Paradise News Magazine March 2025

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28 Modern Movers are Here Experienced, Careful, Fair-Dealing, Hard-Working & Here To Help. BY

12 Condo Living 101 An experienced look at the Pros and Cons of Condo Living. BY STEVE

13 Beachmaker Own Your Own Vacation Rental At The Beachmaker in Madeira. BY JEFF BEGGINS

22 Glamping in Florida Camping expeditions and the Everglades. BY RICHARD NUMMI, ESQ.

BARF The Bay Area Renaissance Festival is worth the drive. BY PETER ROOS

24 Walk This Way Taking our first steps…walking. BY CLAIRE BRINSDEN JORDAN

26 Music Scene - Jazz If you know where and when –there’s a lot of jazz around. BY NANETTE WISER

30 Mind Full or Mindful Is TMI overload the “new pandemic” due to its contagious spread? BY DENNIS MERRITT JONES, DD 41Fresh Markets Fresh air, fruits, veggies, vendors, and artists BY PETER ROOS

Private, Peaceful, Protected

Discover Marina Bay in St. Petersburg, a hidden gem tucked away on Boca Ciega Bay, where 60 acres of lush tropical landscaping, lakes with dramatic water features and abundant wildlife blend to form this vibrant community. Just seven minutes to downtown and seven minutes to St Pete Beach, the new Villas, Estate Homes and Condominiums of Marina Bay redefine luxury and provide resilience by building to Fortified Standards. Visit Marina Bay, next to Eckerd College, to tour our new models

• FORTIFIED™ Construction for the utmost protection against hurricanes and extreme weather

• Featuring unparalleled design and construction that far exceeds building code requirements.

• Concrete block construction all floors

• Natural gas cooking and generators standard

• Private elevator from garage to living level

• Impact windows and doors

• Two pools, day dock, fishing pier, fitness room

• Deep water boat slips no bridges to the Gulf

To the builder of Marina Bay, it’s EVERYTHING.

Marina Bay is the FIRST community in Pinellas County to receive the FORTIFIED Gold™ designation.

To thearchitects andbuildersof MarinaBay,it’s EVERYTHING.

MarinaBayistheFIRST BUILDERandONLYDEVELOPMENTinPinellasCounty toreceivetheFORTIFIED GOLDdesignation.

FORTIFIED™ goes beyond code, meaning FORTIFIED™ Construction far exceeds most building codes and improves the performance of buildings against natural disasters and reducing the risk of personal property losses.

Buildingto FORTIFIED means creatingresilienthomesthat willbetterwith-standsevere weather.

FORTIFIED goesbeyond code,meaningitexceeds mostbuildingcodesby improvingtheperformance ofbuildingsagainstnatural disastersandreducingtherisk ofpersonalpropertylosses. HOW IMPORTANT IS SAFETY TO YOU?

PUBLISHERS MESSAGE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

www.paradisenewsfl.com/letter

We believe that we are the sum total of our experiences. We learn far more from new experiences than we do from repeating others. At our age, new experiences come less frequently, so we must embrace them.

When people find out we were flooded out of our home and office last September and that we spent five hours on the roof, they usually say how sorry they are. We tell them not to feel sorry, as it is a new experience for us. We hope to be better prepared for whatever comes.

We had lived in the same home since the millennium changed. Sure, we vacationed in lots of different places over the past quarter century, but changing our residence six times in six months was new. For two months after Thanksgiving, we were with other refugees at a long-term stay motel, where we enjoyed a delicious buffet breakfast daily, and FEMA delivered hot meals for both lunch and dinner. People said we were getting a taste of assisted living.

We met a number of other folks there who were also long-term guests, thanks to either hurricane Helene or Milton. We generally sat together at breakfast and for hotel sponsored social hours Monday-Wednesday nights. We traded stories of our interactions with support groups and shared everything we were learning about disaster recovery, home repair permitting and such. We even shared contact numbers for repair folks and rode together to the nearby disaster recovery center to interact with FEMA and the SBA. Most of our fellow refugees have moved on by now, some into their partially repaired homes, others, like us, into new temporary locations until our homes are once again livable. As many of us are working to recover from Helene’s flooding, we are asking ourselves “what if.” Global warming is happening, and glaciers are melting, causing sea levels to rise. It might not be a hundred years before the next flood. It could even be this summer, or next.

Rebecca Penneys, the concert pianist we have written about, lives on an upper floor in a high-rise condo at the shore and also owned a north St. Pete house where she gave piano lessons and practiced on two very special Steinway grand pianos. After Helene got her floors wet, she moved the pianos to higher ground. She and her husband Ray bought the pianos another home on higher ground, out of the flood zone. It increased her commute by 20 minutes but feels the peace of mind is well worth it. Moving away from the beach is one solution to the flooding issue, but not the only one.

Our real estate columns in the last few issues have introduced the concept of a table built high enough to satisfy FEMA requirements, and a factory-built, hurricane-proof (to 200 mph) modular home custom designed for you can be fastened to one or more tables on one to three levels above the flood plain. Imagine what a brand-new, elevated, FEMA compliant home on your land would be worth to you, and to the next owner.

Modern Home and Building Movers, LLC (www.modernmovers.com), our cover story this month, is another solution. The photo on the cover is a Treasure Island home being elevated right now. They have been moving and elevating homes and much bigger buildings for over 70 years and have 18 unified jack systems, allowing them to elevate 3-4,000 structures annually. Theirs is an amazing family success story and they have a multi-million-dollar insurance policy to back them up.

We are also continuing to search out recommended tradespeople to help you with your recovery from the flood. You can help us out by suggesting the service folks you are happy with do some advertising with us, and that you mention seeing them in Paradise News if you contact any business we’ve told you about. If you have any issues with one of our advertisers, we want to know that too. Thank you for being a loyal Paradise News reader.

www.ParadiseNewsFL.com

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PUBLISHERS

NEWS

Peter Roos | Marketing & Sales

813.230.3965

sales@paradisenewsfl.com

Renee Roos | Creative Director 727.421.0341 info@paradisenewsfl.com

ART & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Janet Nummi info@janetnummi.com

SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE MANAGER

Kaeley Dawson paradisenewsfl@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Caron Schwartz - Art News, Hanging Around

Buddy Baker - Arts & Leisure / Events

Dennis Merritt Jones, DDEncouraging Words

Kelly Rouse - Dining

Claire Brinsden Jordan - Health & Wellness

Steve Walden Attorney - Legal Corner

Marlene Shaw - Gulfport Matters

Andrea Martone - Artists Spotlight

Jim Beggins - Real Estate

Nanette Wiser - Music Scene

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Visit St. Pete Clearwater

City of St. Pete • Visit Florida • Janet Nummi

Public Media Resource Images

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Toasted TwooZdaZe

St. Petersburg native Shannon Gruber, owner of Toasted Associates, is excited to introduce a new concept to the area: Toasted TwooZdaZe! Specializing in classic worldly sandwiches, each stuffed with mouthwatering roasted meats and fresh veggies on local artisan breads, along with beef tallow fries and Chef Adam’s specialty sauces, this culinary team is ready to elevate the corner of Blind Pass and 75th.

Join us for late-night bites and enjoy free fries to those who order the special that we announce on Tuesdays! Stop by or give us a call at 727-4092445.

TIDBITS

For decades, the Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center has been a trusted resource, helping older adults stay active, engaged, and independent. As our community’s senior population continues to grow, so does the need for a larger, modern facility designed to meet their evolving needs.

The Gulfport Senior Center Foundation is committed to raising funds to support this much-needed expansion. To help make this vision a reality, they are hosting another Golf Classic at Bardmoor Golf & Tennis Club at 8001 Cumberland Rd., Seminole, on Sat., April 5, at 8am. Their goal is to raise $50,000, with 100% of the proceeds directly supporting the capital building campaign.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Thank you for your support in making a lasting impact on the lives of local seniors!

www.gulfportseniorfoundation. org/golfclassic2025

Ticket price and locations: mpscfoundation@ tampabay.rr.com 727-893-1244 Amy Oatley

Tickets are $150/player www.paypal.com/ncp/ payment/9L4N83C3JQV26

Known as one of the oldest and largest triathlon clubs in the country, the St. Pete Mad Dogs Triathlon Club recently welcomed member #4067. Want to be #4068? Founded in 1993, the Mad Dogs are known as “fun loving triathletes who train, race and howl together, with members of all levels of experience and expertise.” This phrase is on the cover of their monthly newsletter, The Finish Line, a 32-page digital magazine packed with member pictures, upcoming birthdays, race results, new member welcomes, and training tips.

At all the local races, frequently at Ft. De Soto, members stand out in their colorful race kits, and when crowding the podium.

The club is known for their Wednesday evening open water swim in Pass-a-Grille, and other weekly training sessions around the area, some involving coffee and snacks afterwards. Anyone considering dipping their toe into triathlon is welcome to show up at training sessions to see what it’s all about. Membership is $50 annually and includes race fee and product discounts, a club shirt and swimming cap.

For more information contact club president John Hollenhorst at jhollenhorst@sbcglobal.net

Jackie Yost, long time Mad Dogs, and a triathlon legend, has not run a race for a few years now, but we can forgive her for that, as she will by 97 years old on 3/19. She played sports most of her life. In high school, she played on the basketball team. She majored in Health, PE, and Recreation at Women’s College of UNCGreensboro. She loved playing golf and tennis and started running in her 50s. She took up triathlons when she and her husband Larry moved to Treasure Island in the early 80s. Her first competition was St. Anthony’s Meek and Mighty She was inducted into the Florida USAT Hall of Fame in November 2012. She earned the All-American title multiple times. Her last competition was St. Anthony’s sprint triathlon just before Covid.

Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners recently adopted a countywide dune protection ordinance to further protect the dunes and vegetation from damage caused by human activities, such as walking on them or digging. Pinellas County conducted an emergency sand dune project after Hurricane Idalia in 2023 that included the construction of sand dunes between Clearwater Beach and Pass-a-Grille. Many of those dunes were destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricane Helene. The county is working to get new emergency beach nourishment projects permitted for Sand Key, Treasure Island and Long Key. Dunes will be included in some of the project areas in concert with widening and elevating the beaches.

The city of St. Pete Beach is teaming up with Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) for a pilot program aimed at stricter, enhanced enforcement of the current beach ordinance. The pilot program runs until April 30. Regulations to be enforced include alcohol restrictions on the public beach, alcohol consumption in cabana service areas, trash disposal, staying off the dunes, and keeping dogs off the beach.

To ensure compliance, the city’s Code Enforcement and PCSO will be increasing patrols and employing a zero-tolerance policy. Notice of enforcement will also be promoted on social media, on the city’s website, and via Variable Message Boards provided by PCSO on 75th Street and the Bay Way.

Fort De Soto Park’s popular North Beach reopened to the public on Feb.17, completing the restoration of the park following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The storms caused flooding in park facilities, damage to boat ramps and fishing piers, and the loss of hundreds of trees. Thousands of tons of debris were swept across the park’s beaches and campsites, requiring extensive cleanup efforts by county staff, partners and volunteers.

The largest park in the Pinellas County park system, Fort De Soto Park spans 1,136 acres across five interconnected

TIDBITS

islands. It features diverse ecosystems, recreational facilities and historical landmarks, including a fort built in 1898. Amenities include campgrounds, fishing piers, nature trails and pristine beaches, making it a popular destination that attracts more than 2.7 million visitors every year. Residents and visitors may reserve campsites and shelters through the county’s reservation system.

While the boat ramp is operational, amenities remain limited due to ongoing recovery efforts. Visitors are encouraged to use caution when accessing the facilities and to be courteous to others navigating the area.

For more information about Fort De Soto Park and other Pinellas County parks, visit www.pinellas.gov/parks.

Feb. 16 was Tampa Bay Watch’s 32nd Anniversary! For 32 years, Tampa Bay Watch has been dedicated to protecting and restoring the Tampa Bay watershed. Thanks to supporters, volunteers and restoration teams have:

• Installed over 19,000 oyster reef balls, restoring habitats and improving water quality

• Restored more than 1.6 million square feet of shoreline with oyster shell bars and native grasses

• Provided hands-on marine education to 45,000+

students and teachers

• Welcomed nearly 159,000 visitors to the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center for immersive conservation experiences

One of the most impactful ways to protect Tampa Bay for generations is through thoughtful planning. By including Tampa Bay Watch in your will or estate plan, you help ensure that its restoration projects and educational programs continue long into the future. As they celebrate their 32nd Anniversary, they are looking ahead to the future –and they invite you to be part of it!

Pinellas Botanicals & Brunch Fest

March 29-30 from 9am-4pm, Pinellas Park explodes with a weekend bursting with a vibrant fusion of blooming beauty and mouthwatering brunch delights. Festivities will include live music, a best brunch competition, a selection of unique plants, charming garden accessories, talented local artisans, craftsmen, and kids activities. Pinellas Botanicals & Brunch Fest, England Brothers Park, 5010 81st Ave. N, Pinellas Park. Contact: Suzanne King 727-322-5217 suzfest@gmail.com

Kolter Group has revived Corey Landings, a mixed-use development on a 3.9-acre

development site located along the Intracoastal Waterway, at the east end of Corey Ave., in the heart of St. Pete Beach. Kolter acquired the site in Nov. 2024.

The development would include 162 condominiums, a 4,000-square-foot restaurant, retail space, a public park, boat slips and a waterfront plaza. The scope has shrunk considerably and the project was changed from luxury apartments to condominiums since Ram Realty Advisors withdrew an application in June 2023 for 243 Class-A residential units, a 5,000-square-foot restaurant space, a public park and 12,000 square feet of retail/commercial space. The Kolter project was presented Feb. 17 at a community meeting at the Sirata Resort.

The University of South Florida has received a $2.2 million donation from Joey Redner, founder of Cigar City Brewing, and his wife, Jennifer. The gift will support the university’s on-campus stadium and its brewing arts program. Joey Redner, a sixthgeneration Floridian, founded Cigar City Brewing in 2007. The company grew from a small operation producing 5,000 barrels annually to one distributing 60,000 barrels, by 2015. Redner sold the business in 2016 to Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery.

The brewing arts program will use the gift to enhance learning opportunities for students pursuing careers in the craft beer industry. The donation will be evenly divided, with $1.1 million going toward the new stadium and the other half benefiting the brewing arts program, a 23-week online course offered on USF’s St. Petersburg campus that prepares participants for careers in craft brewing.

University of South Florida President Rhea Law has plans to step down after a national search is conducted to select her successor. Law, who has led USF since August 2021. In 2023, the university became the first Florida public institution to join the Association of American Universities, a group representing the top 3% of research universities in the United States and Canada. The achievement marked the culmination of a 15-year goal, set when Law was chair of the USF Board of Trustees.

USF broke ground on a new on-campus stadium in November 2024. “Our university is on an incredible trajectory and the foundation is in place for a new leader to take us to even greater heights,” Law said. “One of the hallmarks of great leadership is knowing when it is time to create space for new ideas and fresh perspectives.”

The University of South Florida secured a record $738 million in research funding during fiscal year 2024, marking a nearly 7% increase from the previous year and a 35% rise since 2022. The new funding record brings USF closer to its goal of reaching $1 billion in annual research funding, by 2030.

The City Theatre has a new roof and is back in business. Upcoming performances are as follows:

On the main stage, Sister Act, March 28-April 6. Little Theatre (lobby events) A MidSlumber Night’s Dream March 21 & 22 Throwback Prom & Karaoke May 17, Pride Night June 29.

The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum on Tenth Ave. in Pass-a-Grille has some great events coming up too. March 22, 6pm - Sunset Voyage to Egmont Key (listed on Eventbrite)

April 19 - Walking Tour of Pass-a-Grille

May 9 - Skyway Tragedy 45th Memorial - Book talk with Bill DeYoung & Jerry Knight

June 4 - “Just Beachy” book signing with Wendy Wax. Contact FriendsoftheGBHM@ gmail.com for more information.

