March 18, 2026

Global sailing race will make St. Pete its North American stop in 2027

March 18, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

St. Pete is set to take center stage on the global sailing circuit.

The Ocean Race, widely considered one of the toughest professional sporting events in the world, will make its first-ever Gulf Coast stop in 2027, with downtown St. Petersburg serving as the North American host for a new transatlantic leg of the race.

The announcement is a major win for the area, which will bring an internationally recognized event to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg waterfront.

The 15th edition of The Ocean Race will begin in Alicante, Spain on Sunday, January 17th, 2027, sending a fleet of IMOCA 60-foot sailboats on a 14,000-nautical-mile opening leg to Auckland, New Zealand.

From there, teams will head to Itajaí, Brazil before arriving in downtown St. Pete for a scheduled stopover from May 4th through May 16th, 2027.

March 17, 2026

174-unit affordable housing project with rents starting at $512 per month proposed for Skyway Marina District

March 17, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

A new affordable housing development proposed in St. Petersburg’s Skyway Marina District would bring 174 income-restricted apartments, including units reserved for young adults aging out of foster care.

Nashville-based Elmington Capital Group plans to develop Skyway Flats at 3600 34th Street South on a 2.87-acre site currently used as a surface parking lot next to the Salterra assisted living complex, which remains closed following damage from the 2024 hurricanes.

The five-story project would include 28 one-bedroom units, 100 two-bedroom units, and 46 three-bedroom units, serving households earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income.

Eighteen apartments would be set aside for youth aging out of foster care, paired with support services such as financial literacy training, housing stability programs, and connections to community resources.

Rents are projected to start as low as $512 per month.

March 17, 2026

The Chattaway, St. Petersburg’s longest-running restaurant, will close this summer after more than 90 years

March 17, 2026/ Brian Zucker

St. Petersburg’s longest-running restaurant will close its doors this summer.

The Chattaway, a family-owned staple at 358 22nd Avenue South, will serve its last meal in mid-July after more than 90 years serving the community.

The property, which has been owned by the family for decades, is now under contract and expected to transfer to a new owner in early August.

The family plans to host a final “yard sale” in July, offering memorabilia and pieces of the restaurant’s history.

The Chattaway’s story begins in 1922, when a wooden building was constructed on a pie-shaped lot on the corner of 22nd Avenue South and 4th Street South.

The building’s first tenant was Four Corners Grocery, a neighborhood store with a small outdoor counter selling soda, candy, and cigarettes.

A single gas pump stood out front, where fuel once sold for just 22 cents per gallon.

March 16, 2026

TapHouse 61 closes after nearly nine years in the Grand Central District

March 16, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A popular bar on Central Avenue served its last customers last week.

TapHouse 61 at 2061 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District has closed after nearly nine years in business.

The neighborhood bar offered more than a dozen craft beers on tap along with cocktails, wine, and bottled beer, attracting a loyal following of regulars, service industry workers, and neighborhood residents.

TapHouse 61 opened in 2017 after its owners rebranded the space’s previous concept, Sly Bar.

The earlier bar, which debuted in 2014, had developed a reputation as a casual dive known for its sandwich menu and live music.

When Sly Bar pivoted to TapHouse 61, owner Joe Robertson expanded the bar’s craft beer focus by increasing the number of taps, introducing a broader selection of bottles and cans, and hosting beer-centric events.

March 16, 2026

Owner of The Bends and Wild Child to open Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar in the EDGE District

March 16, 2026/ Brian Zucker

More than a decade after opening The Bends in what was then a quiet corner of St. Pete’s EDGE District, local hospitality operator Matt Kaye is preparing to debut his most personal project yet just a few feet away.

Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar opening next month at 915 1st Avenue North, will pair vinyl DJ sets and high-fidelity sound with a globally inspired cocktail program.

The roughly 1,600-square-foot space sits along the same block as The Bends and represents the latest concept from Kaye, his wife Victoria Kaye, and partners Chris Stone and Craig Dragoonis.

Kaye is also behind Wild Child, a neighborhood bistro and cocktail bar, and Slim Charmer, a martini bar with Mediterranean small plates, both located in the Grand Central District.

Inside, Easy Tiger was designed to function less like a traditional bar and more like a listening lounge, where music plays a central role in shaping the experience.

The space features a carefully tuned hi-fi audio system built around Klipsch Heritage speakers paired with McIntosh amplification, allowing vinyl DJ sets to fill the room with warm, immersive sound without overpowering conversation.

