Around Town: February

Downtown Gulfport has a new outdoor mural. Shannon Helton, owner of Philanthropy on Beach Blvd, in front of the mural that adorns the front of the shop painted by Tampa artist Eric Hornsby.

Some things recently seen and heard around Gulfport…

Get Rescued, one of Gulfport’s most beloved events, happens Saturday, February 25 along Beach Blvd. with the inaugural Wiener Derby, a pet supplies drive, animal rescues, training demos, pet portraits, vendors, animal related art and crafts, food and more. The fun continues at Tails at Twilight, a fundraiser for animal rescue, from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Casino ballroom. Tickets are required and can be purchased at visitgulfportflorida.com. Attendees are encouraged to bring donations of unopened dog or cat food … Salty’s will host the annual Bark-B-Que fun-raiser with food for guests and their pups from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Salty’s and Dog Bar St. Pete will be offering complimentary bus rides between the two locations for guests and their canine companions … The Gulfport Neighbors booth at Get Rescued will be collecting funds to help the People ‘n’ Pets Project, which helps pet owners in times of need and helps stock the Senior Center Food Pantry and the Little Free Pantry with pet food. Volunteers are needed for upcoming projects … In recognition of Black History Month, Ward 3 Councilmember Yolanda Roman will lead a discussion on race and identity in the context of “To Kill A Mockingbird” at the Gulfport Public Library on Thursday, February 23 at 6 p.m. … The EFI Gallery at The Market Place at Boca Bay Grille now features the work of eight local artists … Gulfport Poet Laureate Sam Henderson and former Poet Laureate Peter Harigitai hosted an open mic in the Art Village Courtyard on February 18 featuring local poets as part of the Fringe Art and Culture festival sponsored by the Enroy Foundation … A poetry open mic featuring Henderson is planned for 3 p.m., March 5 at the Ink Tank Literary Afternoon at the Blueberry Patch … A Habitat for Humanity house may be coming to Gulfport … Gulfport residents and friends celebrated Lori Rosso in a big way on Sunday February 19 at the “We Love Lori” party at Sea Breeze Manor Inn … The weekly specials at the Neighborhood Fresh Market near Town Shores are bananas, as well as specials on other produce, Mediterranean foods, fresh bread and organic items … MJU Massage joins The Modern Man and Mother Ocean Studios upstairs at The Market Place at Boca Bay Grille. Seen on a t-shirt: Rescued. The best kind of dog.