OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 (VOL.39, NO.40) • $FREE CREATIVE LOAFING • CLTAMPABAY.COM
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 3
PUBLISHER James Howard CHAIRMAN Mike Trentalange EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa
CAMPAIGN HANDOUT
Editorial DEPUTY EDITOR/DIGITAL DIRECTOR Colin Wolf STAFF WRITER Valerie Smith IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Marty Clear, J.C. Roddy PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker, Annalise Mabe SUMMER INTERNS Leif Helland, Liam Oliver (apply for fall and spring by emailing clips and a resumes to rroa@cltampa.com) Creative Services CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora GRAPHIC DESIGNER Paul Pavlovich POLITICAL CARTOONIST Bob Whitmore ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson Advertising SALES DIRECTOR Anthony Carbone SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dan Winkler CLASSIFIEDS MANAGER Jerrica Schwartz
They’re fed up with the machine-style, Tammany Hall-style politics.
Tampa Bay Journalism Project DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR John T. Fox PARTNER NEWSROOMS Cigar City Sounds, The Gabber, San Pedro Gazette, Sapphic Sun, TB Arts Passport, WMNF News
Democrat thinks he can win Tampa Bay’s CD16 seat, p. 21.
Events and Marketing MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Leigh Wilson SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Jessica Prieto MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Kristin Bowman
CIRCULATION MANAGER Ted Modesta
FOOD+DRINK ������������������������ 29
cltampabay.com cldeals.com
A+E ��������������������������������������� 31
EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is a locally-and-employee-owned 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.
MUSIC ���������������������������������� 37
Creative Loafing Tampa is proudly published by Events & Media, LLC.
CROSSWORD ������������������������ 46
MUSIC WEEK ������������������������ 41 ORACLE OF YBOR ����������������� 45
KOUREY ANGELO/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
NEWS+VIEWS ����������������������� 15
Circulation
The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampabay.com. Copyright 2026, Events and Media, LLC. The newspaper is produced and printed on Indigenous land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.
ON THE COVERs: Design by Chris Parks/Palehorse.
Our main number: (813) 739-4800 Letters to the editor: comments@cltampa.com Anonymous news tips: cltampabay_tips@protonmail.com
FOLLOW US:
@cltampabay.bsky.social on Bluesky @cltampabay on Instagram and Facebook @creativeloafingtampa on TikTok
ANNALISE MABE
/food Coco’s in the Heights
Creative Loafing is printed on a 90% recycled stock. Please do your part & recycle it when you're done with this copy.
4 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
/music Listen to Music Week /arts More Martz photos /news Life Surging
A Thundercat album has many personalities. Thundercat comes to St. Pete this week, p. 41.
Every pet deserves to feel safe, cared for, and loved. HELP THEM GET A SECOND CHANCE. This September, love can save a life. Friends of Strays is raising critical funds to save more cats and dogs in Tampa Bay and Florida – but we can’t do it without YOU!
LOVE UNLEASHED 30 Days to Save More Lives DONATE TODAY and give a sick, injured, or homeless pet a chance to feel cared for and loved at friendsofstrays.org/love-unleashed or scan the QR code.
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 5
CLEARWATER DRONE GUY/SHUTTERSTOCK
Swedish Candy
in Tampa!
Now with TWO locations: South Tampa
St. Pete Grand Central
716 S. Village Cir. Hyde Park Village (813) 957-5286
1614 Central Ave. St. Pete Downtown (727) 873-0142
Hours
Mon -Thu: 10am-8pm • Fri-Sat: 10am-9pm Sun: 11am-7pm
For the past 25 years, my wife and I have lived in the city of Safety Harbor, a quaint, yet vibrant, city that we share with 16,000 or so others on Old Tampa Bay. Safety Harbor is full of generous people and businesses who support all of the nonprofit work we do, and has provided us with a quality of life unmatched by anywhere else either of us have ever lived. The challenging economy we all are trying our best to navigate now means we can’t give back as much as we’d like, at least financially, so almost anything that would help make our lives more affordable would be a welcome relief to us. Except one: Amendment 3. The property tax issue Florida voters are being asked to consider on their Nov. 3 ballot is nothing more than a mirage. We’re being told that it is real help for our wallets and pocketbooks, but when you reach for it, you realize that the sand sifting through your fingers is, at best, a tax shift and, at worst, a dagger straight through the heart of almost everything that makes Safety Harbor the paradise we adore. If you’ve read your city’s proposed budget, attended your city’s recent public meetings, or talked with your locally elected officials, you’ve no doubt got an early peek at how different your city will look under Amendment 3. For those of us in Safety Harbor, possible future changes include the elimination of jobs, the end of publications and programs that keep residents informed and engaged, and reducing open hours and programs offered at our library, recreational centers and parks. Also, a needed replacement of the aging lighting system at City Park that provides night-time use of baseball fields for hundreds of Safety Harbor Little Leaguers, tournament teams and rec leagues has been put off pending the results of the Nov. 3 vote. And those are just the things being talked about before the November vote. I fully expect more if Amendment 3 passes, and much, much more five years from now when the most painful bite of the amendment takes effect.
thepiratecandyshop.com 6 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Even though these services collectively help decide how valuable your home is to a potential buyer, I know that, for some voters, none of that matters. If you don’t use the library, you probably don’t care whether it’s open five days a week or seven. If you don’t use your parks, you probably don’t care how high the weeds get or whether kids can see a baseball after dusk.
But what we all should care about is the actual math of Amendment 3—how much money is actually staying in your wallet if Amendment 3 passes. In the rush to get this issue on the ballot, our state lawmakers didn’t realize, or didn’t much care, that local officials still have tremendous power to raise money in other ways. In Safety Harbor, our Commissioners: • Voted this month to raise the millage rate for the first in many years—from 3.95 mills to 4.1435 mills. That change only costs my household about $90 or so, but for my neighbors who own non-homesteaded or recently homesteaded properties, that cost will be much, much higher and cut into any savings they realize if Amendment 3 passes. • Recently received, as many cities have, a presentation on possibly adding a special fire assessment fee to ensure that vital city service is unaffected. Local governments retain the power to assess these fees on certain services, including solid waste, stormwater, roads, utilities and street lights. And here’s the real kicker to these additional fees—your homestead exemption doesn’t apply to them! I’ve had one friend tell me his local officials are a bunch of drunken sailors, wasting money left and right, and Amendment 3 will rein them in. It won’t. If they truly are drunken sailors wasting your money, they’ll just find new ways to “waste” your money. The fix for that isn’t Amendment 3. The fix for that is for you to vote them out. A “no” vote doesn’t mean you don’t want—or need—to save money. Whomever wins the Governor’s Mansion in November will appoint the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission next spring. My hope is that the citizens appointed to that crucially important work take it more seriously than the state Legislature did over just a couple of days this summer, and present to all of us a more comprehensive plan for tax changes that doesn’t gut the very reasons that you and your family believe make Safety Harbor—or wherever you call home—the paradise that it is. Scott Long is former Safety Harbor City Commissioner, who has served on several city advisory boards and on the boards of Safety Harbor non-profit organizations. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay accepts letters to the editors and op-ed pitches. We will not run your letter without permission. Email your submissions to rroa@cltampa.com for consideration.
Connect with collectors, galleries & buyers
ready to invest in original art.
Apply today:
artfairtampa.com ART FAIR TAMPA OCTOBER 15-18, 2026 TAMPA CONVENTION CENTER Art Fair Tampa brings together 300+ talented artists from across the country for four days of creativity, inspiration, and community. Explore stunning works across painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and more — all under one roof at the Tampa Convention Center.
VIP OPENING NIGHT OCTOBER 15, 2026 Be among the first to preview the collection, meet the artists, and acquire works before the doors open to the public. • COMPLIMENTARY WELCOME GLASS OF BUBBLY OR WINE • LIVE MUSIC & ARTIST DEMONSTRATIONS
get-in.com/artfairtampavip or scan the qr code ➞ ➞ ➞ cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 7
8 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Help keep local journalism alive.
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 nonpaywalled journalism for our community. Help the Creative Loafing newsroom grow.
Donating is easy, visit bit.ly/anfCLTampa
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 9
Tampa Bay's best things to do from October 01 - 07. See more on pp. 29, 33 & 35, 41
RAY ROA
do this
Radley returns
A dozen years ago, Cody Meacham appeared on the cover of Creative Loafing to preview the immersive haunted experience he built out at his parents’ house on 19th St. N in St. Petersburg. The 38-year-old artist with experience at attractions like Halloween Horror Nights has a new playground this time. For “Relics & Lore,” Meacham takes over 1,000 square feet of FloridaRama (stylized “FloridaRAMA”) and turns it into what a press release describes as “a Victorian Gothic world filled with atmospheric effects, intricate visual storytelling, paranormal lore and unexpected discoveries.” In a new CLTV episode, Meacham said that his new show, rated PG-13, won’t include jump scares. “I kind of wanted to take this opportunity to design something where weirdos like me who love being in creepy places can just kind of vibe,” he said. “We want you to be able to explore and uncover the relics and lore of the environment that you’re in, and just enjoy, but be spooked out at the same time.” Learn more by watching the interview at cltampa.com/arts.
Relics & Lore: A Radley Experience: Oct. 3-Nov. 2. Thursday-Monday, $22-$27. FloridaRama, 2606 Fairfield Ave. S, St. Petersburg. floridarama.art
—Ray Roa
It’s pouring
Obviously hidden
Since the summer of 2020, Cory Robinson’s cartoons have had a home in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Marked by fresh, bright colors and usually featuring wideeyed animals often saying off the wall shit, there’s no denying when the former skateboarder’s hand drawn illustrations, paintings and murals are in front of you. For this new solo show, Robinson focuses on cats and dogs, highlighting the expressive and playful nature of his subjects.
AMY MARTZ
There’s not a local gem that shines quite like the University of Tampa. Now known as UTampa, the former Tampa Bay hotel’s minarets are the definition of iconic and could very well be a mascot for the city. A new collection of photography by Tampa’s own Amy Martz captures what feels like every square inch of the school, including the hotel and surrounding areas, in stunning detail. On display at the Ferman Center for the Arts on N Boulevard for a year, “Railroad to River” opens Friday and showcases just a portion of a larger project that will eventually become a book (there are about 300 photos in the project so far, but just a few dozen will be on display). Martz is an architectural photographer by trade, but her work in the show enters painterly territory, thanks to the way she finds unique vantage points that frame the campus in new ways and draw attention to themes that pop up across the campus, from flower shapes, to chess pieces, and tilt-shift panoramas only Martz could capture. “Architecture is really our most public form of art,” she told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Read more, and see photos from the exhibit, via cltampa.com/arts.
‘It’s Raining Cats & Dogs’ New artwork by Cory Robinson: Opening Friday, Oct. 2. 8 p.m. No cover. Corner Club, 1502 E Sligh Ave., Tampa. @ mrcoryrobinson on Instagram
‘Railroad To River—University of Tampa in Hidden View’ Photography by Amy Martz : Opens Friday, Oct. 2. 5 p.m.-7 p.m. No cover (RSVP to cal@ut.edu). Saunders Foundation Art Gallery at Ferman Center for the Arts, 214 N Boulevard, Tampa. ut.edu —Ray Roa
—Ray Roa
MRCORYROBINSON/INSTAGRAM
10 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
See more (and submit your event) @ cltampa.com
Hillsborough Democratic Black Caucus General Election Candidate Forum: Next Thursday, Oct. 8. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. First Baptist Church of Progress Village, 8722 Progress Village Blvd., Tampa. hcdbc.org —Leif Helland
C/O STRAZ CENTER
Black at it
Just a couple months from the midterm election, the Hillsborough County Democratic Black Caucus will bring people together again for its general election candidate forum. The event invites all statewide and local candidates and residents across the state, allowing residents to speak with candidates and ask questions before the upcoming general midterm election wraps on Election Day, Tuesday Nov. 3 (early voting happens Oct. 19 through Nov. 1). State Rep. Angie Nixon, now running for U.S. Senate, is among the confirmed attendees along with Congressional candidate Kim Overman.
