What’s up, Sunny Scoopers? It’s mid-July, also known as locals only time for St. Pete. While lots of folks flee the heat and humidity, year-rounders get to keep all the fun summer events to themselves.

Speaking of which, there’s a ton of fun to look forward to this week, so let’s dive in!

Is there a more on-brand way to survive a St. Pete July than a free festival dedicated to frozen treats? Not for my wife. The Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival, presented by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, returns to the St. Pete Pier this Sunday from 11am to 8pm for National Ice Cream Day.

Around 30 of the area's best scoop shops, gelato makers, and frozen-treat vendors will set up in Family Park, this year's roomier home base, slinging everything from hard-pack and soft serve to non-dairy pints and popsicles. Treats are for purchase, but admission is free, and it all runs rain or shine (this is Florida in July, after all).

The competition is the fun part: judges hand out the coveted Golden Ice Cream Trophies across expanded categories, Best Hard Ice Cream, Best Soft Serve, Best Non-Dairy, and Best Overall, while your licks decide the People's Choice Award.

Swing by the Visit SPC booth, too: it's the kickoff of 727 Day, Pinellas County's area-code holiday, and they'll be giving away 1,000 tickets to an upcoming Rays game to locals who stop by. I'll have the full 727 Day rundown for you next week.

Get your napkins ready and pace yourself. Check it out.

Summers are for baseball, and the Rays are back home at Tropicana Field after a year at Steinbrenner Field. Who knows how long we’ll have the team on this side of the bay, so take advantage of the deals while you can! Their latest: the Devil Rays Deal, running for Friday home games.

Fans who buys a ticket to a Friday home game automatically get $10 in Burst Bucks loaded to their Rays Wallet in the MLB Ballpark app. Spend it however you want: a beer, peanuts and Cracker Jacks, a hat or T-shirt from the team store.

On top of that, there's a pre-game happy hour from gates open until first pitch at the Rays Hall of Fame Bar and Grill inside the stadium: $5 for 12-oz draft beers. With the free $10, that's two beers before the first inning and you haven't spent a dime.

Oh, and the team wears the iconic Devil Rays throwback jerseys every Friday too. Perfect for me, because I still wear my old Devil Rays hat from when I was a kid to every game. Call me nostalgic, but I love the devil ray. They’re actually giving away a pretty sweet retro hat to the first 10k fans at the July 25th game!

Free beer money, $5 happy hour drafts, and throwback jerseys? Hard to argue with a Friday night at the Trop right now.

Devil Rays Deal Tickets.

If you haven't been to Burnt Sugar Comedy yet, here's the pitch: it's a small-room improv theater out of Studios @ 5663 on Park Blvd built on a simple formula: big laughs, zero pretension. The shows are entirely improvised, the audience is part of it, and the room is intimate enough that you're basically in the scene. They also run excellent improv classes if you've ever wanted to try it yourself, plus private shows and corporate events.

Some friends and I went this past Saturday for their Local Legends show, which is a concept I absolutely love. There’s a short interview with an impactful community member followed by a series of SNL-type sketches inspired by the interview and made up on the spot. When I tell you the show had us full-on belly laughing, I promise I’m not exaggerating. We spent the drive home quoting our favorite scenes and laughing all over again.

I can’t recommend it highly enough! You get to be part of a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated show, support local theater, and laugh it up. Parking is easy, and there’s a pub next door or you can BYOB until Burnt Sugar gets their beer and wine license.

Their next show is Local Legends with Bandit Coffee on Saturday, July 25 at 8 pm and tickets are only $20. Grab yours here or follow them on Instagram for show announcements.

The Dalí Dome just got a bit wilder. Since July 10, Surreal Nature, a new immersive show, is transforming the natural world into a dreamscape of light, movement, and sound inside the 45-foot dome.

It runs in two chapters. Ocean pulls you through the mystery and beauty of the sea, all shifting light and motion. Land picks up with a pulse of growth that blooms into gardens, waterfalls, and a mystical forest, ending in a glowing bioluminescent jungle. It was built by the Korea-based studio d'strict and its Arte Museum division, the team behind immersive rooms in eight countries.

We went to check it out last week and it was such a fun, unique experience! You can sit in chairs along the outside of the dome or in bean bags in the center (our pick), and be fully immersed in both the imagery and sound. At one point, I almost expected to feel sea spray on may face.

The show lasts around 30 minutes, transitioning between a set of repeating scenes (giving you a chance to see everything regardless of which direction you look). My wife loved the starlight sea creature scene, and I loved the mystical, elemental forest (especially the dragon).

Both daytime and evening shows are on the schedule, and it is here for a limited run. If the summer heat has you hunting for indoor magic, this is a strong pick.

Showtimes and tickets.

