RECURRING EVENTS
Tuesdays & 4th Saturday • 9am-3pm, Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market, Beach Blvd. below 28th Ave. S. gulfporttuesdayfreshmarket.com
Fridays • 5-9pm, First Friday Art Walk, Downtown Gulfport. A juried event featuring emerging and professional artists. First Friday of every month.
Last Friday • 6-9pm, live music at the John’s Pass Bell Tower, John’s Pass Boardwalk and Shopping Village, 12902 Village Blvd., Madeira Beach
Saturdays • 9am-2pm, St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market, First Ave. SE and First St., Al Lang Stadium parking lot near the marina. Celebrating community, food, and creativity. October through May.
1st Saturday • 8am Beach Cleanup, Archibald Park,15100 Gulf Blvd. Mad. Beach.
2nd Saturday • 8:30am, Beach Cleanup. TI Waffle House, 11185 Gulf Blvd.
• 5-9pm, St. Pete Artwalk. Artists and gallery owners from 40 studios and galleries in five arts districts show off their latest works. Take the trolley, drive or park and walk. stpeteartsalliance.org/artwalk
3rd Saturday • 5-9pm, Indie Faire, Beach Blvd., Gulfport. Outdoor, socially distanced event in Gulfport features local art, handmade crafts, jewelry, and pottery to locally sourced botanicals.
4th Saturday • Gulfport 4th Saturday Fresh Market 9am-2pm • Pinellas Arts Walk 4-8pm, Pinellas Arts Village Walk, 5600-5800 Park Blvd. (north side), Pinellas Park. Pinellas Park Art Society, Donnelly COVE, Complete Sweet Shoppe, Pompei Factory, Studios @5663, Painting with a Twist, Bottles Pub, and Swartz Gallery.
Sundays • 9am-1pm Indian Shores Sunday Morning Market, Indian Shores Municipal Center, 19305 Gulf Blvd. Local vendors offer everything from gourmet foods to fine art. (November-April). TheBeachMarkets.com. Library Book Sale every third Sunday.
• 10am-2pm/Summer 9am-1pm, Corey Sunday Market, Corey Ave. (74th Ave), St. Pete Beach. Almost a hundred vendors with an emphasis on local fresh, hydroponic and organic veggies, gourmet take-out treats, locally made crafts and live music. (9-1 June – Sept.)
Every other Sunday • 9am-noon, Organic Farming at Eco-Village, 302 15th St. N, St. Pete. Volunteer in a community garden that provides access to fresh organic produce, opportunities for physical activity, connection with nature.
ONGOING
Through April 2 — Bay Area Renaissance Festival
$11.95-up, Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-6pm rain or shine,12838 Auton Road, Dade City. Step back in time – the 16th Century, in fact – for the adventure, excitement and spirit of the Renaissance! Thrill to the exploits of jousting knights on thundering steeds. Roam village shoppes for unique crafts as artisans demonstrate period skills such as blacksmithing and woodworking. Delight in comedy, music, magic, and more on nine stages of non-stop entertainment! bayarearenfest.com
Through April 23 — Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
$45-$55, 2pm/7pm, freeFall Theatre, 6099 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Comedic genius Ken Ludwig transforms Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Hound of the Baskervilles into a murderously funny adventure. The male heirs of the Baskerville line are being dispatched one by one. To find their ingenious killer, Holmes and Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest heir. freefalltheatre.com
UPCOMING
April 1 — Taste at the Straz 2023
$95/$175 VIP/$2,000 tables, 6pm VIP admission/7pm general, various locations in and out of Straz Center, Tampa. This annual eat-and-drink extravaganza on Tampa’s Riverwalk provides the Bay area’s best food, craft brews, cocktails and more while supporting the artistic endeavors of the Straz Center. Multiple stages of live music. Tickets online at strazcenter.org, at the box office, or 813-229-7827.
April 1-2 — Pinellas Pepper Fest
Free, 10am-5pm, England Brothers Park, 5010 81st Ave. N, Pinellas Park. Spicy contests and music. Sauces, BBQ, spices and more. Pet and family friendly.
April 1-15 – Spring Shellebration at Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Included in general admission ($35.95 adult), 4-8pm, 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater. Spring Shellebration offers extended hours until 8 pm to enjoy extra time with the rescued sea turtles, dolphins and other marine animals plus tropical sunset cruises, games, live entertainment, music and family fun activities. Save $3 off admission when you book ahead. https://visit.cmaquarium.org 727-441-1790
April 3 – The FLO Show book talk
Free, 7pm, Fox Hall, Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. Author and Eckerd College alumnus Deb Carson will talk about her book, “Becoming Flo – A Mostly True Story,” one of Ringling Circus’ most famous performers – and Carson’s uncle. Sixteen-year-old Orthodox Jew Abraham Meyrowitz fled his abusive homophobic father in 1920, joined a traveling circus, and overcame anti-Semitism to become a famous Ringling clown who appeared in the center ring and on screen.
April 7-23 – Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival
$14/under age 3 free, exhibit hours Sun-Thurs 10am-9pm/Fri-Sat 10am-10pm, Pier 60, Clearwater Beach. World-renowned sand artists bring to life more than 1,000 tons of sand in a 21,000-square-foot walk-through exhibit. Don’t miss the children’s play area, street performers, artisans, live entertainment, weekend fireworks, sand sculpting classes, speed sand demonstrations, and a master sand sculpting competition.
