Creative Loafing Tampa — December 25, 2025

DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 (VOL.38, NO.52) • $FREE CREATIVE LOAFING - CLTAMPABAY.COM

INSIDE: a GOODS & SERVICES ENCORE, celebrating this year's

winners and finalists

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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

EVAN STOUT C/O GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Editorial MANAGING EDITOR Selene San Felice FOOD & DRINK CRITIC Kyla Fields FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Kelly Buttermore, Annalise Mabe, Justin Peters, Eric Snider, David Warner PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker FALL INTERNS Alisha Duroiser, Sophia Lowrie, Emily McLaughlin (apply for summer by emailing clips and a resume to rroa@cltampa.com) Creative Services CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora GRAPHIC DESIGNER Paul Pavlovich POLITICAL CARTOONIST Bob Whitmore ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson Advertising SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Anthony Carbone, Dan Winkler CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER Jerrica Schwartz Events and Marketing MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Leigh Wilson SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Lauren Caplinger MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Kristin Bowman

It’s finally time to say goodbye to 2025.

Sofi Tucker concert among top NYE events, p. 40.

Circulation CIRCULATION MANAGER Ted Modesta Chava Communications Group FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Michael Wagner CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Cassandra Yardeni Wagner CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Graham Jarrett VP OF OPERATIONS Hollie Mahadeo DIRECTOR OF AGENCY SERVICES Kelsey Molina ART DIRECTOR David Loyola DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Jaime Monzon

NEWS+VIEWS ������������������������� 27 FOOD+DRINK �������������������ONLINE A+E ����������������������������������������� 37

chavagroup.com cltampabay.com cldeals.com

MUSIC WEEK �������������������������� 47

EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

SAVAGE LOVE ������������������������� 51 CROSSWORD �������������������������� 54

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Events & Media, LLC, 633 N Franklin St., Suite 735. Tampa, Florida, 33602.

Hillsborough’s Sheriff got the big headlines this year.

The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampabay.com. Copyright 2023, Tampa Events and Media, LLC.

The year in headlines, p.27.

The newspaper is produced and printed on Indigenous land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.

ON THE COVER: Design by David Loyola.

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DAVE DECKER

/food What resolution? /music New concerts /arts Our favorite books /news Dave Decker’s top ‘25 photos

S U M U E M E S !

M A J E HOL IDAYS AT TH HOLIDAY BREAK DROP-IN FAMILY ART STUDIO

DEC. 26 - JAN. 3

421b18 f5e7c4

AND MORE! CHECK OUR CALENDAR FOR ALL EVENTS

THEJAMESMUSEUM.ORG cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 5

Help keep local journalism alive this giving season.

F

or 36 years, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has amplified the voices others overlook. Now we’re launching the Tampa Bay Journalism Project to strengthen independent, local reporting on issues that matter—housing, transportation, arts, food, and accountability. Your tax-deductible support helps fund non-paywalled journalism for our community. Help support Creative Loafing Tampa during this giving season. Donating is easy, visit bit.ly/anfCLTampa

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MODERN MEXICAN COMING SOON Our restaurant is dedicated to the ancient art of NIXTAMALIZATION. We transform raw corn into delicious, fresh masa for our homemade tortillas, each one crafted con amor. From tacos to savory mole, every dish at CON AMOR is a celebration of flavor and tradition.

5240 N Florida Ave, Tampa • conamorfl.com Follow us on Instagram @conamor.fl cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 7

do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from December 25 - 31

Grove-y baby

TAMPABAYCLUBSPORT/FACEBOOK

This weekend is your last chance to check out “Between Two Groves,” Karian Yanes’s solo exhibition at the Morean Center for Clay. Through ceramics, Yanes shares her experience at the intersection of Puerto Rican, Palestinian and Midwestern culture, exploring how stories and traditions transform across time, memory, and diaspora.

The show’s largest work, “All We Ate Was Watermelon,” is a 12-foot-tall mixed-media sculpture with 3,480 ceramic pieces protecting an orange branch modeled after a traditional Palestinian cross-stitch pattern. It’s surrounded by a series of ceramic wall hangings that show fragments of Yanes’ family history using scenes from her family’s orange grove in Palestine and imagery from Puerto Rico, where her grandfather worked in a juice factory, along with references to her ‘90s Ohio childhood and elements of her current life in Florida.

Between Two Groves: Through Saturday, Dec. 27. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. No cover. Morean Center for Clay, 420 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg. moreanartscenter.org—Selene San Felice

C/O MOREAN ARTS CENTER

Elf off

What does Santa do to let loose the weekend after Christmas? Apparently, relive his college days. Tampa Bay Club Sport hosts a “Bad Santa” bar Olympics, where teams of four compete in classic bar games. Beverages will be provided for events that need them, and each team gets eight free drink tickets. Competitors can register alone for $30 or as a team of four for $120.

‘Bad Santa’ Bar Olympics: Saturday, Dec. 27. 1 p.m. Rec Dec St. Pete, 380 105th Ter. NE, St. Petersburg. tampabayclubsport.com—Selene San Felice Year-end zone

Vanderbilt and Iowa face off for the first time ever for this year’s ReliaQuest Bowl on the day of New Year’s Eve. Vanderbilt brings a historic 10-win season with an offense led by Heisman finalist Diego Pavia. Iowa’s famous defense is ready for the team’s seventh bowl in Tampa after a slightly disappointing 8-4 season. But the Hawkeyes’ secret ingredient this year is in their offense: Mark Gronowski. The South Dakota State transfer set a program record of 15 rushing TDs by a quarterback this season, and became the team’s first member ever to rush for, throw, and catch a touchdown in the same game (vs. USC). Either way, Tampa Bay wins.

The bowl’s economic impact has reached an estimated $1.2 billion since it started as the Hall of Fame Bowl 40 years ago, Tampa Bay Business and Wealth recently reported. It was the Outback Bowl from 1995 to 2022 before the Tampa-based cybersecurity firm cut the check. Teams will be in town five days early for events, including a beach day and parade.

ReliaQuest Bowl: Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Noon. $95 & up. Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa. reliaquestbowl.com—Selene San Felice PHOTOCREDIT

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See more (and submit your event) @ cltampa.com You’re whale-come

Escape from the madness of the holidays into this immersive deep-sea experience, where the garish reds and greens of Christmas and black and golds of New Year’s are nowhere to be seen. No carols, no “ho ho ho”-ing. Just the endless blue and the meditative sounds of animals who don’t know what a holiday even is. “Sounds of the Ocean” promises “a captivating blend of art, music, and mindfulness that transports you straight into the ocean’s embrace,” per MOSI’s event description. Inside what’s now America’s second-largest planetarium, mesmerizing deep-sea visuals pair with the natural music of whale and dolphin sounds, combined with original music composed by humans. For those who can’t make it this weekend or want an encore, it’ll be back in MOSI’s dome again on Jan. 11.

Sounds of the Ocean: Sunday, Dec. 28. 7:15 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. $18-$34. Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. mosi. org—Selene San Felice

C/O SOUNDS OF THE OCEAN

Gee, thanks

Habari Gani

There’s a reason Mariah Carey didn’t write “All I want for Christmas is more socks.”

But hey, someone out there might want them. And you might actually like the smell of that candle they got. Give regifting a chance at the St. Pete Elk’s Lodge this weekend.

Last year’s haul included a pickle lover’s gift set, pampering kits, a dancing party game and fake lashes. It’s the thought, and lack of receipt, that counts.

MORENO01/SHUTTERSTOCK

STPETEYOUTHFARM/FACEBOOK

Re-Gift Party: Saturday, Dec. 27. 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover. Elks Lodge No. 1224, 2675 66th St. N, St. Petersburg. bpoe1224.com—Selene San Felice

The first night of Kwanzaa centers on the principle of umoja, meaning “unity” in Swahili. St. Pete Youth Farm practices the concept every day with workshops, programs and events to promote a happier, healthier Tampa Bay. On Friday, community members will gather to celebrate and reflect on the African proverb “I am because we are.” It’s one of the farm’s biggest events of the year, with drumming, family-friendly activities and free food. Carla Bristol, who heads the farm, posts more Kwanzaa events around St. Pete at fb.com/kwanzaastpete.

12th Annual First Night of Kwanzaa: Friday, Dec. 26.

5 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. St. Pete Youth Farm, 1664 12th St. S, St. Petersburg. stpeteyouthfarm. org—Selene San Felice

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put a woof over their head

NOW OPEN!

because pets are family too

This holiday season, keep domestic violence survivors and their pets safe.

Fresh, Never-Frozen,

Help CASA renovate its kennel & care for survivors’ pets.

Authentic Mexican Cuisine scan to donate

24-hr domestic violence hotline: 727-895-4912 | casapinellas.org | @casapinellas

CASA’S Shelter housed 87 pets in the past year: cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, and fish.

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Heights Drive-Thru RAY ROA

Do you need a good rattlesnake reliquary in 2026?

Trent Alyse has you covered. Last fall, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor Annalise Mabe profiled the founder of Kitty Bomb Curios, naming the Florida State grad Best Corpse Reviver. Alyse is one of the many locals celebrated last fall for the latest edition of Best of the Bay. Because we all need last minute gifts, or the contact for a good handyman, nip and tuck doc, head shop and more, we’ve brought back critics and readers picks from the goods, services, plus health and beauty section from BOTB 2025. Happy holidays, readers.

—Ray Roa

Best 24-Hour Emergency Room

Orlando Health ER, Crossroads

Not all ERs are like the one on The Pitt. Opened in West St. Pete’s Crossroads area in 2023, Orlando Health’s free-standing emergency room is a shiny, bright, nicely decorated 14,000-sq-ft space on the ground floor of a building that also houses medical offices. During recent visits—maybe it was the time of day?—the atmosphere was downright serene. And the care couldn’t have been better. bayfronthealth.com—David Warner

styles and change looks “as much or as often as you want,” Ferrari continues to curate her own unique looks while encouraging others to find theirs. valhallaresale.com—Annalise Mabe

Best Doc to See if You’ve Got Nerve Pain

Dr. Brian Mavretich

Many of us, when we reach a certain age, add a pain specialist to our (ever-expanding) list of doctors. If and when you do—and let’s hope you don’t—consider Dr. Mavretich, or as his staff calls him, Dr. Brian. He’s a superb diagnostician who then develops an evidence-based treatment plan. He has an easy-going, friendly demeanor and never seems to be in a hurry when you’re in the room.

As someone with sciatic pain from wearand-tear on my spine, I can only speak to Dr. Brian’s nerve blocks. Let’s just say he’s a wizard with a needle.

