Hey Sunny Squad,

Happy August! It’s (technically) the last full month of summer, so we’ve gotta make the most of it. I say technically because I’ve been debating this with friends and family, and we seem fairly split.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in.

For the past seven years, Florida Fin Fest has called Jacksonville Beach home. This November, it's expanding to us.

The two-day Ocean Conservation, Education, and Music Festival lands at Spa Beach on November 13–14, 2026, bringing the same formula that's built its following on the other coast: a daytime Education Village with an immersive underwater VR experience, touch tanks, hands-on learning stations, and talks from marine science experts, followed by a full evening of live music once the sun goes down. Past Fin Fest lineups have included Neil Frances, Cimafunk, Tank and The Bangas, Flipturn, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Moon Taxi, and John Oates, so expect a similar mix of national and local talent once this year's bill drops.

Food leans local and sustainable too: past fests have served everything from Trinidadian cuisine to fusion tacos, and all water, seltzer, and beer come in 100% recyclable aluminum cans instead of single-use plastic.

Lineup announcements are still to come, but presale tickets are already live. Mark the weekend, and start figuring out who's on VR-touch-tank duty with the kids.

Get tickets.

Ever wanted to own a piece of St. Pete stage history? Here's your shot. American Stage is throwing open its storage doors for its first-ever flea market, selling off props, costumes, and furniture from five decades of productions.

We're talking thousands of items, some priced as low as $5. It's part estate sale, part treasure hunt, and a rare peek behind the curtain at one of the city's oldest professional theatres. Get a jump start on your best Halloween costume of all time.

Learn more.

Something is happening in South St. Pete this summer, and it tastes like smothered pork chops and a $50,000 check.

Ashley Reed has been running The Brunch Munch food truck off 22nd Street S for two years, grinding it out between nursing shifts. This week, Famous Amos's Ingredients for Success program awarded her $50,000 in seed funding. She already owns the lot on The Deuces where her truck parks, and she's partnering with St. Pete Box to turn it into a proper restaurant. The Soul Food Sundays and wings you already know are staying. Live music and community brunches are coming.

Not far away, Melvin and Cornicole Holt are putting the finishing touches on Mrs. Thelma's Southern Cuisine at 119 49th St S, set to open this late summer or early fall. The menu is Melvin's mother Thelma's recipes: smothered pork chops, turkey wings, candied yams, collard greens, and what the sign out front promises is the world's best mac and cheese. Combo platters run $12 to $15. Cornicole's grandmother ran a restaurant on The Deuces in the 1960s, so this family has been feeding the neighborhood for a long time.

There's a new reason to wander into the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center at the end of the Pier. Soul Tides, a mixed-media mashup show of art and ecology by local artist Cora Van Fleet, is up through October 16.

Van Fleet builds her pieces from recycled textiles, denim, embroidery, beadwork, and layers of paint, all inspired by Florida's wildlife, and a portion of every sale goes back to Tampa Bay Watch's restoration work. The art is woven right through the center's exhibits, so you'll drift from a stitched-fabric painting to a learning station on living shorelines and vertical oyster gardens without missing a beat.

Don't skip the "Ka-Tide-o-Scope," a giant kaleidoscope for peeking at Tampa Bay plankton, or the touch tank with horseshoe crabs. Open daily 10am–5pm, $8 for adults (and free for members or if you grab a museum pass from the library).

Check it out.

(As an aside, I’m not proud to say that because of the single season of Love Island USA that I’ve watched, I immediately thought of Soul Ties in the Villa... I got a teeext).

The August 18 primary is two weeks out, and this week you have a couple chances to meet the people running for office face to face before you vote.

Thursday evening, the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce is hosting a candidates mixer at Tropicana Field from 5:30 to 8 pm. All 34 candidates across every race on the August ballot in one room at the same time. Tickets are required and include a welcome drink and heavy appetizers, so plan ahead. Students can get in free by emailing [email protected].

Then on Friday morning, the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club hosts a Coffee and Mayoral Forum at 8 am. This one is free and open to the public. The focus is the Mayor's race, the format is casual, with a few minutes for intros and then a moderated Q&A.

🚒 St. Pete's Fire Department will receive $1.4 million in FEMA reimbursements for emergency response operations during 2024's Hurricane Milton, part of nearly $55 million in federal disaster recovery grants approved for Florida.

🌊 St. Pete landed a $2.2 million FEMA flood mitigation grant, split between two infrastructure projects: a drainage upgrade on MLK Street South near Lake Maggiore, and stormwater improvements at 4th Street N and 88th Ave in Riviera Bay. The grant was submitted through Rep. Kathy Castor's office.

