Green Bench Monthly Vol. 8, Issue 2, February 2023

From the Bench

A note from the Publishers

This month's cover features a picture of a man driving an ostrich cart because, of course, St. Pete used to have an Ostrich Farm & Zoo (pg. 6).

In honor of Black History Month, we are remembering the life of teacher and activist Chester James, Sr. (pg. 9).

Our favorite events are back, including the largest celebration of all things local... sing it with us, Localtopia! Jazz Fest, Dining for Art, and so many more. Ticketed events sell out quickly. Reserve your seats soon (pg. 22). Valentine's Day is just around the corner, too (pg. 14)!

First, a tribute to the life of St. Pete resident and children's advocate Dr. Jim Lewis (pg. 5).

Till

next time, Ashley & Tony

All are welcome on this bench.

The history of the green benches is layered. For some, it is a reminder of a painful period of racism and segregation. To others, it is a symbol of welcomeness and hospitality. We carry this name to shine a light on our city’s history and in celebration of those who work tirelessly towards a more inclusive St. Pete. To read more about our story and the history of the green benches visit greenbenchmonthly.com/about.

Snowy Egret. Photo by Brian Brakebill

Tony and Ashley Sica Publishers / Owners

In Memory of Dr. Jim Lewis

James Edwin Lewis,(Ph.D.), age 73, of St. Petersburg, FL, passed away at home on December 16, 2022, from Stage IV, Renal Cell Carcinoma. Jim is survived by his wife of 50 years, Barbara; a daughter, Laura, and her husband, Matt, and their darling two-year-old daughter, Ella; a son, David, and his wife, Aislinn.

Jim attended DeMatha High School where he graduated Salutatorian of his class. He was a member of the National Honor Society, the Oratorical Society, and the editorial staff of the school newspaper, “Stagline.” Winning the Quill and Scroll Award led to a summer internship at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, where he edited papers written by staff.

Jim entered the University of Maryland, as a math major and later switched to psychology. In 1975 Jim earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Catholic University and spent his life advocating for children.

Jim excelled in the field of Neuropsychology and used his love of statistics to conduct research, while maintaining a successful private practice. Jim developed and taught, for 23 years, the first Neuropsychology Program in the Washington D. C. Area.

Courts in Southern Maryland and surrounding areas relied on Jim’s expert testimony to form judgments on the most serious Child Welfare cases. When he saw a wrong, he sought to make it right.

Jim understood that lack of education on brain trauma of young children was a root cause of some of the failures of the Child Welfare System. He worked with Florida Rep. Chris Latvala on Jordan’s Law. He provided the language in the Law on traumatic brain injury of children under the age of 6, a centerpiece of the legislation.

During his internship in Miami, Jim and Barbara developed a love of snorkeling. They spent many overnights at Long Key State Park, sleeping at the water’s edge. Jim was a devoted family man, who loved to cook for loved ones.

Jim was drawn to the Carmelite contemplative prayer life. As a Lay Carmelite, Jim was the director of Formation for three years at the Carmelite Monastery in Port Tobacco, Maryland. One fellow Carmelite describes his experience of Jim like this: “One always felt that Jim and Our Lady were walking together, hand in hand, as She daily led him up Mount Carmel. Eventually she led him to Union with the Divine Son and to his everlasting home.”

Photo courtesy of the Lewis family

Remembering St. Pete’s Ostrich Farm and Zoo

By Tina Stewart Brakebill

We all can picture an ostrich in our minds: big, long neck, goofy expression. It doesn’t fly. Right? Or is that the emu? In reality, those are pretty good descriptions of both. Despite their similarities – both are from the ratite “family” of birds – they have substantial differences. Ostriches hail from Africa (rather than Australia) and are bigger, faster, and stronger. They live longer than emus, have only two toes (instead of three), and are omnivores rather than herbivores. Most importantly for our story, people flocked to see the ostrich (not the emu) at St. Pete’s popular Ostrich Farm and Zoo.