In the club
Last year, arts supporters might have seen Jhon Destrade (pictured) on stage around the Tampa Bay area, maybe at the Cuban Club or the new Tampa Performing Arts Center. He spent the 2025-26 season as a principal dancer with Tampa City Ballet, Tampa’s only professional ballet company. Starting Oct. 6, theater goers have a chance to see Destrade— who started at Paso A Paso Compañia de Baile in Cuba—onstage inside Carol Morsani Hall at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts. He’s spending the 2026-27 season in the cast of the national tour of “Buena Vista Social Club,” one of the most acclaimed Broadway musicals of recent years. “When I was in Tampa, I knew already that the ’Buena Vista Social Club’ Broadway [show] was open, and I always want to see that show,” he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “And then I started dancing more and more, and developing my career and this opportunity came. I sent my video, I submitted my video, and here we are. But yeah, what a dream come true.” Read our interview via cltampa.com/arts. Buena Vista Social Club: Select nights Oct. 6-11. $68.50 & up. Carol Morsani Hall at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N Macinnes Pl., Tampa. strazcenter.org—Marty Clear DAVE DECKER
Humpty hump
For over two decades, Hump! Film Festival has softened the stigma surrounding amateur porn by showcasing short-form, sex-positive erotica (each film is five minutes or less). Founded in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington by Savage Love columnist Dan Savage, Hump (stylized “HUMP!”) has finally made it to the Bay area so that audiences can thoughtfully contemplate (then rate) moving images about intimacy, identity and connection. “What began as a bold experiment has grown into a global showcase of boundarypushing cinema where emerging voices and seasoned creators present work that is as thoughtful as it is provocative,” promo materials say. Expect roughly two dozen films—including “Squirter” (pictured), “Snow Plow,” “Plug In Fin Out” and more—at each of the two showings, but know that phones, being an asshole, and trying to get naked and play in the audience, are all strictly prohibited.
2026 Hump! Film Festival: Saturday, Oct. 3. 6:30 p.m. & 9 p.m. $15-$20. Sun-Ray Cinema, 12322 University Mall Ct., Tampa. humpfilmfest.com HUMP!
—Ray Roa
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 11
CELEBRATING
50 YEARSion
of Love & Fash in Ybor City!
LIVE COMEDY SHOWS THIS WEEK
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1
7:00 PM: WEEKLY IMPROV DROP-IN CLASS
Give improv a try in a supportive, fun environment! No prior experience required.
8:30 PM: LONGFORM IMPROV SHOWCASE See how it's done in this weekly show! This week's showcase features the debut of our Level Four improv grads. Come for the Drop-In at 7:00, and stay for this show for free!
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2
7:00 PM: MUSIC: LOST CAT
TRAINIER / REPEATER
Join us for this stellar lineup of bands, one night only at The Commodore!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
8:00 PM: MYSTERY COMEDY SHOW What will this show be? There's only one way to find out! Join us on Saturday for the big reveal.
25% OFF TICKETS @ COMMODORECOMEDY.COM w/ DISCOUNT CODE: CLTAMPA 8 1 1 E 7 T H AV E . / TA M PA • A H O Y @ C O M M O D O R E C O M E D Y. C O M
New and Vintage Clothing & Accessories Hats, Shoes, Jewelry, and More! OPEN EVERYDAY 12-6:45PM
@lafranceybor on Instagram & Facebook
TACO TU EsDAY 200 E MADISON ST • DOWNTOWN TAMPA • 813-221-TACO
12 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
HOME IS MORE THAN A PLACE.
HOME OF THE
BEST PHILLY CHEESESTEAK AND PIZZA IN DUNEDIN
A REALTOR ® HELPS YOU GET THERE.
Whether you're finding your first home or parting with one full of memories, a REALTOR® does more than guide you through the process—they walk beside you with local insight, trusted experience, and unwavering support. This isn’t just a transaction. It’s your next chapter.
2660 Bayshore Blvd Dunedin, FL 34698
727-754-6144
@madisonavenuepizza
And they’re here to help you start it with confidence.
FIND A REALTOR® TAMPABAY.ONLYAREALTOR.COM
REALTORS® are members of the National Association of REALTORS® and adhere to a strict Code of Ethics, ensuring honesty, integrity, and transparency.
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 13
Visit St. Pete’s own homegrown distillery.
800 31st St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712 • (727) 914-0931 stpetersburgdistillery.com
ON CABA RS N PE
4
VIP TABL OP E -T
TWO FRIGHTENING WEEKENDS
THEME NIGHTS TESTS POOL PARTIES N O C E COSTUM
SP COCECIAL KTAI LS
S
VIP TABL OP E -T
6
AS
8-
VIP
E NC
ET EXPER RE IE ST
S
WEEKErdNDth
October 23 - 25 ET & GREET ME
HEADLINER
SAINT MICAH Pianist VIP experiences AVAILABLE AVAILABLE
& Pop Artist of Hits Like Papillion The Grind
October 29th- Nov 1st
HEADLINER
ASHLEY BRITNEY
October 29th
“The Real Fake Britney Spears Impersonator”
VIP experiences
www.COCKtailStPete.com
HOSTED BY CONUNDRUM
AND VERONICA FOXX VERONICA FOXX
WITH DJ ACE VEDO
In a Dream & I Fell in Love
Pop Artist of Hits Like Dumb Psycho
14 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
COCK-O-WEEN WILLAM PRESENTED BY
PRESENTED BY
COCK COCK
TAIL
ROCKELL Pop Star of Hits Like
EMM
HEADLINER
LIAT
HEADLINER
HEADLINER
Actor, Singer 4th Season of RuPaul’s Drag Race
POLITICS
ISSUES
OPINION
Safety check By Valerie Smith
P
ro-immigrant activists are calling for more transparency from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s office after a representative didn’t disclose information about immigrant detention policies. Records obtained by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay show that the Public Safety Coordinating Council, a lesser-known government body tasked with keeping jail populations down, was given inaccurate information when it asked the Pinellas sheriff’s office about the high number of immigrant detentions. The sheriff’s office told CL that the inaccurate information provided wasn’t something the representative should be expected to know. At the same time, the sheriff was increasing jail populations through controversial immigrant detention techniques. Now, immigrant rights organizers are calling for more transparency from the Pinellas sheriff. Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri—who helped build national policy enabling mass deportation—is on the council and, like many high-ranking county officials, he sends a representative to attend the meetings on his behalf. Per transcripts and audio recordings obtained by CL, Pinellas’ PSCC started discussing the massive increase in people held at the jail on behalf of ICE at its Dec. 1, 2025, meeting. In June of 2024, that number was just 82. By June of 2025, it was 343. In June of 2026, it was 503. Deanna Carey—a major with PCSO and the sheriff’s representative at the meeting—told the council that ICE detentions lasted fewer than 72 hours. But that wasn’t true, and Gualteri knew it. A ProPublica investigation revealed that during the increase, the Pinellas County Jail was releasing immigrants into ICE custody and then rebooking them. This reset a 72-hour time limit on detaining immigrants without criminal charges. Gualtieri—who runs the jail and is known for a hands-on management style— said at a press conference earlier this month he didn’t know about the rebookings until around October of 2025. Maj. Carey didn’t mention the rebookings. PCSO told CL that she wasn’t aware of the rebookings at the time, as Carey does not work in the Department of Detention and
Corrections. Nobody from that department was present at the meeting. Ten days after the Dec. 1 meeting, ICE delivered a waiver to PCSO allowing it to detain immigrants without criminal charges for over 72 hours. Gualtieri did not publicize this waiver, and ProPublica was not made aware of it until after its investigation came out. Gualtieri also didn’t notify Pinellas’ PSCC about the change, and was under no statutory obligation to do so. When the council met again on March 9, 2026, it discussed the quarterly report on the jail population. The sheriff’s office answered questions for the report, and in one of their answers said ICE detainees “may remain in custody for up to 72 hours.” Under Florida law, each county must have a Public Safety Coordinating Council. The group is supposed to balance public safety while keeping jail populations down. It’s made up of people who lead homeless services, judges, the state attorney, and a county commissioner, among others. The council holds no statutory power beyond making recommendations to county leadership. Early this month, the PSCC moved its Sept. 14 meeting to a larger room to accommodate the large number of people attending for public comment. Attendees spoke for 30 minutes, asking the council to find ways to end the practice of holding people in county jail for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing budgetary and humanitarian concerns. Council members did not respond to concerns from the dais. Activists call it a breakdown in transparency, the sheriff says ‘nothing was done improperly’ Courtney Prokopas, the immigration justice chair with the Pinellas County League of Women Voters, was at the council’s Sept. 14 meeting. “Any significant shift in operations at the Pinellas County Jail should have been brought before the PSCC, given its responsibility to advise and apprise county leadership on jail operations and population,” Prokopas told CL. “That is a massive departure from previous operations and requires an equally significant shift in oversight.” When asked about the outdated information presented to the PSCC, a representative for the
LOCAL NEWS
SHERIFFPINELLAS/X
PCSO responds to criticism over immigration policy disclosure.
SEE HERE: Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri on Sept. 2, 2026. sheriff’s office sent the following reply via email: “Creative Loafing seems intent on engaging in ‘gotcha journalism.’ You have an obligation if you want to be considered a ‘journalist’ to be fair and objective in your reporting and rely on facts, not made-up self-serving innuendo. With that said. Major Deanna Carey is the commander of the Judicial Operations Bureau, not the Department of Detention and Corrections. She represents the Sheriff at the Public Safety Coordinating Council meetings. This came up spontaneously and was not something Major Carey would have researched prior to the meeting. Major Carey represented what she knew to be accurate at the time. Major Carey, from the Judicial Operations Bureau, had no knowledge of the authorization we received in the Department of Detention and Corrections to hold illegal aliens longer than 72 hours, and she would not be expected to know this. A claim that we provided false information is complete nonsense. Make sure you accurately report our statement because nothing was done improperly.” PCSO did not answer follow-up inquiries about why the quarterly indicators report also incorrectly identified a 72-hour time limit. ICE holds were only briefly referenced at the June 1, 2026, meeting of the PSCC, and the waiver and
rebookings were once again not mentioned even though both continued through this time frame. “The fact that PCSO representative Major Carey was unaware of the December 2025 memorandum signals a breakdown in communication and transparency that is unacceptable to Pinellas County Residents,” Prokopas told CL. In 2024, detainees had to sleep on the floor of the jail following changes to bail law that made it harder for people with low bail amounts to get out while they await trial. At this point, the jail was reaching a daily population of around 3,300. When asked about the rebookings at a press conference early this month, Gualtieri said it was ICE’s decision and that it was better than the alternative. “As opposed to having these people sleeping on the floor in the Tampa ICE office or elsewhere, they brought them back and they rebooked them,” Gualtieri said. He’s also spoken about the lack of oversight in his role. “In Florida, … sheriffs are truly independent constitutional officers,” Gualtieri told the hosts of “Fifty-Six,” a podcast made by PCSO’s PR department. “People sometimes think that the sheriff ’s office is part of county government. It’s not. I don’t work for the County Commission, don’t work for the County Administrator.”
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 15
Call us for an appointment: (813) 203-8445 davedeckerphotography.com |
802 N 12 Street, Suite C - Tampa, FL - 33602
channelsidebrewing.com
16 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
@watson33569
Aw hell
Hillsborough’s dengue dilemma, and power companies get bad grades on clean energy. By Colin Wolf and Valerie Smith
L
BILL MCKEON/SHUTTERSTOCK
DON’T SAY DENGUE: Mosquito control flying over Tampa on March 18, 2025.
ast Thursday, Sept. 24, Hillsborough County officials declared a state of emergency due to rising cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever. The order, which was signed by Hillsborough County administrator Bonnie Wise, allows the county to take emergency measures and opens up the possibility of federal reimbursement for certain expenses. The order takes effect immediately and lasts for seven days unless it is rescinded or extended. Last week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida currently has 392 reported cases of dengue fever, and 169 of those cases are in Tampa Bay. The majority of dengue cases in Tampa Bay are in Hillsborough County. According to the Florida Department of Health, 160 dengue fever cases are in Hillsborough, seven in Pinellas and two are in Pasco counties as of Sept. 19. Hillsborough was just the latest to declare a state of emergency due to the tropical disease. Pinellas County also declared a state of emergency last Thursday, and Pasco declared a state of emergency last Wednesday. Earlier this month, a Hillsborough County woman died as a result of dengue fever. She was the first known person to die as a result of
dengue fever in the state this year, and the first fatality from the disease in almost a century in the Tampa Bay region. “Residents can sign up to be notified of where localized aerial treatments are occurring in their neighborhood,” the county said. “Hillsborough County also maintains an online resource for residents to view where treatments are occurring.” For other information on mosquito management, call Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services at (813) 635-5400.