He’ll give you a home-exercise plan, too. He’s on staff at Florida Medical Pain Management in St. Petersburg. fmpm.com—Eric Snider

Best Curator Of Man-Repelling Outfits

Best Drywall Screws At Unbeatable Prices

scene again, and this time, she’s trying something new. “When my ex and I were together,” Ferrari said, “I realized that my favorite outfits were actually the ones he hated.” Now, Ferrari is using her personal styling of clothes to fully embrace who she is—especially on dates. “Cute and sexy—those are easy. My favorite outfits are the ones that show I’m bold, different, and creative,” she added. It’s like a litmus test for the people she’s going on dates with now. For the guys who are repelled or confused, she knows right away it’s not going to work. And as owner of Valhalla, the resale shop that allows members to rent endless

How do we know that we actually live in Tampa now? For one thing, we have a favorite hardware store—and it’s this lovely, laid-back place with a store cat, a surprisingly good sauce section, hoses priced to move, and a whole room full of loose screws. Whereas going to Lowe’s or Home Depot tends to induce panic attacks in both of us, we’ll invent reasons to stop by Ace Bay to Bay Hardware, chat with their friendly staff, and see if that can of antique walnut polycrylic stain we need is back in stock yet. Friends, it never is. baytobayace.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Danielle Ferrari, Valhalla Resale Bay To Bay Ace Hardware Danielle Ferrari of Valhalla Resale is on the dating

Best Entertainment Nostalgia Rush

Best LGBTQ-Owned Tattoo Spot

With all due respect to toy collectors, action figures don’t have to be sealed for you to enjoy them. This St. Pete spot about 10 minutes away from Largo Mall sells a plethora of loose action figures from across all fandoms (including some of the original Star Wars toys your parents probably had, or dreamed of having, as a kid). If you’re not a toy person, there are also hundreds of comic books for sale, as well as a small wall of VHS tapes and DVDs, Legos, and even a section for GameBoy Advance cartridges. Basically, if there’s one thing Retro Rat knows, it’s that you don’t have to adult every waking hour of your existence. @retrorattoys on Instagram—Josh Bradley

With gay rights on the line more than ever, there is no time more important than now to support LGBTQ+ owned businesses. And there’s more to this hidden gem on Tampa’s 40th Street than just being a gay-owned business. Polar, opened by Jared Montgomery in 2021, has a small but incredibly mighty team, with at least one artist able to specialize in whatever design you’re dreaming of.

Obviously, you should take your artist’s advice about potential changes into consideration, but the artists at Polar will reprint and replace your stencil as many times as you need without making you feel annoying. The studio (dressed with a handful of gay icons) is incredibly spacious with a warm, welcoming environment, whether it’s your first tat, or your 100th. Oh, and don’t forget your free pack of fruit snacks when you’re done getting inked. polartattoo.com—Josh Bradley

Retro Rat, St. Petersburg

Best Hairstylist For Introverts Or People Who Are Burned Out

Melanie Shadday, Color Hair Collective

Melanie Shadday, owner of Color Collective Hair Studio in South Tampa, didn’t invent silent appointments, but adopted them after noticing the trend offered by a few progressive hairstylists. “In a world where we’re constantly connected and processing nonstop information, it’s no surprise that many of us feel mentally drained. And I want my services to be the opposite of draining!” Shadday said. When she’s sitting in the chair herself, she’s always appreciated the option of a silent service, so now, she offers her guests just that—an opportunity to relax while receiving their service without any pressure to chat or yap. As a mom, she knows how it feels to be overstimulated, and just how meaningful a little bit of peace and tranquility can be. @colorbymelanie on Instagram—Annalise Mabe

Polar Tattoo Studio

Best Place To Bug Out

USF Entomology Society

There’s a class of people who love to crack open logs to find beetles, millipedes, and roaches. The college-aged ones are members of the University of South Florida Entomology Society. Founded in 2022, the club meets every other Monday on the third floor of the Marshall Center. Its first meeting this semester found president Taylor Rand leading a heavy presentation on the evolution of bugs that was informational and emotional at the same time (how many mass extinctions can bugs go through, man??). Surprisingly, the society is open to budding entomologists, and casual bug-lovers, too—just ask my five-year-old who was offered roaches to take home on his very first day with the group. @usf. entomologysociety on Instagram—Ray Roa

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CRITICS PICKS: GOODS&SERVICES ENCORE

CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025 continued from page 13

Best Place To Get A Chair, A Plaid Shirt, And/Or A Book About Lumberjacks

The Far Forest

Best Place For An Underpriced Merchandising Fridge, And Stories To Last You All Year Long

Knockin’ Boots Saloon

No state has better dive bars than Florida— Wisconsin admittedly comes close—and no bar we’ve visited here over the past 12 months is diveier than the Knockin’ Boots Saloon in Largo, a broken-down-looking smoking bar that’s open from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. every day. We bought a used merchandising fridge from the owner last September, and stuck around to share a couple beers with the jovial day-drinkers who helped us get the fridge into the U-Haul. You couldn’t hope to meet a nicer group of lowlifes—and isn’t that the lure of the dive bar experience, after all? knocknbootssaloon.com— Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Best Place To Work Where They’re Never Yelling Out Someone’s Coffee Order

Hive

Look, don’t get us wrong, the lobby of the Hotel Haya is a great place to post up and answer emails—but sometimes you need a workspace that isn’t chock full of loud dentists networking at the annual endodontics convention. Enter Hive: a sleek, brand-new co-working spot and community space founded by our friend Stephanie Harrison Bailey. You can feel the casual buzz of productivity as soon as you walk through the doors, and the kind, creative people there are almost enough to make you enjoy the fact that you’ve still got a day job. Almost. yborhive. com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Best Resource for the Big D

Lori Chong, BayCare Diabetes Services

If you discover that you have joined the ranks of the 35-plus million Americans with Type 2 diabetes, you may at first think, “Goody! Now I can go on Ozempic and my insurance will cover it! Weight loss, here I come!” But if your doctor suggests you start by adjusting your diet and exercise habits before depending on a drug, you’ll have questions, such as: “What can I eat? How many grams of sugar is too many? What the heck is my A1C?” For answers, you will find no better resource than Baycare Diabetes Services’ Lori Chong. Patient, thorough, and caring, she’ll give you plenty of info to clear up any confusion about diets, carbs, and glucose. She also asks great questions so that her advice is tailored to your needs. baycare.org— David Warner

Best Retail For Masochists

Revolve St. Pete

You need thick skin to shop at any trendy secondhand resale store. Sizes are a joke and the selling

Best Shop For Marmite, Maltesers, And A Suffocating Sense Of Classist Ennui

London Pride (Tampa)

British

Shop

Have you ever listened to the Brit-pop band Pulp?

You know how many of their songs contain this bleak undercurrent of aggressive working-class despair?

This might be a weird thing to say, but stepping inside London Pride British Shop is like stepping inside a Pulp song. The lights are too bright, the clerk is dour, and the Thatcherite rage builds with every bar of Dairy Milk you see. Pick up a packet or two of imported crisps, and then head up to Ybor City to “dance, and drink, and screw, because there’s nothing else to do.” londonpride.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

Best The More Things Change

Heights Drive-Thru

Tampa is changing faster than you can say “gentrification,” and news that the old Florida Drive-In had new owners could’ve spelled disaster for folks that’ve grown tired of watching familiar buildings demolished to make room for condos and townhomes that look like thumb drives. Turns out change can mean more of the same sometimes.

Realtor Frank Albert—more handsome than the guy on the bus benches, actually—and his business partner Chris Brown acquired a 10-year lease to take over the convenience store run by the previous tenant who was there for almost 40 years. Heights Drive-Thru still sells the junk you love (think Doritos, Arizona iced tea, Swisher Sweets), but now it all lives alongside a plethora of local products from the usual suspects (all the craft beer and seltzer) to hypebeast snacks (fried chicken-lookin’ ice cream, Rotten gummies), milk from around here (Dakin Dairy from Myakka City), and neighborhood favorites like Spaddy’s coffee, Sea Maids ice cream, or King of the Coop boiled peanuts. There are even Juuls, but the best part might be how Albert & co. have also expanded the selection to pretty much make Heights Drive-Thru an almost-one-stop-shop for people who need to pick up hair ties, batteries, motor oil, medicine, dry goods, hygiene products, or any other essential. heightsdrivethru.company.site—Ray Roa

Best Unique Ybor Gifts And A Riveting Free Movie

Ybor City Visitor Center

Ybor City is more than loud clubs, sidewalk pukers, and unpopular improv festivals. As anyone who steps into the visitor center soon learns, Ybor City has a rich history of art, political organizing, the creation of literal billions of cigars, and so much more. If you missed our friend Joe King Carter’s walking tour, either because you overslept or just didn’t feel like being outside, stop in here and either catch him regaling visitors with true tales of Ybor’s rich history, or watch the legitimately well-made and extremely interesting mini-documentary. Pick up a cigar box to remember your trip by while you’re at it. ybor.org/ vic—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

BEST CORPSE REVIVER

TRENT ALYSE OF KITTY BOMB CURIOS Trent Alyse was often told to find a “real job”—plenty of which she had before stepping fully into herself as an artist creating jewelry and sculptures from what animals have left behind: their skulls, their teeth, their bodies.

“In college I was hanging around on some train tracks and found a raccoon jawbone and thought it looked cool. I tied it to a leather cord and wore it as a necklace for a long time. After that I started to notice dead things more,” Alyse told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

LISSA HATCHER

Close your eyes, and imagine you’re in Brooklyn. “Ooh, look at me, I’m in Brooklyn, a magical land where grown men wear propeller beanies, every goddamn menu item is ‘elevated,’ and vintage stores sell old lawn chairs for $285 apiece.” Now keep those eyes closed, and imagine a version of Brooklyn that’s neither insufferable nor prohibitively expensive.The place that you’re imagining probably looks a lot like The Far Forest, an authentically hip vintage store/bookstore/music venue on Florida Avenue in Seminole Heights. This endearingly ragged shop has everything you didn’t know you needed—vintage dresses, mid-century furniture, vinyl records, and an excellent selection of books—all at prices that’ll make you think you’ve been transported back to the Bedford L stop circa 2003. thefarforest.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters

experience has become a meme for a reason. But at Revolve, whether you’re buying or selling, you’re a fucking asshole for daring to walk in. That’s according to the attitude of most employees.

They greet you with a blank look and half-hearted hello that says, “Really? Coming in four hours before closing?” And they’re always pulling off some edgy, trendy outfit you couldn’t even think about. If you’re selling, your shit better fit into one of their standard laundry baskets and don’t even think about trying to make them sort through more.

But damn, they’ve got gems. I know if I’m going to Revolve, I’m going to walk in wishing I hadn’t been born and walk out with at least one of my new favorite pieces of clothing. @revolvestpete on Instagram—Selene San Felice

At Florida State University, Alyse studied sculpture where she and her classmates were required to experiment with various materials, crafting armatures out of wire, Trent Alyse using cardboard to build mockups, learning the basics of wood joints and power tools. This all came in handy as those skills she learned in sculpture translate to what she does now at Kitty Bomb Curios.

And, Alyse doesn’t just make any old jewelry. She hand crafts rattlesnake reliquaries, captures crystalline wasps in amber pendants, decorates deer jawbones, preserves cicada wings, collects and frames spider webs, adorns coyote skulls, and dyes and embellishes antique antelopes, among things, like taking on custom requests and starting her own oddities magazine, Oddmag (stylized in all-caps).

What started out as an interest in the discarded has become a full-blown passion and career for Alyse.

