🎉 Good Morning, Villagers! Ready to unwrap Christmas in July, peek at Wildwood’s jaw-dropping growth, and see The Villages from 300 feet up? Grab your coffee—this edition is stuffed fuller than Santa’s sleigh! 🎢 On this day in 1955, Walt Disney unlocked the gates to Disneyland—proving even grown-ups will pay good money to stand in line for hours if the line ends with magic.

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In today’s Villages Pulse:

• Featured Event

• Water Filter Poll Results

• Wildwood is Exploding

• Shady Brook to Middleton Flyby, and more

Let’s dive in.

— Kevin Rogers, Publisher

Featured Event of The Week

Christmas In July Showcase | Colony Recreation Center

Get into the holiday spirit early at the 🎨 Christmas in July Arts & Crafts Show & Sale 🖼️this Saturday at Colony Cottage Rec Center! From 9 AM to 2 PM, explore a festive indoor marketplace featuring over 40 local artisans showcasing handcrafted treasures like mahjong, quilts, paintings, wreaths, pottery, and even palm pod art. Whether you're looking for something unique for your home or a head start on holiday gifts, this air-conditioned event is the perfect summer outing. Free and open to the public—don’t miss it!

Poll Recap How Villagers Filter Their Water

Thanks to everyone who weighed in on our very popular water filtration poll! Turns out most Villages Pulse readers take water quality seriously. Nearly half (47%) use a whole-house filtration system, making it the clear favorite.

Refrigerator filters were next at 27%, while about 13% go straight from the tap. The rest split among under-sink reverse osmosis (~4%), countertop filters (~2%), bottled coolers (~2%), water conditioners (~1%), and other creative solutions.

Your comments ranged from “fridge filter does the job” to detailed plumbing upgrades. Given the popularity of whole-house systems, I’m running another poll: Would you want a special deal on a whole house system if I can get a local company to offer a discount? Let me know in the poll below!

Local News

Wildwood Tops U.S. News List as America’s Fastest-Growing City – The Villages at the Heart of the Boom

Wildwood, FL was just named the fastest-growing city in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report, with its population surging nearly 20% in just a few years—driven largely by The Villages’ rapid expansion. Once a quiet rural stop, Wildwood has become the southern gateway to new neighborhoods, retail centers, healthcare facilities, and golf-cart-friendly streets. For Villagers, this top ranking isn’t just trivia: it highlights the region’s magnetic appeal, bringing new jobs, restaurants, and amenities, while also raising questions about traffic, development, and how to preserve our small-town feel amid all this growth.

Villages Development News

Shady Brook To Middleton Fly Along

Check out this unique drone journey following a truck from the quiet streets of the Village of Shady Brook, past the charter school, all the way to Downtown Middleton. It’s a whole new perspective on the scenic views we call home—complete with sweeping aerial footage and beautiful contrasts along the route. Take a look and see The Villages like you’ve never seen it before!

Group Travel Poll Revisited

It’s going to take time to work out all the State requirements of organizing a bus trip to Suncoast Broadway Dinner Theater. However, there is another option. I could arrange a discounted group rate for a show or shows, and we all drive down on our own, as suggested by several readers. So, that being said, let me know if you are interested in getting a great rate on Suncoast Broadway tickets in the poll below. If I get a lot in the YES column, I’ll do a poll on which show we see first.

Upcoming Events

Want a Featured Event with a poster/image? Reach out.

No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack | Oxford Downs | Thu Jul 17 | 6:15 pm | Details

POP Into Senior Living Expo | Old Mill Playhouse | Fri Jul 18 | 10 am | Details

🌳 Bonsai Exhibit | Ezell Rec Center | Fri Jul 18 | 10 am - 3 pm | Details

🎤 Ricky Lynn & Clint Byron | Oxford Downs Tiki Bar | Fri Jul 18 | 8pm | Details

🍷 Clermont Wine Stroll Tasting | Clermont | Fri Jul 18 | 5:30 - 9:30pm | Details

🎨 Christmas in July Craft Show | Colony Recreation | Sat Jul 19 | 9 am | Details

🎙️ Free: Kenny Rogers Tribute Show w/ Tim Sells | Grand Oaks | Jul 18 & 19 | Details

😆 Comedian Kevin Farley Live (Chris’s brother)+ Dinner | Joke Joint Summerfield | Sat Jul 19 | 8pm | Details

🤣 Stand Up Comedy Night | Old Mill Playhouse | Jul 19 | Tickets

🎵 Ssnakeyez Live | Oxford Downs Tiki Bar | Sat Jul 19 | 6:30 pm | Details

😆 Laff Out Loud Comedy Show | Belle Glade CC | Sat Jul 19 | 5:30 pm | Tickets

🍷🎸 Wine Tasting and Live Music | Lakeridge Winery | Sat: Dale New; Sun: Billy Buchanan | Full Details

🏌️ New To Golf School | Sarasota Practice | Jul 21 | 10 am | Details

⛳️ Total Golf Game Boot Camp | Sarasota | Jul 21 | 11:30 am | Details

🏌️‍♀️ Ladies Basics of Golf | Palmer Legends | Jul 22 | 9 am | Details

🎭️ Villages Theater Company Presents: Tribute | Mulberry Grove Rec | Jul 25 - 28 | Details and Tix

On Sale This Week

🎸 Chicago Rewired Concert | Whispering Oaks Winery | Thu Aug 28 | Tickets

🎭️ A League of Her Own | The Sharon | Aug 16 & 17 | Tickets + Details

🤣 Gabriel Rutledge Comedy Show | The Sharon | Feb 12, 2026 | Tickets

If you have an event you want to announce to 5,755+ local Villagers, email us the details at [email protected]

Weather

Pack the sunscreen and the umbrella—this weekend’s forecast is serving up Florida sunshine with a side of surprise showers!

Thursday: 87 🌡️ 75| 🌦️ | 80% | 🌬️ SE 5 mph

Friday: 90 🌡️ 77 | 🌦️ | 50% | 🌬️ SE 5 mph

Saturday: 91 🌡️ 76 | 🌦️ | 50% | 🌬️ Light Winds

Sunday: 92 🌡️ 77 | 🌦️ | 50% | 🌬️ Light Winds

Live Music Lowdown

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Thanks!

🌟 Thanks for riding along with Villages Pulse today—where the news is local, the events are hot, and your neighbors are always in the know. Forward this to a friend and keep our community connected!

P.S. Want to get your business in front of 5,755+ local Villagers? Reach out here.