17th annual St. Petersburg Jazz Festival swings into the Warehouse Arts District this week

17th annual St. Petersburg Jazz Festival swings into the Warehouse Arts District this week

The annual St. Petersburg Jazz Festival returns this week, offering a diverse line-up of bands and orchestras that will all be hosted within the Warehouse Arts District.

The jazz festival officially kicked off Tuesday, April 7th, with free-admission jazz workshops at St. Petersburg College, which is followed by four days of concerts with a mix of jazz styles and international influences.

Starting Wednesday, April 8th, a total of seven performances will happen at the Rosie Cohen Stage at the ArtsXchange, located at 515 22nd Street South.

All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m.

The annual festival is a nod to St. Pete’s rich musical roots, since the city has ties to the mid-20th century Chitlin' Circuit, a network of venues that provided safe spaces for Black musicians across the United States.

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Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series bringing 88-foot dives to the St. Pete Pier this June

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series bringing 88-foot dives to the St. Pete Pier this June

Red Bull’s Cliff Diving World Series is coming to Florida for the first time ever, and St. Petersburg will be its debut host. 

The global high diving series will take place June 4th through June 6th at the St. Pete Pier, where professional divers from around the world will compete for prize money and the coveted King Kahekili trophy.

Competition unfolds over three days, beginning with practice dives and preliminary rounds on Thursday, June 4th and Friday, June 5th. Those sessions will not be open to the public.

The main event, featuring additional practice dives, semifinals, and finals, will take place on Saturday, June 6th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is expected to draw roughly 20,000 spectators throughout the day.

The custom dive tower will be installed in the parking lot of the St. Petersburg Museum of History, rising 21 meters (68.8 feet) for female competitors and 27 meters (88.5 feet) for male divers.

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The 51st Mainsail Art Festival returns to Vinoy Park this weekend

The 51st Mainsail Art Festival returns to Vinoy Park this weekend

One of the city’s largest and longest-running cultural events returns this weekend along the downtown St. Pete waterfront, bringing hundreds of artists and tens of thousands of visitors to Vinoy Park.

The 51st annual Mainsail Art Festival takes place March 28th and 29th at 701 Bayshore Drive Northeast, with hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. 

Admission is free.

More than 250 juried artists from across the country will showcase and sell their work, spanning 13 mediums including ceramics, glass, jewelry, photography, sculpture, watercolor, wood, and mixed media. 

Roughly half of this year’s exhibitors are new to the festival.

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St. Petersburg Renaissance Faire returns next month with jousting, mead, and medieval fun

St. Petersburg Renaissance Faire returns next month with jousting, mead, and medieval fun

Dust off your corsets, cloaks, and questionable British accents. The St. Petersburg Renaissance Faire is back.

The festivities return to England Brothers Park in Pinellas Park, running every weekend from April 4th through April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Opening ceremonies begin just before the gates open, setting the stage for a full day inside the immersive “Shire of Heyford,” a 10-acre village inspired by Elizabethan England.

The event brings together more than 100 costumed performances across nine stages, along with over 50 artisans and three pubs.

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

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

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.

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Paddy Fest returns to Williams Park in March with three days of Irish music, dance, food, and family fun

Paddy Fest returns to Williams Park in March with three days of Irish music, dance, food, and family fun

St. Pete’s fourth annual celebration of all things Irish is coming back to downtown St. Pete. And this year, it’s bigger than ever.

Paddy Fest St. Pete returns to Williams Park March 13th – 15th, turning the heart of downtown into a three-day Irish music and cultural festival packed with live bands, traditional dance, food trucks, family activities, and plenty of Guinness.

Now in its fourth year, the festival has evolved into a full-scale Irish music festival with what organizer Pete Boland calls “concert-level production quality.”

“We really upped the caliber of the performances this year,” Boland says. “Our number one priority is attendee experience. We’re going to try to wow every person who walks through those gates.”

And the lineup backs that up.