“At FSU, I studied sculpture, and for a while in my work I used broken pieces of mirror, sequins, pretty garbage that I would find in the gutters around all the party houses,” Alyse said. “Once I got into collecting bones, it struck me that as humans, we leave behind all this garbage to tell about who we are, but with animals, they really only leave behind their bones to tell their stories.”

And this, Alyse said, is what she really fell in love with—”taking something discarded and dirty, like broken glass or bones, and making it beautiful like it used to be…imagining the story behind them.”

It wasn’t all easy to figure out, though. The bone processing (cleaning and removal of soft tissue and other organic remains) for Alyse was trial and error. Friends sometimes left her dead animals they found, and she learned over time that bacteria is actually the best bone-cleaning helper.

“Given the right conditions, it thrives and will eat flesh away quickly,” Alyse said, noting the graphic details. “Then you can just use a little soap and water to clean them, and peroxide to whiten them.”

She also found that while creating jewelry from bones or sculptures from taxidermy, the process was never going to be exactly the same.

“Even 20 mouse skulls are each going to have their own nuances—the teeth from one usually won’t fit into the jawbone from another,” Alyse said. “They have their own contours and needs. One deer might look fabulous dyed pink while the next one has a little twinkle in its eye that says it would look more playful in teal.”

While she started making jewelry with the basics (a couple pairs of pliers and a hand drill), her skill set and tool usage has expanded as she’s grown through her art and her practice. Little by little, she said, she was able to learn how to use a dremel tool and more sophisticated materials along the way.

And still, she is surprised that she’s able to do this work full time.

“As a kid, I always knew I wanted to be an artist, but everyone tells you to pick a ‘real job’.

I’ve learned to trust myself and follow my instincts,” Alyse said. “Making art isn’t about following trends or appeasing an algorithm. It’s hard, but you can tell when something is unoriginal, and that comes through in more ways than just visually.”

Since she opened her Etsy shop in 2015, Alyse has learned a ton and met many interesting people.

“It’s been really cool to not only meet other people interested in the things that so many people find ‘weird,’” Alyse added. “So many times at shows I have heard things like ‘I hate taxidermy but this is really beautiful.’ It makes me feel like I am bridging that gap, helping to open people’s minds a little bit to things they may have been a little prejudiced about before.” @kittybombcurios on Instagram—Annalise Mabe

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 15

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CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025 Best Acupuncturist

Kecia Fowler—Art of Acupuncture

Finalists: Elevate Wellness—Kim Kuhn, Dr. Hannah Winner—Art of Acupuncture

Best Aesthetics Injector

Chelsey Smith at Bodze

Best Lash and/or Brow Salon

Blush & Blade

Finalists: Whole Aveda Salon and Spa, Touch of Beauty by Melissa

Best Makeup Artist

City Lights Beauty Agency—Paula Heckenast Finalists: Adore Bridal Hair and Makeup, Art By Izzy Hair and Makeup

Best Mani/Pedi

Fancy Nails South Tampa

Finalists: Rochelle at Maddy Spa, Maddy Spa

Finalists: Natacha Christeler—The Garden Med Spa, Castellano Cosmetic Surgery Center

Best Massage Therapist

Best Barre Studio

Finalists: Lauren Cederstrom Linear Bodywork & Massage, Jason Newman—Bay Area Massage

Bar Method Tampa

Finalists: Barre, Pure Barre Westchase & New Tampa

Anita Pfeifer—Whole Aveda Best Medical Imaging Services

Best Blow Bar

St. Pete MRI

Finalists: Sip and Dry Bar, Blo Blow Dry Bar Tampa

Best Medical Marijuana Physician or Clinic

Whole Aveda Salon and Spa

Finalists: Garden of Love 3D 4D Imaging, Bay Care Imaging

Best CBD Shop

Inclusive Care Group

Finalists: Greenhouse Girls Dispensary, Bliss Wellness Market

Best Medical Research Company

Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop

Finalists: Dr. Eugene Delucia, Liberate Physician Centers

Best Chiropractor

Innovative Research

Finalists: Dr. Koser—HealthSpine Chiropractic, Dr. Robert Bock

Best Med Spa

Valrico Spine and Rehab Center Best Cosmetic Surgery Center

Castellano Cosmetic Surgery Center

Finalists: B ōdze, The Garden Medical Spa, Wellness & Massage

Best Crossfit Studio

Burg CrossFit

Finalists: Sunshine City CrossFit, Seminole Heights CrossFit

Best Dentist

Dr. Lindsey—Palm Tree Dentistry

Finalists: Slaybaugh Dental, Creating Smiles Dental St. Pete

Best Dispensary

Greenhouse GIrls Dispensary Finalists: Bliss Wellness Market, Jones Genetics

Best Doctor for a Nip and Tuck

Dr. Eric Khairalla—Bodze

Finalists: Dr. Joseph Castellano, Dr. Michael Mirmanesh, The Garden Medical Spa

Best Doula

Buddha Belly Doulas

Finalists: Doula Hive, Breathing Through Life

Best Fitness Studio

Studio Physique

Finalists: The Bar Method Tampa, Rise Performance

Best Free Clinic

St. Pete Free Clinic Finalists: Daystar Life Center, Clearwater Free Clinic

Best Gym

The Bar Method Tampa

Finalists: Pulse, MMFitness

Best Hair Salon

Whole Aveda Salon and Spa Finalists: Salon Blond, Black Amethyst

Best Hairstylist

Finalists: Tampa Bay Medical Research, TrueBlue Clinical Research

Castellano Cosmetic Surgery Center

Finalists: B ōdze St. Pete Wellness and Med Spa, Variations of Beauty Aesthetics & Wellness

Best Mental Health Clinic

South Tampa Therapy and Meditation Finalists: Dr. Angel’s Development, Bionic Bloom

Best Mental Health Counselor/Therapist

Dr. Angela Fisher

Finalists: Dr. Elizabeth Mahaney–South Tampa Therapy, Dr. Angel Falzone, Rachel DeStefano, McNulty Counseling and Wellness

Best Midwife

Sarah Waugh—Barefoot Birth

Finalists: Elizabeth Plumley, Mary Catherine Hamelin, Licensed Midwife LM

Best Nail Artist

Slayed by Ari

Finalists: Taylor Lance, Lan Doan

Best Nutritionist

Nuviva Medical Weight Loss Clinic of Tampa Finalists: Wendy Wesley Nutrition, Bernie Anderson—More Than Macros Coaching

Best OBGYN

Dr. Alyssa Ta, OBGYN

Finalists: Helena Reichman MD, Gulfcoast OBGYN

Best Optometrist

Dane Kuplicki

Finalists: Gulfcoast Eye Care, Dr. Updegraff

Best Pediatrician

Dr. Lori McAuliffe

Finalists: Jonathan Keenan, Holy Family Health, Dr. Karges

Best Permanent Make-up Artist

Blush & Blade

Finalists: Kayla Beck -Spa Casa, Pierce Gillette- Barefaced Beauty Studio

Best Personal Trainer

Tristan Fox (Whole Aveda)

Dom Vaccani—Studio Physique

Best Hospital

Best Physical Therapist

Finalists: Sasha Ahles—J.Con Salon, Laura Blankenship Salon Blond

Finalists: Coach Abby Clapper, Audrey Tindale—Studio Physique

Tampa General

Dr. Rachel Waugh

Best IV Bar

Best Physical Therapy Clinic

Finalists: Morton Plant, St. Anthony’s

InVigorate IV

Finalists: St. Pete Wellness and Med Spa, Variations of Beauty Aesthetics & Wellness

Best Laser Hair Removal

Perfectly Bare Laser

Finalists: St. Pete Wellness and Med Spa, Castellano Cosmetic Surgery

ARTOFACU-STPETE.COM

BEAUTY & WELLNESS

READERS PICKS: GOODS & SERVICES ENCORE

Finalists: Beach Baby Pediatric Therapy, LLC, Dr. Sarah Santowski—Purpose Physical Therapy

Purpose Physical Therapy

Finalists: RW Physical Therapy & Performance, Beach Baby Pediatric Therapy, LLC

Best Pilates Studio

Blend Sweat Social

Finalists: Studio Physique, Rare Body Pilates

Kecia Fowler—Art of Acupuncture Best Place to Shop Green

Nature’s Food Patch Market and Cafe Finalists: Produce PAC, Rollin’ Oats

Best Run Club

Rosie’s Dunedin

Finalists: St. Pete Running Company , Pinellas Run Club

Best Running or Walking Event

St. Pete Runfest

Finalists: Turkey Trot, Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic

Best Skincare Specialist

Faith Sunter—Bōdze

Finalists: St. Pete Wellness and Med Spa, Alana Pupello—Apello Skin, Laurie Champagne

Best Spa

St. Pete Wellness and Med Spa

Finalists: Bonita Skin, Whole Aveda Salon and Spa

Best Spin Studio

Rush Cycle—St. Pete

Finalists: Ride On, Central Cycling St. Pete

continued on page 19

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18 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | cltampabay.com

CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025

READERS PICKS: GOODS & SERVICES ENCORE

Tampa General Hospital FELIX MIZIOZNIKOV/SHUTTERSTOCK

continued from page 17

Best Spray Tan

Bella Spray Tanning

Finalists: You Glow Spray Tan, The Sunless Ritual

Best Tanning Service

Rayz Tanning

Finalists: You Glow Spray Tan, The Sunless Ritual

Best Walk Club

Tampa Girls Who Walk

Finalists: St. Pete Girls Who Walk, Hot Girl Walking Club

Best Waxing Salon

Whole Aveda Salon and Spa Finalists: Bonita Skin, Innovitale Spa

Best Wellness Center

St. Pete Wellness and Med Spa

Finalists: B ōdze, Living Young Center, Axe Holistic Medicine

Best Bike Shop

Best Furniture Store (new or used)

Finalists: The Bikery, Emobilize Bike Service

Finalists: Coastal Fine Furniture, Vintage Marche

Astro Cycles Best Bookstore

Tombolo Books

Finalists: Portkey Books, Back in the Day Books

Best Bridal Boutique

AB2B Boutique (All Brides2 Be) Finalists: The Dressing Room, Bearer of the Bling

Best Cabinets

McCabinet

Finalists: White Hat Construction, 727 Builds

Best Cigar Shop

Estate Cigars & Social

Finalists: Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop, Central Cigars

Best Clothing Boutique (Men)

Atlas Body & Home

Finalists: Backwater Provisions Co., La France

Best Yoga Studio

Best Clothing Boutique (Women)

Finalists: Lotus Pond Center for Yoga and Health, Beach Town Yoga

Finalists: Curv Exchange Plus Size Resale, The Patent Bow Boutique

Yoga Loft Tampa

GOODS

Best Antique/Vintage Shop

La France

Finalists: ARTpool Gallery, ZaZoo’d

Best Art Supply Store

Bottom of the Bin Finalists: Blick, Sew Pinellas

Best Bait & Tackle Shop

Riviera Bait & Tackle

Finalists: Hubbard’s Marina, Backwater Provisions Co.

