Hey friend! We’re back with another edition of the Scoop. Hopefully you like it as much as I liked that giant double rainbow last night! Let’s dive in.

For six years, the question hanging over 2025 Central Avenue has been the same: what is happening with Haslam's? Six years of no answer. Then last Thursday, Ray Hinst and Suzanne Haslam Hinst broke their silence, but it was not the announcement anyone was hoping for.

The statement, sent exclusively to the St. Pete Catalyst, was about a concert. Artist Filipe Bergson had advertised a "pop up" show in the Haslam's parking lot for Saturday night, part of a campaign that has also included selling unauthorized Haslam's merch outside the store. As of last week, he’s sold 1,312 shirts. Bergson has been open that he's trying to get the family's attention.

Well, he got it.

"A concert advertised for Saturday night, August 29th, 2026, in our parking lot was not planned or authorized by our family," the Hinsts wrote. "The lot is private property and is not open for a public event. There will be no concert on this property."

They also opened with line that stuck with us, “We are grateful that so many people still love Haslam's.”

That's the whole tension in one sentence. The Haslam family opened their first store in 1933 and moved to Central Avenue in 1964. The beloved store closed in March 2020 and never reopened. The signage was painted over in September 2025. Every few months someone drives past, sees the blank facade, and posts about it.

The statement said nothing about whether the store will ever come back. Sadly, six years in, that silence is still the story.

If you want to support Fil in his goal to open Haslam’s or open a comic book shop (whichever happens first), check out his website.

One of the most St. Pete events you could imagine is back! Started in 2024 to celebrate the Club’s centennial, it’s such a wonderful way to celebrate St. Pete history and its local artists.

The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club is putting out a call for 100 local artists to each transform a shuffleboard disc into a one-of-a-kind piece. Paint it, etch it, collage it, sculpt it — the disc is your oyster. All 100 finished discs come together for a single art show at the Club on Saturday, November 21 at 5pm, and every piece will be for sale, with proceeds going back to the Club.

If you're an artist: email [email protected] with a link to your website or socials, or a few images of your work, and they'll send details.

If you're the rest of us: put November 21 on the calendar. Browse unique St. Pete art and maybe pick one up to support St. Pete Shuffle! Some of them are going to be very good and some of them are going to be very weird, and that's the point.

Know someone who should be one of the 100? Send them this email so they can sign up!

You know that bright red, orange, and yellow milkweed you see at Home Depot? You might think that you’re doing the right thing planting that for monarch butterflies. It’s their host plant after all!

Unfortunately, most milkweed sold in Florida is tropical milkweed (Asclepias Curassavica). It may be beautiful and readily available, but it doesn’t die back in our mild winters like it does up north, which disrupts monarchs’ instinct to migrate to their overwintering grounds in Mexico.

Tropical milkweed can also host a parasite called OE (I’ll spare you the scientific name), which is a serious problem for infected monarchs. It can cause deformities and prevent flight.

There isn’t complete scientific consensus about tropical milkweed’s impact on monarchs, but it is now classified as invasive in the entire state. Luckily, there’s a straightforward swap: plant native milkweed instead. Three species are widely available in Florida nurseries: butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), and aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis). Wilcox Nursery is a great local option.

The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance is bringing back Free Museum Day on Saturday, September 19, and this year's lineup is a full twelve venues spread across the city. Pinellas County residents get free admission to all of them: just show a valid ID at the door. Some of the museums require timed entry or advanced registration, hence the heads up now. If you've got a specific museum in mind that you really want to go to, check out their website now to make sure you can go!

The participating museums:

- The Dalí Museum
- The Florida Holocaust Museum
- FloridaRAMA
- Imagine Museum of Contemporary Glass Art
- The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
- Morean Arts Center
- Museum of Fine Arts
- Penny Lane Beatles Museum
- Queer Asian Museum
- St. Petersburg Museum of History
- Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center
- The Woodson African American Museum of Florida

We'll have a full guide with tips, parking alternatives, and a route suggestion closer to the date.

After what they described as their best summer ever, the Saturday Morning Market is off for their September hiatus. They’ll be taking a break for the month before they return in October back in their fall location outside Al Lang Stadium.

The next market is October 3rd. So don’t wander over by Williams Park looking for them!

📊 City Council holds two public hearings on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget this month, both at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. On Thursday, September 3, council adopts the tentative budget and millage rate. On Thursday, September 17, it takes up the final budget, the millage rate, and the Capital Improvement Program. Both are broadcast live at stpete.org/TV and on Frontier 20, Spectrum 641, and WOW! 15. FY27 starts October 1.

🖥️ Pinellas County commissioners are moving to put it in writing: large standalone data centers aren't allowed in unincorporated Pinellas, and the board doesn't intend to allow them. Staff got the go-ahead Tuesday to draft a resolution saying exactly that. Forward Pinellas is working on countywide standards that could be ready by October.