Fashion and Feathers, Not Food

When you hear the word “farm,” it’s normal to think of food. In the late 19th century, however, ostrich farms gained popularity in the United States because of fashion. The demand for ostrich feathers as adornment for hats, dresses, and jackets began with royalty and soon spread to other social classes. By the end of the 19th century, fashionable women across

the world desired ostrich plumes as fashion accessories. Demand soon outstripped the availability of feathers coming from wild-caught and killed African ostriches. In response, farmers in South Africa came up with a plan to domesticate ostriches and sell feathers plucked from live birds. With the help of a newly invented egg incubator, which kept the stressed ostriches from destroying or abandoning their eggs, ostrich farms began to spread in Africa as well as Europe. Even though fashion can be notoriously fickle, ostrich plumes stuck around until the simplified styles of the 1920s decreased demand. In the decades between the 1870s boom and that market dive, ostrich owners began to use inventive methods to supplement their incomes, including turning ostrich farms into tourist attractions.

An Ostrich Farm Finds a New Home

Florida entered this budding enterprise in the late 1890s with the Florida Ostrich Farm in Jacksonville. Its success inspired others; and in 1907, Jerry Wells set up shop in Tampa with a flock of birds he brought from France. Said by the local paper to be the fourth ostrich farm in the country, it joined Jacksonville as well as farms in Saratoga, New York, and Pasadena, California. According to the St. Petersburg Times, business was not what Wells had hoped. When he saw “the number of tourists in St. Petersburg,” he decided “at once” to relocate. Leasing a 20-acre tract “on the trolley line just west of Oak Park” in St. Pete, Wells opened the St. Petersburg Ostrich Farm and Zoo in 1908. For a 5-cent trolley ride and a 15-cent entry fee (10 cents for kids), visitors could stroll by enclosures holding ostriches, monkeys, peacocks, bantam chickens, squirrels, and an alligator named Queen. Billed as a “man eater,” Queen was a popular attraction. (Once, having tunneled a crafty escape, she targeted the nearby hen house, not the Wells family, so perhaps she should have been billed “chicken eater” instead.) Visitors could

Jerry Wells driving his ostrich cart, c1912. Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of History

purchase ostrich eggs to eat and buy hand-painted eggshells as souvenirs. Sometimes, school kids got to do both. They’d eat a breakfast of scrambled ostrich egg, then paint their own eggshells. The farm also sold ostrich fans and ostrich feathers. The latter cost between 25 cents and $2.50 for a bunch and were “cut right from the bird.” For many visitors, the high point of the tour was the daily ostrich races.

Off to the Races

Ostriches are big. The average full-grown bird weighs between 250 and 300 pounds and stands 7 to 10 feet tall. Ostriches are fast. They can reach short-distance sprint speeds of about 45 miles per hour and can maintain a 35-mile-per-hour pace for long distances. If they feel cornered, threatened, or come face-to-face with a perceived predator, they tend to react aggressively. Despite their speed, they’re more likely to fight than they are to run, and their long, sharp claws can be lethal to humans. In addition, ostriches are not known to be trainable. They have relatively small brains as compared to their size, and their primal instinct to attack is strong. In order to get the bird to run around the track, the ostrich’s head was covered with a hood. Once the bird had been soothed, a rider mounted it and removed the hood. The ostrich took off and made its way erratically around the course. It was a sight not soon forgotten. Despite (or perhaps because of) the threat of danger, the spectacle of these “races” remained popular for decades, and ostrich farms sprang up in many tourist towns across the country. An early-morning fire on April 4, 1913, which left “only a few smoking embers, the kitchen stove, and bed frames,” signaled the end of the Ostrich Farm and Zoo in St. Pete. Not all was lost: The Times reported that Queen, the “famous man-eating alligator” survived and relocated to her new home at the corner of First Avenue N and Ninth Street, where she would be ready to exhibit her ferocity as soon as the weather warmed up. She was, after all, a Florida native.

“Growing Plums for the Ladies”

Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of History

People of St. Pete: Chester L. James, Sr.

By Tina Stewart Brakebill

St. Pete is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, world-class food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere but the people of St. Pete truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench shines a light on one of the many people that make St. Pete unique.

This month we remember Black activist and community advocate Chester L. James Sr.