LOCAL NEWS
Sierra Club gives TECO, Duke failing grades on clean energy Tampa Bay’s electric utilities are facing a struggle familiar to those of us who were academic delinquents: a bad report card. The Sierra Club’s annual Dirty Truths report evaluates every American electric utility’s progress towards eliminating pollution-heavy energy production methods. Duke scored 7 out of 100. TECO scored 2 out of 100. Utilities were scored by how close they are to hitting three goals the Sierra Club set: eliminating coal by 2030, not building new gas plants through 2035, and building clean energy to replace fossil fuels by 2035.
Florida’s electric companies are preparing for an explosion of demand as plans for energyhungry data centers expand. The Sierra Club wants to make sure that fossil fuels aren’t used to fuel that expansion. The report also says that renewable energy is cheaper, and sticking to fossil fuels is driving the affordability crisis. TECO doesn’t pay for fuel; they add the cost of it directly to electric bills. Fluctuations in price affect ratepayers more than they affect the company. TECO representative Cherie Jacobs told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the Sierra Club’s goals aren’t achievable. “To serve almost 900,000 customers every minute of every day, having 100% renewable energy just isn’t realistic,” Jacobs said. “We have a balance of natural gas as a fuel and renewables to produce that electricity.” But she also said only about 11% of TECO’s energy comes from renewable sources. That’s short of TECO’s own goal, set in 2022, to have 17% of their capacity be produced by solar by the end of 2025. Nearly 90% of TECO’s electricity generation comes from fossil fuels, mostly natural gas. Walter Smith, who leads the Sierra Club’s fight against coal in Tampa Bay, told CL that natural gas isn’t sustainable. “Gas seems to be the cop out, right? It seems to be the one thing that they would use in order to say, ‘oh, we’re using clean energy,’” he said. “No, it’s just cleaner than coal. It is still affecting our environment in some terrible ways.” Smith said the score reflects a lack of real commitment to renewable energy, and that
utilities need to act fast to address the pressures of climate change. While coal makes up less than 1% of TECO’s fuel mix today, according to Jacobs, Smith said it’s still putting a burden on consumers because the equipment is hard to maintain. “Having to retrofit that old system constantly is costing them money. They’ve admitted that consistently. It’s costing them money, and it costs us money because it’s passed on to us as customers.” Ana Gibbs, a Duke Energy Florida spokesperson, told CL that the company’s approach balances economic factors against the climate dangers of continuing to burn fossil fuels. “Our diverse, all-of-the above fuel-mix approach supports the continued growth and economic vitality of the communities we serve,” Gibbs said in an emailed statement. She noted that power plant upgrades and additional solar capacity have reduced fuel costs for consumers. But renewables only account for 11% of Duke’s electricity, with much of that coming from hydropower dams that may harm the environment in other ways. St. Petersburg’s “Dump Duke” campaign has grown in popularity. A coalition of environmental and affordability-focused groups recently launched a petition to get public power on the ballot. The group said electricity would be more affordable with a city-run utility, in part because they believe the city is more likely to switch to renewable energy. Duke pushed back against that, using a utility-favored firm to generate a report saying it could cost the city up to $4.1 billion.
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 17
HAPPY HOUR IN THE BAR AREA: MONDAY-FRIDAY 5-7PM
ATTENTION:
CITY OF ST. PETE UTILITY CUSTOMERS! LET US HELP YOUR YARD RECOVER FROM THE EXTREME DROUGHT: • FREE, COMPREHENSIVE SPRINKLER SYSTEM CHECKUP • DETAILED EFFICIENCY REPORT TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM AREAS • SPRINKLER LAYOUT DRAWING CORRESPONDING TO REPORT • FREE INSTALLATION OF A RAIN SENSOR APPLY TODAY:
bit.ly/spwc26 This program is cooperatively funded by the City of St. Petersburg and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. 18 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Power shift
Sierra Club releases toolkit to help Florida residents combat large-scale AI data centers. By Leif Helland
M
any Florida residents are up in arms over the rapid expansion of data centers. Suncoast Sierra Club has shared something of a coping mechanism. The group released its Florida citizen action toolkit at a public meeting on Aug. 13, for residents hoping to work with local governments to combat large-scale AI data center proposals. The toolkit is a Google Doc that includes a wealth of information, teaching people the risks and impacts data centers may pose to the environment. Organized into easy-to-read sections, the toolkit provides talking points for residents to share with politicians, call-to-action petitions and guides for navigating public meetings. “The toolkit that we are rolling out today has been designed to give average Floridians in their communities the tools and the power to fight back against these very damaging proposals,” Sierra Club Florida Chapter Director Susannah Randolph told reporters during the meeting.
The toolkit cites a summer Gallup Poll that claims that 7 out of 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers in their local area. Sierra Club recognizes the need for data centers in general but focuses on large-scale data centers due to the continuous technological advances of AI. Public officials, reps for the club argued, aren’t ready for the rapid arrival of such facilities. “There also aren’t any regulations in place for them,” the club wrote in a press release. “As AI infrastructure expands, Floridians deserve clear, accurate information about these projects’ impacts, and a voice in the local decision-making that affects their communities.” Tampa Electric told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the responsibility is clear to them and that its goal is to protect existing customers first when it comes to large scale data centers. “The toolkit raises many of the same questions we believe are important when considering
ENVIRONMENT
large-energy users, particularly how existing customers are protected,” said Tampa Electric Media Spokesperson Cherie Jacobs. “We will not connect a new large-energy user unless we can continue providing safe, reliable electric service; and other customers will not bear the costs of serving these projects.” Environmentalists from across the nation have raised concerns as hyperscale data centers pop up, often occupying thousands of acres. Developments like Texas’ 5,236-acre Project Matador, Alabama’s proposed 1,600acre Project Marvel, and Meta’s 2,250 acre Hyperion Campus in Louisiana pose significant threats to the environment, activists say, pointing to the large amount of resources required to run such facilities. “Large data centers can consume up to five million gallons [of water] per day,” said one slide in the Sierra Club presentation to the media. Under Senate Bill 484 passed last May, the bill requires stricter regulations when using water to cool large scale data centers to ensure water resources are used in the public interest. “Florida law includes specific water-use and permitting requirements for large-scale data centers, including additional requirements for projects seeking significant water allocations,” said Jacobs. “Tampa Electric will continue to focus on ensuring that any
SURGE IN INTEREST: Floridians can’t stop talking about data centers.
large-energy user can be served safely and reliably while protecting existing customers from the costs associated with serving new projects.” Some of these regulations include using reclaimed water for large scale data centers as well as not issuing a permit to large load customers to use local water resources if it’s deemed harmful to the resources in that area. Under SB484 the governing bodies may not approve a permit application to a large scale data center without a hearing. WUSF reports that over the summer, residents from Polk County’s Fort Meade sued the city over its unanimous approval of a 1,300acre data center. The average high school football field is about one acre without the endzones. The Sierra Club’s toolkit also calls for a statewide moratorium to stall development on these data centers. So far, Florida has moratoriums in over a dozen counties. On Aug. 5, Hillsborough County commissioners voted unanimously 7-0 to draft an AI data center moratorium that would extend to Oct. 7, 2027. “We’re calling for there to be more moratoriums, and that for us is very much like pressing the pause button on this development that we’re seeing in a lot of other states,” Sierra Club Organizing Manager Brooke Alexander Goss said.
ALEXGO.PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 19
OUTBOARD REPOWER
• Full boat restorations • Trailer Repairs • Boat Rescue/Transport • Pre-Purchase Inspections • Outboard & Inboard Repowers • Gelcoat/Fiberglass Repairs • Electrical Troubleshooting/Rewires • Top of the Line Audio Sales/Installs • Insurance Damage Repairs/We will handle your claim! • Se habla español
OFFERING OUTBOARD & INBOARD SERVICES ON ALL BRANDS
NAUTICAL MARINE
7211 N. 41ST ST, TAMPA, FL 33604 813-886-2084 • BOATREPAIRTAMPA.COM
YOUR ONE STOP
FOR INCLUSIVE WELLNESS & CONFIDENCE ST PETERSBURG • TAMPA
•••
WORRIED ABOUT YOUR
•••
ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS
Primary Care
Internal Medicine LGBT Care
PACKAGES*
Body Contouring
APEX RF Morpheus8 & TONE Skin Rejuvenation Lumecca Peak Laser Hair Removal
Hormone Therapy
Fusion Light & Dark
•••
•••
PrEP / PEP / DoxyPEP
Botox & Fillers
Medical Marijuana
ICG Foundation is here for you! Providing FREE PrEP and HIV prevention services with compassionate, judgment-free care for everyone.
20 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Men’s Wellness
20% OFF
health COME SEE US TODAY
AESTHETICS
*20% OFF aesthetic pricing is only available on personalized packages all month of December 2025. Please call to schedule your free consultation today.