Spring break and its sunny side up time to enjoy a nosh and the water view at St. Pete Beach’s The Wharf Restaurant at 2001 Pass-a-Grille Way. The old Florida feel and friendly folks serve up their world-famous Fish Fry Tuesday and Taco Wednesday. Lots of seafood and sandwich specials daily including soft shell crab, crab and shrimp Double Play,

a lamb and beef gyro and the prime rib dip. Most Fridays and Saturdays, they shuck oysters after 5pm and offer a succulent ceviche special.

On St. Patrick’s Day there will be corned beef and cabbage, of course! Best of show are the grouper or Reuben sandwiches, conch fritters, loaded fries with bacon and melted queso, sesame tuna, wings and coconut shrimp with Thai dipping sauce. The refreshed back deck with new seating and remodeled docks are now done! Live music w/Rob Tyre Wed.-Sat. 6-9:30pm. Full bar, specialty cocktails and Happy Hour Mon.-Fri. 3:30-6pm in the bar only.

The kitchen generally closes at 10pm. Stop in for seafood or ribeye dinner; choose yellowfin tuna, grouper, mahi-mahi, shrimp, scallop or crab cake with two dinner sides. Save room for the key lime pie. www.wharfpag.com

Malio’s Beach House Ribbon Cutting

The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of Malio’s Beach House. With the original owner of the Tampa institution, Malio Laverone, looking on and two more generations wielding the huge scissors, a ribbon was cut to open Malio’s Beach House (steak/seafood/coctails) with a VIP crowd cheering them on. The restaurant and bar is now open for business. www.maliosbeachhouse.com

CONDO LIVING

Pros & Cons of Condo Living

As editor Pete Roos noted last month, as a St. Pete Beach condo owner for 35 years, we’ve also had a New Jersey home for 31 years.

After selling our home and buying our condo, we were able to rent it for 10 years, four months yearly, and paid off 90% of our mortgage when we moved here in 1999.

That’s why I’m well qualified to share these useful hints over the next months for those considering a condo move.

Over the next months we’ll cover:

• Insurance

• Security

• Pets

• State-required inspections on foundations & roofs

• Fully funded reserve effects on condo fees

• Amenities (pools, shuffleboard, paddleboard courts, event space, boat docks)

• Length of rentals

• Mail service

With the widespread damage from Helene and Milton, our story this month is focused on insurance. As the Tampa Bay Times noted in late January, the state’s third

quarter report had good news for condo owners: the average cost to cover a unit increased just 1.3% for the second straight quarter to $1,737 after rising 5.9% between the same quarters in 2023.

The average cost of commercial coverage for condo associations, after doubling between similar quarters from 2022 to 2023, declined by 3% to $142,909 in 2024.

At the same time, changes in average premiums for all-perils coverage of single-family homes by insurers with at least 1,000 policies ranged from an average 37.8% increase to a 6.6% decrease.

These dramatic figures highlight some of the important advantages from condo living in our state and we will continue to cover some others in the coming months.

[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to the Tampa Bay Times for its excellent coverage of this important topic.]

[Steve Traiman is CEO of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman, offering full-range business writing services. He is reachable by email at traimancreativecopy@ gmail.com or phone to 727-798-4746]

Healthcare Decisions with Shared Parental Responsibility

Shared parental responsibility means a court-ordered relationship in which both parents retain full parental rights and responsibilities with respect to their child. The expectation is that co-parents will confer with each other, and major decisions affecting the child’s wellbeing are determined jointly.

It’s important for co-parents to keep each other informed about the child’s medical and healthcare situations. Here are examples of what should be shared:

• The child’s medical history, including any relevant, recent or anticipated changes

• Contact information of doctors and medical care providers

• Contact information and details for scheduled appointments and office visits

• Changes in the child’s health status

• Medications the child is currently taking

• Changes in prescriptions, dosages or directions

• Healthcare provider suggestions regarding interventions, immunizations or procedures

• All emergency contacts and instructions

Co-parents can more easily navigate the intricacies of medical decision-making by communicating effectively. Clear and concise communication will avoid misunderstandings, future disputes, and keep co-parents in sync.

STRATEGIES TO RESOLVE DISAGREEMENTS

• Coordinate time to review the child’s health and medical care.

• Determine the most effective communication method for your relationship, and use that (text messaging, shared calendars, co-parenting apps or email).

• Open communication: Keep the lines of communication open Maintain a shared understanding of medical conditions and needs.

• Consider a mediator: Struggling to find a compromise? Consider a mediator to facilitate discussions and help find an agreeable solution.

Keeping each other informed and communicating effectively will help avoid destructive disputes. Above all, it ensures the child receives the best possible health care and medical treatments.

OCHR is a 501c3 nonprofit that helps parents achieve successful custody outcomes and develop sustainable co-parenting strategies, at no cost to the family.

We’re on a mission… A mission to protect the rights of children to have access to both accountable parents by providing education, resources, and support services for successful co-parenting.

Why? Because Our Children Have Rights.

Contact Jake at JakeHornstein@OurChildrenHaveRights.com or learn more online at www.OCHR.Org

To donate: www.ourchildrenhaverights.org/donate

REAL ESTATE

Dreaming About Your ‘Safety Nest’ “Whoever Has The Most Information and The Most Patience Will Ultimately Win.”

– Dr. Ruhm

The main value of a real estate agent is their ability to gather and disseminate local real estate knowledge. Fires, winds, waves, heat, cold, snow, mud slides, hurricanes, floods and earthquakes are getting worse. My wife and I currently own an elevated, hurricane-damaged, gulf front town home in Madeira Beach. Having served as broker/ owner of numerous businesses throughout Florida for over 50 years, I have learned the most critical part of home ownership is safe construction.

I prefer to be remembered by future generations as one of the guys who made it possible to continue living at the beach. After Ian, a category 4 hurricane, missed us and devastated Ft. Myers Beach, real estate prices decreased there for 17 months. Since our recent life-changing hurricanes, barrier island real estate prices are likewise depressed. It may sound strange, coming from a real estate broker, but my advice is “Do not sell now, if you can afford to wait.” There are a number of alternative strategies for recovery that you should consider before you decide to give up your coastal lifestyle.

Most will require months to plan and coordinate, but we never, never, never give up helping improve life through housing. Do nothing without permits, for your protection, as well as local governments, from State and Federal sanctions.

The cover story this issue is about an amazing company that can safely elevate almost any structure from a modest home to a huge hotel. If you are not sure your current damaged home is worth investing six figures in raising a few feet, we have a way you can have a brand-new, elevated home for about the same price. Most of us move out of older structures and downsize as we get older,

anyway. If you move on the coast, make sure that the structure you move into is high enough to park below your living area.

We’re creating three prototype model homes. The first 10 will be built in Madeira Beach, with plans to expand to other Pinellas Barrier Island towns. Join us for weekly seminars to learn more, see our products, and even secure your reservation! Our “little boxes” are more than just homes – they’re safe, affordable, and packed with big ideas! Whether factory-built, prefab, or traditionally constructed, these homes are designed to re-energize the middle class. Think movein-ready, elevated 2- and 3-story homes

that are engineered and built to withstand climate change, perfect for barrier islands and beyond.

Our mission? To empower, educate, and encourage affordable homeownership while helping you build a better life.

Below is the outline for upcoming weekly discussions on safety, construction, financing and design options at 14995 Gulf Blvd, Madeira Beach, CENTURY 21 Beggins Enterprises.

Model 1: The Spacious Family Haven 2016 sq. ft. | 4 bedrooms | 3.5 baths | 3 levels Ground floor: 14’ x 28’ (392 sq. ft.) with stairs, storage, elevator shaft, and parking. 2nd floor: Two 14’ x 44’ boxes connected on-site for 1232 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, move-in ready. 3rd floor: 14’ x 28’ (392 sq. ft.), 1 bedroom, 1 bath, and a rooftop play area we call the Aerial Yard.

Model 2: The Cozy Elevated Retreat 1568 sq. ft. | 3 bedrooms | 2 baths | 2 levels | Hurricane-safe. Elevated design with a 392 sq. ft. ground-level box for storage, elevator shaft, and stairs leading to the living area.

Model 3: The Tiny Home Efficiency 392 sq. ft. | 1 bedroom | 1 bath | Perfect as an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit). Can be placed on the ground or elevated – your choice!

Built to Last: All our homes are supported by patented hurricane-resistant precast concrete (ECOCAST.US) elevated tables, engineered to withstand 200 mph winds. Your new home will be safe, secure, and ready for anything Mother Nature throws its way, whether you choose prefab, modular, site-built, or precast for your new home’s construction.

We’re rolling out floor plans, architectural drawings, pictures, cost breakdowns, and construction timelines for each model. Our team – made up of consultants, real estate

brokers, engineers, surveyors, modular factories, precast concrete suppliers, contractors, investors, and more – are ready to bring these homes to life.

The first prototypes will be built in Madeira Beach, with plans to complete 10 models there before expanding to other Pinellas Barrier Island areas. Join us for weekly seminars at 14995 Gulf Blvd, Madeira Beach, where you can tour the models, learn about permits, financing options, timelines, and partnership opportunities.

Why Choose “Safety Nests”?

Elevated, safe, strong, affordable, lifestyle-enhancing, financeable and built ith you in mind Let’s Make It Happen! For more information, reach out to me, Jim Beggins, (aka MFWIC Most Friendly Wizard in Charge). We can’t wait to help you build your perfect Safety Nest! 727-254-8144 | jimbeggins@c21be.com

DINING

Do you have a furry friend? You’re in luck! St. Pete was ranked the seventh most pet-friendly city in America in 2024 by WalletHub and our many restaurants that welcome pups on their patios are one of the reasons why we earned this pawsome distinction. Here are a few of our favorite restaurants that invite leashed dogs (most even provide water bowls). And don’t forget to check out The Dog Bar and Mutts and Martinis, which are woofderful places for pets and their people to socialize – Mutts and Martinis even has a dog pool! These bars have limited menus, but there are often food trucks parked nearby.

THREE BIRDS TAVERN

Robin and Jack King moved to St. Petersburg from Ohio and opened Three Birds Tavern in 2009. When Robin was asked about the inspiration for the establishment’s name, she said: “from the Bob Marley song, Three Little Birds. A sentimental song for me, with regard to my mother, who I lost in 2004, and the vibe we want to create here… Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing gonna be alright’. Our goal is to enhance your best days, and comfort your worse.” The restaurant is located in a century-old farmhouse, embodying the spirit of old Florida, and has a charming and relaxed feel with a wraparound porch and a delightful patio shaded by

trees – perfect for your pooch! Three Birds operates as a scratch kitchen, preparing classic comfort food, sometimes with a modern twist. On the menu they have terrific wings, several tasty salads with different protein choices (my go-to is the spinach salad with salmon), a nice variety of burgers, and an excellent Shepherd’s Pie and beer battered cod Fish and Chips. For dessert, they feature a bread pudding of the day. Happy Hour is Monday-Thursday from 3-6pm. So, in dog parlance, treat yourself to an outing at Three Birds! 1492 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg Sun.-Thurs. 11am-10pm | Fri.-Sat. 11am-11pm www.threebirdstavern.com

FRESCO’S WATERFRONT BISTRO

Fresco’s is a popular waterfront restaurant with a fantastic view of the municipal marina, located at the foot of the St. Pete Pier. Winner of the Open Table Diners’ Choice award in 2024, Fresco’s has earned its reputation. From its inviting casual atmosphere to the top-notch service and mouthwatering menu, one visit to Fresco’s and you will become a fan. There is a large pup-friendly patio which is partially covered; the other outdoor tables are shaded by umbrellas. Menu highlights include: lemon pepper calamari, mango habanero ceviche,

the yellowfin tuna salad, Baja fish tacos (grouper are the best), blackened scallops and one of the best carbonaras you’ll ever have. Don’t forget to save room for Key lime pie or salted caramel cheesecake. Fresco’s cocktail menu includes a very drinkable housemade sangria. They serve brunch on the weekends and have many delicious options, such as a salmon omelette and lobster benedict. Their various bowls (which are also available at lunch) are yummy as well. Enjoy the views and a great meal with your pooch. At the Pier, 300 Second Ave. NE, St. Petersburg Mon.-Thurs. 11am-10pm; Fri. 11am-11pm | Sat. 9am-11pm Sun. 9am-10pm | www.frescoswaterfront.com

Charlie was a “crabby accountant” who was a bit “salty” in his words. He left the shackles of the desk and found his true calling in opening Coconut Charlie’s Beach Bar and Grill, a coastal dining spot on beautiful St. Pete Beach. They have a menu of delectable dishes and fun cocktails as well as an outdoor dining area that is happy to host furry friends. The bar is beach casual and you can watch an amazing sunset while listening to live music. The Grill, which has a relaxed feel with trendy beach décor, is located inside the Hilton Garden Inn

right as you walk in the lobby. The Grill offers more sophisticated selections than the bar and an assortment of artisan cocktails. The friendly staff will take care of you as you work your way through the menu. The Grill is open for breakfast and dinner and serves brunch on the weekends. The Beach Bar is open from 11:30am until nighttime. Grill standouts are: boom boom shrimp, seafood coconut curry, and the 72-hour short rib. For breakfast/brunch, I highly recommend the Monte Cristo sandwich and the King of the Beach skillet. At the bar, don’t miss the mahi tacos, the fresh catch sandwich and choose from an array of handtossed pizzas. For a pawsitively good time, visit Coconut Charlie’s!

At Hilton Garden Inn, 6100 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach

Grill Breakfast Sat.-Sun. 7am-11am; Dinner Sun.-Thurs. 5pm-9pm (bar open until 10pm) Grill Dinner Fri.-Sat. 5pm-10pm (bar open until 11pm) Beach Bar Sun.-Thurs. 11:30am-9pm (bar open until 10pm)

Fri.-Sat. 11:30am-10pm (bar open until 12am) www.coconutcharliesstpete.com

Dining with your dog can be a barktastic (last pet pun, I promise) way to relax and unwind. Spending quality time with your pet can be a natural stress reliever and can help strengthen the bond between you and your canine companion – and don’t we all need less stress and more love these days?

COCONUT CHARLIE’S BEACH BAR AND GRILL

COOKING CORNER

Mention Paradise News Ad for $5 off your visit* *limit one per customer

Daily specials, sensational seafood, sandwiches & more. Full bar. Enjoy water view, indoor/outdoor dining, and your favorite sports teams on 13 TVs. LIVE MUSIC Wed.-Sat. 6-9:30pm with Rob Tyre. HAPPY HOUR Mon.-Fri. 3:30-6pm

MENU 2001 Pass-A-Grille Way, St. Pete Beach

https://bit.ly/thewharfpag 727-367-9469

PESTO HUMMUS with GREENS

Go for the green and eat clean. Eating a diet rich in greens provides you with an abundance of antioxidants and phytochemicals that can support the immune and reduce the risk of certain illness and disease.

INGREDIENTS...

2 cans chickpeas

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/3-1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 tbsp tahini or unsweetened almond butter

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

1-2 cloves garlic, boiled 1/2 tsp kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS...

Boil your garlic cloves until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Drain, peel and rinse your chickpeas.

Add chickpeas to a food processor or high-powered blender along with the basil leaves, parmesan, tahini, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If the hummus is too thick, add the remaining olive oil and a bit of water to thin it out.

Enjoy with fresh vegetables, crackers or tortilla chips! RECIPE NOTES...

Hummus is an incredible nutrient dense food that can easily be prepared with shelf stable ingredients. Use jarred pesto if fresh basil is not available.

