Hello, Sunny Squad!

Happy April! We were so close to newsletter day being April 1, but I guess we’ll have a fool-free newsletter instead. We’re getting our hands dirty today, talking a bit about spring gardening in St. Pete. But don’t worry, if that’s not your thing, there’s plenty more beyond the garden in this edition.

Also, there’s a quick one-question feedback poll at the bottom of the newsletter, and I’d love to hear from you. You can leave a comment after voting, and I read them all!

Let’s dive in.

Spring is in full swing here in St. Pete, and I wanted to take the opportunity to share some garden updates, and recommend some of the easiest plants to get started with here in April.

A few months ago, I shared my love for the Everglades Tomato—a Florida native tomato that certainly the easiest to grow here—and I’m now starting to get green tomatoes on the vine! I’m a bit of a chaos gardener, so every tomato growing now (there are many) was the result of tossing tomatoes around my yard. No planting, so seed collection, just throwing tomatoes that split open when harvesting around my yard. These plants will be producing throughout the summer. The bottom left pictures are from last year for a single day’s picking, and you can get that many every week! These are small, but very flavorful, and I’ll be up to my ears in them with how many volunteers are popping up around the garden.

Additionally, now is a great time to start beans of any kind. I love pigeon pea, which grows as a small tree for a dried bean and yard-long bean (the name is no lie) for a green bean. Both are so, so easy to grow.

If you’ve got a smaller space and have a sweet potato that’s been in your pantry too long, plop it in some soil (in a planter box or right in the ground). Both the greens and the tuber are edible, plus they have beautiful purple flowers in the morning (sweet potatoes are in the Morning Glory family).

Speaking of flowers, back in the fall I wrote about Roselle, a type of hibiscus with edible calyxes that taste like cranberry. If you were one of the folks who received free seeds from me, now is a perfect time to plant them!

And lastly, who can forget the sunflower? Both Mexican and standard varieties do great here. The Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) is a great plant for frequent pruning to use as mulch, but it can be prolific and has potential to spread, so it isn’t a lazy person’s plant!

If you’re interested in getting seeds for your own garden, check out The Urban Harvest. Elise is a St. Pete local who sources the best seeds adapted for our micro-climate.

I also want to give a shoutout to one of my favorite trees in my garden—the Mulberry! You can find these growing in the wild, by the side of the road, and in people’s yards around town. If you’ve never had a mulberry, you’re missing out. They taste sweet and mildly tart, kind of like a mashup of a blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. You won’t find them in stores because they don’t have a great shelf life, but they are so easy to grow, and they are prolific. In fact, some people don’t like mulberries because they can cause a “mess” with all the fruit they drop. One man’s mess is another man’s munchies. There are many varieties, but if you’re interested in this tree, I recommend a black mulberry or everbearing mulberry.

Everbearing mulberries grow as a large shrub/small tree. As their name implies, they fruit several times per year, but their berries are smaller. Black mulberries can grow to be a good-sized tree and have larger, juicier berries. I recommend a hard pruning for both varieties. Not only does this help stimulate more fruit growth, it also lets you train the branches to stay lower to the ground so you can get to the fruit. They don’t ripen all at the same time, so I tend to take a little walk through the garden and grab as many as I want for a snack and let the birds and pollinators have the rest. Fair warning, they’ll stain your fingers purple!

I got seedling trees from Jene’s Tropicals, but you can find these at many nurseries and even on Facebook Marketplace.

If you want to get out to explore more local shops, April is the month to do it because we’ve a Coffee Crawl and the Bay Area Book Crawl. Is there a more perfect combination than coffee shops and bookstores?

St. Pete’s Coffee Crawl offers $5 off at 14 participating local coffee shops throughout the month of April for only $20 ($70 value). You only need to hit 4 shops to break even on the Coffee Crawl pass. It’s an awesome way to try out new spots and explore the local coffee scene.

Pair that with the Bay Area Book Crawl (running April 1-25), and you’ve got a match made in heaven. Pick up your passport from any of these local bookstores and take it to each of the others to get a stamp. Turn it back in to your local store on April 25 for Independent Bookstore Day, and each stamp enters you into a raffle to win prizes.

Lastly, but not quite as on theme, there is a Chicken Nugget Bar Crawl happening this Saturday in Downtown St. Pete. Check it out in the events listing at the bottom of the page if you’re interested!

The Statement, a dark comedy by Oscar-winning director Tom McCarthy will be filmed here in St. Pete. The film is based on a book (Losing Earth) set around a conference at the Don Cesar in the 1980s where attendees are tasked by Congress to write a statement about future plans around CO2 emissions. It stars Paul Rudd, Paul Giamatti, John Turturro, Amy Ryan, Evan Peters, Tatiana Maslany, and Jason Clarke

If you want to be an extra, Frontrunner casting is seeking locals on April 6, 7, and 8 here in St. Pete. The role pays $200 for 12 hours, and $50 for a fitting. If you own a 1965-1979 car, let casting know about that as well. Men may be asked to be given period grooming/haircuts.

