Hey y’all! Happy Hump Day!

Ok, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t talk about rain as much as I do (I think I’m living in one of those Progressive commercials about turning into your parents), but boy did we need it!

Speaking of rain: quick housekeeping. Last weekend’s Ice Cream Festival was slated to go ahead rain or shine, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Due to Tropical Depression 2, the organizers postponed the festival from last weekend to this weekend instead! Details here.

Ok, let’s dive in!

July 27 might not mean much anywhere else, but in Pinellas County, it’s our own holiday honoring our area code. When 7/27 rolls around, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater throws a city-wide celebration. This year, they’re stretching it into a full weekend: Saturday through Monday, July 25–27, with more than 100 local businesses (130, if you're counting) handing out specials, discounts, and freebies.

The only cost of admission is the free 727 Day Passport. Just sign up on the Visit SPC site, then flash it at participating spots. Expect a whole lot of $7.27: drinks at Noble Tavern and Perry's Porch, gallery admission at the Dalí, a wildlife boat tour with Tampa Bay Watch, even a $7.27 cruise on the new Starlite Horizon. There's BOGO into Sunken Gardens, BOGO Rays tickets, and $100 off a fishing charter, too. Just using the passport racks up points toward a free tee designed by local artist Clancy Riehm.

You can get a jump start on the giveaways by taking the 727 Day Quiz to win free Rays tickets to the July 25 Rays game (where there’ll be a T-shirt giveaway). Plus, Kahwa will be pouring free coffee from 7:27 to 8:27 a.m. on 727 Day itself. Set an alarm.

Get the deals passport.

Bay scallop season is officially open, and the closest grounds to us are Citrus and Hernando counties (think Crystal River and Homosassa), running now through Sept. 24. Even closer, Pasco County is open through Aug. 18.

The task is gloriously simple: grab a saltwater fishing license, a mask, and a mesh bag, then wade or boat out to the grassflats in waist-deep water. Scallops look like little blue-eyed fans tucked into the seagrass, and you pluck them by hand. This was one of my favorite things as a kid. It takes a minute to see them, but once it clicks, you’ll spot them everywhere! The limit is two gallons in the shell per person (10 per boat), and you'll want a dive flag anytime you're off the shallows. There are also tons of tours you can take if you don’t have a boat and want expert guidance.

Want to make your day on the water count twice? Tampa Bay Watch is hosting the 31st Annual Great Bay Scallop Search on August 1, 9am to 1pm. Volunteers snorkel and boat/kayak at designated sites across Tampa Bay, counting scallops to help scientists track population health. They've been running it since 1993, and the data is part of how we know the bay's recovery is real. Check for open spots here.

Visit MyFWC.com for current zones and rules before you load the cooler.

Here Comes the Sun (Runner). Penny Lane, the museum that's been a quiet Dunedin gem since 2017, is trading up for a bigger home and opening at 146 2nd St N next Wednesday, July 29.

We're talking more than 1,000 pieces of memorabilia: signed guitars, old tour buttons, and, yes, actual strands of hair from the Fab Four themselves. The collection comes from co-founders Dr. Robert Entel and Colin Bissett, the latter a Liverpool native who went to school with Pete Best's brother and was catching Beatles shows before Beatlemania even had a name.

It's a fun, unique addition to our growing museum scene. The founders say they designed it as much for newcomers as for die-hards, so go ahead and bring the friend who only knows "Hey Jude." Open Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Come together to visit.

Twenty-eight. That's how many wine bars are currently open in St. Petersburg, according to the running list maintained by St. Pete Wine Scene, the local site and Instagram account tracking every pour-worthy spot in the city. If it feels like a new wine bar opens every other month, it's because one basically does.

And now we know which ones the locals like best. St. Pete Life just released its Readers' Choice Best of 2026 wine picks:

Best Wine Bar: Sauvignon — the downtown wine locker that somehow manages to feel both serious about wine and completely unpretentious. Finalists Lolita's Wine Market and Savoir on Central kept it close.

Best Wine Shop/Winery: Book + Bottle — the bookstore-meets-wine-shop where you can walk out with a natural red and a new novel in the same bag. St. Pete Cellars and Sauvignon (again) rounded out the finalists.

The full list of St. Pete wine bars runs deep beyond the winners. There's Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe on the Grand Central corridor, Webb's City Cellar tucked behind the Warehouse Arts District, Hostess and Smallbar holding it down on Central Ave, the cigar-and-wine pairing at Black Leaf, and newer additions like Velvet Coupe in the EDGE District. Whether you lean natural, old-world, or just want a good glass and a good seat, you're covered.

If you want to stay plugged in, St. Pete Wine Scene is the go-to. Run by Sabrina D'Alba, it tracks openings, closings, events, and industry news across the city's wine world.

Two summers ago, friends April Lupkey and Lauren Kirk quietly opened Lucky Cup Coffee Co. inside the Galaxy Hotel downtown. Most the customers were hotel guests until a friend posted an off-menu matcha latte, the internet loved it, and the tiny lobby cafe started growing quickly.

Now they're taking the leap. Lucky Cup just announced a second, 2,150-square-foot spot at The Factory (2606 Fairfield Ave S), the Warehouse Arts District campus that's also home to FloridaRAMA, Daddy Kool Records, and St. Pete Athletic. Expect the same beloved menu like the Banana Bread latte, the Oh Honey, that BEC on a croissant (matcha subs on nearly everything), plus a big outdoor patio built for live music and night markets. This fall, they plan to start offering local beer, wine, and mocktails.