“A Committee of One”

Born in 1884 outside of Ocala, James moved to St. Pete in the 1910s, married, and settled down with his growing family in the segregated neighborhood of Methodist Town. He had attended the historic Fessenden Academy and understood how the lack of education affected

the Black community. Hoping to fill that gap, he and his wife. Rachel, operated the first private school in Methodist Town. The neighborhood had other challenges: unfair rent rates, willfully negligent landlords, and indifferent officials. James pressured the City Council to help improve Methodist Town by paving the streets, providing city services, and forcing landlords to comply with building codes. As a 1961 article described, he was “a committee of one for the improvement of street and housing conditions. …” Despite the fact that his efforts mostly fell on deaf ears, he persisted for decades. He once told council members that “St. Petersburg is like a man dressed in a fine tuxedo, complete with top hat, but wearing an old, dirty, run-down pair of shoes. That pair of shoes is Methodist Town.” Finally in 1974, “after 25 years of broken promises,” James pounded the gavel for the roll call as the City Council voted unanimously to construct new housing. Methodist Town was finally going to get a new pair of shoes. The area also got a new name when it was dubbed “Jamestown” in honor of his tenacious advocacy.

“I have worked hard to make the town a better town.”

As the “honorary mayor” of Jamestown, he continued to devote himself to its improvement, and his work expanded beyond. He was committed to making all of St. Pete a better place. James was a leading member in many local organizations intent on that goal, including the Citizens Cooperative Committee, NAACP, Democratic Club, Greater St. Petersburg Council on Human Relations, and the Bethel Community Baptist Church. Not content to simply sit on committees or develop strategy, James took action. In 1955, he was a named petitioner in a federal lawsuit against the City of St. Petersburg demanding the “end of the custom, practice and policy of barring Negroes from city facilities because of race. ...” In the early 1960s, he was a leader in protest rallies connected with selective buying campaigns (i.e., boycotts) to protest racial discrimination. In 1968, James marched with sanitation workers who went on strike for better wages. Throughout the 1950s, ‘60s, and ’70s, he devoted significant time to recruiting new members for the NAACP as well as registering Black voters and making sure those voters made it to the polls on election days. His lifelong devotion to change earned him numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Citation of Merit from the Ambassador Club, the Distinguished Service award from the NAACP, the Gold Pin from President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Annual Award from the Greater St. Petersburg Council on Human Relations, and the Book of Golden Deeds Plaque from the St. Petersburg Exchange Club. Age barely seemed to slow him. Bethel Community Baptist Church’s the Rev. Enoch D. Davis once described James as “one of the youngest old men I have ever seen.” Motivated by being active and having a chance to help others, James died at age 94 (and 11 months) in March 1979, leaving a lasting legacy of activism and advocacy.

Chester Lucius James, Sr., teacher and activist. Photo courtesy of the St. Petersburg Museum of History

Localtopia 2023: A Community Celebration of All Things Local

By Suzanne Driscoll

With a record 300 of St. Pete’s favorite businesses participating in this year’s Localtopia, it’s an event you won’t want to miss. Presented by Keep Saint Petersburg Local (KSPL), the festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 18 at Williams Park, 350 Second Ave. N. Rain date is Feb. 25.

Localtopia is the brainchild of Olga Bof, who had planned to open a children’s book and toy store here. She knew that bookstores often lead the Buy Local movement in other cities, so she started KSPL and organized the first Localtopia in 2014. “Williams Park was underutilized at the time,” she said, “but today it is the perfect location to celebrate all that makes St. Pete great via its art, music, food and culture.”

By the lovely fountain in the middle of the park you’ll find the “All Things Plants Village.” There will be farm produce, flowers and

plants, as well as plant-based skin care and several plant-based food and drink vendors, in addition to those found on Second Avenue.

If you have kids in tow, be sure to check out the Family Village. On Third Street N, you can paint the NOMAD Art Bus and inside Williams Park you can adopt a Dino with Sunshine City Colors. And you can hoop and dance the day away with Hoola Monsters by the bandstand.

Over 70 food and drink options await, including almost 20 of St. Pete’s favorite food trucks. At “Draft Beer Central” (corner of Third Street N and Second Avenue), you’ll find beer trucks and local breweries pouring their own brews.

Enjoy live music from top-rated local musicians on the bandstand. Three DJs will spin throughout the day on the streets around Williams Park.