April 12-May 14 — Ragtime in the Park
$23-$48, 7:30pm, American Stage’s annual musical at Demens Landing Park invites everyone to enjoy “Ragtime – the Musical” while hanging out in the spring air. Set in the melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together – that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant, and a daring young Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion, and belief in the promise of the future and the power of the human spirit to overcome. https://bit.ly/ragtime-in-the-park 727-823-7529
April 14 – Gala Under the Stars
$200+, 5:30pm, Demens Landiing Park, St. Petersburg. This 30th anniversary of American Stage’s annual fundraising party benefits the organization’s artists and educational programming. americanstage.org 727-823-1600 ext. 207.
April 15 — Reclamando Our Narrative Writing Series (Session 4)
Free, 1:30-4:30pm, Hybrid session. Workshop series for the Latinx community to claim their stories, heal and connect, and participate in conversations about race equity, unity, and advocacy. The series is organized by Mi Gente Mi Pueblo. For more information, and to register, visit the Reclamando Our Narrative Writing Series on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/events/1265133814270883/?active_tab=discussion) and scan the QR code. Session 6, on May 12, will occur 6-9pm. Final session.
April 15-16 – USF Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Festival
$5/$3 children/free USF ID, 10am-3pm, 12210 USF Pine Drive, Tampa. Over 40 vendors selling plants and plant-related items. Vendors at this event are commercial growers and local clubs from throughout the state and are expert growers, who are available to field questions. botanicalgardens@usf.edu. 813-974-2329
April 21 – Spring for the Arts
$125, 6-9pm, Nova 535, 535 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St., St. Petersburg. The biggest fundraiser of the year for Creative Clay. It will feature live music, theater performances, live painting, an art exhibit, silent auction, food from Island Flavors and Tings and Black Crow Coffee. Tickets at eventbrite.com.
April 22 – Salty Sands Rotary Run/Walk
$20-$50 registration fee – price varies by race selection and age, 7:45am (first race), Fort Desoto Park North Beach, 3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde. The event will feature a 10k Run, 5K Run and a 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk. Runners will select one of three local non-profits to support: Academy Prep, Reach St. Pete, and SPCA Tampa Bay. The organization that ends up with the most “points” wins the most money. Conducted by St. Petersburg Rotary. https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/SaintPetersburg/SaltySandsRotaryRun
April 22 – Earth Day Scavenger Hunt for All Ages
Free with paid admission or membership, 10am-4pm, Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Which flamingo laid an egg? What power can the Growing Stone give you? Find out by exploring Sunken Gardens’ winding paths, exotic birds, turtles, butterflies, and flowers on a self-guided scavenger hunt at your leisure. You may just win some Florida wildflower seeds to celebrate Earth Day all year long! For all ages. No pre-registration required.
April 22-23 – Mainsail Art Festival
Free, Sat 9am-6pm/Sun 10am-5pm, Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg. More than 250 juried fine art and craft exhibitors will present at the festival, which has been ranked by Sunshine Artist Magazine among the “100 Best” Fine Art Events in the U.S. Some 13 categories of work will compete for $60,000 in cash awards. Live musical entertainment throughout the weekend.
April 27-29 – The Spring King of the Beach Kingfish Tournament
$300/$375 on-site, John’s Pass, Madeira Beach. Boat/team registration deadline April 28. Fishing starts 6am April 29. Weigh-in begins 3pm. For more information and registration, visit oldsaltfishing.org.
April 27-30 – 18th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival
$14-$150 (four-day pass), AMC Sundial St. Petersburg. The festival will present 41 features from the U.S. and around the world including foreign, documentary, thriller, drama, and comedy, plus 150 short films. Over half of the films were written, directed or produced by women. There’s also a strong selection of films created by people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. Local and Florida-made films will be highlighted, including a collection of college and high school shorts. Schedule and tickets: https://sunscreenfilmfestival2023.sched.com
May 6 – Cinco Dog Mayo 5K Run & Half Mile Dog Fun Run
$40 person/$10 per dog, 8am start, Archibald Park, 15100 Gulf Blvd., and ROC Park, Madeira Beach. In this inaugural race, the 5K takes place in Archibald Park; the dog run in ROC Park. This fundraiser supports nonprofit organization Compassion Kind & ALS Association. Some of the proceeds will go to help with the new dog park in Madeira Beach. For more information email cmc@synergyfundraising.org
May 6 – Tropical Heatwave returns!
$40 advance/$50 at door (if available), 6-11:55pm, Cuban Club, Ybor City, 2010 N Avenida Republica de Cuba, Tampa. The Tampa Bay area’s most diverse music festival returns after a seven-year absence! Scheduled acts include Shemekia Copeland, Seratones, GA 20, Eilen Jewell Band, Glove, Have Gun Will Travel, The Snozzberries, Rocket 88, Vodkanauts, LPT, Talk to Mark, Cottondale Swamp, Magadog, Synergy in a Cup, and The Gulfport Gecko Amalgamated Marching Band. Tickets sold only online at www.wmnf.org.
May 13-14 – St Pete Tacos & Tequila Festival
General admission $9 (through April 7), $15 day of/ VIP: $39 (through April 7, $45 day of, kids 13 and under: free; Sat: noon-8pm/Sun: 1-8pm, Vinoy Park, downtown St. Petersburg. A waterfront festival with more than 25 taco vendors, great margaritas and other cocktail options, four great live bands, cold beer, games, prizes and so much fun! Leashed dogs okay. stpetetacos.com