Anyone living in or visiting St. Petersburg is quite lucky. You see, this beautiful city hosts a wide variety of events all throughout the year as diverse and eclectic as the people who live in it. From monthly First Fridays in Downtown St. Pete to a huge, grand prix that snakes through the city, there's an event for everyone in St. Pete. Here's five of our favorite
First Friday - First Friday is a St. Pete classic. Going down on, you guessed it, the first Friday of each month, this downtown celebration is a great way to hang out, support the local businesses dotting the downtown streets, and party with hundreds of your closest St. Pete neighbors. This block party on Central Avenue boasts free live music, tons of vendors, and a number of specials from businesses along Central Avenue.
Taste of Pinellas - Taste of Pinellas is a huge, annual event held in Vinoy Park celebrating the best and brightest in Bay Area cuisine. Restaurants throughout the area set up tents where you can buy and sample a variety of items from their menus. From upscale seafood to take-out pizza there's really a great variety of classic and inventive foods showcased at the Taste of Pinellas. It doesn't stop at the food either. Live music from the likes of national recording artists like Bonny Rait and Third Eye Blind are also featured at this yearly event.
St. Pete Shuffle - Now this, in every sense of the word, is a one-of-kind event you can only find in St. Petersburg. Held every Friday evening at the St. Pete Shuffleboard Club on Mirror Lake, this event is much more than just a bunch of people playing some shuffleboard. From 7 til 11 p.m. enjoy live music, food and drink, and socialization with the downtown regulars who've fallen in love with this unique, fun event. Best of all, it's FREE.
Mainsail Arts Festival - We'll go out on a limb here and say St. Pete is likely one of the most art-friendly cities in Florida. Boasting two huge museums (the Dali Museum and Museum of Fine Arts) and a plethora of just in its downtown area, it's evident St. Pete loves its art. The Mainsail Arts Festival might just be the best testament to this. A nationally-renowned festival held in Straub Park, Mainsail is a festival for patrons, but competition for artists where a number of them can win some serious prize money. Expect some world-class feasting for the eyes when you come to this thing.
Honda Grand Prix - Another truly unique event held in St. Pete, the Honda Grand Prix is truly a sight to behold. Each year, workers transform a corridor of Downtown St. Pete into a full-fledged race track where you, the fan, can watch indy cars whiz by at insane speeds and enjoy all the festivities and attractions this race brings. Typically occurring in late March, the Grand Prix is a great, family-friendly event you won't find in many other cities and a must-see for any die-hard race fans.