At this years’ Localtopia shop 300+ local vendors, including “All Things Plants Village”, and over 70 food and drink options. Photos by City of St. Petersburg

There are new, free transportation alternatives this year if you prefer to not get stuck in traffic. The SunRunner bus stops at First Avenues N and S and Fifth Streets. Thanks to the Tampa Bay

Rays and the Rowdies, free parking is available at Tropicana Field Lots 1 and 2, with a trolley courtesy of Star Trolley running to and from the festival. As always, the free bike valet will be available at Williams Park.

So whether you’re a new resident or have lived here for many years, check out this year’s Localtopia to celebrate all that St. Pete’s local businesses have to offer.

For a map and a complete listing of vendors, food and drink options, and the music lineup, visit https://localtopia. keepsaintpetersburglocal.org

American Stage’s Spring Break Theater Camps Explore the High Seas

By Suzanne Driscoll

How do you plan to spend your spring break this year? American Stage, the Tampa Bay area’s longest-running professional theater company, is offering an opportunity to hit the high seas through its new camp series March 13-16.

Participants will explore aspects of the Caribbean and Pacific islands and stories about pirates, heroes and heroines, and singing and dancing sea creatures. Each group will create a 10-minute show with songs that will be performed on the last day of camp.

A seasonal offering

“We decided it would be really fun to offer something at this time of year,” said José Avilés, education director. The idea is to create a safe space for youngsters to be active in the theater and to increase their creativity. Teams of teaching artists will lead each group.

Those ages 5-7 will participate in an “Under the Seas” adventure featuring sea creatures and a mermaid. Youth campers ages 8-12 will explore a “shipwrecked” theme complete with pirates and swashbucklers. Teenagers 13-17 will focus more on fun in the sun and summer songs, Avilés said.

“We aim to create young appreciators of the arts,” he said. Theater enhances confidence, expands creative thinking, helps participants play and work in teams, and involves physical activity, he said.

Information

Each session costs $225 and runs 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the Raymond James Theater at the St. Petersburg College Downtown Campus Center, 244 2nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. There is a small additional fee for pre- and after care. To register, visit americanstage.org/education or call the box office at (727) 823-7529

Photos courtesy of American Stage

Absolutely Beautiful Florist & Flower Delivery: When You Send Flowers It Says Everything

By Suzanne Driscoll

“Flowers help people communicate how they feel about each other,” says Brad Catlin of Absolutely Beautiful Florist & Flower Delivery in St. Pete.

Catlin opened the shop on Central Ave. in 2011. He has worked in the floral industry for more than 40 years and grew up helping his parents, who owned a plant nursery in central Florida. “I’ve been around plants pretty much my whole life,” he says, “and flowers are just an extension of what I was doing in the garden center.”

What sets Absolutely Beautiful apart from other florists? “Our talented staff is 100% trained and mentored by me,” he says, and we create unique designs that range from the simply elegant to the tropical and the extravagant. We take the time to understand what our customers are seeking and then over-deliver to make that vision come true. We want the recipient to have a ‘Wow’ moment each and every time.”

Choices also range from succulents, dish gardens and tropical plants as well as fruit and gourmet gift baskets, dried floral arrangements and Lovepop greeting cards. You can even order individual stems of flowers in advance and make your own arrangements.

New in 2023 are Milk Bar specialty cakes and cookies that may be ordered separately or as part of a “Birthday Bundle” that includes a flower arrangement and card. Also popular are Baked by Melissa cupcakes that

Left: Brad Catlin, owner of Absolutely Beautiful Florist & Flower Delivery in St. Pete.

Right: At Absolutely Beautiful Flowers you’ll find tropical plants, as well as fruit and gourmet gift baskets, and more!

are perfect for any type of office or home celebration. “We’re a true onestop shop for all your gifting needs,” Catlin says.

The store has been on Florists’ Transworld Delivery (FTD) list of the top 100 florists in the country for many years.

Wedding and Event Packages

Absolutely Beautiful offers a variety of wedding packages, as well as floral arrangements for events. “We no longer deliver to wedding sites,” Catlin says, “but have a pick-up service where everything is staged and ready to go. This enables our customers to save money if they want to upgrade their flowers and containers.”