Boho & Boujee Boutique

Best Comic Book Shop

Six Strings and Superheroes

Finalists: Nerd Out Comics, Emerald City Comics

Best Consignment Shop

Curv Exchange Plus Size Resale

ZaZoo’d

Best Handcrafted Jewelry

Amy Jean Designs

Finalists: ARTpool Gallery, Hello Myrrh—Murlene Joseph

Best Home Decor

ZaZoo’d

Finalists: Pour & Decor, Casa Di Mazzaro

Best Jewelry Store

Diamonds Direct Fine Jewelers

Finalists: Arnold Jewelers (Largo), Gold and Diamond Source

Best Party Supply Store

Pour & Decor

Finalists: Party Planet, The Write Stuff Tampa

Best Pet Boutique

Woof Gang Bakery—Clearwater, Dunedin, South Tampa Finalists: Bark Avenue Dunedin, ZaZoo’d

Best Public Library Branch

Largo Public Library

Finalists: New Port Richey, Hudson Regional Library FL

Best Record Store

Daddy Kool Records

Finalists: ARTpool Gallery, Bananas Records

Best Sex Shop

Finalists: Stellie Bellies, Detox Designer Resale Boutique

Todd Couples Superstore

Dunedin Craft Fair

Best Smoke Shop

Best Florist

Finalists: Greenhouse Girls Dispensary, Smoke Promos

Best Craft Fair

Finalists: The Back Room by ZaZoo’d, Jack & Jill St. Pete

Finalists: Indie Flea, Deviant Market

Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop

By the Bay Floral

Finalists: Mona’s Floral Creations, Roaming Petal- Erica Holland

continued on page 21

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 19

20 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | cltampabay.com

CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025

READERS PICKS: GOODS & SERVICES ENCORE

continued from page 19

Best Store Staff

Greenhouse Girls Dispensary

Finalists: Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop, Bliss Wellness Market, Erica Hernandez/ bubbaarmystore.com

Best Supermarket

Mazzaro’s Italian Market

Finalists: Publix, Nature’s Food Patch Market and Cafe

Best Surf or Skate Shop

Skatepark of Tampa Best T-Shirt Company

On The Fly Creations

Finalists: 5801 Print House, Wide Sky

Best Thrift Shop

Sunshine Thrift

Finalists: HEP Thrift Store, CASA Thrift Store

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

Finalists: Suncoast Surf Shop, Blacktop

Best Vape Shop

Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop Finalists: Greenhouse Girls Dispensary, Bliss Wellness Market

SERVICES

St. Pete Distillery

Best A/C Repair Company

Blue Collar Heating & Cooling (Blue Collar Home Services)

Finalists: Jenergy Air Services, Alligator Air Conditioning

Tombolo Books

Best All- Around Hotel

TradeWinds Resort

Finalists: Mari Jean Hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront

Best Animal Rescue

Rescue Pets of Florida, Inc.

Finalists: Kneady Kitty Rescue, St. Francis Society Animal Rescue

Best Boat Captain & Charter

Best Distributor

Finalists: Captain Joe Pistone @ Salt & Mist Sea Tours, Lauren Hill of Hubbard’s Marina

Finalists: Cavallier Distributing, 7th Sky Ventures

Captain Steve at Reel Deal Clearwater Best Boat Club

Paradise Craft Distributors LLC Best Dog Groomer/Pet Stylist

Bay Paws Pet Resort

Best Architect

Suntime Boat Club

Finalists: Andrew Pavalis, Donegan Design

Best Branding Agency

Best Dog Training

Brian Motroni

Finalists: GatorPromo.com, Grove Brands

Finalists: Dog Training Club Of St. Petersburg, Paws on the Ground Dog Training

Best Auto Mechanic

Better Brain Project (Kelly Abanda)

TomCo Solutions Inc.

Finalists: Freedom Boat Club, Pirate’s Cove

Best Attorney

Hang Ten Creative Agency

Finalists: Kruse Law, P.A., Lindsey Sheppy

Best Business Coach/Business Consultant

Kenny Gehringer at Wrench Masters LLC Finalists: Big John’s Brake & Alignment Service, Taylor Durdan

Best Auto Repair Shop

Wrench Masters

Finalists: Grease Monkey, Johnny’s All County & Truck Repair

Best Bank

Flagship Bank

Finalists: BayFirst Bank, Suncoast Credit Union

Best Barber

Cameron Spiteri

Finalists: Ryan C—Seaside Barber Co., Anton Hosein

Best Barbershop

Buzz & Brews Barbershop Finalists: The Shave Cave, Lat & Sons Family Hair Care

Best Bike Mechanic

ABC Bicycles 4th Street N

Finalists: Jake McFadden—Emobilize Bike Service, Chainwheel

Best Birthing Center

In Due Season Birth Center & Family Wellness

Finalists: Labor of Love Birth Center, St. Joseph’s South

Best Boarding for Your Pet

Calling All Dogs & Cats

Finalists: Bay Paws Pet Resort, Your Puppy My Pad

Finalists: Sharon Narvaez—Transformative Career Coaching, Sandy Bean

Best Car Dealership

Hyundai of Wesley Chapel

Finalists: Dayton Andrews Clearwater, Dimmitt Chevrolet

Best Car Detailer

Auto Recon Detailing LLC

Finalists: Good Carma, Exceptional Detailing Inc

Best Car Wash

Auto Recon Detailing LLC

Finalists: DetailingNerdsLLC, Woodie’s Wash Shack

Best Caterer

Exotic Gourmet Catering

Finalists: FOMO Chefs, The Stuffed Mushroom

Best Commercial Cleaning Service

Lee’s Royal Services, LLC

Finalists: Rug Pro LLC, Boss Lady Cleaning

Best CPA/Tax Preparer/Enrolled Agent

Pettay Consulting

Finalists: Snyder, Snyder & Kessenich CPA Firm, Monica’s Accounting Solutions LLC

Best Customer Service

White Duck Espresso

Finalists: Erica Hernandez/ bubbaarmystore.com, Resource Property Management

Finalists: Paws ‘n’ Rec, Paw Whisperer LLC, Woof Gang Bakery—Clearwater, Dunedin, South Tampa

Total Dog Tampa

Best Doggy Day Care

Paws Pet Resort

Finalists: Paws ‘n’ Rec, Paw Whisperer LLC

Best Drone Operator (Independent)

Anna Faiola

Finalists: Animal House Academy LLC, Kris McKenzie

Best Dry Cleaner

Sacino’s

Finalists: Sun Country Cleaners, Laundry Day Delivery

Best Electrician

Blue Collar Electric (Blue Collar Home Services) Finalists: M.R. Electricians, Smart Home Electric

Best Event Planning Service

Truly Yours Event Planning

Finalists: The Picnic Boys, ABC Event Planning

Best Financial Advisor

Pettay Consulting

Finalists: Priscilla Nunez, PMN Financial Associates LLC, Walser Wealth Management

Best General Contractor

Oasis Custom Homes

Finalists: TomCo Solutions Inc., Rocks Custom Homes, Inc.

Best General Practitioner

Kush Patel

Finalists: Jeannette Figueroa-Gordian, MD, Docs Outside of the Box

Best Disaster Clean-Up & Restoration Company

Best Handyperson

Finalists: Accent American Inc, Baypillar Restoration

Finalists: Johnny’s Restorations, Big Red/BTLS Show

All About Restoration

EG Home Solutions

continued on page 23

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 21

Lunch specials starting at $6.99 Monday - Friday 11 AM - 3 PM! Monday - 25% off for hospitality industry workers Tuesday - Neighborhood Appreciation Night, 25% discount if you live in these zip codes 33603, 33604, 33605, 33602, 33610 Wednesday - Lunch Specials available all day, Ladies Lounge Night - Happy Hour All night upstairs lounge for ladies

Happy Hour M-F 4-6 $4 Coors Banquet

$6 Call Single Pours - Absolute, Bacardi, Teremana, Jim Beam Black, Sipsmith Gin $8 House Pours of Wine $7 Sangria $8 Happy Hour Plates of Food - Fried Pickles, Hummus Platter, Chips & Queso, Chips & Guac, Pretzel Sticks

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22 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | cltampabay.com

CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025

READERS PICKS: GOODS & SERVICES ENCORE

continued from page 21

Best Hotel—Clearwater/Dunedin

Johnny Doan Plumbing

The Fenway

Finalists: Safety Harbor Resort & Spa, Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach

Best Hotel—St. Pete

Mari Jean Hotel

Finalists: The Birchwood, TradeWinds Resort

Best Hotel—Tampa

Hotel Haya

Best Insurance Agency

Crystal Clear Insurance

Finalists: Gulf Water Title, Magruder Agency

Best Insurance Agent

Crystal Croteau

DOANPLUMBING.COM

Finalists: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront

Finalists: Sherri Matheney, Pat Magruder

Best Interior Designer

Lisa Alban- Cloud 9 Feng Shui

Finalists: David Fischer at ZaZoo’d, Kristina Pearson, Haus of Lola

Best Kayak/Stand-Up Paddleboard Water Tour

Wandering Adventures

Finalists: Ecomersion, Good Vibes Kayak Rentals

Best Landscape Design Company

Campus Landscape

Finalists: Insignia Landscape, Dreams Into Reality

Best Law Firm

Diaco Law

Finalists: Neal & Solevilla Personal Injury Lawyers, Tanney, Griffith & Bresler, P.A.

Best Lawn Service

Proper Irrigation Services

Finalists: Sunrise Irrigation & Sprinklers, Mango Nut Group Landscape and Lawn Care

Best Photo Booth

Bella’s Booth

Finalists: Party Flixers

Best Roofing Company , Fishy Face Photography

Best Piercer (non-tattoo artist)

Benjamin Henderson

Finalists: Corey Godoy—StabGawd—Forbidden Images, PoutyPiercings

Best Marketing/PR Firm Agency

Best Place to Get Tech Stuff Fixed

Finalists: RockawayMore, Hoover Digital

Finalists: RYT Tech, Electronic Fix

Bayshore Marketing Group Best Martial Arts Studio

Chris Welbon Karate

Finalists: Tampa Wing Chun Kung Fu, UFC Gym Clearwater

Best Mobile/Pop-Up Bar Company

U Break I Fix—Palm Harbor Best Plaster/Stucco Company

William Anderson Plaster and Stucco Repair Company Finalists: Above All Caulking and Waterproofing