(727) 755-7787 • ICGFL.COM
11206 Sullivan St • Riverview, FL • 33578 donovansmeatery.com
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 21
22 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Wave hello
Sarasota Democrat foresees an upset in recently-redrawn congressional district. By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
ELECTIONS
RAY ROA
A
s Donald Trump’s poll numbers continue to 2.0 and I think that we’re all tired of this erode, some Republicans, even in Florida, are Trump administration and decided to someslightly backing away from being linked to thing about it,” Davis said this week in a the president. Sydney Gruters is not one of them. virtual candidate forum sponsored by the The 44-year-old Sarasota resident is run- League of Women Voters (LWV). ning against Democrat Kelly Kirschner and “I got loud and vocal online and made some NPA candidate Mark Davis to succeed long- pretty large scenes in the local community. I time Republican incumbent Vern Buchanan stood up to Ron DeSantis, and really it was the in Florida’s 16th Congressional District— community that said, ‘Hey Mark. We love your dramatically reconfigured in the mid-decade fire. We love your tenacity. We would like you to run,’” he said. redistricting earlier this year in Tallahassee. Gruters is a former legislative and political The district previously was primarily aide to Buchanan whom Trump appointed in his located in Manatee County but now sprawls first term as rural development state director for across six counties after Florida Republicans Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the U.S. rewrote its boundaries in a project designed to Department of Agriculture. Her most recent job snag as many as four additional seats for the was vice president and executive director of the GOP—Manatee, southern Pinellas (including New College Foundation, the Sarasota college downtown St. Petersburg), eastern Sarasota, transformed from a progressive, arts-focused southern Polk, and the rural, agriculture econocampus to a conservative redoubt in a state- mies of Hardee and DeSoto counties. directed makeover led by With Republicans Gov. Ron DeSantis. the party in power as an She is best known in unpopular war grinds political circles as the on with attendant high 2026 General Election spouse of Republican gas prices, Democratic Early voting: Oct. 24-31. National Committee candidates up and down Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3 Voter registration deadline: Oct. 5 Chair Joe Gruters, a very the state have published dos.fl.gov/elections Trump-friendly Sarasota internal polls indicating state senator and former surprising strength in Republican Party of Florida chairman whose GOP strongholds, like CD 16. close alliance with the president paved the way Kirschner recently released an internal poll for his election to lead the RNC a year ago. showing him leading by a single point in the race, “I am proud to have his endorsement,” even though the district is a 13-point RepublicanSydney Gruters said of Trump in a recent inter- leaning district, with 27% NPA voters. view with WFLA News Channel 8 in Tampa. “He “I’m increasingly telling people that this has done a phenomenal job. He’s been elected to won’t be a razor thin or narrow margin of vicbe our leader overwhelmingly by the American tory. It’s going to be a healthy margin of victory people, and that is not something I’m running on Nov. 3,” he told a Phoenix reporter on WMNF away from. I’m very proud to have his endorse- 88.5 radio in Tampa on Sept. 18. ment and I’m very much looking forward to Gruters doesn’t refute that Kirschner is working with him when I get elected.” doing better than expected. Kirschner, 51, is a former Sarasota mayor “If you look at polling right now, it’s not as and city commissioner who has also served in great as we would all want it to be,” she acknowlhigher education. He was vice president and edged while addressing the Pinellas County dean in the division of executive and continuing Republican Executive Committee in Clearwater education at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg earlier this month. “That doesn’t mean we’re for 13 years before stepping down from that not going to win. We’re going to win, but we all position last year. have to work together. We all have to be united, because guess who is united? The Democrats.” Wild card She’s running on affordability and ending Former veteran and businessman Mark Davis, corruption in Congress. She says she supports 42, is the third person on the ballot, running as a congressional term limits and a ban on stock progressive non-party-affiliated candidate. trading for members of Congress. “I’m just a regular dude in the middle of Kirshner scoffs at her platform, saying her Florida who decided that ‘enough is enough,’ husband has presided over “the transactional and I just got upset one day and during Trump politics” of the past decade in Tallahassee, which
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: Kelly Kirschner says Florida’s CD16 race won’t have a razor thin or narrow margin of victory. he says Republicans, Democrats, and independents are “fed up with.” “They’re fed up with the machine-style, Tammany Hall-style politics in the state of Florida, nowhere more evident in SarasotaManatee counties, where Joe has presided over the Sarasota County Republican Party,” he said. Gruters replies that Kirschner “may paint himself as a moderate, but he is anything but that,” citing his stance on Medicare for all. Kirschner says he supports “looking into” the idea; Davis says that for his part he’s an unapologetic supporter of universal healthcare. Those stances baffle Gruters. “What is the government doing that is so amazing that you’re going to entrust them to managing this?” she said during the LWV forum. She cited her time working with the USDA on rural development, and said she’s seen the hospitals and health community centers providing access to care for people in places like Wauchula and Arcadia. “The federal government is supporting that growth and that economic development … for these communities to make sure that every resident has access to affordable, safe, quality healthcare.” Kirschner says the first thing he’d push for if elected is to have Congress restore the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies added by the Biden administration during the pandemic that
were allowed to expire at the end of last year, removing around 440,000 Floridians from that coverage, according to the Associated Press. Big differences on immigration When it comes to immigration, Gruters takes a hardline perspective. Joe Gruters sponsored Florida’s 2019 law banning sanctuary cities, legislation that has been the vehicle for Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier to threaten elected officials with removal from office when they expressed concerns about or opposition to working with ICE. “Under the last administration, we had over 15 million undocumented immigrants come into this country,” she says, adding that all six sheriffs in the district support her campaign. “Because they know that we have to start with safe communities, and when you’re letting people who come in here, who are violent criminals, murderers, it affects all of us. And so I think we have to be more outraged for the victims of illegal immigration and those who are coming in here unlawfully.” The Pew Research Center reported in August 2025 that the unauthorized immigrant population reached a high of 14 million in 2023, with 3.5 million entering the U.S. from 2021-2023, the first two years of the Biden administration. “Abolish ICE,” says Davis. continued on page 26
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 23
PRESEN TS
PREMIER SPONSORS:
SUPPORTING SPONSORS:
24 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Be the first to find out who’s the Best!
OCTOBER 7 WEDNESDAY
TH
6:00PM - 9:30PM
@
THE COLISEUM
Get Your Tickets Now! DONT WAIT: TICKETS SELLING RAPIDLY THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT SOON! P R E S E N T E D BY
SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO TAMPA
81Bay / Channelside • Chef Anthony Santos • Astrobliss • Bar Terroir / Streetlight Taco / Rocca • Bella’s Booth • City of Indian Rocks Beach City of St Petersburg • COCKtail • Dryvebox Golf Simulator • Estrella Galicia • FloridaRAMA • Greater Tampa Bay Realtors • Holiday Network Group • Hornitos SAMPLING & EXPERIENCES: Johnathan FOMO Chefs • Madison Avenue Pizza • Mama’s Greek Cuisine • Mandola’s Kitchen • Mazzaro’s • Outlaw Brewing • PRP Wine • Soft & Boozy St. Pete Distillery • Sunda • Tchotchke / The Green Room • The Cake Girl • The Fenway / Hi-Fi / HEW • The Pirate Candy Shop • The Schawarma King cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 25
continued from page 23 Republicans for Kirschner Kirschner, a Bradenton native, recently held a press conference to announce that a handful of Republicans were endorsing him for the seat, including Dan Miller, who represented Sarasota in Congress from 1992-2002. “All my life, I’ve voted Republican. This year, I’m voting for the person, not the party label,” Miller said. Gruters was not impressed. She told WFLA TV, “If I were him, I’d be more focused on my base,” adding, “57% of the Democrats voted against him in the primary.” While it’s true Kirshner received a plurality (43%) and not a majority in his primary race, he was running against four other Democrats and beat the second-place finisher by more than 23 points. During this campaign, Kirshner has taken plenty of verbal shots at Gruters’ husband Joe, but he also has assailed Republican leadership overall, alleging a lack of fiscal conservatism at New College of Florida; Sydney Gruters served as executive director of the New College Foundation the past two years. “Prior to the takeover of New College, a New College degree cost all of us as taxpayers less than $60,000 to pay for that degree,” he said this week. “Today, we are spending nearly half-a-million dollars for a degree from New College. The vast majority of those students are now athletes; it’s no longer an honors college. It is the height of Tallahassee grift … .” According to a report by Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency last November, it now
costs $494,715 to produce a degree at New College, far surpassing any other state institution. A note about Davis: He was arrested in July on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer when Manatee County sheriff deputies were serving a court order at his home while conducting a court-ordered welfare check on his children. Davis has said child services were called to his house because of “my political beliefs.” He told WTSP 10 News that he raised more than $5,000 after the arrest became public. Inside Elections, a nonpartisan analysis website, noted some movement in the race, but not too much. The organization last week shifted the race to “Likely Republican.” Meanwhile, the campaign could get rougher if Kirschner continues to hang around. Observers believe the Gruters’ ties to the White House will bring additional financial resources to their campaign if needed next month. “Sydney Gruters is the fighter families need to lower costs, cut taxes, keep communities safe, secure our border, and put Florida first,” says RNC spokeswoman Emma Hall. “Democrat Kelly Kirschner doesn’t stand a chance with socialist hack Angie Nixon and far-left lunatic David Jolly at the top of the Democrat ticket.” Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
ELECTIONS
CAMPAIGN HANDOUT
Lunch specials starting at $6.99 Monday - Friday 11 AM - 3 PM! Happy Hour M-F 4-6
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
$4 Coors Banquet
$6 Call Single Pours - Absolute, Bacardi, Teremana, Jim Beam Black, Sipsmith Gin
Wednesday - Lunch Specials available all day, Ladies Lounge Night - Happy Hour All night upstairs lounge for ladies
$8 House Pours of Wine $7 Sangria $8 Happy Hour Plates of Food - Fried Pickles, Hummus Platter, Chips & Queso, Chips & Guac, Pretzel Sticks
5119 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33603 (813) 284-0543 • duffswings.com 26 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
NOT RESTING: Sydney Greuters says, ‘If you look at polling right now, it’s not as great as we would all want it to be.’
WINNER Best Soup
FINALIST Best Chef Best Brunch for Boozing
New American Cuisine Daily Happy Hour • 3-6pm
$5 Craft Drafts, $5 Premium Well Drinks, $5 Seasonal Sangria, $5 Appetizers
Mondays • Hospitality Night
Now Open Monday Night 4-9pm • 25% OFF for Hospitality & First Responders
Trivia Tuesdays • 7-9pm
ays $25 • 4pm-Close Prime Rib Wednesd 1/2 Off Bottles Of Wine plus
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Thursdays $5 Craft Beers, $8 Old Fashioneds & BBQ
Sundays• All Day Brunch w/ bottomless mimosas Chef -Inspired Scratch Kitchen / Artisan Sandwiches / Craft Beer Brined Meats / Full Liquor Bar 100 Main Street, Suite 104 Safety Harbor, FL 34695 thebrinehouse.com @brinehousesh
Celebrating 30 years in Downtown Dunedin. ~ Asi es la Vida! ~
Expanded bar, additional seating and small gift shop. 365 Main St • Dunedin • 727-734-9226 • www.CasaTinas.com
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 27
CELEBRATING
40 years!
Happy hour! happy Hour! monday–friday 11:30 am–6:00 pm
1413 S. Howard Ave, Ste 100, Tampa, Florida 33606 bellasitaliancafe.com | 813-254-3355
28 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Check out our
St. Pete & Ybor City
locations!
RESTAURANTS
RECIPES
DINING GUIDES
Yeah, beach
FAIR TRADE: Three Tradewinds concepts are part of a new Taste of the Beaches campaign.
Taste of the Beaches, Art After Dark, top new roundup of culinary happenings. By Ray Roa
T
here’s now a chance to sample the beach See a full list of participating restaurants, restaurant scene, $10 at a time. Tampa with links to each individual offering, via Bay Beaches Chamber has announced a cltampa.com/food. nine-day event featuring more than 50 restaurants from casual staples like Indian Rocks Art After Dark brings oysters and Café Beach’s Coco’s Crush Bar (offering crab cake Clementine together at MFA St. Pete sandwich with a side and the boozy Orange Sweet and savory gets a major upgrade Crush drink) to fancier spots like Clearwater this week in downtown St. Petersburg when Beach’s Shor (serving its fried the MFA stays open late for conch and snapper tostada). “Art After Dark.” Sundé—a Tickets, which are $10 Tampa songwriter that traeach, are available at four verses R&B, folk, jazz and locations: Tampa Bay Beaches soul—handles the tunes and Chamber office in St. Pete the menu is anchored by the Taste of the Beaches Beach, Wyne on Indian Rocks geniuses at Café Clementine. Oct. 3-11. Various locations Beach, plus and the Smith & Every Thursday, the cafe prestampabaybeaches.com/taste Associates and NextHome real ents its L’Apéro evening menu, estate offices in St. Pete. which is a nod to the French “Every Taste ticket helps bring customers habit of relaxing after work, but before dinner, through their doors, and we’re proud that a por- with the Clementine team still doing some clastion of the proceeds will also support Habitat sics (read: that croissant), but adding savory for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside,” Charlie items that incorporate bacon, brie, goat cheese, Justice, President and CEO of the Tampa Bay and even pestos, along with beloved sweets. Beaches Chamber of Commerce, said in a press Brian and Lindsay Rosegger—co-founders of release. Lost Coast Oyster Co.—cap off the absurdity by
DINING GUIDE
bringing Florida oysters shucked that morning to the party. And yes, docents will be on hand to give tours. MFA members get in free for Art After Dark with Sundé, Café Clementine and Lost Coast Oyster Co. happening Thursday, Oct. 8 from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at MFA St. Pete. It’s $16 if you’re not yet a member. See a listing of the best food & drink events coming to Tampa Bay Oct. 1-8 below. Sake Block Festival Thursday, Oct. 1. 6 p.m. $80 & up. Morean Center for Clay, St. Petersburg. moreanartscenter.org Savor the Bay: A Chef’s Table Pairing Dinner Thursday, Oct. 1. 6:30 p.m. $95 & up. Birch and Vine, St. Petersburg. thebirchwood.com The Art of Coffee: A Tasting Journey with Mission Grounds Coffee Friday, Oct. 2. 10:30 a.m. $10; $5 members. Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg. imaginemuseum.com Brew Good Social: Casa Pinellas Friday, Oct. 2. 5 p.m. No cover to attend. Grand Central Brewhouse, St. Petersburg. casapinellas.org Fall Y’all Festival Saturday, Oct. 3. 11 a.m. No cover. Coachman Park, Clearwater. saucyqueen.com Freedom Fund Dinner Saturday, Oct. 3. 6 p.m. $145. JW Marriott Tampa Water Street, Tampa. naacphillsborough.org
COURTESY
Piertoberfest: Oktoberfest Celebration Saturday, Oct. 3. 11 a.m. No cover. St. Pete Pier, St. Petersburg Cars + Coffee + Donuts at Lucky Tigre w/Spaddy’s Coffee/Supernatural Donut Factory/EZ Auto FL Sunday, Oct. 4. 9 a.m. No cover ($5 per raffle entry). The Lucky Tigre, Tampa Sips, Spirits & Sunday Football Sunday, Oct. 4. 12 p.m. $49. Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel, Tampa Florida Orchestra Guild of St. Petersburg: Afternoon Tea Benefit Tuesday, Oct. 6. 2-4 p.m. $75 & up. St. Petersburg Yacht Club, St. Petersburg. fogsp.org Food Network’s Joe Sasto (Virtual talk) Tuesday, Oct. 6. 2 p.m. No cover to attend. Dunedin Public Library, Dunedin Made in Market: Pumpkin Spice Espresso-tini Class Tuesday, Oct. 6. 6–8 p.m. $45. The Tampa Edition, Tampa. editionhotels.com Spirit of Japan at Jekyll Hyde Park Tuesday, Oct. 6. 7 p.m. $150. Jekyll, Hyde Park Best of the Bay Party Wednesday, Oct. 7. 7 p.m. $87.58 & up. The Coliseum, St. Petersburg. cltampa.com October Blind Tasting Battle Wednesday, Oct. 7. 5:30 p.m. $30. Book + Bottle, St. Petersburg. bookandbottlestpete.com Pumpkin Painting & Sip Wednesday, Oct. 7. 1–3 p.m. Free. East Lake Community Library, Palm Harbor. eastlakelibrary.org
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 29
VOTED BEST ART CLASSES
art classes
REGISTER NOW AT DFAC.ORG
30 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
“I was inspired by so many people throughout this journey.” MOVIES
THEATER
ART
CULTURE
Awakening
CALM LOVE: Chris Parks, aka Palehorse, at the CLTV studio on Sept. 24.