To apply, email [email protected] with the subject line BG EXTRAS, and share a recent headshot, full body photo, contact info, sizes and measurements, available dates, and vehicle information if applicable.

We’re down to the Elite 8 for Mutt Madness (benefitting Pet Pal Animal Shelter)! We’ve got two adorable Willows, Gouda, Betty, Mabel, Bristol, Smush, and Simba vying for a trip to the Final Four!

*If you have trouble voting on iPhone, there is a link above the bracket that should work for you!

A reminder of what’s up for grabs:

Voting Round Dates:

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 thousands of neighbors?

DINNER CLUB: 100 folks signed up already, and only 20 spots left! Thursday, April 16 @ 6:30pm in Grand Central. Reserve your seat.

SUNNY CIRCLE TEE: Super soft and flattering on anyone. Get yours.

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Koda the dog or Ginger the cat.

FLIGHT DEAL: Direct from Tampa to Raleigh for $66 round trip.

‘BURG ABODES: Panoramic views at 400 Central. $2,549,000 | 3bd 3.5ba | 2,658 sqft. I know some folks have mixed feelings about the high-rises, but thought you might be interested to see the views!

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Powerboat

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!

Hop into spring at the St. Pete Pier for a full day of family-friendly festivities, including the area’s largest Easter egg hunt with over 20,000 hidden eggs. This vibrant waterfront celebration features live music, a magic show by the "Astonishing Houdanny," a high-energy Bounce Zone, and a special visit from the Easter Bunny himself for photos.

The egg hunts take place hourly starting at 11:30am for kids aged 12 and under. While the festival and hunts are free, you can upgrade to a VIP Ticket for guaranteed front-of-the-line access, a pre-filled Easter basket, and a Bounce Zone wristband. Between hunts, refuel with local favorites from food vendors like Big Red BBQ and Maggie on the Move.

Free tickets are required for the egg hunts and tend to sell out quickly online. Secure your time slot in advance to ensure your little ones don't miss out on the candy-filled fun!

Experience the magic of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical under the stars as American Stage returns to Demens Landing Park. Into the Woods weaves together iconic fairy tales—from Cinderella to Little Red Riding Hood—to explore what happens after "happily ever after" in a production that is as thought-provoking as it is enchanting.

Running Wednesdays through Sundays, this beloved St. Pete tradition features a live orchestra and a world-class cast. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or low-back chairs to enjoy the performance on the park’s sprawling lawn, with special theme nights throughout the run, including Pets in the Park (April 12) and Pride Night (April 19).

For Sunny St. Pete readers, you can get BOGO Free with discount code SCOOP26.

First Friday St. Pete | 2nd St N & Central Ave | Apr 3, 6–10pm | Free
Monthly street festival with music.

The Art of Coffee: A Tasting Journey | Imagine Museum | Apr 3, 10–11am | $5–$10 🎟️
Guided coffee tasting at museum

Ali Wong Live | Mahaffey Theater | Apr 4, 7pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Sharp stand-up by Emmy winner.

St. Petersburg Renaissance Faire — Opening Weekend | England Brothers Park, Pinellas Park | Apr 4, 10am-6pm | $25–$30 🎟️
Ren faire with jousting performers

Chicken Nugget Bar Crawl | Downtown St. Pete | Apr 4, 12pm | $13 🎟️
Downtown St. Pete nugget crawl

3rd Annual Blue Crabs & R&B Festival | Tropicana Field Parking Lot | Apr 4–5, 2–8pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Crabs and R&B music festival.

Book + Bottle in the Wild: Nature, Sourdough & Reading Retreat | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | Apr 4, 9am–3pm | $135 🎟️
Nature retreat with sourdough workshop.

Yoga Poolside at The Hollander Hotel | Hollander Hotel | Apr 4, 8:30–9:15am | $5–$20 🎟️
Poolside morning yoga flow session

Bock Fest | German American Society of Pinellas County | Apr 4, 12–7pm | Prices vary 🎟️
German beer festival with music.

Polaroid Photography Workshop | Morean Arts Center | Apr 4, 1:30–4:30pm | $80 🎟️
Learn instant photography with prints.

Mezzo Market Spring Edition | Baum Ave | Apr 4, 11am-4pm | Free
Outdoor market with many vendors.

Ali Wong Live (Second Show) | Mahaffey Theater | Apr 5, 7pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Popular stand-up comedy performance night.

Want to see the full list of events this weekend and in the coming months? Plus, local shows and concerts coming up? Peep the guide below.

Looking for details on markets this week?

Know someone who’d love to hear the local scoop? If you refer 10 friends, you’ll get a free t-shirt! Here’s your personalized referral link that you can copy and paste easily to share.

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

Stay Sunny,
Josh