Happy fall, y’all! I had to wear a sweatshirt in the morning multiple times this week, which told me two things:
My native Floridian blood is WEAK. I shudder to think back to my 3 year experiment living in Boston (snow!?).
It was time to visit all the pumpkin patches. More on that below.
In today’s edition:
St. Pete pumpkin patch roundup.
UFO visitations?
Flora Wylie Park gets a facelift.
Invest in local bagels.
Pumpkin entrepreneurship!
More fall/Halloween events.
COMMUNITY CURRENTS
🏟️ St. Pete-based ARK Investment Management released their $6.8 billion proposal to re-develop the Historic Gas Plant District. Importantly, given the uncertainty around the Rays future location, these plans have an option for a stadium but are not dependent on it. St. Pete Catalyst has a great two-part writeup on the proposals for the district so far.
🛸 In case you thought you saw a UFO on Monday night, this was actually a SpaceX Starship booster. If you’re into tracking that type of thing, check out NextSpaceFlight.com. You can also download their free app to set notifications so you don’t miss the next one!
🚜 Flora Wylie Park downtown is undergoing work to grade and sod the area to help the park so it doesn’t turn into a swamp after big rains.
FRESH CAUGHT FEATURE
This week’s featured event is the St. Pete Fall Festival! Spend the day on the pier enjoying live music, kids activities, a locals market, seasonal food & drinks, and the pumpkin patch. Be sure to stay until 8pm to catch the drone show over the bay.
SEAS THE WEEKEND
Here are the events to help you make the most of your weekend:
Friday
👺 The Devil's Ball: Creepy Carnival | Historic Nova 535 | Oct 17, 8p | $40
Carnival games, vendors, magic, fire performers, dancing, drink specials, and a Halloween costume party. For adults.
🍻 Food Truck Festival | 3 Daughters Brewing | Oct 17, 6-11p | Free
Diverse set of food trucks and live music to enjoy with the whole family.
🎥 Movies on the Pier: A Minecraft Movie | St. Pete Pier | Oct 17, 8p | Free or $30 VIP
Outdoor movie on the Pier, every third Friday. This month: A Minecraft Movie.
Saturday
🥦 Saturday Morning Market | Al Lang Stadium | Every Saturday, 9a-2p | Free
Fresh produce, food trucks, makers – a favorite way to start Saturdays.
🎃 St. Pete Fall Festival | Spa Beach Park | Oct 18, 11a-9p | Free
Family-friendly autumn wonderland at St. Pete Pier featuring a pumpkin patch, photo ops, and drone show.
🐶 Howl-O-Ween | Pinellas Ale Works | Oct 18, 2-7p | Free
Biggest dog costume party in St. Pete with beer, food, vendors, live music, and giveaways. Raises money for Pet Pal Animal Shelter.
🍺 Oktoberfest @ Outcast | Outcast Brewing | Oct 18, 5-10p | Free
Enjoy laughs, games, German-inspired goods, steins, snacks, and a mini market.
🚒 St. Petersburg Fire Rescue’s Haunted Fire House | Fire Station #10 | Oct 18, 5:30-9:30p | Free or $10 Fast Pass
Haunted house, bounce houses, face painting, crafts, trick-or-treating, food, and Halloween fun.
🎆 Epic Drone Show : Celebrating 5 Years of ExPIERiences | St. Pete Pier | Oct 18, 8-9:30p | Free or Reserved
Over 1,000 synchronized drones will light up the night sky, celebrating the St. Pete Pier’s 5-year anniversary.
Sunday
🥕 Kenwood Sunday Market | St. Pete High School | Every Sunday 10a-2p | Free
Family and pet-friendly market with fresh produce, handmade crafts, food, and local products.
👻 Halloween Bash Market | Blush Tea & Coffee | Oct 19, 10a-2p | Free
Local vendors, spooky finds, music, photo-ops, costume prizes, and drink specials.
💀 Hollander Ween | Hollander Hotel | Oct 19, 1-6p | Free
Costume pool party with good food, drinks, and good times. Spooky Sunday fun.
THE PUMPKIN ROUNDUP
The cooler weather inspired us to pick out our pumpkins for this year. So, we took a trip to three pumpkin patches in St. Pete to see what they had to offer. You can follow us on Instagram (or Facebook) to see videos of each pumpkin patch we visited. Don’t feel like getting pumpkins yourself? Check out the Business Buoy section of the newsletter to learn more about pumpkin delivery/design services.
St. Pete Pier - this patch was very cute and had numerous photo ops. While there were plenty of pumpkins, it didn’t have the biggest selection/variety. It’s a great place to take the kids to get some fall photos (plus you can head over to the playground right next to it). Keep in mind that you’ll need to carry your pumpkin back down the pier, so you might want to bring a cart/bag of some sort! Weekdays 5-9p, Saturdays 11a-9p, Sundays 11a-6p. More.