Use bottled lemon juice if fresh lemons are not available. Use jarred garlic or garlic paste if fresh garlic is not available. Adding 1/2 an avocado powers up the nutrients and adds creaminess to the texture.

www.cleaneatsandtreats.com/clean-green-snack-platter-with-pesto-hummus

CAMPING

Silver Bullets and Swamp Gas: Camping in the Real Florida

If there’s one thing Florida does better than theme parks, it’s camping – provided you don’t mind humidity, mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds, and the occasional alligator peeking through your screen door. My wife, Janet, and I figured if we’re going to brave the elements, we might as well go glamping, which is why we chose to buy an Airstream travel trailer. A sleek silver icon of American travel, designed for those who crave adventure and pretend they aren’t roughing it. Janet fondly reminisces about spending childhood summers with her grandparents in their Airstream Excella 34’. When it came time to decide which RV we should get, it wasn’t even a choice. “We’re getting an Airstream,” she said. Now, we own our third one and are looking to upsize – endearingly deemed the Airstream two-foot shuffle.

Glamping, Florida-Style

We first discovered that camping in Florida is less about view and more about strategic air conditioning. You can haul your rolling palace into the Everglades, but unless you enjoy sweating through your Life is Good tank top at 3am, you better pray your generator doesn’t die. Fortunately, as new Airstream owners and members of the Wally Byam International Club, we discovered that they are a different breed – part explorer, part engineer, part crazed iconoclast. They know that a properly maintained Airstream can handle almost anything

from high winds, Alligator Alley sinkholes, to the wrath of an HOA that doesn’t appreciate reflective “vintage” vehicles in the driveway.

Our most daring expedition was to Midway Campground in the Everglades where the only thing shinier than the Airstream was the eyes of the gators reflecting in the moonlight. For those of you who prefer fewer reptiles, there’s always Ft. DeSoto, right here in our backyard where dog beach inside the trailer and a raccoon’s midnight heist on the s’mores were the things. Let’s not forget the holy grail of Florida camping, the Florida Keys, where you can back your camper up to the turquoise water and watch pelicans bomb unsuspecting tourists. This year we fine-tuned the art of snowbirding, missing the Colorado hail and Florida hurricanes.

Airstreams vs. Florida’s Natural Disasters Florida, as any long-time resident will tell you, is actively trying to evict its human occupants. Between hurricanes, sinkholes, and the occasional iguana rainstorm (yes, that’s a thing), setting up camp here requires a sense of humor and a really good insurance policy.

Airstreams, however, are built like airplanes. Their aluminum bodies have been mistaken for UFOs and survived cross-country journeys with only minor dings from road-raging snowbirds.

Even when parked in the path of a storm, an Airstreamer’s biggest concern isn’t wind damage – it’s that their rig might become airborne and land somewhere in Alabama.

The unwritten rules of Florida camping: Respect the Manatees.

If you see a floating potato with a face, don’t be that person who tries to pet it. Manatees are the gentle, slightly confused hippies of Florida’s waters, and they have enough problems without you mistaking them for an inflatable pool toy.

Don’t Feed the Gators.

Yes, it’s funny until one learns to recognize you as the drive-thru happy meal.

Beware of the Snowbird Standoff. In peak season, Florida’s campgrounds resemble a well-mannered turf war between retirees and digital nomads pretending to work remotely. If you see an older gentleman in a Tommy Bahama shirt giving you the stink-eye, you’ve probably taken his favorite spot.

Camping in Florida isn’t just about sleeping under the stars – it’s about embracing the chaos. It’s about finding beauty in the mangroves, laughter in the mishaps, and gratitude in the realization that, despite Florida’s best efforts, you’ve survived another day. And really, isn’t that what camping is all about?

BAY AREA REN FEST

A UNIQUE 16TH CENTURY EXPERIENCE

The Bay Area Renaissance Festival is celebrating its 47th season! Be a part of this long-standing tradition by visiting the festival grounds in Dade City Feb. 15-March 30. Join the villagers of Folkstone as they invite one and all to the magical 16th Century European village featuring 15 stages of exciting entertainment including

musicians, acrobats, magicians, jugglers and jousting.

Over 100 artisans will fill the festival marketplace to display and sell their handcrafted goods for a truly fabulous and endless shopping experience.

Patrons will interact with memorable characters and enjoy full contact live armored jousting, seven theme weekends, and fabulous food fit for royalty!

The festival is dog friendly.

To be eligible to bring your dog to the fest the following terms must be met:

• Bring completed dog registration www.bayarearenfest. com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/25_DogRegistrationForm-Bay-Area.pdf

• Bring proof of rabies vaccination with dates in one of the following forms: proof of shots from veterinarian, tag on pet with date of expiration

• Bring a photo of your dog

Saturday, April 5 is the eggciting adult Easter egg hunt

– Kegs & Eggs! In the eggs are candy, prizes and even cash. Their eggs are all they’re cracked up to be. Local food trucks, entertainment and more will be included in this day of fun. Ages: 21+.

11am-1pm pre-party 1-5pm egg hunt & beer fest

Theme Weekends: Once Upon A Time Feb. 15 & 16

Highland Fling

Feb. 22 & 23

BARKbarian Brew Fest

March 1 & 2

Heroes & Havoc

March 8 & 9

Shamrocks & Shenanigans

March 15 & 16

Viking Invasion

March 22 & 23

Buccaneers & Ballgowns

March 29 & 30

New attractions and entertainment this year include Wicked Wand Workshop, Knight Training Course, Junior Gladiator Challenge, Buccaneers Bay, Tampa Swamp Knights, Madd Hatters Circus Sideshow: A Hilarious, Thrilling Adventure, Tortuga Twins, Nissa the Gnome, Midwife Crisis, and Cap’n Sean & Mirf the Magnificent.

Occurring on weekends Feb. 15-March 30

Tickets and info: www.bayarearenfest.com

10am-6pm (rain or shine)

12838 Auton Rd., Dade City

Saturday, April 5,

Pre-Party: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

Hunt & Beer Fest: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Walk This Way

We first experience the wider world around us by taking our first steps… walking. Sometimes we forget that it’s still a wonderful way to view our surroundings and enrich our lives. Walking is exercise in its simplest form. It is accessible and inexpensive. It does not involve fancy equipment, just a good pair of walking shoes. You don’t need a gym membership or special instruction, though good posture is helpful. Walking fits into any schedule and any location. Most importantly, walking offers a myriad of health benefits for people of all ages and fitness levels.

Cardiovascular Health

Just 30 minutes of brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by improving circulation and lowering blood pressure. It can even help strengthen heart muscles.

Weight Management

Walking regularly at a brisk pace helps to maintain a healthy weight by burning calories, boosting metabolism, and regulating blood sugar levels.

Mental Health

Walking is a form of moving meditation, reducing stress, anxiety, and depression by releasing the “feel good” endorphins.

Joint and Muscle Health

By engaging major muscle groups in the legs and core, walking strengthens the body without stressing joints. And it encourages the circulation of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joints.

Bone Health

As a weight-bearing activity, walking stimulates bone formation, which can reduce the risk of fractures and prevent osteoporosis as you age.

Immune Function

Walking increases blood flow, circulating immune cells throughout the body to fight infection, and if done outdoors in the sunshine, boosts vitamin D levels too.

Sleep Quality

Walking regularly can promote deeper, more restful sleep by helping to regulate your circadian rhythm, the sleep-wake cycle.

Brain Function

The increased blood flow to the brain when walking improves memory, focus, and overall cognitive function. It can also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Walking is a great way to clear your head, enhancing creativity and problem-solving.

Social Connection

Walking with a friend, family member, or colleague provides positive social interaction by encouraging meaningful conversation and personal connection, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The Pier Trails | Photo courtesy City of St. Pete

Spring in South Pinellas is the perfect time to enjoy our fantastic walking trails.

The Weedon Island Preserve Trail is a 4.5-mile loop of boardwalks and natural paths that feature beautiful surroundings and abundant wildlife. Also, part of Weedon Island Preserve is the 1.9-mile Boy Scout Lake Loop trail with a well-maintained dirt path, and the 1.6-mile Upland Trail and Bay Boardwalk loop, which is paved.

In the Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is the 3.2-mile Main and Lakeside Trail Loop along the shores of Lake Maggiore featuring plenty of wildlife and great views of St Pete. Please note that these nature preserve trails do not allow dogs if you are planning to bring your pooch on a walk.

The 1.1-mile walk on the St Pete Pier offers a prime spot for sunrise or sunset walks. The 3.9-mile Vinoy Park trail is paved and includes beautiful views of Tampa Bay.

The Fort De Soto Park nature trail is a 1.4-mile loop featuring incredible scenery and plenty of wildlife. If you want to “blaze your own trail,” find a route around your neighborhood that is safe, or plan a walk to your favorite restaurant or coffee shop.

If you prefer to walk solo, you can add some interest to your walk by listening to music, an audiobook, or a podcast. There are over 4 million podcasts available with subject matter ranging from health and science to crafting, cooking, politics, and the paranormal. In other words, there is something for everyone! Most podcasts last 20-40 minutes, so they’re a perfect length for shorter walks. You can also take photos along your route as you encounter nature, wildlife, landmarks, and objects.

If you want to help keep our community clean, try “Plalking,” or picking up litter while walking. My husband “plalks” every day and has now picked up over 40,000 pieces of trash. It really adds up over time! Trash along the waterfront and in our waterways is especially harmful to wildlife, so plalking is a great way to protect them. Why not start a plalking group and enjoy the company of others while helping our community?

For a more intense workout, you can incorporate squats and lunges into your walks or perhaps pause halfway to add some planks and push-ups. Along the Vinoy Park trail near the tennis courts there is outdoor exercise equipment where you can stop for some strength training before continuing your walk. Walking is an excellent way to warm-up and cool down before and after other exercise.

From boosting cardiovascular health and supporting weight management to improving mental health and enhancing brain function, walking is a simple and fun way to stay healthy. Whether you walk alone for solitude or with others for social connection, walking is a low-cost, low-impact exercise to boost your overall well-being. You can start with short walks and work your way up to longer walks. Wear comfortable shoes that fit well and support your ankles. Pay attention to your posture by keeping your head and chest up and shoulders down.

Don’t forget to stay hydrated. There are so many beautiful places to walk in South Pinellas, so lace up your shoes and hit the trails!

Ft. De Soto Park

MUSIC SCENE: JAZZ

From jazz jams and festivals to clubs and concerts, you can enjoy jazz artists in all genres – Latin, classic, big band, N’awlins, bebop and smooth. Seasonally, jazz enthusiasts groove at Clearwater Jazz Festival (October), Suncoast Jazz Festival (November), the Listening Room Festival (February) and St. Petersburg Jazz Festival (spring). Venues are large and small, from The Palladium in downtown St. Petersburg to Ruth Eckerd Hall and Capitol Theater in Clearwater, where Diana Krall and Chris Botti regularly tour, including The Baycare Sound in Coachman Park who hosted Dave Koz.

On occasion, The James Museum, Imagine Museum and Central Park Performing Arts Center showcase jazz musicians such as Hot Tonic. Check their social and sign up for their newsletters. Tune in below for some of our favorites!

The Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association Their Monday Night Jazz Jam with host Dwayne White at The Hangar from 7-9pm is legendary. ADTPJA President Alvinette Downing’s podcast Sounds of Healing interviews Fred Johnson, an international star and other jazz greats, and a Youth Jazz Jam is the last Saturday 1-3pm monthly at the Pinellas Community Church. Coming up is Scotty Wright, jazz voice, who returns 4/13 to The Palladium with a varied program of timeless standards, classic jazz compositions, and Scotty’s original songs. www.aldowningjazz.com

TomKats Jazz Orchestra After years at St. Pete Beach’s Blue Parrot, you can now find them at CJ’s Backstage in Tyrone, starting at 7pm. The Tomkats Jazz Orchestra is a 17-piece big band with some of Tampa Bay’s best jazz musicians playing swing standards, bebop, blues, and fusion. Follow them on FB to see the weekly line-up. www.facebook.com/ TomkatsJazzOrchestra

The Palladium Recently, The Crew performed the Great American Songbook here, and there’s more jazz in the works at the intimate Side Door Cabaret. Don’t miss 3/29 Ken Peplowski & Ted Rosenthal Duo and the St. Pete Jazz Festival 3/31 Tal Cohen Trio; 4/1 Alexis Cole & Helios Jazz Orchestra and 4/2 Uri Gurvich-Rodolfo Zuniga. www.mypalladium.org

Restos & Bars Flûte & Dram is Beach Drive’s favorite champagne, caviar, and whiskey bar and boasts live music daily both happy hour and evening. If you can catch The Jazz Librarians at Left Bank Bistro, oh happy day! If there was a multiverse, trumpeter James Suggs and vocalist/band leader Bryan Hughes (The Crew) would be everywhere, all at once. You can find James on most Sundays at Public Studio House @3pm, then with The Crew at Floridian Social 6-10pm most Sundays. On the last Thursdays of the month, they play Horse & Jockey 7:30pm and James plays Sola Bistro & Wine Bar on occasional Wednesdays. Fiona Frensche plays JazzyPopANova at The Deck every other Thursdays as well as Taverna, Branzini, Corey Sunday Market monthly, downtown St. Pete’s Ruby’s Elixir, and Clearwater’s The Nash Keys.

LEGAL CORNER

Understanding Liability for Injuries on Property

I am often asked whether a property or business owner is automatically liable if an injury occurs on his or her property. The short answer, is no. This article addresses the responsibility of a property owner to visitors on the property, and which injuries they may be financially liable for if they occur on the property.

Common examples of injuries that occur on business and private property are falls on slippery surfaces, falls into holes, or trips on loose or uneven floor surfaces. These injuries can occur in a building or on the land outside a structure. The general rule is that a property owner has the responsibility to visitors to make his or her property safe from dangerous conditions, or to warn the visitor of the dangerous condition. The level of an owner’s responsibility depends on the category of visitor.

A property owner has the highest level of responsibility to an “invitee.” An invitee is a guest on the property that is there for the benefit of the property owner. For example, a customer is an invitee if he is there to shop. It does not matter whether the customer purchases anything or is there simply to accompany another person who is

doing the actual shopping. A property owner has the duty to inspect the property and repair any dangerous conditions that are discovered or that could be discovered with reasonable observation.

The next level of guest on property is a “licensee.” A licensee is a person that enters property for his or her own purpose. This can include a social guest or a person who enters for his own convenience. There is a difference in the care owed by the owner based on whether the visitor is invited or not invited. An invited licensee is owed the same duty of care as an invitee. However, if the visitor is not invited onto the property, the property owner has a duty to warn the uninvited licensee of dangers that the licensee may not readily discover, and the owner is aware of. The property owner has duty to not intentionally expose the uninvited licensee to dangers, or with willful or wanton negligence.

The final category of person on property is a trespasser. A trespasser is a person who enters the property without the owner’s permission or authority. A property owner owes the same duty of care to the trespasser as an uninvited licensee discussed above.

The classic example of a claim for injuries under premises liability is the foreign substance on the floor of a grocery store (imagine a liquid or a grape). The liability of

the store owner is not absolute. It becomes a question on how the substance got to be on the floor. Was it another customer or was it a store employee that caused the substance to be on the floor? How long the substance was on the floor is also relevant to the question whether the store, through employees, had the ability to learn of the condition to correct it or to warn others. It is more likely that the owner will be liable if a store employee caused the spill. Likewise, the longer a substance stays on the floor, it is more reasonable for the owner to have discovered and corrected it. It is also important to note that an owner’s warning (imagine the yellow cones) to visitors of the condition is often sufficient to overcome liability.

Questions regarding a property owner’s liability for injuries can be complex depending on the unique circumstances of a case. Contact a personal injury attorney if you have questions regarding injuries that occurred on the property of another.

Steve Walden, Attorney at Law

The Carlson Law Firm 4700 Millenia Blvd., Ste. 500 Orlando, FL 32839 (407) 487-4700

swalden@carlsonattorneys.com

Modern House & Building Movers are Here to Help

I had no idea when I mentioned Modern Movers LLC in my article “An Elevating Conversation” on page 49 of our December 2024 issue that they would become the cover story of our March 2025 edition. Let’s just say the universe brought us together, with some encouragement from our back cover advertiser, Melinda Pletcher of Smith & Associates.

