Welcome back, friends!

It’s a rare thing that’s coming our way on Sunday. We have a blue moon (the second full moon in the month of May), which also happens to be a micromoon (opposite of a supermoon). It won’t actually be blue, either, in case you go out looking for it.

Let’s dive in.

Last week, based on feedback from readers, I asked you all which day you’d prefer to have the newsletter delivered—Thursday or Friday.

Well, the results are in, and Wednesday won in a landslide, with nearly 80% of the votes.

So, with that, keep an out for Sunny St. Pete in your inbox next Wednesday and all Wednesdays thereafter!

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season officially kicks off this coming Monday and runs through November 30.

The good news: Pinellas County and the City of Clearwater are co-hosting a free Hurricane Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 30. They'll have evacuation zone lookups, supply kit guidance, generator demos, and folks who can answer your questions directly. If you've moved to St. Pete in the last year or two and haven't gone through a real preparedness conversation yet, you may want to consider going.

A few things worth doing this week regardless: download the Ready Pinellas app (it tells you your evacuation zone in about 10 seconds), sign up for Alert Pinellas notifications (links here), and stash a week of water and meds somewhere you can grab on a Friday afternoon. If you’ve got shutters or generators, get them out and make sure you know how to use them!

We live in paradise, but the price of admission is taking June through November seriously. Our old house on St. Pete Beach took five feet of water during Helene, and the Rays are just getting back in the Trop. We’re always going to hope for the best and prepare for the worst!

Plus, everyone knows if you spend a bunch of time getting fully prepared, then nothing will happen… that’s just how the universe works.

Pride season in St. Pete doesn't start in June. It starts this Friday, May 29, and the Grand Central District is ready.

The kickoff weekend runs May 29 through May 31. The centerpiece is a street festival along Central Ave, right in the heart of the neighborhood that's been home to St. Pete's LGBTQ+ community for decades. Think vendor tents, live music, food, and a block that basically invented Pride as St. Pete knows it today.

This stretch of Grand Central has deep roots in Pride history, and the kickoff weekend is the neighborhood doing what it does best: showing up loud and making sure everyone feels welcome.

The fun continues throughout the weekend at Sky Beach with a Pickleball Tournament, Beach Party, and Drag Brunch.

The full Pride festival runs through most of June, but this weekend is the opening act. Show some pride.

In honor of today’s fully-booked Dinner Club, we’re highlighting one of the restaurants included in the lineup for this evening: Good Intentions.

Good Intentions is vegan comfort food done right; meaning you’d never know it was vegan if no one told you. The first time we went, my wife double checked with our server because she was worried about my dairy allergy after seeing the food.

The menu bounces between New American, Korean, Southern, and more, with a seasonal rotation and local suppliers for many of the ingredients. We love the lemon whipped ricotta with pistachio pesto and Szechuan chili agave. We get it as an appetizer every time. I still don’t understand it, but the crab fries and the gnocchi from our last trip tasted 100% authentic.

Grab a seat at the horseshoe bar wrapped in hanging plants and order the espresso martini. Vegan or not, this one's worth the trip. Dinner Tuesday through Sunday, brunch Saturday and Sunday starting at 10am.

Go check them out and have your mind blown by what plant-based food can taste like.

It’s now been a year since the Elliot Aster opened its doors, so here’s a look at what many consider to be one of St. Pete’s best restaurant.

Elliott Aster is the fine-dining anchor at the renovated Vinoy Resort & Golf Club at 501 5th Avenue NE, and it's the first restaurant in St. Pete from Chicago's Boka Restaurant Group (the team behind Boka, Girl & The Goat, Momotaro, and a string of other renowned spots around the country). Leading the kitchen is chef Lee Wolen, a Michelin-honored chef and 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist who made the trip down from Boka in Chicago to launch this one personally.

The concept: refined Italian steak and seafood, leaning hard into wood-fired cooking and the kind of sourcing you can only get at a hotel of this scale. The dining room is a soaring restoration of the Vinoy's original 1920s spaces (terrazzo floors, vaulted ceilings, roaring 20s glamour) with a separate cocktail lounge built around classic Italian aperitivo culture.

From what I’ve read, expect to spend $100 per person, but it’s well worth it. So, if you’ve got cash burning a hole in your pocket or want to shell out for an extra special occasion, this is one to try. Reserve a table now.

