mart-anchored Lithia Crossings plaza nearly one year ago.
In its newest expansion, Formaggio’s has added a food truck, which can be rented for parties and has made appearances at local events, such as the FishHawk Newland Pumpkin Festival and Nativity Catholic’s Novemberfest. It also recently attended a Riverview High School band event with 30 bands and gave back 50 percent of the proceeds to the band department.
The pizza trailer is eight-and-a-half feet wide and 18 feet long, with a four-deck pizza oven inside. Items available from the pizza trailer include pizza, Stromboli, calzones, mozzarella sticks and chicken finger. “Basically anything we can bake in the pizza oven,” said owner Manny Tzilvelis, who owns the Italian restaurant in Lithia with Donna Carus, his son, James and Tim Chefalas, who are responsible for the Stein Mart location.
The food truck can hold up to 90 pies an hour and 600 refreshments, according to Manny. When asked why he chose to expand his business in this way, Manny responded, “to reach a larger radius market. We can’t get out to Riverview or Valrico, but with our pizza trailer, we can get to those places.”
He also wants residents to know, “we want to be invited to events.”
In addition to the pizza trailer, Formaggio’s also has a branded smart car that it uses for wuick, local deliveries. Plus, Manny said, “everybody glances at a smart car.”
On top of the pizza trailer and smart car, Formaggio’s Lithia location at 5622 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Lithia (at the corner of Boyette Rd.) will be offering a drive-thru for pizza by the slice or a whole pie from 12 Noon-4 p.m.
For the holidays, Formaggio’s also offers catering, for which orders can be placed at either store with pick-up at the Lithia location and delivery available.
For more information on Formaggio’s, please call the Lithia store at 643-1415 or the Valrico store, located at 3474 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., at 681-4939 or visit www.formaggiospizzeria.com. Formaggio’s is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Formaggio/164817570201123.

Bring the dogs to Dog Gone Holistic’s Fourth Annual Pet Fest, with a 15 percent sale all day on everything in the store, including dog and cat food, on Saturday, December 3.

On Saturday, December 3, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. outside and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. inside, take your four-legged best friend up to the FishHawk Publix Plaza for Dog Gone Holistic’s Fourth Annual Pet Fest. Your day will benefit five local dog rescue groups: Florida Boxer Rescue, Great Pyrenese Rescue, Doxie Rescue (D.A.R.E.), Heidi’s Legacy and South Florida Golden Retriever Rescue.  
“We collect donations at the register for the entire month of December and then divide the money collected equally between them,” said Dog Gone Holistic co-owner Kimberly Tom, who owns the store along with her husband, Chris. “We also charge a booth fee that we donate.  We will also hold a 50/50 raffle and other gift basket/ free pet food raffles to benefit the attending rescue groups.”
Make a $5 donation and get a raffle ticket to enter to win a year’s supply of Natural Balance Pet Food.
With approximately 15-20 vendors offering pet food samples, dog/ cat treat samples, pet massages, holiday gift items and more, the Toms are hoping for a crowd of 500-plus. Last year, the Pet Fest drew in 400 attendees.
“This year as a big thank you to our customer’s loyalty and dedication to ‘shopping local’ with a small pet supply merchant we are offering our entire store on sale at 15 percent off, including dog and cat foods, which we normally do not discount,” Kim said. “The 15 percent discount applies to all items in the store, no exception, just the one day.  This should draw a huge crowd.”
Smokey Bones BBQ will be there with yummy human food and the proceeds from the food sold that day will be donated to the attending rescue groups. 
“We are also teaming up with Newsome’s Latin Club for a Pet Food Drive to collect food items for Hillsborough County Animal Service’s Food for Families that will help provide pet food for families that cannot afford to feed their pets and would otherwise not be able to keep their pets,” Kim said. “We have a “Wish List” posted at the store and we are a drop off point.”
For more information on the Pet Fest, please visit Dog Gone Holistic’s Website at www.doggoneholistic.biz and click under “Events.”
Dog Gone Holistic is located at 5620 FishHawk Crossing Blvd. in Lithia. Call them at 651-0842.

