Hillsborough County encompasses 1,266 square miles, with terrain as varied as the rocky shores of Old Tampa Bay in the north to the coastal prairie along its southern border, consisting of individual neighborhoods that are as distinct as each of the nearly 1.5 million residents living here. The county’s departments and agencies are responsible for functions that allow the community to thrive and, importantly, also make sure residents have access to public resources. One way that happens is the annual Neighborhood Expo, which this year is being held on Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m.-12 Noon at Feeding Tampa Bay’s new facility, located at 3624 Causeway Blvd. in Tampa.
The annual event is a civic tradition that spans two decades and serves as a way for residents to get to know about the services available to them as well as an opportunity to interact with local officials and administrators whose decisions affect their lives.
“We’ve been doing this for twenty years,” said Stephanie Agliano, who directs the county’s engagement efforts with residents, adding that what’s old is new, or at least refreshed, with this year’s edition.
“This year, we brought back in-person, and we’re really excited about that,” said Agliano.
Recent expos have been held online, a change that was made because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Residents will have a chance to learn about the various services the county provides on their behalf, from code enforcement to public safety.
Officials said that representatives from the county’s departments and agencies will be in attendance and available to answer questions residents may have. According to Agliano, while there won’t be much opportunity to conduct official business with the county, the expo is a chance to get a little guidance on things like applying for construction permits or public services.
The expo is free to attend, and county officials said they encourage attendees to register for the event to help them understand the interests and needs of residents and their particular neighborhoods.
The final lineup of attractions was still being determined at press time, but past in-person expos have featured plenty of kid activities, voter registration and dynamic displays such as fire trucks.
You can learn more about the 2025 Neighborhood Expo by visiting https://hcfl.gov/, and you can register by visiting the expo’s Eventbrite page at www.eventbrite.com/e/1203745237409.