Headliners include traditional Irish music legend Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones along with national Celtic rock favorites Seven Nations and the high-energy family act The Byrne Brothers.

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Localtopia, a celebration of all things local, returns to Williams Park this weekend

Localtopia, a celebration of all things local, returns to Williams Park this weekend

Valentine’s Day weekend takes on a community vibe as Localtopia, dubbed “St. Pete’s largest celebration of all things local,” returns to Williams Park this Saturday, February 14th.

Now in its 13th year, the free event organized by Keep Saint Petersburg Local, runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature more than 300 St. Pete-based businesses and live entertainment throughout the park located at 350 2nd Avenue North in downtown St. Pete.

Attendees can expect to see merchants, makers, and popular businesses, such as Sans Market, RECLAIMthreads, Pieces of a Dream Gifts, Revolution Records, NautiGirl Beachwear, The Roaming Petal, Tombolo Books, among hundreds of others.

Food vendors include Pete’s Bagels, The Twisted Indian, 4th Street Pizza, Johnny Nevada’s Tamales & Tacos, Gateway Subs, Churned Ice Cream, Kahwa Coffee, Grassroots Kava House, and Craft Kafe.

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Holiday Mezzo Market brings its biggest lineup yet to the EDGE District this Saturday

Holiday Mezzo Market brings its biggest lineup yet to the EDGE District this Saturday

One of St. Petersburg’s most popular local markets is going all out to close the year.

Mezzo Market will return this Saturday, December 20th, for its final (and largest!) market of the 2025 season, transforming Baum Avenue into a massive outdoor celebration of local art and small business.

The one-day event will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails and Green Bench Brewing in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete.

This edition of Mezzo Market marks a major expansion, with more than 275 small and independent businesses participating, a significant jump from last year’s lineup.

“Expanding to more than 275 vendors gives people the chance to shop directly with the small businesses that make St. Pete special,” organizer Jarrett Sabatini, who is also the owner of Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails and Bar Mezzo, said in an announcement.

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Blizzard Bazaar debuts this Friday with 60 local vendors, snowy vibes, and a viral matcha luge

Blizzard Bazaar debuts this Friday with 60 local vendors, snowy vibes, and a viral matcha luge

If you’ve ever wished St. Pete could magically turn into a snowy ski town for one night only, your oddly specific holiday dream is coming true.

This Friday, December 19th, Ritual Grounds Cafe is hosting the Blizzard Bazaar, a one-night winter takeover that promises to be equal parts holiday market, immersive experience, and straight-up spectacle.

From 5 to 9 p.m., the event space at 1960 5th Avenue South will transform into a nostalgic 1980s ski resort called Yeti Peak, complete with snow flurries, Christmas lights, and a few surprises lurking in the lodge.

In October, Ritual Grounds drew more than 5,000 people to its wildly popular Spooky Island Market.

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Shopapalooza one of Florida’s biggest holiday markets returns to the St. Pete waterfront next weekend

Shopapalooza one of Florida’s biggest holiday markets returns to the St. Pete waterfront next weekend

One of St. Pete’s largest outdoor markets returns to the downtown waterfront next weekend.

More than 350 craft makers, artists, and nonprofits will fill Vinoy Park at 701 Bayshore Drive NE on November 29th and 30th for this year’s free, two-day Shopapalooza Festival, billed as one of the biggest holiday shopping events in the Southeast.

Now in its 15th year, the festival brings together a huge mix of local boutiques and makers.

Shoppers can browse clothing from Pieces of a Dream, Dark Cycle Clothing, and Ashe Couture Boutique, or discover unique gifts from Sans Market, Fox & Crow, Curated Phases, Banyan Books, and The Muddy Walrus Pottery.

Four food areas will feature 40 chefs, restaurants, and food trucks, including Slider Guys, Two Grandma’s Soul Food, Dr. BBQ, Hot Off the Press, The Dude and His Food, and Churned Ice Cream.

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