New City Project Adds 88 Parking Spaces to Downtown

A new city parking lot next to the Dunedin Brewery with access to the Pinellas Trail helps ease parking congestion downtown.

A new parking lot near the Dunedin Brewery will add 88 parking spots for a busy downtown area. The city negotiated with a private owner of an empty lot to create a much-needed parking area that is also accessible to the Pinellas Trail. The parking lot is located at 400 Douglas Ave, said Trevor Davis, Dunedin's special projects coordinator. It is in the vacant lot where Keller Engineering once stood. "I'm real proud of that," Davis said of the city's deal with the private land owner. "We have a three-year lease with two one-year contract renewal options. We're very proud of that project." Dunedin is proud of its downtown whether its an eatery or a club or an arts-related shop. But what the city was not proud of was the congestion and …

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Orange Hour Plays Brewery Thursday Night

Darrell Bevins rocks out at the Dunedin Brewery with last year's Backyard BBQ winners.

Name:  Darrell Bevins Hometown:  San Jose, Calif. Band: Orange Hour Keys to Awesomeness: Bevins and his band Orange Hour won WSUN-FM 97X’s 2010 Backyard BBQ contest, relying solely on the Internet and Facebook. He’s played in local bands like Drew Street Mary and Proud Let Down, to name a few. Bevins and Orange Hour have opened for bands like Days of the New, Crosby Stiils and Nash and the Steve Miller Band. How did you get your start with music? "When I returned to my hometown, San Jose, Calif., at the age of 15, my buddy's older brother had an acoustic guitar and could play all the songs on MTV. I dug it, and thought it was the coolest. When I came back to Florida from the trip, my dad took me the to Sears in the Countryside Mall. I got …

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Spirit of American Craft Beer Week Comes to Dunedin

Dunedin Brewery and Dunedin House of Beer plan special events for the week-long celebration.

Dunedin has a few surprises in store for American Craft Beer Week, a nationwide craft beer celebration that runs May 16 through 22. Both the Dunedin Brewery and the Dunedin House of Beer, two of the city's craft beer fixtures, are planning big celebrations with drink specials, live music and, of course, plenty of craft beer. Dunedin Brewery plans to showcase a different beer each night, culminating with the release of its new Local Honey Ale on Friday. The beer is made with 100 percent raw Florida honey. Popular regional reggae group Scholar’s Word, hailing from Jacksonville, Fla., provides the music. Dunedin House of Beer, which appeared in Draft Magazine's 100 best beer bars of 2011, celebrates Thursday (May 19). The bar features beer …

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Viewfinder: Suds on Sunday

The next Suds on Sunday dog washing event is this weekend. Proceeds benefit Dunedin Doggie Rescue.

Dogs of all breeds — from Chihuahuas to Catahoula curs — bravely faced ear cleanings, nail trimmings, and the bathtub at Dunedin Doggie Rescue's first monthly fundraising event of the year in April. Veterinarians and groomers donated their services, and dogs of all sizes got mani-pedis, hairstyles and medical care. The proceeds go to Dunedin Dog Rescue, a grassroots dog-fostering network. Dunedin Doggie Rescue's co-founder K. K. Koenig estimated the first 2011 "Suds" event saw 200 dogs. He said that he and co-founder Cathy Schultz enjoyed brewing their own beer and became friends with the owners of Dunedin Brewery, who offered to host the event at their restaurant. This event usually takes place at Dunedin Brewery on the first Sunday of …

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Meet the Artist: Russell Fama and His Band Release New Album

Escape Tonight plays Friday night.

Name: Russell Fama Band: Escape Tonight Since: 2010 Keys to Awesomeness: Fama, a familiar face in Dunedin, who resides in North Clearwater, has his hands in quite a few projects. He's part-owner of indie record label Super Sidekick Records and plays in a new punk rock outfit called Escape Tonight. Fama is the promotional director for Ace High Printing, and crafts comic books, too. Fama's band releases its first album tonight (Friday, April 8) at St. Pete's Local 662. How did you get started with music?  "It wasn't until I was 14 that I finally picked up a guitar. You know, friends were doing it, so it was cool. Writing songs just happened kinda naturally, and then it was really simple to fall in love with writing music. First shot I had  …

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Where the Bagpipes Play

Celebrate 2011 in the Celtic tradition at Dunedin Brewery

Orlando-based Celtic rock band Seven Nations is set to get the New Year's Eve party going at Dunedin Brewery on Dec. 31. Seven Nations combines bagpipes and fiddle with guitar and drums. The group has been touring the U.S. and internationally since 1994 and has put out more than 15 albums. "As far as the piping goes, it's straight up traditional," lead singer and guitarist Kirk McLeod told Dunedin Patch in an interview. The band's website describes its sound as "... passionate, tender and rollicking … [veering] from roots and folk to dance and fusion-rock." "The most important thing is that people, especially people that aren't used to Celtic music, are seeing the music in a different light," McLeod said. The band also values its rich …

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