March 13, 2026

The Green Thumb Festival, St. Pete’s annual Arbor Day celebration, returns next month

March 13, 2026/ Kyla Fields

St. Petersburg’s annual celebration of nature, gardening, and environmental education will return next month for its 40th installment.

The Green Thumb Festival will take place at Walter Fuller Park, 7891 26th Avenue North, on Saturday, April 25th and Sunday, April 26th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The weekend-long event is free and open to the public.

Hosted by the City of St. Petersburg’s Parks and Recreation Department, the two-day festival is the city’s official Arbor Day celebration and one of the largest gardening events in the Tampa Bay area.

More than 120 garden and plant vendors will participate in the event, offering everything from native plants and tropical flowers to trees, herbs, and landscaping supplies.

The festival also features environmental exhibits, educational workshops, and hands-on activities focused on gardening and sustainability.

March 12, 2026

Hurricane Eddie’s reopens in Gulfport today after 16-month closure from hurricane damage

March 12, 2026/ Kyla Fields

After more than a year of repairs and rebuilding, a well-known Gulfport bar is ready to welcome guests again.

Hurricane Eddie’s, located at 5413 Shore Boulevard South along Gulfport’s waterfront strip, will reopen its doors today, Thursday, March 12th at 11 a.m., marking its first day of operation since late 2024.

The popular neighborhood bar, along with nearly every business in downtown Gulfport, was forced to close after Hurricane Helene swept through the Gulf Coast in September 2024, bringing storm surge that caused extensive flooding and water damage throughout Gulfport and nearby communities.

The storm flooded Hurricane Eddie’s nearly century-old building, forcing the business to shut down for a lengthy restoration process.

Now, 16 months later, the bar has undergone a full interior rebuild. The space features brand new walls, floors, ceilings, and restrooms.

March 11, 2026

New bookstore Pages and Perks opening this summer near Roser Park in south St. Pete

March 11, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A new bookstore called Pages and Perks is preparing to open at 914 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South near Historic Roser Park and the St. Petersburg Innovation District.

The 1,600-square-foot space is currently under renovation and owner Kate Johnson tells St. Pete Rising that Pages and Perks is slated to open this summer.

“People need a place to escape in a world that is stressful and very screen heavy, and we want to provide a space where people can escape through their story of choice,” Johnson said.

Pages and Perks will carry books across a range of genres, with a focus on fiction and works by local authors.

Inside, a lounge area will welcome readers of all ages. Parents can enjoy beer, wine, or mocktails at a six-seat bar while children spend time in a kid-friendly section of the store.

Bottled mocktails will be provided by Curious Elixirs, which incorporates ingredients such as adaptogens, herbs, and mushrooms into its nonalcoholic beverages.

Johnson says the bookstore is designed as a flexible gathering space that will host book clubs, game nights, book signings, local author events, poetry readings, and meetups for games like Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

March 11, 2026

Nah Dogs vegan hot dog cart opening permanent storefront in the Grand Central District

March 11, 2026/ Brian Zucker

A popular vegan concept that began as a roaming cart is preparing to open its first permanent location in the Grand Central District.

Nah Dogs, known as St. Pete’s only 100% vegan hot dog cart, will open its first brick-and-mortar at 18 22nd Street South this summer.

The space was most recently home to Rabbit Rabbit, a short-lived cafe that served coffee, smoothies, and mocktails. Before that, it was occupied by Squeeze Juice Works.

The new location shares a courtyard with Black Crow Coffee and Tombolo Books.

Nah Dogs began slinging vegan glizzys in 2019 and has since appeared at markets, festivals, and pop-ups throughout the Tampa Bay area.

March 10, 2026

Naked Farmer sets reopening date for flagship restaurant in downtown St. Pete

March 10, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A popular farm-to-table restaurant with local roots is returning to downtown St. Pete.

After a nine-month closure for renovations, Naked Farmer will reopen its flagship restaurant at 200 Central Avenue on Friday, March 27th.

The restaurant temporarily closed last July to complete a $1.5 million renovation designed to expand the kitchen and improve the overall guest experience.

The project included a roughly 400-square-foot kitchen expansion, a new exhaust system, and a refreshed interior aesthetic.

The upgrades are intended to help the restaurant keep pace with demand in downtown St. Pete, where Naked Farmer first launched six years ago.

Founded by CEO Jordan Johnson, Naked Farmer focuses on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients prepared from scratch.

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