CARROLLWOOD — A neighborhood cleanup that drew 114 volunteers has earned Carrollwood Village the title of Hillsborough County’s 2026 Neighborhood of the Year.
The county honored the Carrollwood Village Homeowners Association, which covers Phases I, II and III of the community, at an Oct. 20 ceremony at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. There, HOA representatives accepted a $500 check.
According to a county news release, the cleanup is now in its fourth year. This year it offered recycling, document shredding and a new home-pickup service for hard-to-haul items. Hillsborough County Solid Waste, through its Community Cleanup Program, assisted with the event, along with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation.
The Neighborhood of the Year Award is part of the county’s annual Neighborhood Awards, presented by Hillsborough County Neighborhood Relations. The awards recognize projects, programs and events that help make neighborhoods in unincorporated Hillsborough healthier, safer and more engaged. This year’s awards covered work done between July 2025 and June 2026.
Two other neighborhoods were also honored.
The Buckhorn Groves Homeowners Association in Valrico received the Safe Neighborhood Award. Fifteen volunteers added benches, a table and other seating around the community’s play areas. They also replaced deteriorated boards on existing benches to create a better gathering spot for older children, and they installed a garbage can at the play-area entrance.
Bay Port Colony Property Owners in Town ‘N’ Country received the Healthy Neighborhood Award for two events. At a communitywide “Trash Bash,” residents got rid of bulky household items, yard debris and unwanted electronics and dropped off other items for donation. The neighborhood also held a waterways cleanup, in which 100 volunteers arrived by kayak, by boat and on foot to clear trash and storm debris from its lakes, ponds and parks.
According to the county, the two events reduced storm hazards, protected wildlife areas and kept materials out of landfills.