Local boating company Hubbard's Marina selected as new operator of Cross Bay Ferry
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A longtime local boating business may bring back the popular ferry service connecting downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa, with more frequent trips and year-round service.
The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has recommended Hubbard’s Marina, a nearly century-old Madeira Beach-based business, to relaunch and manage the Cross Bay Ferry, which first launched in 2016. If approved, service could resume as early as 2026, ahead of the peak spring break season.
Hubbard’s Marina, which would operate the service as the Tampa Bay Ferry, was one of four respondents to PSTA’s Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on August 5th.
Founded in 1928 by Captain Wilson Hubbard as a bait-and-tackle shop, Hubbard’s Marina has grown into a major fishing and boating business. The family-owned company moved to John’s Pass on Maderia Beach in 1976, where it now offers deep-sea fishing, sightseeing tours, and operates a maintenance and manufacturing facility in Gulfport.
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Just in time for Halloween, a 1939 bungalow in the Central Oak Park neighborhood will become a new home for St. Petersburg’s paranormal activity.
Dr. Brandy Stark, founder of Spirits of St. Petersburg, will soft open the Museum of Haunted History at 4754 1st Avenue North on Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The museum will display haunted and historic objects, including a wedding dress associated with a spirit named Irene, antiques, dolls, and artifacts from the group’s past investigations.
It will also include a spiritual apothecary and space for psychic readings, workshops, meetings, and future overnight investigations.
Stark has been investigating paranormal activity since 1997. She has led local ghost tours, investigated hundreds of cases, and written Supernatural St. Petersburg and Paranormal Pinellas Vol. 1 & 2.
“I’ve always wanted to present the supernatural in a manner that, number one, is safe, number two, is educational, and number three, is a little bit of fun,” Stark said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.