One slightly chilly morning over the weekend, and I’m all in on fall. Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I love October. Judging by all the fun, festive events popping up, so does the rest of St. Pete. Let’s dive in.

The Rays clinched the AL East last Tuesday, beating the Yankees 6-1 in the Bronx while Drew Rasmussen struck out 11. They were 96-61 at the clinch (now 98-64), good for the American League's No. 1 seed.

Seeding matters because the top seed skips the Wild Card round, and home-field advantage means the road to the pennant runs through Tropicana Field. It's the fifth division title in franchise history and the first since 2021.

ALDS, ALCS and World Series tickets are all on sale now. The Rays also led MLB in attendance growth this year, their first season back at the Trop, so don't wait on tickets.

Get playoff tickets here.

The St. Pete Pier has five fall events lined up for October, starting this Saturday.

Piertoberfest is Saturday, October 3, from noon to 10 PM in Family Park. It's free to get in, with an oompah band from 2-5 PM, stein-hoisting and keg-throwing contests, and $25 for a commemorative stein plus two pints.

The St. Pete Fall Festival follows October 10 and 11, 11 AM to 7 PM, with a bounce zone, a magician and a Kids Rave at 6 PM both days. It's free too.

The Pumpkin Patch (free to enter) and Putt the Pier, a pumpkin-themed mini golf course ($10 weekdays, $13 weekends), both run October 8 through 25.

Wrap up the month on October 24 with the Costumed Dog Parade at 6 PM.

Details here.

October is when St. Pete's outdoor markets come back, so if you’ve been itching to get back out there, now’s the time.

Saturday, October 3: The Saturday Morning Market returns from its September break to its fall home outside Al Lang Stadium, 9 AM to 2 PM.

The same day, Mezzo Market opens its season on Baum Ave. N at 11th St. N, between Intermezzo and Green Bench, from 11 AM to 4 PM. Coffee at one end, beer at the other.

Out at the beach, the Corey Avenue Art & Craft Festival takes over Corey Ave. Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM, with jewelry, pottery, and fine art for its 32nd season.

Sunday, October 4: Kenwood Sunday Market kicks off a new season at St. Pete High (2501 5th Ave. N), 10 AM to 2 PM, with 75+ vendors and free parking. It runs every Sunday from there. Corey Avenue adds a Green Market on Sunday too.

Sunday, October 11: Indie Flea is back at Campbell Park (601 14th St. S., free parking), with more dates November 8, December 20 at Albert Whitted Park, January 3 and February 7.

All of them are free to walk in. Bring a tote and some cash, and shop local. Our full markets guide is here.

Williams Park is getting an ice rink. Winter Wonder runs November 20 through January 3 in the 3.3-acre park downtown, with an open-air rink on the north end, a holiday market of 15 to 20 local businesses around the edges, and a food and drink commons on the south end pouring coffee, cocktails, beer and wine. Organizers say it will be Tampa Bay's only open-air downtown ice rink.

It's free to walk in. "It's not a ticketed, gated event," Shaun Drinkard, CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Improvement District, told the Catalyst.

These six weeks are also a test run. The DID wants to see how people actually use the park before permanent upgrades start in early 2027, paid for with $800,000 in state money. Better electrical service is on that list, which should make life easier for Localtopia, Paddy Fest and the Saturday Morning Market. Drinkard's benchmark is about 100 people per acre at any given time, which works out to roughly 300 people in the park.

The bandshell, which the city started renovating in 2018, should be finished in early November, and the Florida Orchestra has already expressed interest in playing it.

Williams Park was St. Pete's first public space, and it has spent a decade waiting for someone to use it this way.

See the renderings and read more at St. Pete Catalyst.

Add another shop to your vintage directory! Peacock Home opens Thursday, October 1, on the second floor of 2635 Central Ave., right above Hostess in the Grand Central District. The 1,100-square-foot shop sells vintage finds, globally sourced decor and locally made goods.

It's the first store from interior designer and longtime St. Pete resident Erika Basher, and it started with a test run. Six months ago, Basher rented a moving truck, filled a five-day pop-up at Hostess with furniture and decor, and sold nearly everything within five hours of opening.

"I've always been into interior design," Basher told St. Pete Rising. "I've made my living doing it, but I've never opened up a retail store."

Head upstairs to check it out.

Florida's sea turtles just had their best nesting year on record, and that's worth celebrating.

According to preliminary data from the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, loggerhead sea turtles nested 136,972 times along Florida beaches this season, surpassing the previous record of 134,930 nests set in 2023. The numbers still need to be officially verified, but either way, this is a banner year.

The story gets even better: leatherback sea turtles are also on track for a statewide record, green turtles had another strong season at 50,815 nests, and Florida recorded its very first confirmed Olive Ridley nest this year.