Palehorse’s new solo show ushers in the next phase of a 20-year career. By Ray Roa
I
t’s hard to mistake the art of Chris Parks. Known for his intricate linework and reverence for Asian and Latin iconography, the 47-year-old has always followed his bliss in creating illustrative sacred art that pulls the curtain back on his curiosity about ancient civilizations, cultures and scriptures like the Ramayana and the Bhagavad Gita. “I tune into archetypes and gods and goddesses as examples of what’s possible for humans,” Parks, better known as Palehorse, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay during a recent CLTV taping. His 20-year career has certainly been a study in how to make it in the Tampa Bay art scene. A graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design, Parks grew up skateboarding in Venice, Florida and playing in hardcore bands that would often travel to St. Pete to play venues like the old Joe Mocha’s and Refuge space. Born with hip dysplasia, Parks also spent large parts of his childhood in wheelchairs or casts, and knew he couldn’t do the blue-collar work that kept food on his family’s table. In ninth grade he caught a presentation about commercial art, complete with a Photoshop demo. He’s been working on art ever since.
“I was thinking practically, like I need to have a job, something that I wouldn’t hate,” Parks explained. It worked out, and Palehorse has kept a studio in St. Petersburg for the last 20 years. Parks is also a co-founder of the Shine Mural Festival (stylized “SHINE”). He’s been contracted by some of the world’s biggest companies (Nike, Vans, DC Comics), bands (Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age), and publications (National Geographic, Wired). He often spent his earnings on personal projects like the full-on 2015 lucha-themed wrestling match and art show at Rialto Theatre. “I wanted to really explore ideas that I had and present them in metaphorical ways through characters,” he said. Many of the characters from Parks’ body of work will be on display for “Shapeshifter,” his first solo show in 10 years, opening this month at Morean Arts Center. The road to the show actually started during and after the pandemic when Parks left his agent, and clients, knowing he couldn’t do that volume of commercial work for the next decade. He had started practicing Kriya
JARRETT HAAS/PALM TREE CONTENT FOR CLTV
Yoga, where someone meditates to master the on display, which is not surprising for anyone energy in their body. He launched a podcast who knows Parks. and sought more ways to connect with people “I always like to make it about us and about through art. the people,” he told CL. “I didn’t get here on my “Shapeshifter” includes lenticulars, includ- own. I was inspired by so many people throughing one that will shift between the fierce out this journey.” Japanese Buddha Fudo Myoo and the peaceAnd while “Shapeshifter” is very much a ful Cosmic Buddha (those Buddhas appear on retrospective, the show is also an open door to the two-sided cover of this issue). Parks’ lucha whatever comes next for Parks, who sees the libre era will be represented along with the rock show as the beginning of his career. poster work, hand-sewn fabric in doorways, and “We’re putting a point in the journey. I’m gold-brushed aluminum, too. The illustrations going through the doorway of commercial art, that came out of Parks’ and leaving behind that 2011 psychedelics phase kid that just wanted to will also be on the walls get a job doing something while Parks live paints a that he wouldn’t hate,” Shapeshifter: New and Select large scale mural on a galhe said. “I feel like this Works by Palehorse lery’s wall (he starts that show has really been a Opens next Saturday, Oct. 10. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. work on Oct. 1 and will No cover. Morean Arts Center, 719 Central Ave., way for me to really let go St. Petersburg. palehorsedesign.com finish it before the Oct. of that side of myself and 10 opening). really dive into becoming Parks said the solo was the idea of his wife, an artist in a real way.” fellow Shine co-founder Michelle Tannu, a curator There will be apparel, attainable prints, and who is working with Parks on a “Shapeshifter” technology, but this next phase will also find companion show, “Practice Dying: A Skull & Parks illustrating more than ever, working on Bones Exhibit,” which opens on the same night paintings, and murals, too. and features more than 30 artists. “My career now is shifting,” he told CL. “I That show’s title is lifted from an old Parks have my style. I have my medium, and I’m now, piece he made while reading the Tibetan Book really after doing the show, I’m able to trust that of the Dead. Many of Parks’ favorite national inspiration to come on demand, planting the seed, and homegrown artists—like Nicole Salgar knowing it’ll come when I need it. It will show up. and tattoo artist Jeff Srsic—will have work So this is the beginning of working in that way.”
INTERVIEW
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 31
DALÍ Limited-Time Exhibition
IN
AMERICA How America created the global icon Final Days Exclusively at The Dalí
32 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
TheDali.org
Tampa City Ballet’s roots go all the way back to 2002 when founder Paula Nuñez and her husband opened her dance studio in New Tampa with just three students.
Two dozen years after founding the company, TCB has seen its students go on to American Ballet Theater, Hamburg Ballet, Houston Ballet, Orlando, and Ballet X. TCB now produces more than 20 performances each season across 15 venues; 30% of the performances are free and open to the public. But Nuñez said the kind of training available at Tampa City Ballet cannot be reserved for families that can afford it. “Talent has not to do with a family’s income or a zip code,” she told city council, adding that through collaboration with the Prodigy Cultural Arts Program and Mort Elementary, TCB has brought free after-school ballet classes directly into Title 1 schools “Our goal is to have 300 students in the Hillsborough County Public School System enroll in free ballet classes within the next two years.” The night after Nuñez’s presentation to city council, Tampa City Ballet staged a black-tie “An Evening in the Secret Garden” gala and auction at Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club. On Oct. 2 at New Tampa Performing Arts Center, TCB will devote a night of dance to relief and rebuilding efforts in Venezuela (tickets start at $40), and on select nights between Oct. 9-11, the company will stage “La Septima,” a story about Ybor City that finds TCB taking over four stories of the Cuban Club (tickets start at $50). Look below for a listing of the best events coming to Tampa Bay from Oct. 1-8. See an extended version of this listing via cltampa. com/arts.—Ray Roa
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Afternoon Divas’ Glittery October Dance Party (Women Only Early Nights) Friday, Oct. 2. 6 p.m. $39.91 & up. Good Luck Chuck’s, Tampa. afternoondivas.com Art & Aces: A Night of Vintage Glamour Friday, Oct. 2. 7:30 p.m. $250. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa tampamuseum.org Beauty from the Broken: A Journey Through Mosaics by Donna Slawsky (Opening reception) Friday, Oct. 2. 5:30 p.m. No cover. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, St. Petersburg. soulfulmosaics.com DRV Gallery: Five w/Jim Gilmour & Friends (5th anniversary exhibition opening) Friday, Oct. 2. 5:30 p.m. No cover. DRV Gallery, Gulfport. drvgallery.com Mid Autumn Festival: Asian Food & Music Festival Friday-Sunday, Oct. 2-4. 12 p.m.; 5 p.m. Friday. No cover. Zurno, Largo. meganightmarket.com
THEATER
Jane Austen in 89 Minutes Select times and dates Thursday-Sunday through Oct. 11. $40 & up. Stageworks Theatre, Tampa Halfway There by Norm Foster Select times and dates through Oct. 17. $60. Early Bird Dinner Theater, Clearwater The Wash Select times and dates Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 1-11. $25 & up. The Studio@620, St. Petersburg The Addams Family: The Musical Comedy Select times and dates FridaySunday, Oct. 2-18. $20 & up. James McCabe Theater, Valrico Grandma Rocks Sunday, Oct. 4. 2 p.m. No cover. Tarpon Arts Cultural Center, Tarpon Springs. sagestheater.org Buena Vista Social Club Select times Tuesday-Sunday, Oct. 6-11. $65.80 & up. Morsani Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa
BOOKISH
Ariel Sullivan Thursday, Oct. 1. 6:30 p.m. $24.75. Oxford Exchange, Tampa. oxfordexchange.com Book + Belonging Book Club: ‘Silver Sparrow’ Thursday, Oct. 1. 6 p.m. $35; $25 for members. Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. mfastpete.org ‘The Sherlock Society: Art Attack’ Friday, Oct. 2. 5 p.m. No cover with RSVP; $22.48 for RSVP and book. Oxford Exchange, Tampa ’The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store’ by James McBride Saturday, Oct. 3. 6:30 p.m. $40. The Studio@620, St. Petersburg
DAVE DECKER
On Sept. 17 at city hall, Nuñez, a Venezuelan immigrant who’s been in the Bay area for 24 years, was at Tampa City Council presenting her vision for the future of dance in Tampa. “At the center of everything we do is Tampa, its people, its history, and its future,” Nuñez said, reminding councilmembers and the chamber that artists need to be able to train in the Bay area, perform, and live.