I had heard about a house in the Don Cesar district being elevated, but I had not heard about the beautiful Treasure Island home featured on our cover this month. I imagined elevating a home would be expensive and have a long waiting queue. I was wrong. While the price tag is up there, it is likely the very best investment you’ll make since you bought the house.

I learned that Modern Movers is a fourthgeneration family business with a proud legacy of safe, quality service. They can elevate 3-4,000 homes annually, and their in-house team comprises architectural and engineering experts as well as sales and operations professionals. They do not work with outside contractors or commissioned salespeople.

Jeremy Patterson, the president of Modern Movers, told me that his grandfather, an Iowa pig farmer, had started moving structures in 1952. They have a display in the entry of each of their offices with one of granddad’s original jacks and awards they’ve been given for their work around the country and the world.

They also still have the pig farm in Iowa. “My father raised 500 structures. My mother raised 5,000. We are up over 50,000 since I took over in 1989.

On an average week, we jack between 20 and 30 structures. Jeremy’s daughter Ashley Patterson runs the Florida division of the company. She is relocating to a home in Redington Beach and a building they just bought in Central Pinellas.

“It is a family business,” says Jeremy,“our whole family is involved. We have 350 employees around the country, including in-house architects and engineers. They are all our employees, with an amazing safety record, and they are covered by workman’s comp. If you talk to anyone else about this service, ask how long they have been in Florida. Ask if they use subcontractors. Ask about their liability and workman’s comp insurance.

If someone gets hurt on your property and they are not covered, you could be liable. I do not have a 401K. With 42 family members involved, I am confident this 75-year-old company will be here to pay for my retirement, as long as we keep doing every job right. We have 40 million pilings in the ground, and we have never had a call back, because we know how to do this.

We also have an aluminum elevator made just for us, that we offer at cost ($40,000) as an add-on for homeowners that prefer the option. We want to do what’s best for your family and ours.

Our website talks about helical pile foundation, but we have been in Florida since 1981 and we learned they do not work here.We drive a deep foundation system that goes five times deeper than anybody else’s, using high-pressure jacks that go 80 to 90 feet deep around here. We use 60-120 jacks per house and we are constantly updating our equipment. We have 18 Unified Jacks, million-dollar machines made by JSJS, and we move the biggest buildings in the world every year. We do not have a big backlog because our crews do so much work.”

A lot of folks seem to want to know what it costs. Elevation Only: This package includes a deep foundation system with pile-supported elevation, footings, columns, and structural steel at $110 / sq ft. Their Turnkey Package is the Most Popular. This includes everything in the elevation-only option, plus under-slab plumbing, electrical, block walls, stucco, concrete landings and stairs, metal rails, a ramped driveway, and complete exterior paint. The cost is $140–180 per square foot.  They do not do interior remodels, windows, or garage doors.

Pricing applies to the total square footage of the raised area, with a minimum of 1500 square feet, including attached structures such as garages, lanais, and porches. For example, our home has a 2,000sqft living area with an additional 400sqft attached carport. In our case, they will use the combined 2,400sqft for pricing. They charge only for the ground level, so multi-story homes do not incur extra costs.

Modern Movers wants your home to look better when they’re done with it than when they started. Their reputation depends on everything going right. In Florida, projects require a single permit, which must be filed in Modern Movers name if they’re managing the entire project, or in your name otherwise.

Jeremy says “if you are counting on the government’s help, be wary.

Programs like the new Elevate Florida program are designed to get flood insurance funding back in government coffers. Elevated structures do not get insurance payments from NFIP, but owners agree to pay flood insurance forever and it goes on the deed. When costs get prohibitive, the structure can become worthless.” If you are concerned about the cost involved, think about the flood insurance savings you’ll experience, the peace of mind and the ultimate payback for your investment.

Realtors have advised that elevated homes have always sold at a substantial premium over those threatened by flooding, and the difference is likely to grow after Helene and Milton. Think of it as the best investment you could make in what is likely your biggest asset. Since it is an investment, you should consider using your investment funds, borrowing from your 401K, a rich relative, or refinancing your home. In case none of these opportunities are practical for you, look at what grants and low interest loans may help.

Jeremy said,“On a typical home, say 2,000 square feet, where the estimate is $350,000 to elevate, we take 10% down.

We do the architectural and engineering work and pull the permit. Our next payment is due when the piles are driven,” allowing the owners to get funding off the company’s plans.

Specialized mortgages are offered locally by organizations like Van Dyke Mortgage and Bay First Bank to allow this kind of recovery work. Contact Diana Schwartz at Bay First dianas@bayfirstfinancial.com or Kim Harestad at Van Dyke for details. kharestad@vandykmortgage.com.

The Small Business Administration also has low interest loan programs to help with storm mitigation. www.sba.gov/ funding-programs/disaster-assistance/ physical-damage-loans

If you own a structure, like a home, beach hotel or restaurant that would benefit from being elevated, just imagine it 12 feet up on solid concrete pilings with shaded parking below. If the scope and pricing align with your anticipated budget, please let Modern Movers know so they can arrange a free consultation to discuss your project in further detail.

To schedule a free estimate, contact Modern Movers at 239-994-4409 or visit their website at www.modernmovers. com. Be sure to let them know you read about Modern Movers in Paradise News.

OVERWHELMED WITH TMI?

This Is Where We Draw the Line

Have you ever been infected with TMI?

It’s a new dis-ease permeating the fabric of our collective consciousness and it’s gradually wearing a deep hole in the soul of humankind. TMI overload, known as “Too Much Information,” could be dubbed the “new pandemic” because of its rapid and contagious spread. TMI is transmitted through most television and social media outlets, which have become subliminal vectors that know how to conflate and distort apparent facts with flagrant misinformation. The problem is that it does so in a manner that seduces us into the drama of “ain’t it bad?” The danger is that if too much “ain’t it bad” seeps into our subconscious minds, it distorts our perception of reality, and life becomes all about looking for (and expecting) more “ain’t it bad?”

The good news is there’s an inoculation for TMI, but a word of caution; there are a few side effects that come with taking this form of preventive medicine. The side effects from the inoculation can make certain folks very antsy and irritable. A sudden withdrawal from TMI can include an aberrant blend of loneliness, angst, crankiness, curiosity, and

us we are all in this together. The question is, how can we be more mindful of our oneness without exacerbating the TMI drama?

We can begin by remembering that television and social media weren’t invented to entertain us or even deliver the news; they were created to sell us “stuff.”

depression. The good news is that a deep sense of inner peace usually sets in after the first 24 hours. Albeit painful for some people, the inoculation is readily available. It can be accessed by turning off the television, minimizing our time on social media, and judiciously limiting our relationships with those who want to regurgitate the latest news (gossip) because they think we simply can’t live without it.

The question I am dancing with is, where do we draw the line between being well informed and entertained – and getting sucked into the TMI vortex which, too often, draws us into the gravitational pull of the mindless, negative news cycle? Why is it we find it so difficult to turn off the TV or disconnect from social media more often than we do? Could we be addicted to TMI? Could it be that, at some level, it makes us feel better to know that others may be worse off than ourselves? If so, it may be “schadenfreude” leaking through the hole in our souls. Maintaining a high capacity for compassion and understanding for what others are going through is crucial at this time on our planet because it helps remind

Regardless of if it is products or information they are selling, the goal is to convert viewers and readers into consumers and customers. While TV can be highly addicting when it teams up with social media, it’s especially salacious to the mind seeking stimulation and diversion. Be it television or social media, diversion and division are the name of the game and TMI is the vector. Fortunately, PBS and similar programing are helping to mitigate TMI, but they struggle for funding. Why? Because, sadly, diversion, fear, and division rather than education and inspiration generate more income. Some might say, let’s create more “feel-good social media and news platforms.” Admittedly, it feels good to hear and see good news, so why isn’t there more of it? The media don’t want to overload us with too much feel-good because it’s bad for business; we, as a culture, are addicted to the drama and they know it. The great news is, with mindfulness and conscious choices, TMI is a completely preventable dis-ease.

Perhaps it’s time to consider what we are choosing to allow into our minds.

Dennis Merritt Jones, DD

Copyright © 2025 - DMJ Presentations LLC • www.DennisMerrittJones.com Dennis Merritt Jones’ vision is “Guiding People to Purpose.” He is an award-winning author of seven books, a keynote speaker, and personal mentor/coach who loves living in St. Petersburg. If you would like more information regarding his availability as a speaker, his mentoring programs, and his books, please visit his website at DennisMerrittJones.com

Raising the Bar:

Former trial attorney, now your undisputed real estate advocate

Experience the difference with Kara Brooks, one of the top-producing agents in Pinellas County. Kara blends the analytical and negotiating skills of a seasoned trial lawyer, the marketing and financial acumen of a successful business owner, and the creative energy of an acclaimed James Beard-nominated chef into her work as a global real estate advisor at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

ECO

THE SEABIRD SAVIORS

Watching seabirds is an endless source of relaxing entertainment, one of the great amenities of the coast. The best place to view many species in one stop is Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, 18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores. They are the go-to folks for injured seabirds. Their ambassadors help capture injured birds and transport them to the sanctuary. Reviews for Seaside Seabird Sanctuary are overwhelmingly positive, praising the organization for their dedicated work in rescuing and rehabilitating injured birds, offering a great opportunity to see native birds up close, and providing a free and educational experience for visitors of all ages, with many highlighting the knowledgeable volunteers and the beautiful beachside location.

The president’s message in the Pelican Post 2025, the Sanctuary’s newsletter, says in part “In 2024, our Sanctuary admitted over 2,000 injured birds to our hospital, ranging from a tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird to not just one but three Masked Boobies far outside of their normal range. Our most common causes of injury were consistent with previous years with fishing line and hooks remaining the number one cause of injury seen in our patients, accounting for over 40% of our caseload. The Brown Pelican is our most common species admitted with 346 pelicans coming through the hospital doors this year. After countless hours spent caring for our patients, we were honored to release more than 800 birds back into the wild in 2024.

“We made great strides in our efforts to make improvements throughout the Sanctuary, and spreading awareness through numerous educational programs and community events. We also began expanding our conservation efforts with the creation of a mangrove propagation project made possible by grant funding through the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. Mangroves provide critical nesting habitat to many of our local bird species, and they are natural barriers that help reduce the impacts of storm surge to our shoreline areas. Our goal is to plant established mangrove plants into depleted areas along the Gandy Bridge and on Little Bird Key.”

In late September, the Sanctuary was shaken to its core by Hurricane Helene. After significant damage from an historic storm surge, they were forced to send most of their birds off-property while they made repairs and temporarily suspended rescue operations. Only a week later in the midst of the aftermath, Hurricane Milton threatened our area, and they had to prepare for the worst. In spite of all of the chaos and devastation, our community rallied around and helped get them back on their feet. After a series of volunteer clean-up days and financial support, they were able to reopen their doors to injured birds and welcome of their resident’s home.

“We still have much to do to in our recovery journey, but we are beyond grateful to be where we are today thanks to our dedicated supporters, volunteers, and staff. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to your return visits. As we continue our important work of rescue, rehabilitation, and release of Florida’s wild birds, our need to improve our current enclosures and facilities remains one of our biggest challenges. With your support, we can accomplish our goal of providing the best quality of care to both our resident birds and our patients!”

Here are their top fundraising priorities for 2025 and ongoing:

Resident Seabird & Shorebird Enclosure Improvements: $35,000

Raptor Rehabilitation Flight Mews Renovation: $15,000

Resident Raptor Aviary Renovation (Phase 1): $60,000

For more information on sponsoring any of these projects, contact Melissa at melissa@seasideseabirdsanctuary.org! Visit them at www.seasideseabirdsanctuary.org for more info and easy links to ways to help or to donate.

1304 Pasadena Ave. S #3 - 2BR/BA villa with den & garage. 13,000 lbs. boat slip. Waterfront community. Pet friendly. One level. Beautiful, move-in ready. Completely remodeled. Pond view. Jacqi Dockery 727-424-3700, Judy Bader 727-698-3831

GULFPORT MATTERS

MARKETS & COMMUNITY TRADITIONS

The Tuesday Market continues to thrive, welcoming visitors every Tuesday from 9am-3pm. It’s a perfect opportunity to stroll through town, browse local vendors, pick up fresh produce, and enjoy Gulfport’s unique eateries.

The Gulfport Night Market has returned in a big way!

The former Art Walk and Indie Faire have been rebranded, bringing lively crowds, open businesses, abundant vendors, and music throughout the streets. Catch it on the first Friday and third Saturday of each month from 5-9pm along Beach Boulevard (2800-3200). More details at www.VisitGulfportFlorida.com or on Facebook at Visit Gulfport Florida

The 49th Street Makers & Growers Market happens on the first Sunday of each month at Red Feathers Studio, 1301 49th St. S, from 10am-2pm. Expect a vibrant mix of local food, drinks, plants, herbal medicines, handmade goods, and live music.

SPOTLIGHT ON GULFPORT BUSINESSES

Changes in the Business Community

Gulfport Yoga and The Golden Dinosaur have closed, with Gulfport Yoga citing roofing issues. We hope they find a new location soon. Meanwhile, Neptune’s and other businesses are still waiting on permits.

Exciting News!

Low Tide Kava Bar celebrated its 11th anniversary on Feb. 15 – congratulations!

A new “gathering space” is coming to Gulfport Boulevard in March, launched by Erin East and Aimee Kosta, co-founders of The Midtown Business Collective. Stay tuned for more details!

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 1

The Mad Beach Band in Concert – Catherine Hickman Theater, 7pm. Proceeds benefit the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation’s Building Commitment Fund. Tickets: email mpscfoundation@tampabay.rr.com, call 727.893.1244, or visit www.eventbrite.com/e/mad-beach-band-returnsto-gulfport-tickets-1117884756399

20th Annual Pink Flamingo Home Tour – 10am-5pm. Explore a dozen unique Gulfport homes. More info at www.VisitGulfportFlorida.com or Visit Gulfport Florida on Facebook.

March 2

Musical Mermaids – A celebration of Women’s History Month and a warmup for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Live music, spoken word, and more. 12-5pm at the North End Taphouse and Kitchen. Info: 727.290.9682

March 3

Night in Italy – A four-course Italian dinner, cash bar, and live music by Hot Tonic. Benefits the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation. 5-9pm at the Maria Center. Tickets: www.Mytbtickets.com or www.GulfportSeniorCenterFoundation.org

March 4

5th Annual Gulfport Mardi Gras Fundraiser – Hosted by the Enroy Foundation, featuring Gulfport Swamp Opera Costumes encouraged! Email enroy@yahoo.com for details.

March 8

Gulfport Marina Nautical Flea Market – 7am-1pm at 4630 29th Ave. S. Info: 727.893.1071.

Stop Identity Theft Event – Free onsite document shredding and medication drop-off at the Gulfport Senior Center, 9-11am Limit 5 boxes/bags per vehicle. No metal clips/binders; staples are okay.

Gulfport City-Wide Yard Sale, dawn to dusk, permit free, rain date March 9.

Beyond the Beach Cleanup – Monthly event hosted by Keep Pinellas Beautiful & Gulfport Grassroots. 9-11am, meet at Shelter #4, 5730 Shore Blvd. S.

March 11

Larue Nickelson Trio at DRV Gallery – Doors 6pm, show 7- 9pm. Tickets: www.DRVGallery.com

March 16

The Enroy Foundation will present the Celtic music and merriment of the Empty Hats from 5:30-8:30pm. Email enroy@yahoo.com for information.

March 20-30

“If the Shoe Fits” by Gulfport Community Players –A hilarious comedy of love, murder, and footwear at the Catherine Hickman Theater. Tickets: www.GulfportCommunityPlayers.org.