💧 One-day-a-week lawn watering is now in effect through March 31, 2027, after SWFWMD extended its extreme water shortage order. The region is 15.4 inches behind on rain, and the regional reservoir is at half capacity.

🅿️ About 100 spaces at Dolphin Village on St. Pete Beach could become QR-code paid public parking, seven days a week. The city manager has the final say.

🎨 The county approved $2.225M in tourist tax money for the Morean's planned $33.7M building in the 700 block of Central, which would put the Morean and the Chihuly Collection under one roof. The Morean had asked for more than $15M.

🚌 PSTA lowered its tax rate for a third straight year and says that if Amendment 3 passes, 25 of its 40 bus routes could be cut as soon as June 2027. Separately, the new 727 Airport Express from downtown St. Pete to TPA starts October 4.

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: New dates just dropped and are already filling up! Sign up here!

SUNNY SAVINGS: Intermezzo Happy Hour every day, 5-7 PM. Draft beer $1 off, Miller High Life $4, $2 off wines, 25% off bottles of wine, $8 cocktails.

Stop by Thursday 12:30–2pm to celebrate International Coffee Day with live sample roasting + pour overs!

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Oakley the dog or Trinity the cat. See them here.

SUNNY CREWNECK: Florida fall is here! Bundle up!

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Neapolitan

FLIGHT DEAL: Tampa → Burlington, VT. $138 in December (63% less than usual). Experience the winter wonderland!

‘BURG ABODES: Pass-A-Grille Paradise $1,895,000 | 3 bd 4 ba | 2,242 sqft. Historic Pass-A-Grille charm and modern luxury. 100 Steps to the Gulf.

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

SUBMIT AN EVENT

Spooky season has officially moved into the Warehouse Arts District. Starting this Saturday, FloridaRAMA is running Relics & Lore: A Radley Experience. It's a PG-13 paranormal walkthrough that mixes local art, Victorian Gothic style and theatrical effects, with a few chills thrown in along the way. Florida artist Cody Meacham built it with the FloridaRAMA team, and it's full of creepy relics and bits of eerie lore to piece together as you explore.

It runs through November 2. The $27 general admission ticket also gets you into the rest of FloridaRAMA, the immersive art space built around original Florida stories, with work from 85+ artists and story-driven scavenger hunts. Opening day hours are 10 AM to 8 PM. The PG-13 rating is worth keeping in mind if you're bringing younger kids.

Get your tickets if you dare.

St. Pete Night Market | Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill | Sep 30, 6-10 PM | Free
Local vendors, music, food, drinks

Film Screening: El ángel exterminador / The Exterminating Angel | The Dalí | Oct 1, 5:30 PM | $10 🎟️
Surrealist satire screening at The Dalí

Sake Block – A Festival of Sake & Ceramics | Morean Center for Clay | Oct 1, 6-11 PM | $80 🎟️
Taste sake alongside ceramic arts experiences

Boots & Brews Country Line Dancing | 3 Daughters Brewing | Oct 1, 7 PM | Free
Learn country line dances

Golden Isles 3 Year Anniversary Celebration | Golden Isles Brewing Co. | Oct 2-4, All Day | Free
Celebrate three years with brewery festivities

Oktoberfest | German-American Society | Oct 2 &3, times vary | $12 🎟️
Authentic German beer, food, and music

Popcorn & Punchlines Standup Comedy Show at the Beach Theatre | The Beach Theatre | Oct 2, 8 PM | $15 🎟️
Beach Theatre laughs with Mike Rivera

Yoga on the Pitch: Rowdies Recharge | Al Lang Stadium | Oct 3, 8:30 AM | $36 🎟️
Morning yoga practice on the pitch + game ticket

Wildflower & Pollinator Festival | Brooker Creek Preserve | Oct 3, 9 AM-2 PM | Free
Native plants, crafts, trails, pollinators, education

Yogalates at Outcast Brewery | Outcast Brewing Company | Oct 3, 10 AM | Free
Yoga and Pilates fusion for everyone

Piertoberfest | St. Pete Pier | Oct 3, 12-10 PM | Free
Waterfront Oktoberfest with beer, music, games

The Velvet Mat After Dark: Spirits in the Underground | The Velvet Mat Yoga | Oct 3, 6 PM | $66 🎟️
Haunted history, meditation, sound, ghost hunting

Mahjong After Hours at Blush | Blush Tea and Coffee St Pete | Oct 3, 6 PM | $15 🎟️
Learn Hong Kong mahjong from coaches

Tampa Bay Rays American League Division Series Game 1 | Tropicana Field | Oct 3, 6:30 PM | Price varies 🎟️
Cheer on Rays postseason baseball action

Kenwood Sunday Market | St. Petersburg High School | Oct 4, 10 AM | Free
Produce, crafts, food, music, local vendors

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