Metallic Watercolors: An ATC Workshop Saturday, Oct. 3. 10 a.m. $75. The Paper Seahorse, Tampa. paperseahorse.com Pumpkin Patch & Fun Fall Fest Saturday, Oct. 3. 12 p.m. $10.75. Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen, Tampa Relics & Lore: A Radley Experience Saturday, Oct. 3. 12 p.m. No cover with admission. FloridaRAMA, St. Petersburg. Floridarama.art Dunedin Drive and Shine Car Show Sunday, Oct. 4. 7 a.m. Free. Dunedin History Museum, Dunedin. dunedinmuseum.org Cameras & Coffee Monday, Oct. 5. 5 p.m. No cover. Palm Harbor Library, Palm Harbor. palmharborlibrary.org Luna Moth Moonlight: A Stained Glass Workshop Tuesday, Oct. 6. 5 p.m. $60. Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg. imaginemuseum.com Collector’s Chat w/Bill Zewadski & Paul Hasse Thursday, Oct. 8. 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Pay-as-you-will (Art on the House). Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa Harry Potter Book Day: Spells & Potions Thursday, Oct. 8. 5 p.m. $5; no cover with costume/robes. Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg. imaginemuseum.com Revolutionary Traditions: Carving Turnip Jack O’Lanterns Workshop Thursday, Oct. 8. 6 p.m. $10. Dunedin History Museum, Dunedin. dunedinmuseum.org Remix: Mysteries of the Nile Thursday, Oct. 8. 6–9 p.m. $55. Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa
Tampa City Ballet Local Author Chat: Rose Cervantes Saturday, Oct. 3. 10 a.m. No cover with registration. Barbara S. Ponce Public Library, Pinellas Park Madison Serrano (Book signing) Saturday, Oct. 3. 12–3 p.m. No cover with RSVP. The Book Lounge, St. Petersburg. thebooklounge.com EC Book Club: ‘Assassination Classroom’ by Yusei Matsui Sunday, Oct. 4. 4:30 p.m. No cover. Emerald City Comics, Pinellas Park. emeraldcitycomics.com Banned Book Week, Book-To-Film: ‘Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret’ Monday, Oct. 5. 6 p.m. No cover with registration. Safety Harbor Public Library, Safety Harbor. portkeybooks.com Monday Book Club: ‘The Berry Pickers’ by Amanda Peters Monday, Oct. 5. 2 p.m. No cover. Dunedin Public Library, Dunedin ‘The Briar Club’ by Kate Quinn Tuesday, Oct. 6. 10:30 a.m. No cover with registration. West Tampa Branch Library, Tampa Expand Your Horizons Book Club: ‘The Pilot’s Wife’ by Anita Shreve Wednesday, Oct. 7. 3:30 p.m. No cover. Tarpon Springs Public Library, Tarpon Springs. tarponlibrary.org Latiné & BIPOC Book Club: ‘The Next Best Fling’ by Gabriella Gamez Wednesday, Oct. 7. 6:30 p.m. $10 & up. The Book Lounge, St. Petersburg. thebooklounge.com Sip & Swap: Book Swap & Mobile Bookstore Pop-Up Thursday, Oct. 8. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Shuffle, Tampa Whodunit Book Club: ‘The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie’ by Alan Bradley Thursday, Oct. 8. 2:30 p.m. No cover. Bruton Memorial Library, Plant City
COMEDY
Andy Gross Thursday, Oct. 1. 7 p.m. $25 & up. Oscura, Bradenton Jane Don’t Thursday, Oct. 1. 7 p.m. $37. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Ybor City
Joe List Select times Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 1-3. $30 & up. Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa Atsuko Okatsuka Friday, Oct. 2. 7:30 p.m. $49.40 & up. Ferguson Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa Gabriel Rutledge Select times FridaySaturday, Oct. 2-3. $27. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Tampa Jay Jurden Saturday, Oct. 3. 6 p.m. $32.31 & up. Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa Ahren Belisle Sunday, Oct. 4. 6:30 p.m. $30. Side Splitters Comedy Club, Tampa Jimbo’s ‘Joan! Can We Laugh?!’ Tour Thursday, Oct. 8. 7 p.m. Funny Bone Comedy Club, Tampa Nurse John Friday, Oct. 9. 7:30 p.m. Sold out. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg Aziz Ansari Saturday, Oct. 10. 7 p.m. $126.70 & up. Ferguson Hall at Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Tampa Jimmy Faila Saturday, Oct. 10. 3 p.m. $45 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
FILM & TV
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! Select times and dates through Oct. 1. $10 & up. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg El ángel exterminador (The Exterminating Angel, 1962) Thursday, Oct. 1. 5:30 p.m. $5 & up. Will Raymund Theater at The Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg. thedali.org Fabulous Independent Film Festival Friday-Sunday, Oct. 2-4.Burns Court Cinema, Sarasota. fabaf.org 2026 HUMP! Film Festival Saturday, Oct. 3. 6:30 p.m. $20. Sun-Ray Cinema, Tampa. humpfilmfest.com Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate (Special Screening & Q&A) Tuesday, Oct. 6. 6:30 p.m. $12 (UT students free). Charlene A. Gordon Theater at Ferman Center for the Arts, University of Tampa, Tampa
continued on page 35
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 33
NEW AFRICAN MASQUERADES ARTISTIC INNOVATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS
ON VIEW NOW New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations is organized by the New Orleans Museum of Art, in partnership with Musée des Civilisations noires in Dakar, Senegal, and received generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Sheku “Goldenfinger” Fofanah, Sierra Leonean (active in Freetown), “Fairy” Masquerade Ensemble, 2022. Fabric, sequins, wood, paint, glue: life-size. Commission for the Fitchburg Art Museum. Photo courtesy of the New Orleans Museum of Art.
34 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Out and about: Events happening in Tampa Bay (cont'd)
Michael Francis, Music Director
UPCOMING CONCERT
continued from page 33
LEARN
MARKETS & RETAIL
Corey Avenue Art & Craft Festival Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 3-4. 10 a.m. No cover. Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach. coreyave.com Plant Swap Sunday, Oct. 4. 11 a.m. No cover. Safety Harbor Public Library, Safety Harbor. safetyharborlibrary.org Dollar Book Sale Fundraiser MondaySaturday, Oct. 5-10. No cover to attend; $1 suggested donation per book. Carrollwood Cultural Center, Tampa. carrollwoodcenter. org St. Pete Night Market: Year One Anniversary Wednesday, Oct. 7. 6 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill, St. Petersburg
NEWS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
What’s on the November 3, 2026 Ballot Thursday, Oct. 1. 6 p.m. No cover.
KATHY HUTCHINS/SHUTTERSTOCK
Onbikes 15-year soiree Thursday, Oct. 1. 6 p.m. $100. Rialto Theatre, Tampa. onbikes.org Tampa Bay Real Estate Networking Social Thursday, Oct. 1. 6 p.m. No cover. AC Hotel Tampa Airport, Tampa Amate: Folk Art Friday, Oct. 2. 3 p.m. No cover with registration; waitlist open. Riverview Public Library, Riverview Empower – Educate – Connect (Domestic Violence Awareness Month health and resource fair) Saturday, Oct. 3. 12 p.m. No cover. Fifth Avenue Church of Christ, St. Petersburg Politics and the Future of Science: A community discussion Saturday, Oct. 3. 4 p.m. No cover. President Barack Obama Main Library, St. Petersburg Wildflower and Pollinator Festival Saturday, Oct. 3. 9 a.m. No cover. Brooker Creek Preserve, Tarpon Springs. brookercreekpreserve.org Women & Girls Self Protection Seminar Saturday, Oct. 3. 1 p.m. No cover. Gracie Largo West Jiu-Jitsu Community, Largo Cemetery Q&A Tuesday, Oct. 6. 2 p.m. No cover. Bruton Memorial Library, Plant City Historic Marker Unveiling: United Secret Orders Hall & La Benéfica Española Tuesday, Oct. 6. 10 a.m. No cover. 1505 E. Palm Ave., Ybor City. tampa.gov If These Walls Could Talk: Stories of Community Building, Benevolence, Education, and Expression Tuesday, Oct. 6. Time TBA. No cover. 1505 E. Palm Ave., Ybor City. tampa.gov Erica Lynford with Creating a Sense of Purpose and Place Wednesday, Oct. 7. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Palm Harbor Library, Palm Harbor. palmharborlibrary.org ConvoDojo Live - Tampa Thursday, Oct. 8. 9 a.m. $99. DemiSar Workspace, Tampa. convocontrol.com
Atsuko Okatsuka Sunshine Senior Center Auditorium, St. Petersburg. lwvspa.org Urban Expansion Area Study — Little Manatee South, Round no. 4, Community Meeting No. 2 Wednesday, Oct. 7. 6 p.m. South County Career Acceleration Academy, 2810 John Sherman Way, Ruskin Hillsborough Democratic Black Caucus General Election Candidate Forum Thursday, Oct. 8. 6–8 p.m. No cover. First Baptist Church of Progress Village, Tampa. votehillsborough.gov Planning Commission Approved Providers Committee Meeting Thursday, Oct. 8. 9:30 a.m. Virtual Public Art and Design Advisory Board meeting Thursday, Oct. 8. 4 p.m. Clearwater Main Library, Clearwater
PRIDE
Lick and Flick: Sapphic Dive-In Movie Night Monthly Mondays. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. Cocktail St. Pete, St. Petersburg Drag Bingo Every first and third Wednesday. 9 p.m. No cover. American Legion Seminole Post 111, Tampa Drag Queen Bingo feat. Stephanie Stuart Every second Wednesday. 7 p.m. $10. Emerald Coast Brewing Company, New Port Richey AFK: Nerds Night Out at The Ball Wednesdays. 8-10 p.m. No cover (two-drink minimum). 21+. The Ball, St. Petersburg Drag Bingo w/Alexa at Mad Hatters Kava Bar Wednesdays. 9-11 p.m. $10 (10 games). Mad Hatters Kava Bar, St. Petersburg Meet Your Match: Queer Edition Monthly Thursdays. 7-10 p.m. No cover. Lost & Found, St. Petersburg Deviant Coven Every first Thursday. 6 p.m. No cover. Deviant Libation, Tampa Submit your event, and see the full version of this listing, at cltampa.com.
REVOLUTION RAYMOND JAMES POPS
Rare video & photos
THE MUSIC OF
THE BEATLES A SYMPHONIC EXPERIENCE
Experience hits like Penny Lane, Get Back, Here Comes the Sun and Hey Jude with a full orchestra, top vocalists, rare photos and stunning video. Grammy winner Jeff Tyzik’s arrangements draw on the original Abbey Road recordings.
Fri, Oct 9, 7:30 pm | Straz Center Sat, Oct 10, 7:30 pm | Mahaffey Theater CHELSEA GALLO, CONDUCTOR
BUY TICKETS NOW FLORIDAORCHESTRA.ORG| 727.892.3337 tampabay.com
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 35
UPCOMING SHOWS & EVENTS
GET TIX at FERGSPAVILION.COM 1320 CENTRAL AVE / DOWNTOWN ST. PETE RIGHT ACROSS FROM TROPICANA FIELD
PER USA TODAY: FERG’S IS THE #1 SPORTS BAR IN THE NATION!