The Painting From The Heart group is looking for entries for its second annual giveaway.

What started as yet another charitable endeavor for local businessman Rob Silver, owner of Dynamic Painting USA, has morphed into an annual campaign called “Painting from the Heart.”
Last year, Silver began this program asking local residents to nominate families and houses needing a paint job.
Narrowing down the entries to pick a winner was quite difficult to the Mason, Shriner and Rotarian. “It’s going to be a tough decision,” he told me when I started sending him entries.
And it was.
Silver ended up painting two homes last year. The first was Sharon Cooley, who was raising an adopter 6-year-old son and her niece’s two daughters at 50 years old. Cooley already had three grown children and had purchased the house in Brandon in 1973. It had never been painted.
The second was Dawn Lopez, a single mom with two teenagers who was living with no air conditioning or heat and no carpeting in her living room.
Along with Painting from the Heart, Silver submitted Lopez to the Brandon Foundation, who, in turn, applied her for the Shelton Quarles Home Blitz. Lopez was chosen and ended up with a total home makeover.
Silver is once again asking you to nominate a deserving family. Please fill out the entry form and submit a photo of the exterior of the house.
The deadline is Tuesday, November 15 with the winner being chose on Wednesday, November 30, to have their home painted just in time for the holidays.
“I’m really excited that I’m in a position where I’m able to award another family with a paint job,” Silver said.
For more information, please contact Silver at Dynamic Painting at 689-9333 or visit www.dynamicpaintingusa.com. Entries can also be e-mailed along with photo to rsilver_dynamicpainting@verizon.net

Newland Communities’ Annual Pumpkin Festival will be held on Saturday, October 15, from 3-8 p.m. in Starling Ranch off of FishHawk Blvd.

The pumpkins are coming!
Newland Communities’ annual Pumpkin Festival is just around the corner, being held on Saturday, October 15, from 3-8 p.m.
The gourd gala will be held in the same location as last year – 15800 Starling Crossing Dr. – in FishHawk Ranch’s newest neighborhood Starling on the North Side of FishHawk Blvd., explained Lynda McMorrow, marketing manager for Newland Communities’ FishHawk Ranch and MiraBay communities.
This location is also the future site for the Starling Club, which will be another amenity for FishHawk Ranch Residents in the future.
“Pumpkin carving starts at 9 a.m. and goes until the last pumpkin is carved,” she said. At which point, the pumpkin lighting ceremony will take place at 8 p.m.
Last year saw close to 8,000 residents carving pumpkins. This year, McMorrow is hoping for at least that many participants and is prepared with more than 500 pumpkins available to be cut, carved, etched and scraped.
The charities this year are Feeding America Tampa Bay and the Y.  “We’re encouraging everyone to bring non-perishable food items to the Feeding America tent during the Festival,” McMorrow said.
Tickets for games, hay rides, face painting and more will be available for cash purchase beginning at 2:30 p.m. for games and activities from 3-7:30 p.m.
Local businesses and vendors will host a Treat Street from 3-6 p.m., including the Osprey Observer’s O.K. Cookie Corral. “There were close to 50 booths last year,” McMorrow said.
Food and drink will be available for cash purchase from 3-8 p.m. Fifty percent of all sales will be donated to the Y and Feeding America Tampa Bay.
The first ever Pumpkin Festival Tennis Tournament will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the FishHawk Ranch Tennis Club located in Starling. Teams will consist of one adult and one child.
There will also be a pie eating contest and “we may throw in another new contest on stage,” McMorrow hinted.
At the end of a fun-filled day, a free concert given by The Go Daddies will take place from 5-8 p.m.
Newland is asking that pets remain at home for this event. But, they will be welcome on Sunday, October 16, in the same spot for the Dog Fest event.
For Pumpkin Festival information, please call 681-4000 or visit thepumpkinsarecoming.com for updates and the volunteer application.
For donation opportunities, contact McMorrow directly by e-mail at         McMorrow@newlandco.com.