Gallagher’s Pumpkins & Christmas Trees - a family-owned, St. Pete staple for over 30 years, Gallagher’s has a great selection of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. There are lots of photo ops here, as well as a (paid) petting zoo for the little ones. I’m especially a fan of the weirdest looking gourds, and Gallagher’s has these in spades. Open daily 9a-9p. More.
Clearview United Methodist - Adorable pumpkin patch with a very nice selection of pumpkins, a mini hay maze for the kids, and cute props for photos. As a bonus, a portion of the pumpkin purchases goes towards helping families in the community struggling with food insecurity. Weekdays 3-8p, Saturdays 9a-8p, Sundays 12-8p. More.
Where do you like to get your pumpkins?
COASTAL CRAVINGS
If you love good food, good drinks, and good views, then get your tickets to the Savor Food & Wine Festival happening November 1st and 2nd in Vinoy Park. Enjoy a wide range of dishes, wines, and artisanal beverages from renowned chefs. This is a 21+, ticketed event, so if you’re interested you can buy tickets here.
SIPPING SUNSET
Scary movies are better when you can enjoy them in the company (and safety!) of your friends. That’s why Green Bench’s Beer Garden Movie Nights are such a great idea.
These are free and open to anyone. Just bring something to sit on (chair, blanket) and snacks. If you want the best seating, be sure to get there early. Movies begin shortly after sunset (around 7pm).
Here’s the lineup for the rest of the month:
📅 October 22 – Fright Night (R)
📅 October 29 – A Nightmare on Elm Street (R)
CATCH OF THE DAY
This week’s adoptable pet is Brinkley, a 5-year old, 24 lbs mixed breed from Friend of Strays shelter. She is extremely happy, loves to cuddle, and is a big fan of giving kisses. Brinkley is currently being fostered, so if you’re interested in meeting her, you can submit an adoption request, and Friend of Strays will reach out to set up a meet & greet.
Additionally, all adoption fees for adult dogs are reduced by $50 this month!
BUSINESS BUOY
Invest in Pete’s Bagels
Enjoying a bagel from last weekend’s Spooky Island Festival
Pete’s Bagels is a regular stop for our family because yours truly has a dairy allergy, and the vegan cream cheese from Pete’s is the best I’ve ever had. Now, Pete’s Bagels is partnering with SMBX to give the community a chance to invest in their business through a bond offering. They plan to use the funds to add new locations, grow their kitchen, and start catering/wholesale programs.
As a bonus, if you invest through 10/17 (any amount!), you can get a free bagel sandwich by showing your confirmation.
We’re big fans, and hope they do well! If you’re interested in investing, you can learn more here.
Concierge Pumpkin Services
Courtesy of The Pumpkin Exchange
If you can’t be bothered to head out to the pumpkin patch, but you love being fall festive, several local companies have a great solution for you. The Pumpkin Exchange and Porch Party Florida both offer pumpkin delivery and design to turn your porch into a work of autumnal art. Each offer several different packages with the option to just have the pumpkins delivered, or to add things like design, hay bales, and pickup/disposal.
ON THE HORIZON
👀 Events to keep an eye on between now and next week’s newsletter.
Lunar Market | Golden Isles Brewing Co | Oct 20, 5-9p | Free
A market featuring local makers, a DJ, and chef pop-ups.
Beer Garden Movie Night: Fright Night (R) | Green Bench Brewing | Oct 22, 7p | Free
Free and open to the public. Bring chairs, blankets, snacks.
Halloween Mega Night Market | Win! Derby | Oct 24-26, hours vary | Free Asian Halloween market with music, haunted house, food, vendors, games, and costume contest.
Trunk or Treat | Roberts Recreation Center | Oct 24, 6:30-8:30p | Free
Community Halloween party with trick-or-treating, contests, music, and food.
Spooky Swamp Haunted Hike | Boyd Hill | Oct 24, 8:30p | $10
Family-friendly night hike with playful frights, costumes, and a touch of magic.
SCOOP SPECIALS
🍔 Boulevard Burgers | Kids eat free with purchase of adult entree| Every Weds
🍷 Southern Grounds | $10 off bottles & 50% off glasses | Weds, 4p - close
🩰 St. Pete Pier | Free Mat Barre Class | Oct 25, 8:30-10a
🍻 Fall Brewery Battle | Try a beer from 15 of Pinellas’s best breweries for $30 ($100+ value) | All month | Tickets here
🧗♂️ Vertical Ventures| Half-Price Friday Nights ($15) | Every Friday, 6p - midnight
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Thanks so much for reading! As always, you can reply directly to this email with any feedback.
Stay Sunny,
Josh & the St. Pete Scoop Team