Bar Artistry Bartending Services

Best Plumbing Company

Best Mortgage Company

Finalists: Plumbing by Paul, Gulf Coast Plumbing Clearwater

Finalists: The Setup Squad, The Mimosa Club

Dena Glassco—Nexa Mortgage

Finalists: Storch Mortgage Team—The Mortgage Firm Tampa, Green Oak Lending Group

Best Moving Company

Big Boys Moving & Storage Finalists: Big Man’s Moving Company, MUVR

Best Nanny Service

SoHo Sitters

Finalists: Bayshore Nannies, Westchase Sitters

Best Painting Company

Seasons Best Painting & Contracting

Finalists: Certa Pro St. Pete, Hunter Painting Enterprises LLC

Best Party Rental Service

Stella Rose Events

Finalists: Posy Exchange, The Picnic Boys

Best Pest Control

Natural Born Killers

Finalists: Green Environmental Services (GES), Prohealth Pest Control

Best Pet Sitting

Paw Whisperer LLC

Finalists: Westchase Sitters, Calling All Dogs & Cats, Your Puppy My Pad

Johnny Doan Plumbing Best Pool Designer/Builder

PCS Pools

Finalists: Tampa Pool Pro, Oasis Pavers and Pools

Best Pool Service

Neikens Pool and Spa

Finalists: Aqua Vibez Pool Specialist, Glisten Pool Service

Best Professional Organizer

The Global Organizer

Finalists: Suncoast Organizing Solutions, Simply Refreshing Organizing Solutions

Best Real Estate Brokerage

NextHome South Pointe

Finalists: Dicus Harrison Realty, Smith & Associates Real Estate

Best Real Estate Company

NextHome South Pointe

Finalists: Dicus Harrison Realty, Brophy Real Estate

Best Real Estate Team

The Probeyahn Group

Mitchell Roofing Company LLC Finalists: Roofing.co, SB Pro Roofing

Best Screen Repair/Screen Enclosure

Rescreen Rescue

Finalists: Tampa Screens & Aluminum, Inc., Bug Out Screens LLC

Best Solar Company

Mitchell Solar Solutions

Finalists: SunForge Energy, SB Pro Solar

Best Tarot Reader

Lora Hypnosis

Finalists: The Florida Witch, Joe—The Misfit Lion

Best Tattoo Studio

Doom Club Tattoo Collective

Finalists: ResQ Ink Tattooing, FORBIDDEN IMAGES TATTOO STUDIO

Best Title Company

Compass Land & Title

Finalists: Crimmins Title, Gulf Water Title

Best Tutor/Tutoring Service

Lauren Dykes with SPC

Finalists: AP History Help, The Urban Cottage Educational Collaborative

Best Veterinarian

Harmony Vet Care

Finalists: Paws Vet Care Center, Palm Harbor Animal Hospital

Best Videographer

Anna Faiola

Finalists: Franklin Rivera—ARP Visuals, Alex Auguste (MRVL WRLD)

Best Web Designer/Company

RooSites Web Development, LLC Finalists: Grove Brands, Hashtag Creative

Best Wedding Planning Company

Truly Yours Event Planning

Finalists: Wilder Mind Events, Confetti Events & Weddings

Finalists: Scaglione Rutemiller Group, NextHome South Pointe, Synergy Home Group-Pineywoods Realty

Best Wedding/Event Photography(er)

Best Realtor

Finalists: Lifelong Photography Studio, Dewitt For Love Photography

Kent Rodahaver

Finalists: Janna Cantero, Sabrina Nemec

Best Residential Cleaning Service

Maid to Order FL

Jordan Torelli Photography Best Windows & Doors

Mitchell Windows & Doors LLC

Finalists: Zager Windows Doors and Shutters, Weather Tite Windows

Finalists: Lee’s Royal Services, LLC, Mad Clean LLC

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 23

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24 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | cltampabay.com

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cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 25

SPEND THE HOLIDAYS AT CENTRO YBOR! Celebrate the season at Centro Ybor in the heart of historic Ybor City.

26 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Enjoy twinkling lights, holiday shopping, delicious dining, and entertainment for the whole family. @centro_ybor

POLITICS

ISSUES

No cap

OPINION

Tampa Bay’s biggest stories of 2025, recapped.

T

he most read stories on Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s website illustrate a readership extremely interested in police accountability, Trump’s homegrown attorney general, immigration, elections, and the environment (you guys really care about what happens as FDOT makes plans to touch up the Courtney Campbell Causeway!). But your eyes went to more than just hard news, with stories about the SNAP shutdown, Hulk Hogan’s death, Tampa rapper Doechii, and the defunding of Creative Pinellas being widely read, too. Below is a quick and dirty recap of some of the biggest stories from the last 12 months. Buckle up for 2026.

The race for Tampa’s District 5 City Councilmember Gwendolyn Henderson’s sudden death last June shocked and saddened much of Tampa. The District 5 representative frequently stood for residents of East Tampa who have long lamented the way their neighborhoods have been treated, especially during the city’s recent years of rapid growth. The special election for her replacement saw 13 candidates plus a write-in, including Henderson’s daughter (Ariel Amirah Danley), Crowbar owner Tom DeGeorge, former Tampa Pride head Carrie West and Pastor Elvis Pigott—who later flashed a gun at a city council forum. The final race came down to activist Naya Young, 33, and longtime Tampa politico Thomas Scott, 72. Despite Scott vastly out-raising her, Young won by a landslide with 61% of the vote. Her win mirrored the later success of Zohran Mamdani, whose win for New York City mayor made ripples in Florida with the message that young, progressive grassroots leaders stand a chance against establishment money.

Bradley’s crash A high speed chase that started on Interstate-275 ended with four dead and 11 injured at a gay bar in Ybor City in November. While chasing a suspect allegedly suspected of street racing that night, Florida Highway Patrol made an unsuccessful PIT (precision immobilization technique) maneuver—in which the pursuing vehicle attempts to cause the pursued vehicle to spin out of control—about 2,000 feet from Bradley’s on 7th.

The deceased victims were later identified as 25-year-old Christina Richards, 41-year-old

Lisa Johnson, 53-year-old Sherman Jones and 53-year-old Marlon Collins. The fallout of the FHP’s failed PIT maneuver and the trial of the driver—22-year-old Silas Sampson—are likely to develop well into 2026.

Mural combat After Gov. Ron DeSantis lost many battles in 2024—courts blunted his “Don’t Say Gay” and “Stop WOKE” laws—he took the war to the roads. Following Trump’s takedown of D.C.’s “Black Lives Matter” street mural, the Florida Department of Transportation decided that all street murals must go. That meant no more rainbow crosswalks, and pavement declarations that “Black History Matters.” So, too, went non-political murals, like USF St. Pete’s Bulls-themed crosswalk. A bright spot for some of the “woke” included the City of Tampa erasing the city’s infamous “Bock the Blub” propolice mural. Pastors Andy Oliver and Benedict Atherton-Zeman were arrested for blocking state workers from removing St. Pete’s “Black History Matters” mural outside the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum. The mural was later repainted overnight by an unknown artist, then re-erased by the state. Private pavement murals have since popped up around Tampa Bay. As part of her “Love Thy Neighbor” project, Michelle Sasha rallied local painters to provide free Pride and Black Lives Matter murals to local property owners. “We’re going to paint back thousands,” Sasha told CL in September. “Hopefully they’ll regret their decision, because now there’s going to be way more rainbows than they were hoping for.”

Cringe-a-mania Tampa Bay lost one of its biggest icons when Hulk Hogan died in July. The wrestling legend, born Terry Bollea, died of a heart attack at 71-years-old in his Clearwater home. Though he was booed at his final WWE appearance in January and his newly-launched wrestling league struggled to sell tickets, he maintained a large fanbase—many of which also wanted to “Make America Great Again.” In the month leading up to his death, Hogan and his wife, Sky, battled rumors that he was dying after complications from a neck surgery. It was one of more than two dozen surgeries Hogan underwent to alleviate back and neck pain after his WWE career. Over the fall, Hogan’s family requested

DAVE DECKER

By Selene San Felice and Ray Roa

LOCAL NEWS

YOUNG MINDED: Voters embraced Naya Young who earned a landslide victory to Tampa city council. an investigation into whether his care teams at Tampa General and Morton Plant Hospitals committed malpractice in treatment leading up to his death. No suit has been filed yet.

The real alphabet mafia Trump and Elon Musk’s brief fling left thousands of federal workers without jobs, and may have permanently changed the way Florida state and local governments interact. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led to DeSantis trying to create a copycat Commissioner of Government Efficiency (COGE). That wasn’t necessary, as his newly appointed state chief financial officer, Hernando County Republican Blaise Ingoglia, quickly began audits of the state’s largest municipalities—including Tampa, Hillsborough, St. Petersburg and Pinellas— for the rebranded Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight (FAFO). FAFO reviewed spending by

11 local governments, claiming to have found more than $1.86 billion in alleged wasteful and excessive spending. Local governments have pushed back against what Ingoglia claims is wasteful, like St. Pete and Pinellas’ spending toward the St. Pete Pride parade. The fight is somehow really about property taxes, which DeSantis has said he wants a ballot initiative to substantially reduce for homestead properties.

In the legislative 2026 session, Ingoglia is pushing a proposed law that would give him authority to recommend removal of any elected official for “financial abuse, malfeasance or misfeasance.”

Jolly times David Jolly wants to be the next Dunedin native in the governor’s mansion. After representing Pinellas County as a Republican in the House of Representatives from 2014-2017, he’s now running for governor as a Democrat. continued on page 31

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SLIDE THROUGH: Doechii plays to 6,500 fans at her homecoming concert.

SANDRA DOHNERT

continued from page 27 Charlie Crist, who held the same congressional seat and was also a Republican when he was governor from 2007-2011, failed to beat DeSantis in the last election. Jolly faces an even redder Florida and a different GOP opponent. Eyes are on Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner to see who will land on the November ballot. Lt. Governor and former Tampa Senator Jay Collins is rumored to also be vying for the seat.

There were signs Anti-Trump “No Kings” protests brought tens of thousands of people to the streets this year, and of course, the governor took the chance to go on a right wing podcast to talk about hitting protestors with cars (Tampa police for its part, asked anyone demonstrating “to do so in a safe and responsible manner”). The resistance is alive in Florida. WMNF raised more than $280,000 during an emergency fundraiser last summer after DeSantis and Trump cuts left the community radio station with a $230,000 funding gap). One of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s photographers, Dave Decker even got swept up in it when he was arrested last month while covering an ICE protest in Miami (he spent more than a day in jail, and charges were just dropped last week).

Charlie Kirk The brutal September murder of the right wing agitator rippled all the way to Florida where vigils brought out mourners and Jesus Christ cosplayers, while teachers and government employees saw themselves among those targeted for online comments about the killing.

Florida House Rep. Berny Jacques (R-Seminole) posted to social media a letter he sent to Pinellas Superintendent Kevin Hendrick, calling on him to fire teachers who have conducted “abhorrent” behavior on their social media accounts since Kirk’s death. He cited one instructor who he said posted “good riddance” after Kirk was shot.

Tampa Pride hiatus The future of Tampa Pride is up in the air after a September announcement that the celebration would shutdown for a year. The board blamed anti-DEI politics and added that it wouldn’t renew the contract of its president and co-founder Carrie West. But locals from every part of the LGBTQ+ community have been coming together to see what a Pride celebration in Tampa would look like. “I don’t foresee a parade, but there are other events we can do,” former Tampa Pride board member Mark Eary told CL. “We just need to get everybody on board.”