March 20

Open Mic Poetry at the Gulfport Library – 6-7pm (third Thursdays each month).

March 22 (rain date March 23)

Gulfport Art in the Yard – A biannual community art sale transforming Gulfport into an open-air gallery. Follow on Facebook and Instagram: Gulfport Art in the Yard

Fusion 49th District Cleanup – In partnership with Keep Pinellas Beautiful. 9-11am, meet at Trolley Market Square, 4900 Tangerine Ave. S

OPEN MICS & JAMS

Live music happens every weekday in Gulfport!

Mondays – Acoustic in the Round Open Jam, North End Taphouse, 5:30-7:30pm Tuesdays – Open Mic, North End Taphouse, 7-10pm Wednesdays – Tiki Open Mic, The Wine House, 6-9pm Thursdays – Open Mic, Gulfport Brewery, 6-9pm Fridays – Open Mic, Seabreeze Manor, 4-7pm 1st & 7th of each month – Open Mic, The Blueberry Patch 11th of each month – Open Jam, The Blueberry Patch

GULFPORT MUNICIPAL NEWS & ELECTION

Welcome Cosi Jackson! Cosi has been appointed to fill the Ward III seat left vacant by Paul Ray’s resignation.

The city’s long-awaited storm damage presentation received mixed reactions – some found it informative, others left disappointed.

Councilor Thanos’ Town Hall focused on resilience and Gulfport’s future. Residents expressed feeling hope for the discussion.

ELECTION DAY: MARCH 11 – EVERY VOTE COUNTS!

Gulfport historically has low voter turnout, but your vote matters. Meet the candidates, ask questions, and participate in the democratic process.

Missed the Gabber Candidate Forum? Watch it here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7TGgrOCC_o

Vote-by-Mail Reminder: Due to new laws, all vote-by-mail requests expire after each general election. You must re-enroll. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is 5pm on Feb. 27. Ensure you’re still registered at www.VotePinellas.gov

Stay informed! Follow Gulfport Matters on Facebook for more updates!

HANGING AROUND

Today I left the house feeling achy and blah. I’m back feeling calm, energized, and ready to write. The secret?

An hour of Tai Chi.

The St. Pete Beach Rec Center’s Tai Chi class focuses on breath and movement accompanied by soothing spa-treatment music and a view of Boca Ciega Bay. Instructor Gary talks about the health benefits of the practice while he and his assistants demonstrate the movements. He frequently reminds students to BREATHE. It’s fun and healthful, but it’s not my Tai Chi family.

My Tai Chi practice began not long after I moved to Gulfport. Balance issues brought me to Tai Chi at the Casino, and the twice-weekly class became my refuge. I fell in love with the slow, graceful Yang-style 24 practice. Like any beginner I felt klutzy, of course. But the teamwork was intoxicating, when the group moves at the same speed and rhythm there’s a magical sense of wholeness and community.

There have been many stops and starts. Covid closed everything. When we finally could reenter the Casino we had to wear masks. Then our beloved instructors, Richard and Sam, left. Another disruption. Volunteers Carol, Lynn, Jan, and Pam took on leadership, bringing our Tai Chi family back together.

Alas, our Historic Casino was a victim of last fall’s storms. There’s always been an outdoor practice at 8am, when I haven’t even had a second cup of coffee. Nope.

I didn’t waste time moping. I experimented with Taoist Tai Chi classes at Allendale United Methodist Church, but Yang-Style 108 was over my head, even with beginner instruction. Today’s St. Pete Beach Yang-Style 12 has been a sweet godsend.

And after months of wondering when the Casino will be brought back to life, our original group is meeting at the Gulfport Neighborhood Center one day a week. We don’t have the comfy wooden dance floor, but we have each other and our practice.

ART NEWS

Another month of wonder

Creative Pinellas is thrilled to extend Source of All Hair, Wearer of All Socks by artist Sam Modder through 4/19. This powerful exhibition, inspired by a Black woman’s fairytale, featuring mural-sized ballpoint pen drawings, invites viewers into immersive worlds where Black female figures command space with strength and resilience. On view at The Gallery at Creative Pinellas. https://bit.ly/ creative-pinellas-source

Got a creative teen? The Young Creators’ Alliance is an arts workforce development program designed by the Arts Conservatory for Teens to help high schoolers pursue a career in the arts and entertainment industry. Through mentorship, training, and the opportunity to work in professional settings, teens learn the performance and business skills to succeed. Weekly meetings: St. Pete Chapter Weds. 6-8pm, Hillsborough Thurs. 6-8pm. https://bit.ly/youngstpetecreators

Hear her roar during As She Speaks Open Mic Presents: Hear Her Voice National Slam Volume 4 Expect an evening of powerful poetry and spoken word performances by talented women across the US. Make sure to wear your 90’s Throw Back Wear for all 90’s Throw Back music. 3/8, 6-9pm at Shuffl, 2612 N. Tampa St. in Tampa. https://bit.ly/hearhervoice

Speaking about books Shelly Steck Reale is March Featured Artist at Gulfport’s Brenda McMahon Gallery. Her ceramic exhibition, And Still I Rise, explores

the voices silenced by Florida’s banned books. Opening 3/7 6-9pm, artist talk 3/20. www.brendamcmahongallery.com

Watch out for strong women St. Pete author L.L. Kirchner is celebrating the release of her second novel, Vegas Girls, a sequel to 2024’s Florida Girls. Kirchner explains that there’s another Thelma book coming this summer – the third in a series she calls The Queenpin Chronicles.

The words must go on Jill Rice’s boutique, Zaiya, was washed away by last fall’s hurricanes. But the Gulfport author of two romancesuspense novels isn’t letting that get her down. Her first LGTBQ+ novel, The Marry Widows Club, will be published by WildBlue Press in April. www.jillricewrites.com

“Over time, artists have drawn inspiration from spring season, embodying symbols of renewal, youth, beauty, and love in their creations.”

Don’t save the date yet Gulfport Arts & Heritage’s The Most Spectacular Florida Woman (That You’ve Never Heard Of) was rained out (literally) last fall. So Cathy Salustri will speak about Emateloye Estenletkvte, known to many as Polly Parker, and how this Florida Woman’s daring escape and quest to reclaim her home led the Seminole Tribe of Florida as we know it today. Coming soon to the Gulfport Public Library.

Timing is everything Just in time for spring The Florida Orchestra presents Vivaldi’s Four Seasons The Masterworks concert will include a surprise inside – a short mystery piece chosen by Conductor Michael Francis. Centro Asturiano in Tampa 4/4 8pm, 4/5 8pm at the Mahaffey in St. Pete. www.floridaorchestra.org/ event/2425-mw11-vivaldi

Defy gravity when The Florida Orchestra collaborates with Cynthia Erivo. The Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning actor, singer, author and producer is, of course, the Academy Award-nominated star of Wicked. 5/2 at the Mahaffey, 5/3 at Ruth Eckerd Hall. https://bit.ly/tfo-erivo

Fake news Dozens of forged Picassos, Rembrandts, and other artists were seized from a workshop in Rome. Police suspect an art restorer is behind the fakes, which were sold online complete with bogus certificates of authenticity.

Boot, scoot, and boogie at Habitat’s Nashville Nights Gala Live entertainment, vittles and libations, and stories of hope through homeownership with fellow Habitat supporters. Boots and bolo ties welcome. 4/4 at The Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, 6pm VIP, 7pm general admission, 9pm Rodeo Disco After Party.

https://bit.ly/habitatgala2025

Social justice tour Join the St. Pete Museum of History and Star Trolley for a two-hour tour that explores the events and venues of the Civil Rights Movement in the Sunshine City, from South Mole Beach and Spa Pool to lunch counter sit-ins and an act of civil disobedience at City Hall. 3/22 and the third or fourth Sat. of every month, 9-11am.

https://bit.ly/spmoh-322-trolley

Yo MoM-a The Museum of Motherhood’s (MoM) 20th Annual Academic & Arts MoM Conference features guest artist and keynote speaker Dyana Gravina. This year’s theme is Fun, Sex & Crying Out Loud. 3/14-16 at USF in St. Pete and online.

https://bit.ly/momconference2025

Creative Pinellas has awarded $20,000 in 2024-25 Hurricane Relief Grants to 20 artists and 10 nonprofit arts organizations. Individuals who received $500 include writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, photographers, and mixed-media artists. Nonprofits ranging from American Stage Theater and Girls Rock St. Pete to the Blueberry Patch and St. Petersburg Opera received $1,000.

https://bit.ly/hurricane-relief-grants

ALLURE/ing, St. Pete artist Cecelia Luenza’s blue spiral sculpture will be installed in front of Art House, the artsy condo tower under construction in downtown St. Pete.

The iBOM(B)S Creative Pinellas and Woodson African American Museum present iMAGiNE NATiON, a new exhibition by local artist iBOMS. Through graphite, spray paint, resin casting, digital design, and natural elements, Jabari Jahi Babatu Reed-Diop (better known as iBOMS) challenges our understanding of creativity. The Gallery at Creative Pinellas through 5/10. https://bit.ly/iboms-imagine

Wine, wine, wine Join the Dalí Museum for its 12th annual Los Vinos de Dalí, an evening of art, flavor, and philanthropy. Enjoy wines paired with bites from local restaurants surrounded by live music, surreal entertainment, and the iconic masterpieces of Salvador Dalí. Proceeds benefit the Museum’s non-profit mission to offer cultural experiences that

educate, inspire, and enrich our community and beyond. 4/26, 7-10pm. https://bit. ly/vinos2025

Voting matters

USA Today’s list of nominations for the top 10 US arts districts includes our own Warehouse Arts District. It’s too late to vote, so watch for results. But there’s still time to express your opinion on USA Today’s 10 Best Botanical Gardens. Sunken Gardens and Selby Botanical Gardens are two of your choices, so start voting! Polls close 3/10. https://bit.ly/10-best-arts-districts

Form & function The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete presents Kimono: The Triumph of Japanese Dress. The exhibition is not only visually stunning, it provides a rare opportunity to experience a wide range of these extraordinary pieces of clothing and an ever-evolving art form. 3/8-6/8.

https://bit.ly/mfa-kimono

Blue moon K-POP girl group ARTMS brings their Lunar Theory tour to the Mahaffey on 4/8, 7:30pm.

https://bit.ly/mahaffey-artms

ARTISTS SPOTLIGHT

Two upcoming “must-see” events in Sarasota: Jazz Festival and Women’s Film Festival

“Barbara King’s dusky, Sarah Vaughan-like qualities, mark her as a talent to watch” – Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Sun-Times

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Barbara King knew from an early age that she had great vocal cords. She grew up singing in church and school choirs and participating in high school musicals on the stage. When she attended Vassar College, she joined the choir, touring around the country to sing.

After graduation, she headed back home to New York City to teach special education, then enrolled in Brooklyn Music School to study voice. She met up with a number of musicians in New York, which led to tours and jazz festivals in Greece, Japan, Lithuania, Estonia, Dubai and Italy, and she says, “at that point wanted to pursue a full career in music.”

For the next 25 years she would work as a soloist in the tri-state area, working at top venues such as The Lenox Lounge, The Iridium, the Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil, Birdland, Mintons Playhouse and others. Her debut CD, entitled “Perfect Timing,” received a top rating in Downbeat Magazine. In addition, for two years, she and her husband, Julian Phillips, were co-owners of ‘The Sound Bite’ – a news themed jazz and blues restaurant located in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC. As musical director, she hired many well-known musicians to perform there.

Barbara and Julian had been visiting Sarasota for years, and fell in love with its scenic beaches, beautiful weather, and cultural vibrancy. They finally decided to sell their Long Island home and relocate six months ago. “It was important to me to be in a city that had music, art and culture so I could pursue my passion for music,” says King, who promptly began networking with local musicians and securing bookings at various venues in Sarasota and surrounding communities.

She will perform as part of the Sarasota Jazz Festival’s Jazz Trolley Crawl on March 18th at the Art Ovation Hotel, from 5:30-9:30pm. Please see more about the Jazz Festival online: www.sarasotajazzfestival.com (Jazz Festival runs March 17-22)

Buy tickets to Art Ovation Hotel and Barbara King’s performance: www.eventbrite.com/e/downtown-jazztrolley-pub-crawl-tickets-1094726389099? aff=oddtdtcreator

Read more about Barbara King: www.barbarakingjazz.com

To hear Barbara sing: www.facebook.com/wordpower/ videos/1270413814069164/?mibextid= rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

“Culture War” documentary at “Reel Equals” Women’s International Film Festival...Celi Mitidieri and Milena Montero, filmmakers

Sarasota is hosting the 26th annual “Through Women’s Eyes” International Film Festival March 6-11 in Sarasota. Two highly talented, former Ringling College female students will debut their documentary, “Culture War” at the film festival. “Culture War” synopsis: On Jan. 6, 2024, Gov. Ron DeSantis wages a war against “wokeness” and appoints six new members to New College of Florida’s Board of Trustees, marking a shift in leadership at the small, progressive public school and flipping its world upside down for the college’s community. The consequences of the appointment are immediate, with the firing of the now former president, Patricia Okker, the abolishment of the diversity and inclusion office, the end of the gender studies major, the recruitment of student athletes, and the diaspora of dozens of faculty members. This case has gotten national and international attention. Governor DeSantis, at the time in the race to be the Republican representative in the next presidential election, has made himself directly attached to the events happening at this small liberal arts institution. New College’s situation represents the endless opportunities for government control of public educational institutions and the many impacts.

About Celi:

Formerly of Sarasota and a 2024 graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design, Celi now resides in LA, and was born and raised in Brazil. At 23, Celi says she was drawn to producing a documentary as “it has the power to amplify voices and tell stories that might otherwise go unheard. For me, it’s not just about capturing moments – it’s about building trust, forming deep connections and creating films that inspire understanding and action.”

About Milena:

Born in Buenos Aires, Milena now resides in Miami. and works as a freelance director, producer and cinematographer.

“As a filmmaker drawn to stories where art meets activism, the transformation of New College of Florida represented a pivotal moment in American higher education that demanded documentation,” she says.

“As film students at Ringling, New College’s sister school, we had a front-row seat to history unfolding.

The sudden ideological shift of this small liberal arts college became a microcosm of larger, national debates about academic freedom and government influence in education.”

For information about the film festival visit: www.throughwomenseyes.org/ reel-equals-film-festival

Note: The Film Festival is available in-person or streaming.

For tickets to “Culture War” visit: www.twe2025.eventive.org/ schedule/67698ec845ff474aa364263b

www.celimitidieri.com www.milenamontero.com

Film Festival tickets to all films: www.twe2025.eventive.org/welcome

Online at www.paradisenewsfl.com Events are subject to change. Most web links are active when you are online or copy and paste them in your browser.

IN THIS ISSUE:

ART CENTERS/CLASSES

ART – GALLERIES

ARTS – PERFORMING MUSEUMS

MUSIC OPERA FILM

ECO GARDENS FERRIES

LIBRARIES MARKETS

SPIRITUAL ZOOS/AQUARIUMS

CLUBS – SERVICE/SOCIAL CLUBS – ATHLETIC THRIFT SHOPS

VOLUNTEERING

YOGA

ART CENTERS/CLASSES

Beach Art Center 1515 Bay Palm Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach 727-596-4331 beachartcenter.org

Closed until further notice Still offering classes

Heart of Pinellas Decorative Artists

New location: Clearwater Garden Club, 405 Seminole St., Clearwater. Local chapter of National Society of Decorative Painters 727-244-4321 hpdafl.com

Morean Arts Center

719 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-822-7872

moreanartscenter.org

Contemporary art gallery. Art classes year-round. Through 3/8 –Elementary School Exhibition (A-M) Through 3/27 – Skinner +Skinner: Works of Art by Arthur Skinner and Joe Skinner Through 3/27 – Presence Felt: Florida ceramics faculty Through 3/27 – Luster: Student Ceramics from Florida Universities Through 3/27 – Illustrating the News

3/15-4/26 – Elementary School Exhibition (N-W)

Morean Center for Clay

420 22nd St. S, St. Pete 727-821-7162 ext 2311 moreanartscenter.org

Largest pottery in the Southeast 3/8-4/27 – Dakota-Joan Parkinson: trans/clay/body

Morean Glass Studio

714 First Ave. N, St. Pete 727-822-7872

moreanartscenter.org

Daily demonstrations every hour noon to 4pm. Classes available.