Working With a Florist

To be sure you receive exactly what you have in mind for a floral arrangement, give your florist as much information as possible. “Tell us what the occasion is and what your goal is for sending the flowers and gifts,” Catlin advises. “Try not to be vague or fixate on price. Tell us the person’s favorite color and what type of container you have in mind. At Absolutely Beautiful, we are blessed to deliver a large volume, so we have the capability to cater to your specific needs.”

The Language of Flowers

During the COVID shutdown, Catlin reports, people used flowers more than ever to say how much they missed being together for holidays and birthdays. And the need to communicate how one feels about each other continues today. “We have a customer who travels a lot for work and pre-orders flowers to be delivered to his wife several times while he is away,” Catlin says. “And when she travels, he arranges for us to deliver flowers to every hotel where she is staying. What better way is there to say, ‘I love you’ and ‘I miss you?’”

As Valentine’s Day approaches, think about the special person in your life. Whether you give a single elegant rose or three dozen, it is all about letting someone know how much you care about them.

Absolutely Beautiful Florist & Flower Delivery is at 3000 Central Ave. in St. Pete; (727) 470-5825; www.absolutelybeautiful.us. Deliveries can be arranged for most of Tampa Bay, from Pinellas to Hillsborough to Manatee counties.

Place your Valentine’s Day orders online at absolutelybeautiful.us

Parks of St. Pete: Skate Parks

By Tina Stewart Brakebill

Beginning with City Park (today’s Williams Park) in the late 19th century and expanding to the waterfront in the early 20th, St. Petersburg’s parks have a long history of providing locals and visitors with a wide variety of amenities. Today, St. Pete can boast more than 150 city parks and numerous Pinellas County parks. According to the Trust for Public Land, 77 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park. Park amenities vary depending on location and size and can include picnic areas, playgrounds, beaches, boat ramps, fishing docks, playing fields, sports courts, fitness equipment, trails, nature preserves, art installations, and historic sites. Dogs and skaters even have their own spaces. Parks & Recreation also offers classes, service projects, camps, and a variety of after-school educational programs. Choose an activity or choose to relax, and there’s a park or recreation center that fits your needs.

Fossil Skatepark

Twenty years ago, St. Pete opened the first public skatepark in the region. Built after a 13-year-old Fossil Park resident successfully petitioned the City Council, the skatepark was highly anticipated by local enthusiasts. As the St. Petersburg Times noted in June 2003, “The kids in Fossil Park didn’t even let the paint dry before they were grinding rails, doing tail whips off banks and riding the halfpipe… .” Open to skate boards, roller blades, and BMX bikes, the park’s 13,000 square feet of precast concrete provides a variety of objects to entertain riders, including ramps, rails, ledges, quarter/half pipes, and a funbox. Located at 6635 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N and situated just east of Fossil Park’s Recreation Center, the skatepark also has plenty of parking, lights, and nearby restrooms.

Lake Vista Skatepark

Following the success of Fossil Skatepark, another skatepark opened in 2004 at Lake Vista Park, 1401 62nd Ave. S. That skate facility is nestled amongst the park’s many other amenities and has ample parking and access to nearby bathrooms. With 8,400 square feet of concrete, this skatepark was designed by renowned Florida-based designers Team Pain to mimic the public spaces loved by riders. It features “a 3 flat 3 double set with square handrail, a step-up, plenty of hubbas and flat ledges, flat bars, curved ledges, flat gaps, manual pads, and much more. …” According to Team Pain, “This park is a street skater’s dream!”

St. Petersburg Regional Skatepark

St. Pete’s third skatepark was a long time in the making, but when it finally opened in 2018, thanks in part to the advocacy of the St. Pete Skatepark Alliance, it was worth it. Located within Campbell Park, at 1360 Fifth Ave. S, it’s the largest and most advanced skateboard facility in the county. Also part of the design team for this skatepark, Team Pain’s goal was to create something unique to this area and “something cutting-edge that’s going to keep the users excited about going back to the park all the time.” At 28,000 square feet, it lives up to that promise with a wide variety of objects and challenges including a street course, a snake run, and a nearly 12-foot-deep concrete bowl as well as areas for beginning, intermediate, and advanced skaters. Its design makes it a big draw for amateur and professional skateboarders and BMX riders.