🏛️ The Woodson African American Museum reopened Saturday after a six-month, $1 million renovation. The money was originally earmarked for the scrapped Gas Plant redevelopment plan, but the Woodson pivoted, went back to the state, and got the green light to pour it into its existing home at 2240 9th Ave S, with new floors, an expanded entrance and exhibit hall, a catering kitchen, and extra restrooms. The debut exhibit, "Many Voices, One Nation," was built with the Smithsonian and features two murals by artist Najee Dorsey. The Woodson is also one of the anchors of the new Gas Plant plan, so this feels like the first small step toward something much bigger.

⛴️ The Tampa Bay Ferry just cleared its last hurdle. City Council approved a three-year, $324,000 lease for a temporary dock off Bayshore Drive across from North Straub Park (the same spot the old Cross Bay Ferry used) which PSTA calls "the last piece in the puzzle before we can set sail." The year-round service to downtown Tampa is expected to launch before the end of the year at $10 one-way, while the city works on a permanent dock by the Pier that's still two to three years out.

🗳️ Your November ballot is filling up. Council gave first-round approval to a package of referendums headed to the Nov. 3 election, led by a $600 million general obligation bond for stormwater infrastructure sitting at the very top of the ballot. Also in the mix: freeing up nine city-owned lots in Methodist Town for up to 41 affordable and workforce homes, extending the Harborage Marina submerged-land lease, and raising lease limits at the Port of St. Petersburg. Public hearings are set for July 23 before the final vote to put them in front of voters.

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: BOGO frozen margs & $4 blackened chicken tacos every Tuesday at Cheeky’s.

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Oreo the dog or Doodlebug 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: Veterinarian

FLIGHT DEAL: TPA → Martha’s Vineyard. $194 round trip in August (48% less than usual). Escape our heat to another beach.

‘BURG ABODES: One-of-a-kind pool home in Allendale. $995,000 | 3bd 3ba | 2,365 sqft. You’ve gotta love those vaulted ceilings and that pool!

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!

Set your alarm and skip the getting-dressed part: the 53rd annual Sunrise Sale rolls into downtown this Thursday, July 16, at 6:43am (the exact minute the sun comes up), running all day. It's billed as St. Pete's largest pajama party created to help businesses during the slow summer season. Roll out of bed, throw on your comfiest PJs, and go shop.

Some 47 locally owned businesses across Beach Drive, Central Avenue, and the 4th Street corridor open at dawn with special promotions, and shoppers who show up in pajamas often get extra deals or little gifts for their commitment to the bit. Yellow flags, balloons, and bleary-eyed bargain hunters shuffle along the sidewalks, plus plenty of restaurants roll out early breakfast specials to fuel the browsing. It's one of the city's longest-running traditions (53 years now). Coffee first, then commerce.

See participating shops.

Healing Through Sound & Art Workshop | Chihuly Collection | Jul 16, 6:30 PM | $25 🎟️
Sound bath and art workshop

Tampa Bay Pro Wrestling | 3 Daughters Brewing | Jul 16, 7-9pm | $10 🎟️
Live pro wrestling at brewery

Art After Dark | Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg | Jul 16, 5-8pm | $16 🎟️
MFA after-hours evening event

Flick & Splash | Childs Park Pool | Childs Park Pool | Jul 17, 7-10pm | $1-$2
Movie night at the pool (Soul)

Pippy's Pop-Up Tonics Launch Party | Voodoo Brewing Co. | Jul 17, 4-8pm | Free
Non-alcoholic tonics debut

Spitfire Presents: Sizzlin Summer Bash | Spitfire Comedy House | Jul 17, 7:30-8:30pm | $120 🎟️
Improvised musical comedy show

PAVA Cool Art Show | St. Petersburg Coliseum | Jul 18, 10am-3pm | Free
Local artists summer art show

Wildflower Walk at Boyd Hill | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | Jul 18, 10-11:30am | $5 🎟️
Native wildflower identification walk

Romance on Central: Mini Book Fair | The Book Lounge | Jul 18, 12:00 PM | Free
Romance author book fair

Moth Night Hike at Boyd Hill | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | Jul 18, 8:30-10pm | $5 🎟️
Guided night hike for moths

Mahjong Night at Blush Tea + Coffee | Blush Tea + Coffee | Jul 18, 6-9pm | $10 🎟️
Mahjong game night with lessons

Hand Carved Wooden Spoons Workshop | Morean Arts Center | Jul 18, 11am-2pm | $75 🎟️
Beginner wood carving class

Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival | St. Pete Pier | Jul 19, 11:00 AM | Free 🎟️
National Ice Cream Day waterfront fest

Bamboo Building Workshop at Beech Kombucha | Beech Kombucha | Jul 19, 9am-3pm | $90 🎟️
Hands-on bamboo structure workshop

Al Downing Honors | The Palladium Theater | Jul 19, 4-6pm | $10-50 🎟️
Jazz tribute honors ceremony

Mayoral Candidate Meet & Greet Happy Hour | Bayboro Brewing Co. | Jul 21, 5-7pm | Free
Arts alliance civic mixer

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