Muddy Potter Art & Clay Studio 1140 Main St. #5 Dunedin 813-476-2836

muddypotter.info Classes, open studio

Painting with A Twist

5625 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park paintingwithatwist.com

Pinellas Arts Village

5600-5800 Park Blvd. (north side), Pinellas Park. First Saturday Art Walk 5-9pm: Studios @ 5663, Saint Paint Arts, Bottles Pub, Painting with a Twist, Pinellas Park Art Society, Swartz Gallery

Pinellas Park Art Society

Park Station Building 5851 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park Members’ work shown at Pinellas Park Library and Pinellas Park City Hall 727-360-4406

Meet third Saturday, 11am-noon pinellasparkartsociety.org

Saint Paint Arts

Artist/muralist Derek Donnelly 727-342-2593 saintpaintarts@gmail.com

Studios @ 5663

5663 Park Blvd. Pinellas Park 727-313-2250 studios5663.com

Suntan Art Center

411 19th St. S, St. Pete suntanart.org

Classes, Art Mart every weekend

727-367-3818

Arts

Swartz Art Gallery

5609 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park 727- 421-0553 claytonswartz.com Metal sculpture

The Clay Co-Op

2724 Sixth Ave. S, St. Pete 727-321-2071 claycoopstpete.com

The Hive Community Clay

559 49th St. S, St Pete 727-290-6515 thehivestpete.com

Classes, open studio, pottery, jewelry sales

Treasure Island Art Guild treasureislandartguild.org

Painting workshops weekly No activities until further notice.

Veterans Art Center

6798 Crosswinds Dr. N, St. Pete 813-504-3092 vactb.org Opportunities for military active duty and veterans to develop and showcase arts.

Zen Glass Studio & Gallery

600 27th St. S, St. Pete 727-323-3141 zenglass.com Classes and workshops.

ART GALLERIES

Art at 400 Studios

400 23rd St. S, St. Pete art-at-400.com By appointment, Art Walk

ARTicles/Leslie Curran Gallery 1234 Dr. MLK Jr St. N, St. Pete 727-898-6061

articlesstpete.com

3/8-4/5 – Fragments of Form feat. Erin McIntosh & Machelle Knochenhauer

Artists of Elements

4746 22nd Ave. S, St. Pete 727-420-7438 artistsofelements.com

ArtLofts

Florida CraftArt Gallery (second floor) 10 Fifth St. N, St. Pete 727-504-8788 theartlofts.com Open ArtWalk or by appointment

ARTpool Gallery

2030 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-324-3878 artpoolrules.com

Open Wed.-Sun., noon-5pm

ArtsXchange

515 22nd St. S, St. Pete Open Fri.-Sat., 11am-5pm warehouseartsdistrict.org

Atelier de SoSi

2380 Sixth Ave. S, St. Pete 727-370-4192 atelierdesosi.com

Brenda McMahon Gallery 2901 Beach Blvd. S #104 Gulfport 518-692-7742 brendamcmahongallery.com

Bula Barua

2534 Terminal Drive S, St. Pete 727-900-1063 bulagallery.com Blown glass on canvas

Chihuly Collection

720 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-822-7872 ext 5102 moreanartscenter.org Through 3/8 – Akiko Kotani: Burst

Clyde Butcher Galleries clydebutcher.com/galleries

Venice Gallery & Studio

237 Warfield Ave. S, Venice 3/29 – Meet Clyde and Niki Butcher Big Cypress Gallery 52388 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee

Cobb Gallery

Eckerd College, Library Circle, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete eckerd.edu/visualarts/program Through 3/28 – Winter Term Photography & Video 3/30-4/4 – The 17th Annual Interdisciplinary Arts Show 4/6-18 – The 54th Annual Sophomore Show

Collectors Exchange Gallery

1234 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N, St. Pete articlestpete.com Open Sat. 11am-5pm

Craftsman House

2955 Central Ave., St. Pete craftsmanhousegallery.com Gallery-Café-Pottery Studio

Buddy Baker | Events, Arts & Leisure Coordinator
& Leisure

ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS

Scan the QR code for all event listings to take with you or online at paradisenewsfl.com/march-2025

Sign up to receive upcoming event e-news online at www.ParadiseNewsFL.com Follow us on facebook.com/ParadiseNews.

RECURRING EVENTS

First Fridays • 10am-2pm, Creative Clay Outdoor Art Market, 1846 First Ave. S, St. Petersburg • 5-9pm, First Friday Art Walk, Downtown Gulfport • 6-9pm, Concert in front of Studio Movie Grill, Seminole City Center, 11201 Park Blvd. N, Seminole

Last Friday • 6-9pm, live music at the John’s Pass Bell Tower, John’s Pass Boardwalk and Shopping Village, 12902 Village Blvd., Madeira Beach

1st Saturday • 8am Beach Cleanup, Archibald Park, 15100 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach

2nd Saturday • 8:30am, Beach Cleanup. Municipal Pavilion, 11260 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island, 11185 Gulf Blvd. • 9am-2pm, Market on The Bluffs, 2747 Sunset Blvd., Belleair Bluffs. Farmers Market/craft event on the street in front of Belleair Bluffs City Hall. • The Market Marie,10am-3pm, Coachman Park, 300 Cleveland St., Clearwater • 5-9pm, St. Pete Artwalk. Artists and gallery owners from 40 studios and galleries in five arts districts show off their latest works. Take the trolley, drive or park and walk. stpeteartsalliance.org/artwalk

3rd Saturday • 10am-2pm, Crossroads Market, Crossroads Christian Church, 1645 Seminole Blvd., Largo • 10am-5pm, Creative Pinellas at Pinewood, 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo • 5-9pm, Indie Faire, Beach Blvd., Gulfport. Outdoor, socially distanced event in Gulfport features local art, handmade crafts, jewelry, and pottery to locally sourced botanicals.

4th Saturday • Pinellas Arts Walk 4-8pm, Pinellas Arts Village Walk, 5600-5800 Park Blvd. (north side), Pinellas Park. Pinellas Park Art Society, Donnelly COVE, Complete Sweet Shoppe, Pompei Factory, Studios @5663, Painting with a Twist, Bottles Pub, and Swartz Gallery.

4th Sunday • Lealman Farmers Market 10am-2pm, Lealman Exchange, 5175 45th St. N, St. Petersburg ONGOING

Through 3/16 – Pickleball at The Pier

St. Pete Athletic is bringing America’s favorite new sport to one of St. Petersburg’s most iconic locations. Hours are 10am-7pm Sun-Thurs and 8am-9pm Fri-Sat at the Splash Pad. Play all day for $5; paddle and balls can be rented for another $5.

Through 3/22 – Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training

$14-$51, 1:05pm, Charlotte Sports Park, 2300 El Jobean Road, Port Charlotte. Single game tickets at www.mlb.com/rays/spring-training

Through 3/23 – Toronto Blue Jays Spring Training

$17-$56, 1:07pm, TD Ballpark, 373 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/5kyvxwsr

Creative Clay CulturalArts Center

1846 First Ave. S, St. Pete 727-825-0515 creativeclay.org

Ongoing studio and performing arts opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

3/7-8 – March Art Market/ArtWalk

Creative Pinellas 12211 Walsingham Rd., Largo 727-460-5477

Gallery noon-5pm Wed-Sun creativepinellas.org

Through 5/10 –iBOMS: Imagine Nation 3/15 –

Third Saturdays at Pinewood 4/5 – 13th Congressional District of Florida Exhibition

Crossroads Gallery St. Petersburg College, 2464 Drew St., Clearwater spcollege.edu/friends-partners/ community-resources

Custom House Décor 2901 Beach Blvd., Gulfport 727-317-5936 customhousedecor.com

D Gallerie

1234 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N, Unit C, St. Pete d-gallerie.com

DRV Fine Art Studios & Gallery 5401 Gulfport Blvd. S, Gulfport drvgallery.com

3/7 – First Friday 3/8-22 – New Horizons: An Abstract Journey feat. Amy Howell 3/20 – Larue Nickelson Trio

Duncan McClellan Gallery 2342 Emerson Ave. S, St. Pete 813-760-6600 dmglass.com

Through 4/30 –

Richard Jolley & Sharon Meyer

Through 5/31 – Deanna Clayton

3/8-4/29 – John Brekke Solo Show 3/9 – Sunday Lecture: John Brekke

Dunedin Fine Art Center 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin 727-298-3322 dfac.org

4/5 – Closed for Highland Games

Ekeko Gallery

290 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr St. N, St. Pete 727-685-5577

facebook.com/Ekeko-Gallery

Metaphysical supply store for gemstones, minerals and jewelry

Factory St. Pete

2622 Fairfield Ave. S, St. Pete thefactorystpete.com

Tuesdays: Daddy Kool

Records – Used Day

Second Saturdays: Night Market

Third Thursdays: Jukebox Bingo

Five Deuces Galleria 2101 Third Ave. S, St. Pete

Open by appointment & Art Walk Facebook.com/five22222

Artists + gallery w/ local guest exhibits & events.

Florida CraftArt Gallery

501 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-821-7391 floridacraftart.org

Sat. Mural Walk

Through 3/20 – Members’ Show 3/28-5/17 – Spaces Between

FloridaRAMA

800 28th St. S, St. Pete

Immersive art experience and events venue floridarama.art

3/8 – St. Pete is Super Cool Night Market

3/8 – Artwalk After Dark

3/13 – Craft Club

3/16 – Family Dance Party

3/20 – Jukebox Bingo

3/22 – Siren’s Silent Disco

Gulf Coast Artists Alliance St. Pete ArtWorks, 5546 First Ave. N St. Pete 727-738-8010 gcaa-fl.org

Art gallery, art classes and meeting place for artists

3/8 – Artsy Rummage Sale (fundraiser)

3/15 – Reception:

Master Artist Larry Maynard: “An American Tonalist”

Heiress

2622 Fairfield Ave S, Bldg. 7, Studio A, St. Pete heiressgallery.com

Luis Sottil Studios

400 Beach Drive NE, Suite 150, St. Pete 727-220-1567 facebook.com/luissottilstpete

Mirella Cimato Art Gallery

2145 First Ave. S, St. Pete (inside St. Petersburg Opera) 727-543-9190 facebook.com/MirellaCimatoGallery

Nielsen Center for Visual Arts

Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete 800-454-9009 eckerd.edu/visualarts/program

Red Cloud Indian Arts

214 Beach Dr. NE, St. Pete 727-821-5824 redcloudindianarts.com Representing authentic Native American arts.

Soft Water Gallery

515 22nd St. S, St. Pete 727-327-3473

softwatergallery.com Through 4/6 – Urban Boundaries: Layers of Place and Space –Marianne Chapel

Stirling Art Studios & Gallery

730 Broadway (second floor) Studio 12, Dunedin 800-325-2050 facebook.com/StirlingArtDunedin

Open Thurs-Sun, Second Saturdays

#4 places to visit in Dunedin -Trip Advisor

Syd Entel Galleries/Susan Benjamin Glass

247 Main St., Safety Harbor 727-725-1808 sydentelgalleries.com

The Domingo Studio 2620 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport 727-821-2315 facebook.com/The-Domingo-Studio

The Werk 2210 First Ave. S., St. Pete 727-289-8685 thewerk.gallery

Uniquely Original Art Studio 915 24th St. S, St. Pete 727-239-3696 https://tinyurl.com/mrx4c253 Original Afrocentric art, open by appointment and during Art Walk

Vince Anthony Fine Art Gallery 10611 Bay Pines Blvd. #5, St. Pete 727-401-2886 fineartamerica.com/art/ vince+anthony

Wild Space Gallery

The Factory St. Pete, Bldg. 8 2606 Fairfield Ave. S, St. Pete floridawildlifecorridor.org/ wild-space-gallery

Through 3/8 – Natural Selection:

USF Graphicstudio at Wild Space Gallery

ARTS PERFORMING

Amalie Arena

401 Channelside Drive, Tampa 813-301-2500 amaliearena.com

3/7 – Shane Gillis

3/21-23 – Disney On Ice 4/10 – Carlin Leon

American Stage Raymond James Theatre 163 Third St. N, St. Pete 727-823-7529 americanstage.org

3/26-4/27 – Hair

Asolo Repertory Theatre 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 800-361-8388 asolorep.org Through 3/13 –Anna in the Tropics

3/21-4/19 – Dancing at Lughnasa

4/4-26 – Good Night, Oscar

Bilheimer Capitol Theatre

405 Cleveland St., Clearwater

727-791-7400 rutheckerdhall.com

3/4 – Killer Queen: Tribute to Queen

3/5-6 – Spyro Gyra & Lee Ritenour

3/8 – Roger McGuinn

3/9 – Dervish

3/12 – Tusk: Fleetwood Mac Tribute

3/13 – Jefferson Starship

3/15 – Larry the Cable Guy

3/16 – History That Doesn’t Suck w/ Professor Greg Jackson Live!

3/19 – The Cream of Clapton Band

3/20 – Jon Lovitz

3/21 – The Electric Light Orchestra Experience

3/22 – Andy Grammer Monster Tour

3/23 – The Irish Tenors

3/25 – Cowboy Bebop Live

3/28 – Billy Joel Legends: The Lords of 52nd Street

3/29-30 – Leonid and Friends

4/1 – Rick Wakeman

4/4 – The Simon & Garfunkel Story

4/5 – Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis

4/9 – Shamrock Tenors

4/10 – Micky Dolenz of the Monkees

Bininger Theater for Performing Arts

Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete 727-867-1166 eckerd.edu/theatre

3/6-9 – Firebringer: A New Stone Age Musical

4/12 – Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind

FRESH MARKETS

Check Out Our Fresh Markets If it’s a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Tuesday morning in the Tampa Bay area, there is an open-air market nearby that offers farm fresh produce. Some Sundays there are three within 5 miles. Most have breads and baked goods, specialty food items, either canned, frozen or refrigerated, and 30-80 small businesses with booths designed to offer you items you are less likely to find in stores.

Markets offer a great opportunity to get out for a little exercise, fresh air, and do some critical shopping, all with a single stop. For the businesses, these markets are an opportunity to interact with buyers to see what people like about your products without the risk of an investment in a “permanent” location. Most markets, if not all, are family and pet friendly. There are also local artists offering their art for sale, often at popular prices.

A brief list of these markets is included in every edition of Paradise News, as part of the Arts and Leisure column, which offers an updated directory of local offerings in 20 categories from art centers and classes to Yoga. In this issue the column starts on page 39 and the market list is on page 51.

Gulfport is a marvelous community with a waterfront on the north shore of Boca Ciega Bay, which has become home for many artists, as well as retirees, both year-round and seasonal. Severe storms normally flood the southern half of town, and much of that part of the city is still in recovery mode. The weekly fresh market brings back a sense of normal and is especially helpful for those who may be more than a little transportation challenged after the storms.

Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market

weekly on Tuesdays: 9am-3pm

Location: 3000 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport More info: www.visitgulfportflorida.com/gulfport-fresh-market

The weekly event features a variety of fresh, locally sourced products, including fruits and vegetables, meat and seafood, farm fresh eggs, fresh herbs, baked goods, specialty foods, plants and flowers, health and wellness products/services, handcrafted treasures, and live local music all within walking distance of numerous independently owned shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

Gulfport Night Markets Monthly on first Fridays and third Saturdays: 5-9pm, 3000 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport Gulfport Art Walk, re-launched in February, branded as the Gulfport Night Market. The event features local artists, makers, and small businesses offering handmade art, crafts, clothing, jewelry, pet products, and packaged artisan foods. www.tampabaymarkets.com/gulfport-night-market

49th Street Makers and Growers Market

Monthly on first Sunday: 10am-2pm, 1301 49th St. S, Gulfport Contact for more info: Crea 727-560-0608

Opened for their third season, this bijou open air market focuses on locally grown and prepared food, plants and herbal beverages. Plants include herbs, native exotic and ornamental, pollinator plants and fruit trees.

ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS

Through 3/27 – Skinner + Skinner

Free, 10am-5pm, Mon-Fri, Morean Arts Center, 719 Central Ave., St. Pete. In their first ever joint exhibition, father and son artists Arthur and Joe Skinner present their separate bodies of work. They use traditional methods to create contemporary works of art that pay homage to the overlooked and the ephemeral. Both began their artistic careers as printmakers, but Arthur now focuses on drawing, while Joe has expanded into the experimental use of mixed media.

Through 3/27 – Illustrating the News

Free, Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Morean Arts Center, 719 Central Ave., St. Pete. A retrospective collection of over 30 years of artwork by Joe Tonelli, chief news artist at the St. Petersburg Times under whose artistic direction the paper developed a unique and acclaimed identity in the news and art worlds. His work earned numerous awards and a Pulitzer Prize nomination. This exhibition highlights hundreds of his illustrations. Public reception is 3/8, 5-8pm.

UPCOMING

3/4 – Dunedin Mardi Gras Free, festival begins 3pm Downtown Dunedin (Main Street), parade begins 7pm, Douglas Avenue. Don’t miss this chance to experience Mardi Gras magic in true Dunedin style with live music and performances, food trucks, local vendors, and specialty drinks. And all of it is family-friendly!

3/7, 9, 11 – St. Pete Opera presents A Little Night Music

$15-$130, 3/7: 8pm, 3/9: 2pm, 3/11: 7:30pm; Palladium Theater, 253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Pete. A whirlwind of Intrigue centering on the tangled relationships between a middle-aged lawyer, his very young wife, his former lover and her current paramour. The lush, waltz-inspired score and iconic song “Send in the Clowns’ weaves a complex web of bittersweet passion, jealousy and second chances Sung in English with the words projected above the stage. https://ci.ovationtix.com/36810/production/1197542

3/8 – Underground Book Fair at the Jack Kerouac House

$5 (suggested donation), 1-6pm, 5169 Tenth Ave. N, St. Pete. Meet and shop with local authors, booksellers, vinyl and collectible pop-up shops, artists, and more while hanging out in Jack Kerouac’s St. Petersburg home. Authors will read from and discuss their works, and shops will talk about what they do. Donations go to the Kerouac House, a nonprofit organization.

3/8 – St. Pete CommUNITY Festival

Free admission, 2-9pm, Azalea Park, 7335 13th Ave. N, St. Pete. The festival features a diverse array of activities, entertainment and food for attendees of all age. From live music and performances to a bustling Vendor Village and Kid’s Corner, there’s something for everyone. Meet local artists and engage with community organizations. Hosted by the Council of Neighborhood Associations.

3/8 – Nautical Flea Market

Free admission, 7am-1pm, Gulfport Municipal Marina, 4630 29th Ave. S, Gulfport Find a variety of marine-related items, collectibles, and unique treasures. Whether you’re looking for fishing gear, boating accessories, or just love a good bargain, this is the event for you. For more information, contact the Marina Office at 727-893-1071.

Catherine Hickman Theater 5501 27th Ave. S, Gulfport 727-893-1070 mygulfport.us

3/20-30 – If the Shoe Fits

Central Park Performing Arts Center

105 Central Park Dr., Largo 727-587-6793 largoarts.com

3/1-9 – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

3/12 – Start Me Up: Tribute to the Rollng Stones

3/13 – Solitary Man: A Tribute to Neil Diamond

3/14 – Larry Gatlin

3/15 – Splish Splash: The Music of Bobby Darin

3/16 – Cirque Du Canines

3/17 – Kingston Trio

3/19 – New York Rockabilly Rockets

3/21 – Almost ABBA

3/23 – Damn Strait: A Tribute to George Strait

3/27 – Jay and the Americans

3/29 – Familia de Flamingos

3/29 – Melissa Errico

4/2 – Young Guns

4/3 – An Evening with Branford Marsalis

4/4 – Graham Bonnet w/ The Marco Mendoza Band

4/5 – Evening of Contemporary Jazz

4/10 – For Love or Money: Huey Lewis and Eddie Money Tribute

4/11 – Ricky Nelson Remembered 4/13 –Henhouse Prowlers

Early Bird Dinner Theater

13355 49th St. N, Clearwater 727-446-5898

earlybirddinnertheater.com/site 3/8-4/27 – Sylvia by A.R. Gurney

Eckerd College

International Film Series

Free, 7pm, Miller Auditorium, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete 727-867-1166

eckerd.edu/international-cinema

3/7 – The Seed of the Sacred Fig (France/Iran)

3/28 – Dahomey (France/Senegal/Benin)

4/4 – 2024 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour

4/11 – An Unfinished Film (Singapore/Germany)

Eight O’Clock Theatre

105 Central Park Dr., Largo 727-587-6793

eightoclocktheatre.com

Through 3/8 – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Floridian Social

687 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-322-4600

thefloridiansocial.com

A 21+ venue

3/6 – Motown Thursday

3/8 – Kakasso Show

3/14 – Elvis: In Person

3/15 – U2 & The Police Tribute

3/28 – Emo Social

3/29 – The Floridian Social Cabaret

4/11 – Ultimate Vinyl Presents: Tears for Fears

Francis Wilson Playhouse 302 Seminole St., Clearwater 727-446-1360

franciswilsonplayhouse.org

4/3-13 – The Sunshine Boys

freeFall Theatre Company

6099 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-498-5205 freefalltheatre.com

Through 3/16 – Sondheim’s and Weidman’s Road Show

Green Light Cinema

221 Second Ave. N. St. Pete 508-816-8968 greenlightstpete.com

80-seat art house theater

3/4, 6 – 2025 Oscar Nominated Shorts: Animation

3/5-6 – 2025 Oscar Nominated Shorts: Live Action

3/7-9, 12-13, 20 – The Brutalist 3/8 – Hell on Heels: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

3/14 – 1-800-On-Her-Own

3/15-16, 18-19 – Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story

3/21 – Silents Synced: Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. w/ R. 3/22-23, 26-27 – Eephus

3/22, 25-26 – No Other Land 4/4-6, 8-10 – The Friend

Gulfport Casino

5500 Shore Blvd. S, Gulfport 813-840-3715

mygulfport.us/recreation/casino Weekly dancing/instruction Closed until further notice.

Gulfport Community Players

Back Door Theater

1619 49th St. S, Gulfport

gulfportcommunityplayers.org

3/20-30 – If the Shoe Fits

Jannus Live

200 First Ave. N, St. Pete 727-565-0550 jannuslive.com

Outdoor standing-room-only venue

3/5 – Bright Eyes

3/7 – Kiss America & Human Clay: A Tribute to Creed

3/8 – Ravenscoon

3/14 – Moe

3/15 – Inhaler

3/22 – The Taylor Party

3/26 – Explosions in The Sky

3/27 – Maoli

3/28 – Big Head Todd & The Monsters

3/31-4/1 – Violent Femmes

4/2 – Houndmouth

4/4 – Anberlin

4/5 – Corey Kent

4/6 – Wyatt Flores

4/8 – Denzel Curry

4/10 – Leprous

4/12 – Party101 w/ DJ Matt Bennett

LAB Theater Project

812 E. Henderson Ave., Tampa 813-586-4272

labtheaterproject.com

Produces only works from emerging playwrights. Through 3/10 – Syd, written by Craig Houk, directed by Owen Robertson

3/13-30 – Trust Me, by Paula Fell, directed by Caroline Jett

M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa

(Music Acting Dance Theatre of Tampa) @ The Straz Center, 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa 813-229-7827 madtheatre.com

Manatee Performing Arts Center

502 Third Ave. W, Bradenton 941-748-5875

manateeperformingartscenter.com

Through 3/9 –Death of a Salesman

3/6-23 – The Sound of Music

3/18 – Frank & Me

starring Chris Eisenberg

3/26 – The Renaissance Quartet

MIDFLORIDA Credit

Union – Amphitheatre

Florida State Fairgrounds

4802 US Hwy. 301 N, Tampa 813-740-2446

https://tinyurl.com/52rmv4ex

New Tampa Performing Arts Center

8550 Hunters Village Road, Tampa 813-829-2760

newtampaartscenter.org

3/5 – Whitney James & Scotty Wright w/La Lucha

3/6 – Sarah Brightman Tribute Show

3/7 – Steinway Signature Series: The Roam Duo

3/9 – Mardi Gras Extravaganza w/ Cypress Creek Jazz Band

3/21-22 – Tampa City Ballet presents: Don Quixote

3/28-4/6 – Into The Woods

4/10 – TFO: Soundwaves Chamber

Orchestra Series

4/12 – Kids Film Series: A Dog’s Purpose

Patel Conservatory

1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, Dance / Theater / Music / Adult Classes 813-229-7827

strazcenter.org/patel-conservatory Register now for summer camps and classes

3/15 – On The Edge

Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center

4951 78th Ave. N, Pinellas Park 727-369-5746

pinellas-park.com/161/PerformingArts-Center.com

Tickets: ticketsales.com

3/29 – Rhinestone Cowboys: Legendary Ladies of Country

Raymond James Stadium

4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa 813-350-6500

raymondjamesstadium.com

3/7-9 – NXL Paintball

Tampa Bay Open

3/20-23, 27-30 – Universoul Circus

Riverwalk Tampa thetampariverwalk.com

Latin Thursdays

Second Sundays – 11am-3pm: Market + Art Walk, Armature Works

Ruth Eckerd Hall

1111 N McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater 727-791-7400

rutheckerdhall.com

3/4 – The Temptations & The Four Tops

3/6 – The Book of Mormon

3/7 – Howie Mandel

3/8 – Lewis Black

3/9 – 116 Years of Broadway

3/9 – The Righteous Brothers

3/10 – Il Volo

3/16 – TFO: Beethoven Violin Concerto

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ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS

3/8 – Gulfport’s Permit-Free Citywide Garage Sale

Temporary signage will be permitted where the sale is being held, if it does not interfere/block pedestrian/vehicle traffic views or permanent street signs. Vehicles will be permitted to temporarily park in residential-only or resident decal-required parking the day of the sale if they do not interfere/block rights of way or normal flow of traffic.

3/8-9 – 12th Annual Awakening into the Sun Festival

Free admission, 10am-9pm Saturday, 10am-5pm Sunday, North Straub Park, downtown St. Pete. Co-sponsored by the city of St. Pete, the event features a live performance by Mikel Soulhop AKA Mika Pella, the acoustic stylings of Jenna Denèe, and a Zero Waste Fashion Show produced by Neon Dreams Productions & Media featuring designs by Tailor Sallee. The Treasure Island Drum Circle will play, and a 360 Video Booth will be onsite. There also will be yoga, food vendors, and an indie market with more than 80 vendors.

3/8-9 – St. Pete Fine Art Show by Hot Works

Free admission, 10am-5pm, outside Imagine Museum, 1901 Central Ave., St. Pete. Only original, handmade artwork is permitted. A Youth Art Competition is integrated within the art show. All students in grades 6-12 are invited to participate. More information can be found at www.hotworks.org/kids.

3/8-9 – Back to the Beach: Sand & Kites & Coastal Delights

Free admission, 10am-6pm, Treasure Island Beach, 10400 Gulf Blvd. This festival offers something for everyone: a giant sand sculpture symbolizing Treasure Island’s journey of recovery and renewal, and colorful and creative kites overhead in the sky. Throughout the day, there will be live music, food truck offerings, and unique goods from local vendors.

3/9 – 2025 Spring Pedal Pub with Keep Pinellas Beautiful

$55, 2:30-4:30pm, downtown St. Pete. Experience light exercise, fresh air, and refreshments with friends in an exploration of the city’s sights. This two-hour tour will highlight some of KPB’s partners and provide a fun way to support your local Keep America Beautiful affiliate. Proceeds from the event will help fund cleanup and beautification initiatives across Pinellas County. Ticket includes the Pedal Pub Experience and drinks on the go. https://tinyurl.com/mrynj3m8

3/15 – Paddy Fest St. Pete

$10/kids 13 and under free, 11am-9pm, Williams Park, 330 Second Ave. N, St. Pete. Bag pipes. Traditional dancing. Green beer. Leprechaun wrestling. Need I say more? Whether you’re Irish or just Irish at heart, this event is perfect for anyone looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style. Leashed pets OK. https://tinyurl.com/yc3wsnbv

3/15-16 – 2025 Tour of the Arts

Free admission, 10am-5pm, the Historic Kenwood neighborhood. Come to the eighth annual Tour of the Arts (formerly Artist Studio Tour) and explore the art and culture of St. Pete’s first “suburb.” This selfguided tour is a once-a-year opportunity not only to browse and collect the best local art from the artists themselves, but to chat with them one-on-one. The 29 artists who are opening their homes and studios encompass ceramicists, sculptors, jewelers, photographers, mixed multi-media artists, fine art painters and more. Maps are available online at www.kenwoodartistenclave.org/artist-studio-tour

3/19 – TFO: Beautiful Bohemia

3/20 – Naruto: The Symphonic Experience

3/21 – Get The Led Out: The American Led Zeppelin

3/22 – Live w/ Jake Shane

3/23 – Oldies Spectacular

3/25 – Stomp

3/27 – Mean Girls The Musical

3/28 – An Acoustic Evening w/ Trey Anastasio

3/30 – The Bronx Wanderers

3/30 – TFO: Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet

4/4 – Geoff Tate

4/9 – The Old Crow Medicine Show

4/10 – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

4/12 – Mac McAnally

Safety Harbor Art & Music Center

706 Second St. N, Safety Harbor 727-725-4018

safetyharborart andmusiccenter.com

3/8 – John Moreland

3/9 – Kelli Baker

3/15 – Seth Walker

3/15 – Bywater Call

3/23 – Dan Rodriguez

3/28 – Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley

4/6 – Charlie Mars

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino 5223 Orient Rd., Tampa 813-627-6649

seminolehardrocktampa.com

3/9 – Gladys Knight

3/12 – ZZ Top

3/13 – Gary Clark Jr. 3/16 – Illenium

3/20 – Draco Rosa 3/23 – Rickey Smiley

3/30 – Iliza Shlesinger

4/8 – Chris Tucker

4/13 – Eddie Griffin

Skipper’s Smokehouse 910 Skipper Rd., Tampa 813-971-06683/23 –skipperssmokehouse.com

3/7 – Grateful Nite w/ Uncle John’s Band

3/8 – Fruition + Daniel Rodriguez

3/20 – Steve Poltz

3/21 – Boots N Beats Country EDM

3/22 – Rex Floyd

Sparkman Wharf

615 Channelside Drive, Tampa sparkmanwharf.com

St. Petersburg City Theatre 4025 31st St. S, 727-866-1973 spcitytheatre.org

3/21-22 – A Midslumber Night’s Dream

3/28-4/6 – Sister Act the Musical

Stageworks Theater

1120 E Kennedy Blvd., West Bldg., #151, Tampa 813-374-2416 stageworkstheatre.org

3/6-16 – When the Righteous Triumph

Straz Center for the Performing Arts 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa 813-229-7827 strazcenter.org

3/6-16 – When the Righteous Triumph

3/7-8 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 in Concert

3/7-9 – Don Pasquale by Donizetti (opera)