For more information about St. Pete’s FREE skateparks, including hours and safety policies, visit www.stpeteparksrec.org or call (727) 893-7441.

Photo by Brian Brakebill

Downtown Developments

By Brian Zucker, Owner of St. Pete Rising

It seems like each time we take a stroll through downtown there are new restaurants and galleries opening and more apartment complexes and condo towers being built. We realize it’s difficult to keep track of everything. Luckily, we’ve done the research, so you don’t have to. Each month we will feature a few of the most exciting new downtown developments that are on the horizon for the Sunshine City.

Mutts & Martinis, a dog waterpark and bar, has finally broken ground at 2900 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District. The 5,000 square foot facility, which will feature a zero-entry splash fountain and water sprays, will be the first of its kind in St. Pete when it opens this spring. Human customers will be able to enjoy a full selection of beer, wine, and liquor, with some of the cocktail names being dog-related, and the owner plans to bring in local food trucks to round out the menu. Memberships will be required and, to obtain a membership, dogs must meet certain requirements such as being up to date on vaccinations.

The Melting Pot is coming soon to 695 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. Nearly three years after shuttering its long-standing location on 4th Street, the popular fondue restaurant has finally found a new home in the Sunshine City. Renovations to the restaurant’s new building are set to begin in February, however there is no expected opening date available at this time.

The owners of Brick and Mortar are opening a new restaurant at 2147

Central Avenue in the Grand Central District. The restaurant’s menu will feature Latin cuisine with tapas-style dishes. The centerpiece for the 3,000-square-foot eatery will be a semi-circular bar where handcrafted cocktails and the restaurant’s curated wine menu will be served. Buildout on the new Central Avenue restaurant is well underway and is expected to open in late summer or early fall of this year.

In the coming months, The Vinoy Resort will join Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The Vinoy was previously affiliated with the Renaissance flag, another Marriott brand, but joining the Autograph Collection elevates it to a more exclusive status: Only 200 boutique hotels worldwide carry that designation. The Vinoy is currently undergoing an ambitious renovation plan, announced last fall, that includes revamping the downtown resort’s veranda, porte cochère, main lobby, guest rooms, spa, and restaurants.

11 Chicks, a quaint Venezuelan eatery, has expanded at 199 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North in downtown St. Pete. This St. Pete gem has

Mutts & Martinis has broken ground at 2900 Central Ave

The Melting Pot is coming soon to 695 Central Ave

some of the tastiest food in town offering Venezuelan arepas, empanadas, cachapas, tequeños, and more! To quench your thirst, 11 Chicks offers fresh juices, coffees, and sodas. If you want to try something special, order a can of Frescolita, a Venezuelan red cream soda, or the 11 Chicks Coffee made with cinnamon, coconut oil, and honey. The larger footprint has given 11 Chicks an additional 550 square feet, for a total of 1,030 square feet.

Bohemian Rêves is expanding at 1620 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District. The local St. Pete shop, that carries its own handcrafted line

of apothecary candles, botanical perfumes, and skincare products will triple in size this summer. The extra space will allow them to add a potential coffee bar, as well as room to stock products from brands that don’t have a large presence in St. Pete. Bohemian Rêves hopes to have the expanded retail space open by the summer.

St. Pete Rising is an urban development blog covering future retail, restaurants, and real estate in Downtown St. Petersburg, FL. Stay up-todate, visit StPeteRising.com.

A new concept from Brick and Mortar is coming soon to 2147 Central Ave

11 Chicks expanded at 199 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. St. N.

The Vinoy Resort will join Marriott’s Autograph Collection

Bohemian Réves is expanding at 1620 Central Ave

FEBRUARY

2023

EVENTS

Dining for Art

When: throughout Feb.

