Welcome back!

Is it just me or did April fly by? Looking ahead, May is going to be a lot of fun! We’ve already got Cinco De Mayo festivities starting this weekend, the Sunscreen Film Festival, plus Rays and Rowdies games to enjoy.

Speaking of the Rays, if you’re looking to snag a deal, you can get $30 all-you-can-eat-and-drink tickets for the series against the Giants this weekend. Saturday tickets already sold out, but Friday and Sunday are still available. Get the deal here, and I’ll see you there!

The beloved (and previously largest) bookstore in Florida, Haslam's Books on Central Ave, has been sitting dark for five years since it closed in 2020 with roughly 300,000 books still inside. Last anyone heard publicly from co-owner Ray Hinst was in 2021.

“For a variety of personal and professional reasons Suzanne and I are still undecided about reopening the bookstore to the public,” Hinst explained. “We appreciate everyone’s interest and are trying to consider all aspects of the situation.”

Multiple offers to buy the store have been turned down, leaving everyone to wonder what the plan is for the shop and all its contents. Filipe Bergson, a 32-year-old St. Pete illustrator and designer, decided to stop wondering and start doing something about it.

Every Saturday in April, he's set up a pop-up in front of the old store selling custom "bootleg" Haslam's t-shirts, stickers, and a self-printed zine, with the proceeds going toward buying the building and reopening it as a bookstore or comic shop.

It's one of the more creative community efforts we've seen around a St. Pete landmark in a long time. If you've been walking past that shuttered storefront on Central Ave and feeling some kind of way about it, here's a place to put that feeling.

Pop-ups every Saturday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. | 2025 Central Ave. The shirts and zine are also available at spnchspnch.com, and submissions for the zine are open if you want in.

Sea turtle nesting season officially begins May 1, which means starting tomorrow night, loggerhead sea turtles will be coming ashore on St. Pete Beach and across Pinellas County's Gulf-side beaches to lay their eggs.

For the next several months, the routine on the beach shifts a little. A few things that actually matter: lights visible from the beach can disorient nesting females and hatchlings, so if you're in a beachfront property, turn those off after dark. Keep dogs leashed and away from the dune line at night. If you spot a nest stake and ribbon, walk around it. And if you see a turtle coming ashore, watch from a distance. No flashlights or phone screens near her.

The upside: if you're patient and on the right stretch of beach at the right hour, you might actually see one come in. Florida Fish and Wildlife has a guide to the best viewing spots here.

It's one of the more quietly spectacular things about living in Florida, and it’s always good to remember that we share this coastline with so many amazing creatures.

The cross-bay ferry between downtown St. Pete and downtown Tampa is officially coming back, and this time it's not a seasonal weekend pilot: PSTA is planning year-round, seven-day-a-week service starting as early as this summer.

Two boats are in the works. PSTA already purchased a vessel called the Bay Breeze for $2.5 million, with a second vessel coming in from San Francisco — both funded by a $4.8 million federal grant. Madeira Beach-based Hubbard's Marina was approved unanimously as the new operator. The St. Pete departure dock will launch from a temporary spot at North Straub Park, while a permanent pier location near the Museum of History is being evaluated for down the road.

Fare: $10 one-way, with senior discounts. That's cheaper than the old pilot pricing, and the goal is daily ridership (commuters and weekend visitors both).

If you've been waiting for a reason to leave the car at home, you’ve got options this summer.

Café Clementine, the airy, delicious bakery inside the Museum of Fine Arts on Beach Drive, has been one of the best morning spots in downtown for a while now. Now they're doing evenings, and if you know the space, you can already picture it.

L'Apéro runs every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. The concept borrows from the French apéritif tradition: natural wines, local beer, savory and sweet small plates, fresh baked goods, and the kind of laid-back atmosphere that doesn't feel like happy hour so much as an excuse to slow down on a weeknight. The light off the waterfront at that hour shouldn’t hurt either.

We were just at Café Clementine this weekend for breakfast (I got a delicious vegan chocolate zucchini cake and a tasty latte), but I’m excited to head back to experience L'Apéro.

If you're reading this Thursday morning: tonight is L'Apéro night. You have plans now.

Congratulations to Simba, the 2026 Mutt Madness Top Dog! This 13 year-old cancer surviving mutt won over all of our hearts, and the championship is well deserved.

Big thank you to all the participants, our sponsors (Mutts & Martinis, St. PetersBark Natural Pet Market, Moo’s Ba[r]kery), and everyone who voted. We raised $1,000 that I’ll be donating to Pet Pal Animal Shelter this week!

I can’t wait to do it again next year! We’ll make it even bigger and better 🐶.

🛳️ The city is taking the lead on the $148M downtown municipal marina redevelopment after walking away from Safe Harbor Marinas, with Skanska and Cummins Cederberg now driving design and permitting. The contract goes before City Council in June, with construction targeted for late 2028 and an opening in 2031, meaning the city keeps ownership, more public waterfront access, and more resident input along the way.

🗳️ Former Governor and Congressman Charlie Crist has officially filed to challenge incumbent Mayor Ken Welch in the November 2026 St. Pete mayoral race, entering with a $1.2M war chest to Welch's $500K+ already raised. It's shaping up to be the most consequential mayoral race in years that'll likely steer the conversation on Gas Plant redevelopment, housing reform, and the marina project.