YOUR SPORTS AND MUSIC DESTINATION 10-2: SCREECHING WEASEL (FERG'S PAVILION) FLORIDA HIT MACHINE (PARTY DECK) 10-3: RAYS ALDS PLAYOFF - GAME 1 (WATCH PARTY) COLLEGE FOOTBALL WATCH PARTIES 10-4: NFL WATCH PARTIES MLB PLAYOFF WATCH PARTIES PACKERS VS. BUCS (WATCH PARTY) 10-5: RAYS ALDS PLAYOFF - GAME 2 (WATCH PARTY) MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (WATCH PARTY)
FERG'S TRIVIA (INSIDE) 10-6: MLB PLAYOFF WATCH PARTIES ASHLEY GALBRAITH & CO. (PARTY DECK) 10-7: RAYS ALDS PLAYOFF - GAME 3 (WATCH PARTY) INDIE NIGHT MARKET (OUTSIDE) OPEN JAM NIGHT WITH BAREFOOT BOB AND THE HOPE BAND (PARTY DECK) OPEN MIC COMEDY NIGHT (VIP ROOM)
FERG’S RESTAURANT BARS OPEN DAILY AT 11AM
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CONCERTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS: FERGSEVENTS.COM MENU, FOOD ORDERS AND NIGHTY MUSIC: FERGSSPORTSBAR.COM 36 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
REVIEWS
PROFILES
MUSIC WEEK
Dream state
Warren Haynes talks Ziggy Marley, musical lineage, and the next generation. By J.C. Roddy
INTERVIEW
Sunday, Oct. 4. 5 p.m. $32 & up Haynes told CL. “And that of music, and even in the The BayCare Sound, 255 Drew St., Clearwater carries over to my songs as sense that it can be part of rutheckerdhall.com/the-sound well. I think most of them, the healing process, and I don’t feel the need to hear that experiment.” unity, and bringing people together,” Haynes said. Instead, the challenge became finding the “Some people take music to be one of the most songs where an orchestra could add something important things in their life, and some people to what was already there. He pointed to “Raven only enjoy it in the background, but everyone loves Black Night,” “Thorazine Shuffle,” “Banks of the music, and everyone can be touched by music,” Deep End” and “Dreams & he continued. “It’s one of Songs” as examples where those rare things that can bring people together in a it worked. “The symphony, it positive way and there’s no enhances what was already negative downside.” there,” Haynes said. “I didn’t want anything to Musically, Marley and Mule may not be as feel like that it didn’t belong.” far apart as genre labels suggest either. The project began taking shape after the While Gov’t Mule is most often associAsheville Symphony approached Haynes about col- ated with blues, rock, and improvisational laborating. His wife, Stefani Scamardo, suggested music, reggae has long been part of the band’s turning it into a retrospective, moving through more vocabulary as well, particularly on projects than three decades of his career and choosing the like Mighty High and Dub Side of the Mule. songs that made sense for an orchestra. Haynes traces his own connection with the Recorded before the pandemic and held back genre back to his teenage years. as Haynes turned his attention toward newer “I know some rock fans aren’t reggae fans,” he material, Dreams & Songs is finally arriving said. “But I don’t really understand that because years later as what he calls a “once in a career reggae music is so positive and addictive.” release.” But the songs on the album aren’t the The jam-scene veteran also sees a kinonly thing from his musical past being revisited. ship between the seemingly different worlds This fall, Gov’t Mule will join Ziggy Marley for of reggae and blues. the “Dreaming the Same Dream” tour, including “I think it’s kind of like blues in its own way,” he an Oct. 4 stop at Clearwater’s BayCare Sound. said. “It’s centered around traditional themes and
C/O GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL
F
rom joining the Allman Brothers Band The tour takes its name from a song Haynes alongside Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman to and Marley wrote together roughly 15 years ago. performing with The Dead, Warren Haynes “We’ve known each other a long time,” has spent decades carrying musical traditions Haynes said. “At one point I was hanging out forward while continuing to build his own. in L.A., and Ziggy and his family have a house That history is at the center of Dreams & there, and somebody had brought up the idea Songs: A Symphonic Journey, Haynes’ upcom- of the two of us doing some writing together.” ing live album recorded with the Asheville The pair wound up writing two songs. Symphony Orchestra. The project reaches across “Dreaming the Same Dream” eventually his extensive catalog, reimagining songs from appeared on the Warren Haynes Band’s Live Gov’t Mule, the Allman Brothers Band and his at the Moody Theater. The other, Haynes said, solo work alongside songs by the Grateful Dead. has yet to be recorded. But the 66-year-old guitarist wasn’t interDespite coming from different musical tradiested in combining rock n’ roll with symphony tions, the Gov’t Mule bandleader sees common just for the novelty of it, he explained to Creative ground in both their approach to songwriting Loafing Tampa Bay. and their belief in what “I think the majority music can accomplish. of rock songs or whatever “I think the common Gov’t Mule & Ziggy Marley don’t really cry out to be ground between the two w/Yola (DJ Set) merged with a symphony,” of us is the importance
“We’ve known each other a long time.”
JUST ANOTHER RIDER: Warren Haynes with Gov’t Mule at Gasparilla Music Festival 2026. then there are certain artists that take it further and create their own kind of styles of reggae music.” In explaining that connection, Haynes placed Bob Marley alongside some of the foundational figures of American blues. “I look at people like Bob Marley as being equivalent to people like Son House and Elmore James and Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf,” Haynes said. “When you add to that a lot of the great songs that have come out of the reggae school, they’re just timeless. And songs that are going to live forever.”
After decades spent learning from and playing alongside his own musical heroes, the longtime Allman Brothers guitarist now finds himself on the other side of that relationship. Marcus King has openly described him as a mentor, while Haynes has also championed other young musicians like Billy Strings and Daniel Donato. Asked about that changing role, Haynes immediately went back to his relationship with the Allman Brothers Band. continued on page 39
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 37
COME TRY OUR
CUISINE HOURS LUNCH from 11am to 2pm DINNER from 5pm to 10pm
Enjoy our great selection of Wine & Beer!
PINELLAS ALE WORKS DOG-THEMED / DOG-FRIENDLY BREWERY
35+ TAPS / EVENT SPACE
#1 MOST DOG FRIENDLY BREWERY IN THE US
BEST OF THE BAY WINNERS
2019, 2021, 2022
INDIAN CUISINE
2601 S MacDill Ave • Tampa (813) 252-8069 • flamestampa.com
38 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
1962 1ST AVE S. in ST. PETERSBURG
(727) 235-0970 / pawbeer.com
ADAM MCCULLOUGH/SHUTTERSTOCK
TOMORROW PEOPLE: Ziggy Marley returns to Tampa Bay this weekend. It’s a shift the songwriter finds encouraging because it mirrors the way he remembers approaching music himself. “When I was growing up, that’s the way we all looked at music,” he said. “We looked at it as some opportunity to do something special and to be part of something that wasn’t about being rich and famous. It was more than that.” That seriousness, Haynes said, can often be heard before he ever gets to know a musician. Part of it comes from the artists they choose to study, and whether they’re exploring the past or consuming what he calls the “musical wallpaper” filling the airwaves. For younger musicians trying to find their own sound, his advice is to keep digging. “Don’t limit your influences to one or two or three genres,” Haynes said. “Don’t limit your influences to the previous decade or the previous two decades. You gotta go back further and further and see who moved the people before that, and see who influenced who and why.” It’s an approach Haynes has followed throughout his own career. The blues can lead to the Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead songs can find new dimensions alongside an orchestra, and Bob Marley can occupy the same conversation as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. The musicians who came before can provide a foundation without dictating what comes next. “It’s all a big family tree,” Haynes said. “And the more you discover, the more it’s possible for you to find your own voice.”
INTERVIEW “It’s all a big family tree.”
THRIFTY THURSDAYS DAILY HAPPY HOUR! OPEN TO CLOSE 11am-6PM
$3.50 YUENGLING & BUD LIGHT DRAFTS SIX $9 APPETIZERS $5 WELL DRINKS & HOUSE WINE / $6 CALL DRINKS
+ ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR!
FRIDAY 10/2
SATURDAY 10/3
Romy Ignacio
Hold a Grunge
LIVE MUSIC • 7-10PM
LIVE MUSIC • 7-10PM
FOOTBALL SUNDAY FOOD FUNDAY SPECIALS
SUNDAYS SUNDAYS
continued from page 37 “There are many people that I consider mentors that helped me get where I wound up,” he said. “And the one that comes to mind the most is Dickey Betts, who gave me the biggest career opportunity of my life.” Haynes acknowledges a feeling of obligation to pass some of that guidance along. “I think there’s an underlying unspoken responsibility with any generation of music that comes before the current one,” he said. “You guide younger musicians and give them examples to follow and advice if they’re seeking it.” He’s careful not to present that advice as gospel. His opinion, Haynes said, isn’t necessarily the right one, just an informed one. “I know how much it meant to me early on in my career and any help I can be, I will gladly try,” he said. There was a stretch, however, when the guitar legend wasn’t too optimistic about the generation coming up behind him. “I think there was at least a decade, maybe more, where it appeared that people were only concerned with being famous and cutting whatever corners were necessary to get to that place,” Haynes said. For a while, the emphasis on internet success left him “pretty depressed”, but what he sees now is different. “There’s this kind of groundswell of young musicians who are more interested in making really great music that stands the test of time and maintains integrity,” he said.
BLOODY MARYS
FOOTBALL FOOD SPECIALS + $5 NUTRLS +&BURNT ENDS
MIMOSAS NUTRLS
TACO & TRIVIA TUESDAYS TACO TUESDAYS TACOS SERVED HOT + MARGS SERVED COLD
WEDNESDAYS
PLUS ALL MONTH LONG WITH PLENTY OF PRIZES! STARTS @ 7PM
FROM 5PM TO CLOSE
TACOS SERVED HOT +MARGARITAS SERVED COLD
99 CENT CHICKEN WINGS
471 MAIN STREET, DUNEDIN FL • 727-736-2BBQ (2227) • THEDUNEDINSMOKEHOUSE.COM
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 39
NOW OPEN!
Fresh, Never-Frozen,
Authentic Mexican Cuisine
Now featuring Catering
2038 N Dale Mabry • Tampa • 813-348-0005 bodatampa.com Sun 11am-11pm / Mon-Wed 11am-12am Thu 11am-1:30am / Fri-Sat 11am-3am 40 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
THU OCTOBER 01–THU OCTOBER 08
C CL Recommends
THU 01
Absolution Fest: Aesthetic Perfection w/Zanias/Bootblacks/Male Tears/Ayria/ XTR Human/Vioflesh/Sweet Kill/Hallows/ Panic Priest/more Festivals, especially those with international artists on the lineup, are really hard to pull off. Absolution Fest organizers don’t seem to care. The EBM and industrial-electro centric get together has booked American-Austrian outfit Aesthetic Perfection playing an “old-school” set meaning songs released before 2011 when the band took a turn towards pop. The outfit closes out night three of this annual events, with Berlin-based producer and DJ Zoè Zanias (aka Zanias) topping night two, and Brooklynbased post-punk band headlining opening festivities. Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 1-3. 6 p.m. $65.22 & up. Orpheum, Tampa C Rock The Park: Peli Gene w/Sunde/ Geoff Abraham & Finn Walling Last April at the Sparkman Wharf stage, Peli Gene made its Gasparilla Music Festival debut with anthemic, bouncy indie-rock that sounds like the feeling of pulling off a sweatshirt on a cold day turned perfectly-sunny. The Tampa band headlines Rock the Park in support of an April release, Dream Estate. Songwriter Sunde returns to the park after getting rained out last month, with Geoff Abraham & Finn Walling playing a set of bluesy rock in the opening slot. 6:30 p.m. No cover. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa
FRI 02
C Diáspora: Post Physique w/T. Couture/Mr. Bitch Jamaican by birth, Deja-Denise Sharrod was raised on the full spectrum of Caribbean music, and they bring that upbringing, and more, to the bi-monthly Diáspora series born last March. Reggaeton, bimbocore, basically anything connected to the African diaspora, is on the table for an event whose sound travels to South and Latin America, too. “Obviously Jamaica is a country that’s full of African diasporic people, but so is Puerto Rico and DR, and like we’re basically playing the same music sometimes, and it’s just in different languages,” Sharrod told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “So basically, just embracing the diaspora in different pockets of the world.” For this fourth outing, Sharrod—better known as Post-Physique— welcomes Miami DJ and producer Mr. Bitch to a no-cover show where the Bay area’s own T. Couture plays support while vendors and wing slingers work outside 10 p.m. No cover. The Bends, St. Petersburg Lost Cat w/Trainier/Repeater Bring your own biscuits, but be ready to feel good about the future of alt-pop when Tampa trio Lost Cat
headlines this comedy theater gig. Filmed in a junkyard, a new video for “Miss” (stylized all-lowercase) is anything but rubbish. 7 p.m. $14.89. The Commodore, Ybor City
SAT 03
C The Beths w/Chelsea Jade The Beths are not from Australia. The New Zealand indie-rock band, however, is in America and headed for Florida this week. The Kiwi quartet, touring behind last year’s Straight Line Was a Lie, is a bonafide band of sweethearts famous for a bouncy, joyous, album-accurate live show that touches every part of its now four-LP discography going back to 2018. The band’s last appearance in the Bay area—a June 2023 show at the showshuttered Crowbar—found bassist Benjamin Sinclair applauding the city’s infrastructure, specifically, the rail. “Light rail, heavy rail, the infrastructure, it’s all very nice,” he said. Sadly, Tampa has not added any notable public transport options since then. A social media post from @thebeths says the band will actually “play your favourite Beths songs by spontaneous request!” at the gig. 7 p.m. $36.05. The Ritz, Ybor City Caamp w/Whitney Longtime darlings of the Americana scene, Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall have somehow always found themselves as openers for some of the biggest tours in music. The boys, better known as Caamp, get a chance to headline this time around, supporting a fifth studio LP, Copper Changes Color, which is punchier than anything they’ve released before. Bassist Matt Vinson, keyboardist Joseph Kavalec, and drummer Nicholas Falk are in the lineup alongside Meier and Westfall, with soulful indie-folk duo Whitney opening. 7:30 p.m. $66 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg C Dope Jams Pt. 2: Antro Banks w/Peli Gene/Maryn Alyse Band/Ask Me Later Even as a sideman, Anthony Santaniello is a can’t miss. After a decade in the scene the guitarist—who’s been in lineups for Katara, Biishop the Artist, Miroux, Actual Bank Robbers and more—still finds time to work on his solo project. Antro Banks, which headlines this stacked local showcase, is a chance for Santaniello to layer all of his influences into one act, backed by his own live band which includes Seth Lynn on bass and drummer-multi-instrumentalist Jamie Dammers. 6 p.m. $15. Bayboro Brewing, St. Petersburg Tampa Bay Lightning opening night: Rohna Among fans of the Bay area’s indierock scene, Rohna is a familiar name. Still, the band is always reaching for bigger audiences. The outfit upgrades its famous Indie Night Live to The Ritz for Halloween, and this weekend has plans to rock the plaza outside the Tampa Bay Lightning home opener before and after the match against the Washington Capitals. Pre-and-postgame. No cover. Benchmark International Arena, Tampa
JEN BODINE/SECTOR.FM
By Ray Roa
Post Physique
SUN 04
Fiesta Somos: DMQ w/The 813 P.R.oject/ La Lucha/Tania Torres La Lucha has a big week coming up, starting with Friday’s lounge gig at Green Light Cinema and continuing with shows in Ybor City (Sunday at Le Sétima), and a Saturday record release in Ruskin for Tides, the jazz trio’s first album since drummer Mark Feinberg moved to Minnesota. This gig at the pier is a chance to see Feinberg, together with bassist Alejandro Arenas and pianist John O’Leary III in the sunshine as part of St. Petersburg’s ongoing Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. 3 p.m. No cover. St. Pete Pier, St. Petersburg
WED 07
C Thundercat w/Kitty Ca$h A Thundercat album has many personalities, and the Los Angeles-based jazz bassist arrives with perhaps his poppiest one. Hitting the road in support of Distracted, released last April, the Brainfeeder icon born Stephen Lee Bruner kicks off a fall tour in Miami on Friday, with four Florida dates planned. The 15-track outing was produced by nine-time Grammywinner Greg Kurstin, who’s collaborated
with a host of pop’s most-revered names from Adele to Beyoncé, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar. The album includes a slew of special guests from Tame Impala, to A$ap Rocky, and The Lemon Twigs. Bruner, a twotime Grammy-winner himself, will be in good company thanks to a set from producer, DJ, and tastemaker Kitty Ca$h. 7 p.m. $58.06. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
THU 08
Cannons w/Caroline Kingsbury Friends from Caroline Kingsbury’s past in Florida’s Evangelical church may be shocked to see the throngs of fans devoted to her special brand of pop music, and that’s kind of the point. A 2025 EP, Shock Treatment, is a joyous celebration of queer life that doesn’t dance around the pressures and realities for folks living that reality. On it, the 31-yearold opens up a conversation about reverse conversion therapy to make heterosexuality taboo, all while showcasing a powerhouse vocal that landed Kingsbury on the 2025 Lollapalooza lineup. 8 p.m. $46.69. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg See an extended version of this listing via cltampa.com/music.