Where: Historic Kenwood

Cost: $20 & up

The Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association is holding its annual fundraiser “Dining for Art”. Residents of Historic Kenwood host a meal in their homes and guests buy tickets to attend. The proceeds go directly to the Public Art Initiative, which coordinates the public art in and around Kenwood and Grand Central. historickenwood.org/events/ dining-for-arts

Original Live Music: Songwriters In The Round

When: Saturday, Feb. 4 from 8-10pm

Where: Creative Grape, 3100 3rd Ave N

Cost: $10 presale; $15 at the door

An intimate night of original music performed by an all female lineup of three talented local singer-songwriters. Each musician will take a turn sharing stories and inspiration behind the songs they sing for you at the cozy art and wine bar. creativegrape.com

Valentwe’en 2023:

Kiss of Death

When: Opening reception during Second Saturay Art Walk on Feb. 11 from 5-9pm

Where: ArtLofts, 10 5th St N (2nd floor of Florida CraftArt)

Cost: Free admission

Live Performances by The Gothic Goddesses from Darjuxena BREWS Darksplay Dance. One-on-one discussions about the paranormal with members of SPIRITS of St. Petersburg, a tarot card reader, and more! brandybstark13@gmail.com

St. Petersburg Science Festival

When: Saturday, Feb. 18 from 10am-4pm

Where: University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus and

Poytner Park, 3rd St S & 9th Ave S

Cost: Free

The St. Petersburg Science Festival is an annual regional celebration where families and the public can explore the wonders of hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM).

Stpetescifest.org

10 th Annual Localtopia

When: Saturday, Feb 18 from 10am-5pm

Where: Williams Park, 330 2nd Ave N

Cost: Free admission (donations accepted)

The largest ever showcase of St. Pete’s small businesses, with over 300 vendors! Localtopia. KeepSaintPetersburgLocal.org

(events cont. pg 22)

Left: Historic Kenwood. Right: Localtopia. Photos by City of St. Petersburg

(events cont. from pg. 21)

The 2023 Publix Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival

When: Saturday, Feb. 18

Where: 9th Ave at 22nd St S

Cost: Free

Enjoy delicious collard smoothies & sample the winning recipient of the 2022 High School Collard Green Recipe Contest Winner!

Enjoy live music and fun for the whole family!

tbcgf.org

4th Annual Paczki Day Dance

When: Sunday, Feb. 19 from 1:30-6pm

Where: Polish American Society of St. Petersburg

Cost: $10 presale; $12 at the door

Everyone is welcome! Doors open

at 1:30. Cash bar. Dancing from 3pm - 6pm. Everyone receives a Polish Doughnut to prepare for Lent. kmjak@verizon.net

St. Petersburg Jazz Festival

When: Wednesday, Feb. 22Saturday, Feb. 25

Where: Venues include St. Petersburg College, Palladium Side Door, Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg, and American Stage Cost: Free & up. Featuring NYC singer Alexis Cole and the 18-member Helios Jazz Orchestra, a tribute to the legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea by the Zach Bartholomew Trio and the Jason Charos Sextet celebrating the compositions of the great Wayne Shorter. stpetejazzfest.com

Orchid Care Tips

When: Saturday, Feb. 25

from 11am-12:30pm

Where: Sunken Gardens

(amphitheater), 1825 4th St N Cost: Free with Gardens admission or membership

Taking the mystery out of growing orchids with Beth Sedacca. Longtime orchid volunteer, speaker and demonstrator at Sunken Gardens and St Pete Orchid Farm who has been growing orchids for 30+ years. stpete.org/visitors/ sunken_gardens.php

ICONIC: Portrait Edition

When: Saturday, Feb. 25 from 7pm-10pm Where: Morean Arts Center, 719 Central Ave

Cost: $175/person ($150/ members)

Witness the portraits of three local icons being created live, as nine talented artists compete head-to-head for a variety of prizes. Vote for your favorite artist’s portrait in the People’s

Choice awards at the end of evening. Includes cocktails and delectable cuisine from some of St. Pete’s most ICONIC vendors moreanartscenter.org/iconic

Tampa Bay Home Show

When: Saturday, Feb. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 26 from 10am - 5pm Where: The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave N

Cost: Free ALL of your home improvement needs in one place. Work directly with builders, remodelers, architects, landscapers, contractors and many more home improvement vendors. tampabay. com/expos/tampa-bay-homeshow/

For more events, or to submit an event, visit greenbenchmonthly.com/events

Zach Bartholomew Trio , St. Petersburg Jazz Festival