Chronister chronicles Hillsborough’s Sheriff Chad Chronister got the big headlines this year, after multiple high-ranking deputies resigned or got fired in the wake of an academic cheating scandal. One of his former detectives even called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to start an independent investigation. In a six-page letter, James Stahlschmidt detailed allegations of academic dishonesty, abuse of taxpayer and charity funds, retaliation, domestic violence and other forms of misconduct perpetrated by command staff at HCSO, which he claims can be “supported by

internal investigations, prior disciplinary actions, civil lawsuits, public records, or statements from personnel involved.” Chronister pushed back on the letter and Stahlschmidt’s calls for the investigation in a statement to CL, adding that he has full trust in HCSO’s Professional Standards Bureau to conduct an inquiry. The gov’ didn’t say a peep about it, and Chronister opted for an internal investigation, which ended with the sheriff saying the cheaters made choices that were “wrong” but “not malicious.” OK. The SNAP gap Three million Floridians rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program best known as SNAP. More than a million of those people are children.

When the government shutdown hit the month-long mark last October, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to calls to safeguard the program for his constituents by passing the buck. Local restaurants, however, ditched politics and banded together to make sure kids could eat when benefits ended by offering free meals.

Sorry, Shilo Shilo Sanders, son of NFL legend Deion, spent time in Bucs camp as an undrafted free agent and was ultimately cut— but not before telling fans that he loves the food at Water Street hotspot Boulon Brasserie. “If I got free food from here, that would be the best NIL deal in the world,” he said of an eclectic, hefty, order that included the restaurant’s Best of the Bay winning blue crab beignets.

LOCAL NEWS

Creative Pinellas It’s an awkward moment for arts and culture in Pinellas County, punctuated with the September defunding of the county’s designated arts agency, Creative Pinellas, which saw county commissioners vote 5-2 to revoke funds despite 244 emails and more than 50 well-researched in-person pleas weren’t enough to save the nonprofit. The remaining staff will soldier on, but how the arts get funded in 2026 will be telling.

Sun rising Last June, in front of more than 5,000 fans packed into a sold-out Riverfront Stadium at Blake High School, Tampa Bay Sun FC dominated play in the first-ever USL Super League championship match, earning a 1-0 overtime win over Ft. Lauderdale United FC. It was a shining moment, and while things aren’t as sunny at the club right now (our side is dead last, with just one win), the future of pro women’s soccer in the Bay area is still bright.

Swamp things All eyes are on Crowbar this year (the lease is up this summer, signaling the end of a 20-year run for the famed Tampa music venue), but a special talent from 2910 E Genesee St. dominated local music headlines.

Tampa rapper and Blake alum Doechii took home a 2025 Grammy award for Best Rap Album and staged one hell of a homecoming show for 6,500 fans who sold-out Yuengling Center just seven miles away from the address mentioned in “Boiled Peanuts” from the album Alligator Bites Never Heal. See more photos from Sandra Dohnert via cltampa.com/music.

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AMANDA HAGOOD

RIPPLE EFFECTS: A ‘no wake’ sign may have helped create an accidental forest.

Away in a mangrove Boca Ciega Bay can heal itself, if we help it.

By Amanda Hagood

I

t’s a gorgeous December afternoon along the shores of Boca Ciega Bay. I’m standing at the southern edge of Eckerd College campus, where Frenchman’s Creek drains into the bay, watching sunshine glitter off the wake of passing boats and sift through the dense clump of mangroves at Maximo Point, just across the channel. I’m waiting for my friend Tyler, who directs Eckerd’s coastal management program and has promised to show me around the College’s new living shoreline installation, a grouping of plants and riprap meant to protect this erosionprone section of its coastline. Snatches of students’ conversations in the nearby dog park drift by: a killer chemistry exam, roommate drama, plans for the upcoming break. The sun beats down and I peel off my jean jacket; by the time Tyler arrives, I’ve started to sweat. Even after 11 years, I’m still not quite used to Christmastime in Florida.

The night before, we’d put up our tree: the six-and-a-half feet, prelit, made-in-China ersatz

evergreen we’ve affectionately dubbed “Wesley Spruce” after the name printed on the box. (It’s worth noting that there is no such species as a Wesley Spruce. This is apparently a marketing name created by Christmas tree manufacturers to designate a particularly lush and lifelike type of artificial tree). I’ll admit, I have mixed feelings about using an artificial tree; growing up, I relished the yearly trip to the tree lot, the delightful man-versus-tree wrestling match between my dad and our chosen conifer that inevitably followed, and the sweet green smell of fir that would fill the living room all season. I also know that, by the time you balance the plastics, the carbon footprint of shipping millions of artificial trees around the world, and the carbon mitigation provided by all those Christmas tree farms, you really should just buy a live tree.

It’s what real treehuggers do. And yet, our family has been ringing in the holidays with our scraggly, smells-like-attic Wesley Spruce since 2014.

CITY WILDS

But, of course, there’s more to the story.

Christmas 2014 was the first one we’d spent in the house my husband and I had bought together.

I had just left a good job that had gone sour, and was moping anchorless and miserable through bright December days that felt like an affront to my sad state of mind. Wesley caught our eye on a routine trip to Home Depot; we needed a tree, and I think my husband knew it might cheer me up a bit. So we brought Wesley home, patiently unpacking and stacking his octopus-like tiers, tenderly untangling and fluffing his feathery-plastic boughs, and covering him with two boxes worth of gold balls— all the ornaments we had at the time. Since then, Wesley’s finery has grown: my tarnished silver First Christmas ‘82 bell (still plays “Joy to the World” if you wind it up enough), my husband’s collection of owl ornaments, and all manner of painted and googly-eyed creations produced by our son over the years. We deck Wesley out, plug him in, and, every time, there it is—that sentimental catch in my throat that means the Christmas season has officially begun. An awkward beginning turned strangely lovely.

Looking around me, I could say the same about the living shoreline. As we wade into waist-high spartina grass, I’m amazed by what I see. Just 16 months before, one broiling August afternoon, I had stood in this very spot, helping a throng of Eckerd students and staff plant grasses and shrubs in a patch of raw, sandy soil. Dodging shovel-swings and flying sand, I’d eased spartina and muhly grass plants from their pots, chatting with my planting partner about her first semester in college. We’d made a little game of wishing each plant luck as we patted it into the ground. When we finished and stepped back for a drink of water, it didn’t look like anything so grand as a living shoreline; it looked like a phalanx of ragged recruits, transfer-shocked plants stationed across 400 feet of bare soil. If I had understood the drubbing those little plants were to face in the next two months with the arrivals of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, I might have wished them more than luck. Parts of the installation had to be completely replanted.

But now, the picture is altogether different.

Up and down stream, marsh grasses grow in continued on page 39

“We’d made a little game of wishing each plant luck as we patted it into the ground.”

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and improving the water quality that is so important for seagrass meadows and all the species they support. Where dredge and fill degraded the estuary, living shorelines repair, bit by bit.

We’ve wandered now to the end of the installation, where the cordgrass peters out into the shade of trees and the sidewalk curves away to the west. I start to thank Tyler for his time, but then he points out something interesting: the seawall keeps going, curving along the imposing wall of mangroves that shield the southernmost tip of the campus. As many times as I’ve walked (or even paddled) this quarter mile stretch of the shore, I never once noticed the old sea wall. And it’s easy to see why: red, black, and white mangroves all grow here, sheltering in their deep green shadows beach shrubs, vines, and fiddler

Tyler sees the question on my face. It’s all about wave energy, he explains. Back at the living shoreline, boats coming into the creek cut their engines at the “No Wake” channel marker, ironically sending a surge of wake toward the encroaching banks of the creek. I’d seen that clearly enough when we were there; every time a boat passed, wavelets churned up, crashing into the old sea wall and bouncing back. Over time, this rough movement gouges out the sediment in front of the seawall, making it difficult for anything to grow. But at this point on the wall, the shifting sands slowed down, accumulated, transformed into the floor of a mangrove forest. Why? Tyler points out into the bay, where the emerald hump of Indian Key,

fully appreciate it requires a firsthand understanding of our family’s history, the auld lang syne we’re always singing about this time of year.

In the same way, living shorelines complicate a simple understanding of “nature” versus “manmade.” They aren’t just about replacing the unnatural hardscaping laid down by generations past with something greener, something prettier—after all, living shorelines are also engineered by human hands (as the blisters on my thumbs that not-to-longago August day will attest). And, as much good as they can do for slowing erosion, enhancing habitat, and improving water quality, they’re not just about bringing those benefits to any one site. At heart, living shorelines require an

CITY WILDS

C/O ECKERD COLLEGE

continued from page 37 wild profusion, slender stalks swept this way and that like tousled hair. They slope gently down to the water, sheltering gray-green tufts of salt bush, fiery splotches of blanketflower, and, right along the edge, scrappy stalks of red mangrove. Along the shaved-down remnant of the seawall—all that remains of a structure that had armored Eckerd’s shoreline for decades— Tyler finds new patches of oysters growing. And these aren’t the only signs of life: we find narrow wildlife trails winding through the grass and the delicate footprints of raccoon and possum along the low tide line. We also find slightly broader paths cut by students—known in the restoration business as “social trails”—down to the riprap, a prime fishing spot. And, wedged in the watery hole between the boulders and the old wall, one punchy little crab.

Our campus, like so many other waterfront properties on Tampa Bay, is reckoning with the long term impacts of the dredge and fill craze that swept this part of Florida in the 1940s-1960s—the construction boom that brought ecological disaster to Boca Ciega Bay and became, as former State Representative Roger Wilson told Tampa Bay Newspapers in 2019, “a national representation of how not to dredge and fill.” By some estimates, as much as a quarter of the bay bottom of Boca Ciega was scraped up and piled into finger islands, destroying seagrass meadows and mangrove banks that had once nourished one of the most productive estuaries in Florida. Add to this the runoff and sewage that followed from all that development, it’s no surprise that environmentalists declared Tampa Bay “dead” by the 1970s.

Looking at old aerial photographs in the College archives, you can’t help but notice the startling fact that the western third of our campus did not exist—at least not as land—before the late 1960s. (Fun fact: the Ratner Fill project, which completed our campus and also laid the groundwork for neighboring Isla del Sol, helped spark the controversy which led to Zabel v. Tabb, a court ruling that called for the Army Corps of Engineers to take the cumulative effects of any dredging project into consideration when granting permits. It helped spell the end of the dredge and fill era.) The miles of sea wall that hold all that dredged land in place are now fighting a losing battle with time, tide, and sea level rise, all of which gradually erode and undermine them. It’s a common sight in the Tampa Bay area: places where land behind a seawall has subsided into ankle-twisting gaps and holes, where the concrete has begun to buckle and crack.

Living shorelines are promoted as a “green infrastructure” alternative to this overabundance of concrete that works on multiple levels: they absorb the wave energy that causes erosion, while creating habitat for wildlife—or in many cases, restoring lost habitat. They also scrub runoff headed into the bay, removing pollutants

SEASONS OF CHANGE: Before the 1960s, a third of Eckerd College did not exist. crabs. In some places, sand has accumulated so deep that palm trees grow, and every once in a while, the vast mangrove hedge breaks to form a tiny secret beach. The seawall runs just landward of this hidden world, in some places a sizable hop above it, in others just barely visible above the soil.