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 41
JEFF FOWLER/PITCH PERFECT PR
By now, the neighbors around Jannus Live know there’s always going to be a loud show happening nearby. Dinosaur Jr. might push the limit. The ear-splitting rock trio has a new album, There Near, to share. It’s unclear if the album is Dinosaur Jr.’s ninth or 13th outing, but those details won’t matter to devotees of frontman J. Mascis, a reluctant, Jazzmasterwielding American guitar god who has turned a lifetime of navel-gazing into one of the loudest catalogs in punk-rock. Flanked by founding members, drummer Emmett Patrick Murphy (“Murph”), and
The Jonas Brothers w/Magnus Ferrell/ Deleasa Sunday, Oct. 11. 7 p.m. $64.55 & up. Benchmark International Arena, Tampa
Los Angeles rock quartet Starcrawler opens. Tickets to see Dinosaur Jr. play Jannus Live in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Feb. 20 are still available and start at $52.89. See Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.— Ray Roa
Parker Barrow Saturday, Nov. 7. 7 p.m. $22.75. New World Music Hall, Tampa
Jerry’s Middle Finger Saturday, Oct. 24. 7 p.m. $42.51. Zodiac Live, Ybor City
Beauty School Dropout w/No Love For The Middle Child Saturday, Nov. 14. 7 p.m. $25.94. Oscura, Bradenton
Drivin N Cryin Sunday, Oct. 25. 6 p.m. $25.03. Skippers Smokehouse, Tampa
Kurt Travis w/Mella/Resilia Sunday, Nov. 15. 6 p.m. $33.53. New World Music Hall, Tampa
Clara La San Thursday, Oct. 29. 7 p.m. $48.38 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Bleood Tuesday, Nov. 17. 7 p.m. $36.11. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
21 Savage w/Kodak Black/Meek Mill/ DaBaby/Bellygang Kush/Ykniece/ Cheeksbossman Gemg/Baby Drill/ Diamond The Body Saturday, Oct. 31. 7 p.m. $71.05 & up. Benchmark International Arena, Tampa Tauk x Lespecial Friday, Nov. 6. 7 p.m. $42.51. Zodiac Live, Ybor City Vienna Light Orchestra: Christmas Tour Tuesday-Wednesday Nov. 10-11. 3 & 7 p.m. $54.15 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg
42 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
bassist Lou Barlow, Mascis and Dinosaur Jr. will surely dip into the new LP (one of their most joyous, ironically), and a catalog that goes all the way back to 1985 when the band was just called “Dinosaur” (“Jr.” was added to avoid a lawsuit).
Derek Hough Dance for the Holidays Sunday, Nov. 22. 6:30 p.m. $68.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater The Lemon Twigs Saturday, Dec. 12. 7 p.m. $35.06. Orpheum, Tampa Allman Betts Family Revival Wednesday, Dec. 16. 7 p.m. $81.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater The Hondo Rodeo Fest: Nickleback/ Cody Johnson/The Red Clays/Jason Alden w/Jon Pardi/Dexter & The Moonrocks Feb. 26 - 28. Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
BUY LOCAL HALF OFF!
COCKTAIL ST. PETE $30 FOR $15
BROCATO’S SANDWICH SHOP $25 FOR $10
FLAMES INDIAN CUISINE $20 FOR $10
tix&info: www dot aestheticized dot com "Keeping Tampa Bay's ear to the (under)ground since 1997" © AES Presents, LLC
Refer Three Friends, Get Yours Free Once you make a purchase from CL Deals, you will receive a referral link to share. Simply pass on your link to friends and family and, if three people use your link and purchase the same Deal within 30 days, your deal will be completely free! cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 43
44 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
Loss leader By Caroline DeBruhl
D
ear Oracle, a friend of mine just experienced a devastating loss. Her heart is completely shattered. So is mine. I want to be able to support her in this unbearable grief but I’m at a loss of what to do. It’s such a worst-case scenario that everything I can think of to help just seems so stupid. How can I support my friend?— Friend in need Cards: Three of Wands, The Chariot, Ten of Swords, The High Priestess (reversed) Dear Friend, I am so sorry for your friend and the loss she has experienced. I know what my worst-case scenario of loss would be, and I don’t know how I would recover from that. There is the predicament that many people find themselves in when experiencing grief second-hand. They don’t know what to say to a friend or colleague or stranger when they disclose their loss, so they end up saying very little or nothing at all. Do not do this. The Three of Wands is a card about acknowledging the past as you prepare to move forward. Talk to your friend about their grief. Listen to them and ask questions. So often, death and loss are treated as taboo, but to ignore it is to ignore the most human part of ourselves. It is going to take your friend a long time to get through this grief. The Ten of Swords can be
mean listening for an hour if they want to talk or silently watching TV with them if they don’t. In a way, what we do in the face of terrible grief is never enough. But knowing that you are there for her, that you’re willing to continue to be there for her, can make this process just slightly easier. My heart goes out to you and your friend.
seen as a “rock bottom” card; it’s the lowest you go. As Swords are the suit of the mind, it can be an unshakable grief or depression. But there is a tinge of hope to it as well. Things cannot get any worse, and if your friend survives this initial Dear Oracle, I feel bad saying this, but I’m blow, she will be able to claw her way out of this. When it comes to grief, the only way out is thinking about having an affair. I’ve been with through, and The Chariot reminds us of this. my partner for two decades; we have a family together, but we haven’t been There is a path forward, but it happy for a long time. They requires your friend to feel and don’t want to go to couples process this grief. The High counseling. I don’t want to get Priestess reversed is a card of the subconscious, spirituala divorce for the sake of the ity, and our deepest emotions. Send your questions to oracle@cltampa. kids. I’m not actively looking com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram for an affair partner, but I can’t With it being reversed, it sughelp but think that if someone gests that this processing will take a long time. A therapist or support group offered, I would jump at the chance. What should can be a way to help people process; you might I do?—Flirting with Disaster? do the heavy lifting in research and make a list of resources for your friend. Cards: Eight of Pentacles, Two of Pentacles, Caretaking often happens immediately after Ace of Cups (reversed), Four of Wands a tragedy, but it can peter out. The freezer full of Dear Flirt, the first question to ask yourself meals from friends runs out, the calls checking is: what do you hope to get out of an affair? Do in dry up. It’s going to be a long journey for your you want to sleep with a stranger to know that friend, and there will be obstacles. One of the you’re still desirable? Do you want to have an best things you can do is help clear the path for affair with an ex to see what could have been? The Chariot. In the beginning, this might look Do you want to fall in love again? Do you want like picking up groceries or helping clean their to have different kinds of sex that your partner house. Later on, it might be gently encouraging isn’t down for? Figuring out the why can help them to reengage with things they love. It might you see what you actually desire.
ORACLE OF YBOR
Because I don’t know if you’re cut out for a libertine liaison. The pentacles are a suit of work, but they’re also a suit of values. The Eight of Pentacles suggests that you work hard to live your values and that they are deeply important to you. With the Two of Pentacles, I can see you trying to balance what you feel emotionally and what you hold to be true in your heart. It’s hard to live your values; it’s much easier to preach one thing and do fuck all about it. But with the Ace of Cups and the Four of Wands, I think you do value your marriage and value the love you and your partner either have or once had. With the Ace reversed, I wonder if you both may have felt like that cup of love is a little drained. Is there a way to connect with each other and fill it back up? I do strongly, strongly, encourage you to try couples’ therapy. Your partner may not want to do it now, but if they know you’re toying with the idea of divorce (you don’t need to mention the affair), then perhaps they’ll take it more seriously. I do think 20 years of minutiae can take its toll on even the most passionate romances. This doesn’t necessarily mean the relationship won’t work, just that it might need to be recalibrated. Again, I really encourage you both to go into therapy. If they’re really unwilling, then perhaps seeing a counselor on your own might benefit you. Take care, my dear. See more of Caroline and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com.
JOSEMANUEL246/SHUTTERSTOCK
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 45
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 October 9th, 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 2055 Timothy Rogers Unit 2167 Vernette Casey Cockrell Unit 1129 Gesner Baptiste. Run dates 9/24/2026 and 10/01/2026. 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 October 9th, 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 2051 Michael Occhino Unit 2062 Chad Sheppard Unit 2110 Davis Quentin Unit 2112 Jamie Adkins Unit 2172 Rosemary Caraballo Unit 3053 Mckayla Wade Unit 3055 Lucas Terpenning Unit 1041 Shayla Jones Unit 1064 Calie Woodard Unit 1074 Maurice Jones Unit 3167 Rhiana Foster Unit F500 Lincoln Smith. Run dates 9/24/2026 and 10/01/2026 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 October 9th, 2026, at 10:00am for units located at: Compass Self Storage 3000 Mulford Rd. Mulberry Fl, 33860 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. Sales are 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. 1012- Rachel Dominguez 1014-Tyler Mccauley 1134-Carmen Catlett 5007-Thomas Taylor 5008-Thomas Taylor 2142-Oneil Barrett. Run dates 9/24/2026 and 10/01/2026.
46 | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | cltampabay.com
• HIGH INTENSITY PILATES • STRENGTH TRAINING • VERSACLIMBER CARDIO • CELEBRATING 11 YEARS • FUN FITNESS • BUILT BY COMMUNITY • DRIVEN BY RESULTS
cltampabay.com | OCTOBER 01-07, 2026 | 47