The Hillsborough County Fair will be in town Wednesday-Sunday, October 12-17, offering fun activities such as a midway and the Hale Bay decorating contest sponsored by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.

Fall is approaching and that means the 18th Annual Greater Hillsborough County Fair is just around the corner. This year’s event will be held Wednesday-Sunday, October 12-16 at the County Fairgrounds on S.R. 60, just east of Brandon marked by the Mosaic donated dragline bucket.
The Hillsborough County Fair opens Wednesday, October 12, so gear up for five fun-filled days of  competitions, fair foods such as funnel cakes, kettle corn and corn dogs, midway rides and more.
From Recycled Yard Art Competition to Hay Bale Decorating, there will be creative sights to see and to taste. The Rotary Club of Bloomingdale/ FishHawk will hosts its annual Chili Cook-Off on Sunday, October 16.
The Hillsborough County 4-H Foundation will hold a barbecue dinner on Saturday, October 15. There will be plenty of traditional fair food, including the newly-added deep fried Oreo cookies and Snickers bars. Speaking of Oreo cookies, Robinson’s Racing Pigs are back this year to race for first place and an Oreo cookie.
The fair hosts Youth Livestock Shows and animals large and small can participate. Dairy and beef animals are housed in one tent and sheep, goats and swine and a large rabbit and poultry are housed in adjoining tents.
Youth participants vie for the best of the best with their animals. But as longtime volunteer Fair Manager Tom Umiker likes to put it, “We’re in the business of raising Grand Champion Youth, not just champion animals.”
Fairgoers are encouraged to walk through the tents and visit with exhibitors and learn first-hand the skills of animal husbandry.
Many fair competitions are open to residents of all ages. Kids can enter the “Just For Kids” area and adult entries will be on display in photography, craft works, quilting, needlework, sewing, handicraft and other areas of competition in Family Living Arts and Crafts. Those with an artistic talent can enter their work in the visual or decorative arts area and those with a green thumb may find their plant wins the Best of Show in the Horticulture Show.
“Canning, cooking and baking a making a resurgence during our current tough economic times and the fair has expanded the competitive categories this year,” said volunteer office manager Janet Aversa
The Ranch Rodeo will bring in a crowd on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. as ranch hands compete for cash prizes as they team up in events like Wild Cow Milking, Bronco Riding, Mutton Busting and more. Purchase a rodeo ticket in advance from one of many area merchants provides free admission to the fair.
Also in the arena bleachers on Saturday will be the Bay Area Bandits Mounted Shooting Club. New and featured in the arena on Wednesday evening, October 12, is the Youth Bull Whip Cracking Contest.
The antique tractor, engine and equipment area has been added this year.
Arnold Amusements will provide the thrills of a midway with rides for all ages. Wristbands and single tickets are offered each day. Thursday’s wristband special is $15 to ride all the rides. On opening day, October 12, Arnold Amusements has agreed to offer any ride for $1.
The 14th Annual County Fair Teenage Battle of the Bands will take place on Saturday, October 15, from 12 Noon-11 p.m. The Harvest Queen pageant will be held on Saturday, October 8, before the fair begins. Harvest Queen and Junior Harvest Queen will then serve as hostesses and ambassadors for the fair.
The fair hosts many events designed to raise funds for scholarships. Among those are the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) auction held on Saturday, October 15. Purchase top quality plants donated by area growers. All proceeds go to the Youth Scholarship Fund.
The Harvest Awards Banquet will be held Tuesday, October 11, on the fairgrounds. Five awards will be presented – Hillsborough County Farmer of the Year, Agribusiness of the Year, Urban Agriculturalist of the Year, Outstanding Public and Community Service and the Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominations are accepted through Monday, September 19.
Located east of Brandon at S.R. 60 and Sydney-Washer Rd., admission is $7 for adults, $5 for students, $4 for seniors and free for children under 5 years old. Parking is free.
For more information, including daily schedules, visit www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com. The fair office phone number is 737-FAIR. More information is available on Facebook as well.