🏟️ Tonight at 5 p.m. at The Coliseum, the city hosts a public open house with the four shortlisted teams competing to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District. Developer presentations at 6 p.m., Q&A to follow, with a Zoom option if you can't make it in person. Details.

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: The May 14th Dinner Club filled up so fast, and tons of people reached out wanting to attend, so I scheduled another one for May 28th. Reserve your seat while you can!

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

CATCH OF THE DAY: Adopt Gunter the dog or Beans the cat.

FLIGHT DEAL: Direct from Tampa → Wilmington for $88 round-trip for on May 7-14 (68% lower than usual). Historic riverwalk, Wrightsville Beach a short drive away.

‘BURG ABODES: Two fully furnished homes in Uptown. $995,000 | 6bd 4ba | 3,788 sqft. Move the whole family in!

LAST WEEK’S SCRAMBLE: Tortoise

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St. Pete’s premier cinematic event returns for four days of independent film magic! With over 200 films spanning documentaries, comedies, and Florida-made features like Fighting for Florida, Sunscreen Film Festival offers a world-class movie experience right in the heart of downtown.

Catch screenings at AMC Sundial and Greenlight Cinema, then head to Coastal Creative on Saturday, May 2, for the high-energy awards ceremony. Beyond the films, the festival features a full track of workshops on screenwriting and directing, plus intimate Q&As where you can chat directly with the filmmakers.

Skip the single-day tickets and grab a Festival Pass. It’s the best value for accessing the workshops, panels, and the famous after-parties where the real industry networking happens!

Community Open Mic: Poetry Edition | St. Pete Youth Farm | Apr 30, 6-7:30pm | Free
Community poetry at Youth Farm

Bonsai & Brews Workshop at Central Park | Central Park St. Pete | Apr 30, 6:30-8:30pm | $80 🎟️
Hands-on tree styling with drinks

FloridaRAMA & St. Pete Month of Photography Launch | FloridaRAMA | Apr 30, 5-7pm | Free
Launch reception for photo contest

33rd Annual Spring King of the Beach | Madeira Beach Recreation Complex | Apr 30-May 2, 5-9pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Competitive three day kingfish tournament

Brenda McMahon Gallery 7-Year Anniversary | Brenda McMahon Gallery | May 1, 5:30-8pm | Free
Gulfport art gallery anniversary reception

Giants vs. Tampa Bay Rays | Tropicana Field | May 1-3, hours vary | Prices vary 🎟️
Three game series against Giants

First Friday St. Pete | 2nd St N & Central Ave | May 1, 6-10pm | Free
Downtown street festival, live music

Tampa Bay Chalk Festival | Deuces Live District | May 2, 10:00 AM | Free
Chalk art on the Deuces

Kentucky Derby Watch Party | Par Bar | May 2, 12-7pm | Free
Hats, mint juleps, live racing

Family Day in the Chihuly Garden | Chihuly Collection | May 2, 9:00 AM | Prices vary 🎟️
Creative art activities for families

An Unforgettable Evening of Comedy & Magic | Catherine A Hickman Theater | May 2, 6-8pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Comedy magic show for charity

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Indy Eleven | Al Lang Stadium | May 2, 7:30 PM | Prices vary 🎟️
Professional USL championship home match

Chess and Climbing at Vertical Ventures | Vertical Ventures | May 2, 3:00 PM | Free
Casual chess at rock gym

Run Club 4 Mfs Pre-Cinco Bar Crawl | One Night Stand | May 2, 2:00 PM | Free 🎟️
Nine bar crawl free shots

Official Cinco de Mayo Bar Crawl | Tequila Daisy | May 2, 4:00 PM | Prices vary 🎟️
Festive downtown Cinco bar crawl

MAACM Family Day: Fun Fabric Bowls | Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement | May 2, 10am-1pm | Prices vary 🎟️
A family fabric craft workshop

Bird Walk | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | May 2, 8-9:30am | Free
Observe native birds with Audubon

Grand Central District Dos de Mayo Festival | Grand Central District, 23rd St N, St. Pete | May 2, 2-7pm | $5 🎟️
Street food party with entertainment

SSSSSSnakes of Boyd Hill | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve | May 2, 10:00 AM | Prices vary 🎟️
Nature program about native snakes

LibraryCon | President Barack Obama Main Library | May 2, 11am-2pm | Free
Comic book and nerd celebration

Florida NOW Opening Reception | Florida CraftArt | May 2, 6-9pm | Free
Kickoff of statewide craft biennial

Derby at the Pier | St. Pete Pier | May 2, 3-9pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Kentucky Derby horse race viewing

Mamapalooza: Music & Family Festival | Warehouse Arts District | May 3, 11am-4pm | Free
Mother's Day music art festival

Indie Flea Spring Series – Last Spring Flea | Mirror Lake Park, 175 5th St N, St. Pete | May 3, 12pm-4pm | Free
Outdoor street fair with vendors.

Paws + Pours Dog Walk | The Farm | May 3, 10:00 AM | 🎟️
Morning stroll and patio games

Mommy & Me Princess Tea Party | Great Explorations Children’s Museum | May 3, 10am-12pm | Prices vary 🎟️
Royal-themed mother and child tea

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