🔌 City Council unanimously approved a $2.72 million deal to build a private fiber network connecting nine Water Resources facilities, keeping the SCADA system that controls the city's water supply off the public grid. The move came after officials received reports of threats to interfere with municipal networks.

💧 The utility fight is over and the numbers are final. City Council approved all three rate ordinances at the Aug. 27 hearing: water up 7.5%, wastewater 6.5%, reclaimed water 9.75%, stormwater 8.5% (lower than expected), and sanitation 6%. Everything takes effect October 1.

Want to spread the word about your business, a project you’re working on, an exciting event, or just want to say hi to 12,000+ neighbors? Partner with us.

DINNER CLUB: The next two dinner clubs are filling up fast! Only 20 spots left for 20’s & 30’s (more age groups coming soon!), and the classic all-ages on October 8 is ¾ full. Sign up here!

SUNNY SAVINGS: Sauvignon Wine Locker, Tue-Fri, 4-6 pm Happy Hour Food Menu & 50% Off All Wines By The Glass, plus 50% Off All Pasta's & Salads on Thursdays!

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Velma the dog or Boots the cat. See them here.

SUNNY HOODIE: It’s fall somewhere! Get yours.

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Birdcage

FLIGHT DEAL: TPA → Moab, Utah. $339 in October (42% less than usual). Ideal time to visit the National Parks without the summer heat!

‘BURG ABODES: Woodlawn Tudor Revival $1,250,000 | 2bd 3ba | 1,480 sqft. History, character and a bonus lot with endless possibilities!

A sampling of ten-ish fun things to do this week.

SUBMIT AN EVENT

Gulfport’s legendary, eccentric summer finale returns to Beach Boulevard for its 26th annual celebration! GeckoFest honors the end of summer with a full day of end-to-end street entertainment, including live music across multiple stages, acrobats, fire-spinners, costume contests, and over 200 local artisan and food vendors.

Admission and street parking are 100% free! Wear a costume to match the annual theme, and stick around for the twilight Gecko Parade and street dance party starting as the sun sets over the bay.

For parking info and free courtesy shuttle details, visit visitgulfportflorida.com/event/gecko-fest.

Want to score amazing deal, win prizes, shop local vendors, and help fundraise for a good cause? Elase Med Spa on 9th Ave in St. Pete has its Pink Event Breast Cancer Awareness fundraiser event next Thursday, Sep 10 all day from 9 AM to 8 PM.

Vendors include Jasel Jewelry, Milk Madre coffee, Glossy Charm, Canvas Fashion Gallery, and more! There will be giveaways happening all throughout the day, so stop in when you’re free and stick around as long as you want!

Register to attend or make a donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation here.

Singles Flamingles | St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club | Sep 3, 7 PM | $5 🎟️
Mingle style tournament

Boots & Brews Country Line Dancing | 3 Daughters | Sep 3, 7 PM | Free
Learn country line dances

Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan — Closing Weekend | The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art | Sep 4–7 | $19 🎟️
Explore Ronan Donovan's wolf photography

Crash Out! A Storytelling Comedy Show | Sunshine City Comedy Club | Sep 4, 10:30 PM | $10 🎟️
Wild stories from Tampa comedians

F45 Training Bootcamp at the Pier | Family Park | Sep 4, 4:30 PM | Free
Pier-side all-levels high-energy group workout

Dome After Dark: Surreal Nature| The Dalí Museum | Sep 4, 6 & 7 PM | $25–$29 🎟️
Surreal nature visuals in the Dome

Pitch a Friend | Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill | Sep 4, 7-10 PM | Free
Pitch eligible friends via slides

Audubon Bird Walk | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | Sep 5, 8–9:30 AM | Free
Birdwatch native species with Audubon guides

Yogalates at Outcast Brewery | Outcast Brewing | Sep 5, 10 AM | Free 🎟️
Yoga-Pilates fusion with drink perks

Wingfest & Trap Music | Tropicana Field | Sep 5, 2–8 PM | Free
Wings, trap music, food trucks, vendors

Loco for Coconuts | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | Sep 05, 3 PM | Free
Celebrate coconuts through hands-on discovery

Geri X — 15 Years of Questionable Decisions | The Nest @ St. Pete Brewing | Sep 05, 7 PM | $15–$20 🎟️
Geri X's fifteenth anniversary concert

F1 Watch Party | Webb’s City Cellar | Sep 6, 8:30 AM | Free
Morning F1 watch party

Banned Books Journaling | Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg | Sep 6, 11 AM - 1 PM | Free w/ admission
Reflect creatively on challenged literature

Full list of events this weekend and in the coming months. Plus, local shows and concerts coming up.

Thanks so much for reading! As always, feel free to reply directly to this email to let me know how I did with today’s edition!

Stay Sunny,
Josh