🎨 Florida's new state budget earmarks $20 million for the arts statewide, and our own MFA St. Pete is in line for $150,000 of it. Good news for the museum, and for anyone who likes having world-class art a short walk from the waterfront.

🚗 Howard Frankland trail & express lanes are open. The nearly $1 billion bridge project just added something genuinely new to your Thursday: a 7-mile, 12-foot-wide trail stretching across Tampa Bay, with four shaded sail overlooks along the way. Pedestrians and cyclists can now cross the bay on foot for the first time, toll-free, alongside the newly opened express lanes.

🥦 The city's PeliCAN grant program is funding mobile produce vendors to bring fresh fruits and vegetables into St. Pete's underserved neighborhoods. If you run a mobile food business and want to be part of it, the application deadline is May 31.

🏗️ City Council denied an appeal challenging Alton Skyway, clearing the way for the 619-unit, eight-building apartment development to move forward on a 17.25-acre site in the Skyway Marina District.

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: We’ve been selling out each time! Next up is June 11 & July 1. Reserve your seat while you can!

CROSSWALK SUPERSOFT TEE: 50% of proceeds donated to St. Pete Pride! Get yours in honor of Pride Month!

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Chimmi the dog or Zilla the cat.

FLIGHT DEAL: TPA → Charleston. $118 round trip in August (50% cheaper than usual).

‘BURG ABODES: Frank Alback Mid-century modern in Lakewood Estates. $558,000 | 3bd 2ba | 1,991 sqft. Look at the original floors and wallpaper!

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Thunderstorm

Intrepid Travel has just launched its new Premium Family range — eight new trips across Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, India, Borneo, Vietnam, Morocco, Thailand and Egypt. Small groups of three to five families. Intrepid's most experienced local guides. Immersive, kid-focused activities and elevated stays, with all the logistics handled for you. Watch baby orangutans learn to climb in Borneo. Stargaze at a desert camp in Morocco. Spot leopards on safari in India. These aren't holidays where you watch the world through a window — they're the kind of trips kids remember when they're grown up. Bookings for Intrepid's Family range grew 19% in 2025, and their new Premium tier is their fastest-growing travel style for good reason.

Explore Premium Family trips

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!

Step back in time for a night of timeless charm at the Old Florida Soiree, hosted by Pathfinder Outdoor Education. Gather under the lights at the historic St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club for a nostalgic evening celebrating community, connection, and the natural beauty of the Sunshine State.

The event features classic Florida vibes, local refreshments, and plenty of shuffleboard fun. Best of all, the evening directly benefits the Pathfinder Youth Scholarship Fund, helping provide meaningful, hands-on outdoor education and leadership programs for local students.

Town Hall: Advancing Composting Solutions in St. Pete | Sans Market | May 28, 7:30-8:30pm | Free
Community composting town hall

Art After Dark at The Dalí | The Dalí Museum | May 28, 5-8pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Evening museum hours at the Dalí

Center Peace: Meditative Mandala Experience | Chihuly Collection | May 29, 6-8pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Mandala meditation among glass art

Rays vs Angels | Tropicana Field | May 29-31, times vary | Prices Vary
Rays weekend series.

Nothing Plein About It | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | May 30, 9-11am | Free
Plein air nature painting session

Christy's Thirsty Mural, Beer & Pizza Ride | St. Pete Biking | May 30, 2-6pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Mural-hopping beer & pizza ride

Secondhand Market at St. Pete Youth Farm | St. Pete Youth Farm | May 30, 9am-12pm | Free
Thrift & vintage outdoor market

Blooming in Black – 6th Annual Artist Exhibit | St. Petersburg | May 30, | Free
Black artists annual exhibition opening

Care About Me Wellness Festival | 5010 81st Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781 | May 30, 10am–3pm | Free
Free family wellness & fitness fest

Rays Postgame Concert with Cole Swindell | Tropicana Field | May 30, 4:10 PM | Prices vary 🎟️
Cole Swindell post-game concert

The Club Wellness Festival | St. Pete Pier | May 31, 11am-2pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Wellness fest with workouts

Pier Teaki Full Moon Nights | Pier Teaki | May 31, 7-10pm | Free
Full moon rooftop tiki night

Page to Picture: The Princess Bride | Green Light Cinema | May 31, 3-7pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Book club plus Princess Bride film

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