🔬Great Explorations Children's Museum is exploring a major expansion into south St. Pete, with plans to convert the former Bay Point Magnet Elementary School at 5800 22nd St S into an 80,000-square-foot STEAM-focused Discovery Center for older kids and teens. If a lease agreement is reached with Pinellas County Schools, the museum could take over the site by summer 2027 and launch a capital campaign targeting roughly $15 million to fund the buildout.

🗳️ Charlie Crist was the only candidate in St. Pete's six-way mayoral race to skip last Tuesday's Suncoast Tiger Bay Club debate, with his campaign citing the cost of tickets ($25 to $75). Candidates Ken Welch, Deborah Scruggs, and others were on stage and were not quiet about the empty podium, with the August 18 primary now less than three weeks out.

Want to spread the word about your business, a project you’re working on, an exciting event, a hiring opportunity, or just want to say hi to 11,000+ neighbors?

DINNER CLUB: August 20 is sold out - get your tickets now for September 10. Reserve your seat while you can!

SUNNY SAVINGS: Back to School BOGO Hunts at FloridaRAMA. August 8 -10 purchase one Scavenger Hunt and receive a second Scavenger Hunt for FREE!

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Nova the dog or Shelby the cat. See them here.

CORDUROY CAP: Show your love for manatees and look cool doing it. Get yours.

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Hammerhead

FLIGHT DEAL: Tampa → Cancún . $314 round trip in January (24% less than usual). Check in to paradise ☀️

‘BURG ABODES: Spanish style getaway in Jungle Prada. $950,000 | 3bd 3ba | 2,546 sqft. Enjoy seeing the neighborhood peacocks and lounging by the pool!

Follow @ashleymarbetnuccio to see more historic to modern homes or contact her to set up a showing!

Your contributions go directly towards keeping Sunny St. Pete alive and well so we can have more fun and build a stronger community. I appreciate any and all contributions to keep this locally-owned newsletter (and passion project of mine) going strong!

Calling all food and dessert lovers: the St. Pete Foodie Fest is taking over the Trop for two flavor-packed days! Hosted by Saturday Shoppes, this massive weekend celebration brings together an incredible lineup of food trucks, dessert vendors, and local artisan retailers.

Bring the whole family out to sample bold, savory bites, indulge in sweet treats, and shop unique handmade goods. With live music, friendly festival competition, and a high-energy evening atmosphere, it’s the ultimate late-summer outing for foodies of all ages.

RSVP online in advance for a chance to win a $25 meal voucher to spend at the festival. Admission and parking are free!

RSVP here.

Support the next generation of CEOs at the Kidpreneur Marketplace! This unique community event empowers young entrepreneurs from 1st through 12th grade to launch, market, and manage their very own small businesses for a day.

Browse a market full of young talent selling handcrafted goods, unique artwork, tasty treats, and inventive products. It's a inspiring, family-friendly afternoon that highlights youth innovation, financial literacy, and local creativity right in the heart of South St. Pete.

Admission and parking are free for shoppers of all ages!

Learn more.

Book Swap & Sip Social Hour at The Library Restaurant | The Library | Aug 5, 6PM | Free
Swap books, sip, mingle, share reads

Free Yoga at the Pier for Vincent House | St. Pete Pier | Aug 5, 7PM | Free
Sunset yoga with adaptable movement options

Art After Dark Summer Sessions | Museum of Fine Arts | Aug 6, 5-8PM | $16 🎟️
DJ sets, galleries, oysters, apéro drinks

Boots & Brews Country Line Dancing | 3 Daughters Brewing | Aug 6, 7PM | Free
Learn country line dances with instructor

F45 Training Bootcamp at the Pier | St. Pete Pier | Aug 7, 4:30PM | Free
All-level waterfront workout with fellow fitness enthusiasts

Warhol Birthday & Pop Art Party 4.0 | FloridaRAMA | Aug 7, 7-10PM | Free
Pop art, music, murals, Warhol cosplayers

Trail Fun Run | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | Aug 8, 8AM | Free
Run, walk, or jog nature trails

Suns Out, Buns Out! Mingles | St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club | Aug 8, 8:30AM - 1PM | $15 🎟️
Shuffleboard games, cookout lunch, costume prizes. Register by today at midnight!

Second Saturday ArtWalk | St. Petersburg | Aug 8, 5-9PM | Free
Explore galleries across five arts districts

St. Pete Indie Flea Indoor Summer Series | The Coliseum | Aug 9, 12-4PM | Free
Indoor market featuring local indie vendors

Back to School Bash | St. Pete Athletic | Aug 9, 10AM-2PM | Free
Kids enjoy pickleball, crafts, games, treats

Want to see the full list of events this weekend and in the coming months? Plus, local shows and concerts coming up? Peep the new Event Calendar page.

Looking for details on markets this week?

Thanks so much for reading! As always, you can reply directly to this email with any feedback.

Stay Sunny,
Josh