I’m momentarily bewildered. This isn’t what seawalls are supposed to do. Seawalls cut a clear, immaculate line between land and water; they let us roll our carpets of sand or sod right up to the edge of the bay and dangle our toes over; they slice through the map to turn nature’s messy edges into precise geometric shapes. But this seawall is…not doing that.

an undeveloped mangrove island, rises out of the water just a third of a mile away. It’s possible, he says, that the key sheltered this part of the wall from the wind and waves, letting the sand settle and mangroves take root—an accidental forest.

My mind jumps back to our Christmas tree in all its synthetic glory. What makes it lovely, I decide, is not its perfect imitation of nature (no matter how “Wesley Spruce” it may be).

Instead, it’s the way it catches and holds our memories—the bells, owls, and other flotsam borne in on the tide of our life together—like a tidal flat transformed into a hidden beach. To

understanding of the complex, unique-to-everyinstallation agencies of water, wind, sediment, plants, and animals; they require us to see how one location is connected to the others around it, to think—with apologies to Aldo Leopold—not like a mountain, but like an estuary.

I’ve zoned out. Tyler’s probably wondering what’s wrong with me, but it’s just sweet visions of oyster reefs dancing in my head. You can keep your Frosty snowmen and winter wonderlands, I’ve found my Florida Christmas groove. It’s Oyster the World, Away in a Mangrove, The Nutcracker Marshgrass: the pretty darn miraculous way the bay can heal itself, if we help it.

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 39

Put a ring on it

Fourteen places to party on New Year’s Eve.

By Selene San Felice

I

t’s finally time to say goodbye to 2025. Whether you’re looking for family-friendly fireworks or a place to black out, we’ve got you.

Tampa Fireworks at the Tampa Riverwalk Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk and Jackson’s Bistro, Bar & Sushi have partnered for the first time to light up the downtown skyline with a new fireworks display. 9 p.m. No cover. Tampa Riverwalk, Downtown Tampa. thetampariverwalk.com Pied Piper Productions & AW Live’s NYE 2026 Sofi Tukker, Austin Millz and DJ Proppa play Armature Works’ NYE show before waterfront fireworks. 8 p.m. $111.35 & up. Armature Works, 1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa. armatureworks.com Midnight Tropicana: NYE Party at Hotel Haya This party is inspired by the golden age of Palm Royale and vintage Florida nightlife. 9 p.m. $117 & up. Hotel Haya, 1412 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. hotelhaya.com 2026 NYE Celebration w/ Afrojack 9 p.m. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Event Center, 5223 N Orient Rd., Tampa. casino.hardrock.com/tampa STÜSH - Glitz & Glam 10 p.m. 25 & up.

Jerk Hut Island Grille & Beach Club, 1241 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. jerkhut.com NYE Beach Party Whiskey Joe’s Tampa is the local chain’s most popular NYE party, but celebrations also happen at its Port Richey and Manatee River locations. 7 p.m. $43 & up.

Whiskey Joe’s Tampa Bar & Grill, 7720 W Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa. thewhiskeyjoes.com Emo Night New Year’s Eve Just because it’s about to be 2026 doesn’t mean you can’t party like it’s 2006. 8 p.m. $17.65. The Orpheum, 14802 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. theorpheum.com Topgolf Tee off 2026 at the Tampa and St. Pete locations, which will be open until 1 a.m. with a DJ and special food menu. Reservations are made for parties of six. 9 p.m. $410. Multiple locations. topgolf.com

Mari Jean hotel at midnight for the annual “Cock & Sparkle Drop” toast. There’s no cover, but meet and greet and VIP upgrades are available.

8 p.m. Cocktail St. Pete, 2355 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. cocktailstpete.com NYE at the Pier Family-friendly, with roaming entertainment, DJs, local food, cocktails and, of course, fireworks. No cover, but $26 reserved ticket holders get access to a fenced-in viewing zone with an exclusive bar and dedicated portable restrooms. 8 p.m. St. Pete Pier, 800 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. nyestpete.com Algorhythm Reggae band Algorhythm ends its Jannus residency with a free concert alongside Seranation, Nick Poulin, Alific and special guests. GA is no cover; VIP and afterparty options start at $30. 9 p.m. Jannus Live, 200 1st Ave. N, St. Petersburg. jannuslive.com New Year’s Eve Comedy Shows Laugh your way into the new year with two shows from St. Pete Stand Up. 6 p.m. & 8 p.m. $10-$20.

St. Pete Brewing Co., 544 1st Ave. N, St. Petersburg. stpetestandup.com Swingin’ The New Year Johnny Dancer’s Swing Gang hosts an old-timey party with aswing dance lesson (no partner needed) and 2,000-balloon drop and champagne toast. Vintage attire encouraged. 7:30 p.m. $46.75 & up. The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N, Saint Petersburg. swinginthenewyear.com Skybeach Resort Beach Bash The newly renovated resort welcomes the community to a free party on its private beach with performances from Homegrown: A Zac Brown Band Tribute Experience and The Bearded Brothers Band. $109 VIP upgrade includes an open bar and bites.

7 p.m. No cover. Skybeach Resort, 6800 Sunshine Skyway Lane S, St. Petersburg. skybeach-resort. com. See more parties at cltampa.com/arts

St. Petersburg Space Sluts Save the World Cocktail & The Wet Spot’s NYE bash is literally out of this world.

“Green, gaggy, and snatched to the gods, aliens of all kinds are bending cosmic laws to bring fabulosity and fierceness back to our planet on New Year’s Eve,” the event description reads. The iconic Amanda Lepore headlines the Wet Spot party. Next door, The Ball becomes “Club Uranus” with sexy alien gogo dancers and cosmic craft cocktails. Drag Queen Adrianna Sparkle will once again descend from the top of the historic

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bit.ly/PopPunkYbor Wednesday, December 31, 2025 • 9:00 PM - 1:00 AM New Year’s Eve Celebration @ Ybor City Society Wine Bar 1600 East 7th Avenue Tickets $60.54

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Saturday, January 3, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM THE ORIGINAL WAILERS FEAT. AL ANDERSON w/ PART ONE TRIBE & ICHRONIQ@ Zodiac Live 1507 E 7th Avenue Tickets $35.59

bit.ly/WailersYbor Saturday, January 3, 2025 • 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Saturday Stop-in Wine Tasting @ Chateau Cellars Ybor 2009 North 22nd Street Tickets $42.13

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Wednesday, December 31, 2025 • 5:00 PM - 2:00 AM New Years Eve Bar Crawl @ Double Decker Karaoke Party Bar

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THU DECEMBER 25–THU JANUARY 01

C CL Recommends

FRI 26

C Fast Preacher w/Katara Last summer, Orlando Weekly said Daniel Hanson was having one hell of a year and looked poised for a breakout, pointing to recent gigs alongside Nigerian desert blues band Etran de L’Aïr and Future Islands. “His creative streak is formidable, too. Hanson released the heartfelt single ‘Take It, Fake It’ at the end of December, and in alignment with the Strawberry Moon of June, followed up with the sultry “Full Moon.” Bring on the full album,” Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s sibling publication wrote. That record is still not here, but Hanson brings his band Fast Preacher to St. Petersburg for a year-end gig where perhaps Tampa’s best band, Katara, opens. (Suite E Studios, St. Petersburg) C Punks For Due Process Benefit: Melissa Grady w/Tiger 54/Choking On The Revelry/Scars Are Proof Of Survival The November arrest of Tampa photojournalist Dave Decker unfolded into an outpouring of support for Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s senior photographer, who was in South Florida covering an ICE protest when he was picked up by Miami authorities. The office of Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle dropped the charges two weeks ago, and while friends had planned a benefit concert to help with legal costs, Decker asked that proceeds from the show benefit the legal fees of migrant families. Punk and rock bands, plus cellist Melissa Grady are on the bill. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)

WED 31

C Aliqua w/Chriss/New Age Tension/ We’re Sweet Girls/Wiggleroom Kingsley Reeves III brings a pared down lineup of his party band Aliqua to this no-cover dive bar gig where he’ll be joined by avant-rockish outfit Chriss, plus DJ sets from New Age Tension, We’re Sweet Girls and a final appearance by Wiggleroom. See more NYE concerts below. (The Bends, St. Petersburg) C Donna The Buffalo In a break from recent tradition, New York jam-scene favorite Donna The Buffalo is not playing its New Year’s Eve show under the Skipperdome in Tampa. This could very well be many local fans’ first time seeing frontwoman Tara Nevins & co. in a different setting, which is fitting because it’s a first that is on the mind of the accordion player, who recently told CL about the best gig she ever saw. “... one of the most influential concerts was the first time seeing Preston Frank and his family band play Zydeco in Soileau, Louisiana,” she said. “I came home and immediately

bought an accordion and that started a very important chapter in both mine and Donna The Buffalo’s musical evolution.” (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)

THU 01

Austen van der Bleek Afterparties are so 2025. This no-cover, 12-hour DJ gig in St. Petersburg’s warehouse district doesn’t get going until 7 a.m. and promises “head high waves of slow rolling funk, soul, disco, boogie, and anything else that stokes this eclectic selector as he waxes up his decks and takes the Sunshine City for a ride.”

And yes, organizers are seeking a chef to cook brunch as the sun comes up. (Suite E Studios, St. Petersburg) C Rock The Park: Whale Feral w/ Bauxmonk/Max Norton Some people believe that whatever you do on New Year’s Day will carry over into the entire year, so why not ring in 2026 with a free concert in the park? Downtown Tampa’s monthly showcase of homegrown talent is in its 16th year and kicks off the year with Whale Feral. The rock quartet is almost 12 months removed from its latest LP, Word’s We Can’t Read, which just got a deluxe reissue that includes a live recording of the album. St. Petersburg producer Bauxmonk— who just released his AftrDinnr_9 beat tape—is also on the bill along with expat Tampa songwriter Max Norton. (Curtis Hixon

PRESS HANDOUT

By Ray Roa

Waterfront Park, Tampa)

More New Year’s Eve concerts Acraze Wednesday, Dec. 31. 10 p.m. $36.87 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City Alex Malkovich Trio Wednesdays through July 22. 6 p.m. No cover. The Nash Keys Dueling Piano Bar, Clearwater Algorhythm w/Nick Poulin/Alific/more Wednesday, Dec. 31. 9 p.m. No cover, $51.79 & up for VIP. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg Afrojack Wednesday, Dec. 31. 9 p.m. $62.

Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa Betty Fox Band Wednesday, Dec. 31. 9 p.m. $10.54 & up. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg Emo Night New Year’s Eve: Xrawrx w/ Sad Girls Club/more Wednesday, Dec. 31. 8 p.m. $17.65. Orpheum, Tampa Havana Nights NYE: Sabroson Latin Jazz Quartet w/DJ Zonzuri Wednesday, Dec. 31.

6 p.m. $58.85 & up. Copa, St. Petersburg Hot Tonic w/Alexis Wednesdays. 6:30 p.m.