Daytime service starts later this summer. Between Coffee Concrete, Rose’s at St. Pete Athletic, and now this, Fairfield Ave is turning into a real coffee powerhouse. Follow Lucky Cup for updates.

🌊 Hillsborough County has lost more than 32 acres of wetlands since a 2025 state law began allowing developers to purchase wetland mitigation credits from anywhere in Florida when local supplies run out. A new MIT study tallies what that geographic flexibility costs over time: $1.6 billion in flood damages absorbed by Florida homeowners across 25 years. Allowing developers to purchase wetland credits in North Florida after paving over Central and South Florida land does little to help those local environments.

💦 Flood-weary Shore Acres is getting some help. The state tucked $2 million into the new budget for the neighborhood's Denver Street NE drainage project: a new stormwater pump station and upsized pipes designed to move water out faster during big storms. It's the latest piece of the city's larger, multi-million-dollar push to make one of St. Pete's most flood-prone corners a little more resilient before the next one rolls through.

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: July 29 is sold out and August 20 is going fast! Reserve your seat while you can!

SUNNY SAVINGS: Trophy Fish Happy Hour (Daily 4–6pm): Hush Puppies ($5), 1 Buck Shuck Raw Oysters ($1/ea), Chicken or Shrimp Taco ($5), Fin & Tonic or Salty Dawg ($10), Glass of Bubbles ($5). One of my favorite spots.

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Bodhi the dog or Bee Bop the cat. See them here.

HEATHER TEE: Hand designed by my wife and ready to be your new favorite tee. Get it in your size for a flattering fit or order it oversized to rock it as a beach coverup. Get yours.

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Surreal

FLIGHT DEAL: TPA → Philly. $78 round trip in early November (40% less than usual). In case you want to experience fall and some brotherly love.

‘BURG ABODES: Roomy mid-century modern near Coffee Pot Bayou. $1,195,000 | 3bd 3ba | 2,207 sqft. All that space and such a cool garden area!

Follow @ashleymarbetnuccio for more historic to modern homes or visit historic-modern.com 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!

Get ready for an unscripted night of laughs where local culture meets live improv at Burnt Sugar Comedy! Local Legends pairs prominent community figures with talented improv actors for a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated comedy show. I’ve been, and I LOVED it. Highly recommend.

This edition features the team behind St. Pete favorite Bandit Coffee Co. Watch as an onstage interview about their story and local journey fuels a series of fast-paced, SNL-style sketches created entirely on the spot.

Doors open at 7:30pm (Ages 18+). Grab your $20 tickets online in advance to guarantee a seat, and feel free to BYOB while Burnt Sugar finalizes their beer and wine license!

Get tickets.

Hot Dogs + Rosé! | Book + Bottle | Jul 22, 5:30 PM | Free
Book and rosé pairing event.

Book Club: Dark Romance! | The Book Lounge | Jul 22, 6:30 PM | $10 🎟️
Darker romance discussion night.

Tampa St.Pete Speed Dating for Singles Age 24-39| Thirsty First or Cordova Inn | Jul 22, 8 PM | $41 🎟️
Speed dating for local singles.

Ice Cream Social - A Shuffleboard Game | St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club | Jul 23, 6 PM | Free - $10
Shuffleboard fun with ice cream.

Community Board Game Night! | The Book Lounge | Jul 23, 7 PM | $15
Casual games for all skill-levels.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians | Tropicana Field | Jul 24-26, hours vary | Prices vary
Home stand at Tropicana Field.

Rainwater Harvesting | Sunken Gardens | Jul 24, 8 AM | Free with admission
Learn practical rain barrel setup.

Host to Coast Collaborative Market | Coastal House Vintage | Jul 24, 5 PM | Free
Walkable market with vendors.

Graphic Worlds: Anime & Comic Book Exhibition | Imagine Museum | Jul 24-26, hours vary | Free with admission
Festival kickoff for graphic worlds.

Farmers Market: Wellness Edition | Welcome To The Farm | Jul 25, 11:15 AM | Free 🎟️
Fitness, music, and wellness vendors.

Barre with Freebird Fitness | St. Pete Pier | Jul 25, 8:30 AM | Free
Free mat barre class outdoors.

St. Petersburg World Oddities Expo | The Coliseum | Jul 25, 11 AM | $20+ 🎟️
Curious oddities marketplace and exhibits.

St. Pete Street Market | Pinellas Ale Works Brewery | Jul 25, 12 PM | Free
Small, social Saturday craft market.

All Level Community Crochet Circle with Geneviev Carrero | Morean Arts Center | Jul 25, 2 PM | $35 🎟️
Crochet circle for all levels.

Pokémon Terrarium Workshop: Create Your Own Miniature World | Imagine Museum | Jul 25, 12 PM | $35 🎟️
Make a tiny themed terrarium.

Saturday Morning Market | Williams Park | Jul 25, 9 AM | Free
Weekly market with free admission.

Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival | St. Pete Pier | Jul 26, 11 AM - 8 PM | Free
Ice cream festival rescheduled outdoors.

Kenwood Sunday Market | St Pete High School | Jul 26, 9 AM | Free
Weekly market with live music.

Yoga, Bubbles, and Brews presented by Crystal Kage | Grand Central Brewhouse | Jul 26, 10 AM | Choose your own price 🎟️
All-level yoga with brunch vibes.

Chicken Wing Challenge | 3 Daughters Brewing | Jul 26, 12 PM | Free
Wing tasting with live music.

Page to Picture: Book + Cinema Club in Partnership with Green Light! JAWS | Green Light Cinema | Jul 26, 3 PM | $35 🎟️
Book and film discussion screening.

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