Founder’s Day Celebrates Gulfport

Points in the mullet toss were awarded for style, distance and accuracy. A grid was spray painted on the grass in five-yard increments with a child-size wading pool at the 80-foot mark as a target. Tom Pitzen, pictured, shows off his style as he muscles through an underhand mullet toss. His second of three attempts landed in the pool. “A sign from above will tell us who the next Mullet King will be,” said Bob Bates, the event’s judge.

The 107th year of Gulfport’s incorporation was celebrated on Saturday, October 14 at the Gulfport History Museum with a multitude of family friendly events.

Daytime activities included a Halloween-themed doggie costume parade, rock painting, a display of custom hats by members of the Knitters and Crocheters of Gulfport and the city’s famous mullet throwing competition. The city’s New Horizons Band also entertained attendees on the front lawn and refreshments were available from Community Emergency Response Team and Police Explorer volunteers.

Co-sponsors for the Founder’s Day celebration were Save On Seafood and Sea Tow Tampa Bay for the mullet toss, K-9 Style Dog Grooming for the parade and the city for set up and partial staffing. The overall sponsor for the celebration was the Gulfport Historical Society.

The Founder’s Day festivities were followed by Gulfport Under the Stars, an evening event featuring refreshments and plenty of dancing to round out the anniversary celebrations.

Councilmember Christine Brown, a former Gulfport Historical Society board member who is married into one of the city’s founding families, the Worthingtons, said, “We celebrated this event for many years and we’re very excited… All the people that make Gulfport run everyday are here to share what they do with our city.”

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