No cover. The North End Taphouse, Gulfport

Fast Preacher Lanny Ziegel w/Bob Hope Wednesday, Dec. 31. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Ruby’s Elixir, St. Petersburg

NYE 2026: Sofi Tukker w/Austin Millz/ DJ Proppa Wednesday, Dec. 31. 8 p.m. $111.35 & up. Armature Works, Tampa

New World’s Eve: BlinkTheLink w/ TeekLaFreak/DJ Knox/DJ Zay/2Phrozen Wednesday, Dec. 31. 8 p.m. $20. New World Brewery, Tampa

NYE Party: Morning Dew w/Jerryland Wednesday, Dec. 31. 6 p.m. $30.52 & up.

Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg

New Year’s Eve Wednesday Night Jam: Mutant Fusion Collective w/Clave Cafe/ Nintendonuts/The Matrux/Songbird Shella/Kirk Yates/more Wednesday, Dec. 31. 8 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin

Reflections NYE 2026: Harlow Gold w/ Dandy Lush/The Pleasantries/Sedque/ Byron Beck/Wyatt Norton/Slamchops/Allen Fereti/more Wednesday, Dec. 31. 6 p.m. $44.52 & up. Warehouse Arts District, St. Petersburg Tamayo & Friends Wednesday, Dec. 31. 9 p.m. No cover. Gulfport Brewery, Gulfport

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 47

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Dancing queen

By Dan Savage

C

isgender bi-female late-40s, living in the Bay Area. My boyfriend and I have been dating six months and are very much in love.

His friends party quite a bit, lots of drinking and other party favors, and we all enjoy feeling good on the dance floor. The first time I met one of his friends—a guy in his 30s—it was a big, fun night, I wanted his friend to feel included (it was mostly couples), so I put my arm around him and bumped hips and butts with him on the dance floor. We were all dancing together.

I’m pretty sure he grabbed my ass when I was making out with my boyfriend on the dancefloor. A month later, we are all out dancing again and he started saying things like, “Oh, you—you’re trouble,” and, “If your ‘boyfriend’ wasn’t in the picture, we would have something going on.”

I laughed but I also told him to stop. I explained that I’m very much in love with my boyfriend, who happens to be his friend, and I would never do anything to jeopardize our relationship. So, I used my words and shut him down. But I feel like I’m keeping a secret by not telling my boyfriend about this. I don’t want to cause any issues between my boyfriend and his friend.

Then my boyfriend mentioned that this friend had a crush on one of the other women in the group—a woman who’s part of a poly couple—so maybe he does this a lot? What do I do here?— Groping Really Isn’t Nice, Dude You used your words—you shut that guy down—and good for you. Now you need to keep using your words: “That one friend of yours has a crush on me, too.” Tell your boyfriend you grinded (ground?) on his friend a little while everyone was dancing, just to be polite during that chem-fueled dance party, and his friend either misread your intentions (charitable read) or seized the opportunity (less charitable read) to grab your ass. And now he’s saying things that sound like they were lifted from a Netflix murder doc—“Only later did I realize he was planning to get my boyfriend ‘out of the picture’ permanently”—and now you’re worried about things escalating further. While I generally don’t think dance floor gropers deserve the benefit of the doubt, GRIND, this guy is a known quantity: he’s hit on other people’s partners before, and yet the group keeps him around. So, he either has other redeeming qualities—like being able to take no for an answer after misreading someone’s signals (easy to do under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or dickful thinking)—or he hasn’t fully worn out his welcome with the group… but might be about to.

If your boyfriend gets angry with you after you tell him what’s been going on, GRIND,

that’s a bad sign about your new boyfriend. If he sees this friend of his as the issue and asks you how you want him to proceed—let you handle it yourself, say something to this friend, check in with the whole group—that’s a good sign about your new boyfriend.

I’m older than you’d think possible, but I continue to want, need and—interestingly enough—pretty easily find sexual partners of the kind I prefer. I’m a fem old gay and tend to seek out middle age, very Dom type men. I like to wear lingerie for them and be as fem as possible. The problem is, as a normal bougie professional person, I don’t appear that swishy out of bed, though this changes behind closed doors. Then I become this ultra femme submissive thing. How schizophrenic is this? Now, I don’t feel at all trans and I am not a woman. Still, if my standard male attitude and look is out of whack with the person I am in the bedroom, should I be a little concerned?

Am I obligated to bring my two identities into alignment? If so, how? Do I have an ethical duty to be more public about my private self? Or does it matter since I am of such an advanced age?— Pervert In Naughty Knickers You can be a perv in private—for many people, being a perv in private is a huge part of the turn-on. And many of us, PINK, sex is a kind of play where we’re free to be the opposite of the person we are—or pretend to be—most of the time. Think of the cliché about the powerful CEO who loves being dragged around a commercial dungeon on a leash by a Dominatrix.

Not only isn’t that CEO obligated to “merge his two identities” (the man he is in the C-suite, the sub he is in the dungeon), merging them would be a mistake. First, he’d instantly lose his job, which means he wouldn’t be able to afford those sessions with the Dominatrix anymore. And even worse, merging his identities would deprive him of the contrast that makes those kink scenes hot and rewarding. It’s not just the transgression that arouses him, but the ambiguity. Is the CEO the “real” him or is the sub the “real” him?

Same goes for you. You’re not trans—this isn’t about your gender identity—it’s about transgression and ambiguity and pretense and duality. You aren’t obligated to align these two very different versions of yourself, PINK, and you ultimately can’t align them. But you can enjoy them.

SAVAGE LOVE

I have a specific attraction that feels both unusual and intense: I’m fascinated by the back of people’s heads—the occipital region,

that curve where skull meets neck. It’s genuinely erotic for me, not just aesthetic. Are there fellow occipitophilists out there? And how do I bring this up with partners without sounding bizarre? I’d love to kiss and caress the backs of their heads, but I’m not sure how to introduce this desire. Is this common enough to have a community, or am I charting new territory?— David In London You’re talking about kissing the back of someone’s neck, DIL, not rearranging their guts.

Kissing someone on the neck—front or back—is a pretty standard move; if you were fucking someone from behind, it would be weird if you didn’t kiss them on the back of their neck. So, this is a standard move/practice, DIL, and not a kink, which means it doesn’t require advance discussion. (If someone doesn’t like being kissed on the neck—front of back—the onus is on them to let a new partner know to leave their neck unmolested.) Again, you’re not talking about shoving your arm up someone’s ass, DIL, you’re talking about kissing someone in a place they’ve been kissed before. When a new partner comments on how you like to zero in on that particular spot—that spot where skull meets their neck — then you talk about your special attraction to that spot. But asking permission in advance to kiss them where they fully expect you to kiss them will just make it (and you) seem weird.

I’m a gay man, early-30s, live in SF. There’s this guy.

Some faces you just look at and you get a premonition that it’s the one you want s t an din g opposite you on yourwedd i n g d a y .

But he’s never felt the same way. Always ignored me on the apps.

Years later, when I put on a bunch of muscle, he would entertain me but eventually ghost.

It was a tough rejection, but I accepted it. Fast forward a year later, I’m messaging a torso on a platform. As it turns out, this random torso has the exact same kinks I do. We perfectly overlap. We get to exchanging faces, and lo and behold, it’s him. It threw me for a loop. Although I would usually jump at the chance to hook up with him, this isn’t how I wanted it to happen.

When you’ve been rejected by someone in real life, is it worth putting up with the emotional

harm of engaging with them in kink life? How do you feel about kink generally becoming a mechanism to hook up with people who are out of our league?—Knowing It Needs Kink On one hand, hooking up with this guy again—hooking up with a guy who has already rejected you in the most inconsiderate possible way—opens you up to being rejected by him again. If you go in hoping he won’t ghost again and then he does, KINK, you’re going to feel like a chump.

On the other hand… you’re kinky, he’s kinky, and he’s hot. I’m going to take your word for it when you say he’s out of your league. If you can meet up to play and keep your expectations in check—your expectations around sex (it’s just a kinky play date) and your expectations about him (he’s a flake)—you might be able to enjoy the experience. But seeing as you hoped to marry this man, it might be hard for you to keep those expectations in check.

That said, did you know he was kinky— and did he know you were kinky—before you started swapping messages on that kink app?

If not, there’s a non-zero chance he didn’t pursue things with you in the past because he assumed you were va nilla.

S o , while y o u might not be his ideal physical type, KINK, you may have the sexual wiring he’s looking for in a partner.

A shared interest in a particular kink can sometimes get you into a bedroom/dungeon/ butthole you might not have found yourself in otherwise. In that way, kink can be a leveler where leagues are concerned. I know some objectively hot kinky guys— think “Heated Rivalry” hot—who are married to guys who may not be in their league lookswise, but who knock it out of the park for them kink-wise. Shoot your shot, dude!

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 51

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Legal, Public Notices Notice of Public Sale Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell, to satisfy lien of the owner, at public sale by competitive bidding on www.storagetreasures.com. ending on January 9, 2026 at 10:00 am for units located at Compass Self Storage 1685 Hwy 17 N Eagle Lake Florida 33839. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at time of sale.

All Goods are sold as is and must be removed at the time of purchase.

Compass Self Storage reserves the right to refuse any bid. Sale is subject to adjournment. The personal goods stored therein by the following may include, but are not limited to general household, furniture, boxes, clothes and appliances, unless otherwise noted. Unit 2054 Darline Felix-Auguste Unit 3025 Nicholas Carsley Unit 1029 Timothy Ephriam Unit 1038 Oscar Moran. Run dates 12/25/25 and 1/1/26.

Notice of Public Sale Notice is hereby given that the undersigned will sell, to satisfy lien of the owner, at public sale by competitive bidding on www.storagetreasures.com ending on January 6th, 2026 at 10:00 am for units located at: Compass Self Storage 2291 S. Frontage Rd, Plant City, Florida 33563. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the time of sale.

All goods are sold as is and must be removed at the time of purchase.

Compass Self Storage reserves the right to refuse any bid. Sale is subject to adjournment. The personal goods stored therein by the following may include, but are not limited to general household, furniture, boxes, clothes and appliances, unless otherwise noted. Unit 2003 Beunca Mitchell Unit 2054 Mercedes Milton Unit 3050 Shontia Lowman Unit 3135-3151 Richard Wood. Run Dates 12/25/2025 and 01/01/2026

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77 ___ large (hasn’t 7 The best, briefly org.

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Bondage author’s 39 Fly catcher of a sort 34 Penalized amount star For info on Merl's initials 40 ___ double take 109 What a nail feels? 35 Paw Sunday crossword 99 Takes to heart 41 “___ a date!”

36 Animal you can 115 Car-collecting anthologies, visit 100 Henry, in 42 Actress who felt sit on comedian www.sunday Hermosillo empty inside?

38 Display to good 118 Pal, to Pascal crosswords.com.

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66 Battled Cochise? 135 European steel A R AM I S A P P E A L L GE QE D 60 Insurance city 69 “___ drunkard” center L OWE S T I N S P A C E M I X T U R E 61 Ecol.-minded entity M C A T I N T E M M A E N T R A I N (Rick, in 136 Others S K Y S E A S R Y E S R E S I D E S Casablanca) 137 Goddess of discord 65 Route 1

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54 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | cltampabay.com

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137

cltampabay.com | DECEMBER 25-31, 2025 | 55

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