3/9 – BIPOC Play-Reading Festival

3/10 – Matteo Bocelli

3/12 – HCPS Elementary Arts Festival

3/12-4/6 – The Pillowman

3/13 – The Peking Acrobats

3/14 – TFO: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto feat. Alexi Kenney 3/15 – On The Edge

3/15 – Delamora: On the Wings of Sound

3/16 – Siudy Garrido Bailaora

3/22 – Gay Men’s Chorus of Tampa Bay

3/23 – Blockbuster Broadway

3/26 – Treasure Island

3/27 – Voices of the Community Town Hall: Meet the Media! 3/29 – Taste at the Straz

4/2-20 – Disney’s The Lion King 4/3 – Music Honors Recital

4/4 – Patel Theater Ensemble Showcase

4/11-13 – La Boheme by Puccini (opera) 4/15 – National Geographic: Jess Cramp, untold story of sharks

Studio Grand Central 2260 First Ave. S, St. Pete 727-202-7019 theoffcentral.com

3/6-16 – Morning After Grace

Sunshine City Comedy Club 5501 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach 727-435-0327

sunshinecitycomedyclub.com

Tampa Theatre

711 N Franklin St. Tampa tampatheatre.org

813-274-8286

One of America’s most elaborate movie palaces Films

3/30 – Jesus Christ Superstar w/ special guest Ted Neeley Live

3/14 – Chris Distefano

3/27 – Jeremy Camp

3/28 – MOMSOHARD

4/4 – Fred Armisen

Tarpon Springs Cultural Center

101 S Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs 727-942-5605 tarponarts.org

4/5 – The Sweet Delilah Swim Club

Tarpon Springs

Performing Arts Center

324 Pine St., Tarpon Springs 727-942-5605 tarponarts.org

3/8 – The ELO Experience

3//15 – A Tribute to Barry Manilow

3/23 – The Music of Mancini

3/30 – Long Time Gone: A Tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young 4/3 – Beginnings: A celebration of the music of Chicago

4/13 – A Night of Comedy, featuring Karen Rontowski and Tom Briscoe

The Baycare Sound Coachman Park

301 Drew St., Clearwater 727-791-7400 rutheckerdhall.com

3/8 – Dropkick Murphys

3/15 – Foreigner

3/16 – Diana Ross

3/25 – Little River Band

3/31 – Roger Day

4/11 – Chicago

4/12 – Lane B

4/13 – Air Supply 50th Anniversary Celebration

The Mahaffey Theater

400 First St. S, St. Pete 727-300-2000 themahaffey.com

3/4 – The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

3/7 – The Sleeping Beauty

3/14 – Killers of Kill Tony

3/15 – TFO:

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto

3/28 – The Broken Hearts

3/29 – Back in The Building

3/31 – Bam! Fest

4/2 – The Great Gatsby Ballet

4/5 – TFO:

Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons

4/8 – ARTMS

4/9 – Kids Logic: An Improv Sketch Comedy

4/11 – Anjelah Johnson-Reyes

4/12 – Kathleen Madigan

4/15 – Jack Hartmann and the Hop To It Band

The Palladium

253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Pete 727-822-3590 mypalladium.org

3/7, 9, 11 – St. Pete Opera:

Sondheim’s A Little Night Music

3/15 – Gulf Coast Dance Theater: Cinderella

3/20 – Violins of Hope

3/26 – Palladium Chamber Series: The Calidore Quartet

3/28 – Randall Bramblett Band

3/29 – Ken Peplowski & Ted Rosenthal Duo

3/31 – St. Pete Jazz Festival: Tal Cohen Trio

4/1 – St. Pete Jazz Festival: Alexis Cole & Helios Jazz Orchestra

4/2 – St. Pete Jazz Festival: Uri Gurvich-Rodolfo Zuniga Quartet

4/5 – Buffyfest 2025:

The Florida Bjorkestra

4/6 – Tampa Bay Symphony: 8th Annual International Composition Competition Finals

4/9 – Ariella & Nicolaas

4/10 – Tampa Bay Blues Kickoff Party: Ronnie Baker Brooks & North Mississippi Allstars

4/13 – Scotty Wright

The Studio@620

620 First Ave. S, St. Pete 727-895-6620 thestudioat620.org

Masks recommended in building 3/8 – Sunscreen Film Festival Film Selection Announcement & Festival Launch Party

3/27-29 – With Love

USF Yuengling Center

12499 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa 813-974-3111 yuenglingcenter.com

3/8 – The Driver Era

4/3 – Mercyme

4/9 – Billy Strings

4/12 – The Millenium Tour 2025

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall 777 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 941-953-3368 vanwezel.org

3/4 – Twyla Tharp Dance

3/5 – Golden Groovers

3/5 – Gladys Knight

3/6 – RAIN: A Tribute to The Beatles

3/7 – Sarasota Orchestra: The Planets

3/10 – Town Hall Presents Dr. Moiya McTier

3/11 – Lewis Black

3/12 – Matteo Bocelli

3/13 – ZZ Top

3/14 – Jay Leno w/ Arsenio Hall

Hough Family Foundation Masterworks

Apr 5

Known for his meticulous technique and keen sense of style, Duprey has spent over 30 years mastering the art of hair. With his unwavering commitment to style, Jim Duprey has become a cherished stylist dubbed by his clients as a “hair whisperer” and “the kindest soul.” He has made a name for himself in both the beauty industry and community through his compassion, talent, and dedication to making others beautiful. Jim is looking forward to seeing you soon! Make your appointment today.

ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS

3/13-16 – Reggae Rise Up Music Festival

$65-$95 single day admission, 4-10pm Thurs/noon-10pm Fri-Sun, Vinoy Park, 701 Bayshore Drive, St. Pete. One of the largest reggae festivals in the country, bands including Sting and Shaggy, Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, and Dirty Heads will perform on multiple stages. Check out interactive activities and large-scale art installations; enjoy the food and drink from craft vendors. Bring a blanket or chair to relax on. Shuttles will run roughly every 15 minutes.

Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/ys94u26e

3/14 and 4/11 – SPB Spring Concert Series

Free, 7pm, Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive, St. Pete Beach. Bring your friends, family and chairs and enjoy a night of live entertainment! Food, beer, and wine will be available for purchase. The 3/14 concert will be a Bob Segar tribute; the 4/11 concert will be U2.0, A Tribute to U2.

3/15 – Indian Shores St. Patrick’s Day Festival

Free admission, 11am-4pm, Municipal Center, 19305 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores. Irish music and dancers, food, wine, and, of course, bagpipes and green beer! There’s more: arts and crafts, a book sale, and the Women’s Club charity basket raffle. Free shuttle service to and from Tiki Gardens beach access parking lot.

3/17-23 — Spring Break Bounce Bash

$15 kids under 10/ $10.95 adults, $25 VIP, discounts available online, 10am-4pm, DK Farms, 1750 Lake Ave. SE, Largo. Three bounce houses, hayrides and a new maze. Pedal cart racetrack, outdoor games, goat and cow cuddles, animal feedings, mini golf and more. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/mvev5e96

3/18 – Traditional Japanese Kimono Painting by Scara Abe

$5 members/ $10 non-members, 6-7:30pm, Dali Museum, One Dali Blvd., St. Pete. In conjunction with Dali’s special exhibition, “The Subversive Eye: Surrealist and Experimental Photography from the David Raymond Collection,” enjoy an evening of music and live traditional Japanese painting by Scara Abe from Tokyo. Scara’s performance expresses a sacred experience of creating Kachō Fūgetsu art and the opportunity to purchase her artwork. She writes: “I am an artist dedicated to expressing the profound beauty, soul and ancient mystique of Japan. Through deep connection with the forest, I listen to the voices of nature, offering prayers for the earth and the cosmos while creating art that bridges present experiences with future possibilities.” She has been honored with numerous awards both in Japan and internationally.

3/22 – Gulfport Art in the Yard

Free, 10am-4pm, throughout Gulfport. This community art sale is a bi-annual event occurring in March and November that is open to all artists who reside in Gulfport. All artwork is created by the individual artists. It is a grassroots event sponsored by the city and organized by a few artists for the benefit of the entire arts community.

3/15 – A Celebration of “The Mighty Zep” 3/16 – Itzhak Perlman

3/18-23 – Moulin Rouge! The Musical 3/24 – National Symphony Orchestra

3/31 – Town Hall Presents: H.R. McMaster

4/1 – The Simon & Garfunkel Story

4/2 – Branford Marsalis Quartet

4/4-6 – Grand Treasures

4/8-13 – Les Miserables

4/14 – Town Hall Presents: Dr. Anthony Fauci

West Coast Players 21905 US 19 N, Clearwater 727-437-2363

facebook.com/WCPtheater

3/7-23 – Over the River and Through the Woods

Zubrick Magic Theatre 1211 First Ave N, Suite 101, St. Pete. Thur.-Sat. 7pm; Sun. 2pm 866-ZUBRICK (866-982-7425) zubrickmagic.com

MUSEUMS

Florida Holocaust Museum 55 Fifth St. S, St. Pete 727-820-0100 flholocaustmuseum.org Closed for renovation

Florida Museum of Photographic Arts 1630 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City, Tampa 813-221-2222 fmopa.org Through 3/23 – Barbara Peacock: American Bedroom Through 4/6 – Fandom Celebrating Rock & Roll with Jay Nolan and Davy Alder

Glazer Children’s Museum 110 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa 813-443-3851 glazermuseum.org Created specifically for children 10 and under.

Great Explorations Children’s Museum 1925 Fourth St. N, St. Pete 727-821-8992 greatex.org

First Sun. of month open special hours for special needs families. Families with a SNAP, EBT, or WIC card get in free every Tues. Limited hours.

Gulf Beaches Historical Museum 115 10th Ave., St. Pete Beach 727-552-1610

gulfbeachesmuseum.com Closed until further notice.

Gulfport History Museum

5301 28th Ave. S, Gulfport 727-201-8687

gulfporthistoricalsociety.org

3/15 – Gulfport Walking Tour 3/21 – Maria Vasquez & the Women of the Spanish Main: An Evening w/ Elizabeth Neily

Henry Plant Museum

401 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa 813-254-1891 plantmuseum.com

Live classical music performances every third Thur.

Most Sundays – Upstairs/ Downstairs at the Tampa Bay Hotel 3/23-12/23 – Dressed for Success: Fashioning Manhood at the Tampa Bay Hotel

Heritage Museum 100 Beekman Lane, Tarpon Springs 727-942-5605 tarponarts.org

History and culture of the Greek community 3/18 – Tarpon Talks: First Dive presented by Nicholas Toth

Imagine Museum 1901 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-300-1700 imaginemuseum.com

Contemporary American Studio Glass. Thur. $5 after 5pm 3/15-4/26 – Emerging Voices: A Showcase of Student Talent 3/21 – Sunset Market

John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art 5401 Bay Shore Road., Sarasota 941-359-5700 ringling.org Mon. – Free admission all day Thurs. – Art After 5 Through 4/6 – Catch of the Day: Flying Fish from Modern Japan Through 5/11 – Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan Through 8/3 –Robert Rauschenberg: A Centennial Celebration Through 9/21 – Embodied: Highlights from The Ringling Collection

3/15-7/13 – Conjuring:

The Spirit World

Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art

600 E Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs 727-712-5762 leeparattner.org

Through 4/27 –

X-Ray Vision vs. Invisibility Through 4-27 – Reflections: The Legacy of Frank Rampolla Through 4/27 – Dignity: The Light Within

Museum of the American Arts And Crafts Movement

355 Fourth St. N, St. Pete 727-440-4859 museumaacm.org

Sun. Film Series – 12:30/2pm

Daily Arts and Crafts-inspired films

Museum of Fine Arts

255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Pete 727-894-4368 mfastpete.org

Thur. $10 after 5pm Through 3/16 – Ansel Adams: Photographs from the MFA Collection

Through 3/16 – Live Conservation: Conserving an Altarpiece Sculpture Through 4/13 – Explore the Vaults: New Guinea

3/8-6/8 – Kimono: The Triumph of Japanese Dress

Museum of Motherhood 2606 Fairfield Ave. S, St. Pete, Bldg. 7 877-711-6667 mommuseum.org

Thu-Sat Noon-6pm, Sun Noon-3

Second Saturday Art Walk. Escape Womb Experience (18+)

3/4 – Legacy & Lift: Elevating Women’s Wellness Across Generations

3/14-16 – MoM’s 20th Anniversary Conference in partnership w/ USF

3/18 – The MoM Art Auction

Palm Harbor Museum

2043 Curlew Road, Palm Harbor 727-724-3054 palmharbormuseum.com

Thur.-Sat. 10am-2pm

3/5 – Arthur “Buz” Olds, author of “It’s No Bull: The True Story of the Taming of Northeast Pinellas County”

Safford House Museum 23 Parkin Court, Tarpon Springs 727-942-5805 tarponarts.org

Restored 1883 Victorian home

St. Petersburg Museum of History

335 Second Ave. NE 727-894-1052 spmoh.com Historic boat tours

Sarasota Art Museum 1001 S Tamiami Trail, 941-309-4300 sarasotaartmuseum.org

Through 4/13 – Larry Fink/Martha Posner: Flesh and Bone Through 4/13 – Joe Fig: Contemplating Vermeer

Tampa Bay Automobile Museum 3301 Gateway Centre, Pinellas Park. 727-579-8226 tbauto.org

Sundays: Historian guided tours 3/4 – Mechanic guided tour

Tampa Bay History Center 801 Old Water St., Tampa 813-226-0097 tampabayhistorycenter.org

Walking tours of Tampa neighborhoods Through 4/27 – Mapping the American Sea: A Cartographic History of the Gulf of Mexico 3/1-8/3 – Invisible Immigrants: Spaniards in the U.S.

Tampa Museum of Art 120 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa 813-259-1720 tampamuseum.org Thur. 4-8pm: pay-as-you-will admission. Through 3/23 – Identity in the Ancient World Through 4/13 – 14th Congressional and Next Generation High School Art Competition Through 4/20 – Suchitra Mattai: Bodies and Souls Through 5/18 – Ancient Athens: Birthplace of Democracy Through 6/29 –Purvis Young: Redux Through 7/6 – Under the Spell of the Palm Tree: The Rice Collection of Cuban Art Through 8/10 –Jennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie Through 9/28 –The Art of Coptic Egypt 3/29 – CITY: Fashion+Art+Culture featuring Balmain

Tarpon Springs Railroad Depot Historical Museum 160 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs 727-943-4624 tarponspringsarea historicalsociety.org • FULL Service Salon

• Manicures and Pedicures

• Facials, Peels, Microdermabrasion

• Top of the Line Lash Extensions

• Instant Anti-Aging Treatments

• Non-surgical Lifts & Body Contours

• Air Brush Make-up

• Services for entire Bridal Parties

@maddyspalove

3/23 – Farm to Fillet

ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS

$150 and up, 12:30pm, Mote Aquaculture Research Park, 12300 Fruitville Road, Sarasota. Enjoy lunch under the oaks and exclusive, behind-the-scenes tours of Mote’s rapidly growing research park. Hear directly from Mote scientists about their work to advance sustainable aquaculture technology to feed the world, to restock depleted fish populations, to mitigate red tide, and to restore Florida’s coral reef. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/3epak7we

3/28-30 – John’s Pass Seafood Festival

Free admission, Friday noon-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-6pm, John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk, Madeira Beach. Established in 1980, the festival has evolved to offer a rich blend of local seafood, live music, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and charitable events that support community partners. Today, the festival continues its tradition of focusing on local food, restaurants, vendors, and music, promising an unforgettable celebration of the rich history and vibrant culture of John’s Pass Village and Madeira Beach. www.johnspassseafoodfest.net

4/5 – Dunedin Highland Games and Festival

$20 in advance, $25 at the gate, 12 and under free with paying adult. VIP levels also available; 8am-6:30pm, Highlander Park, 1920 Pinehurst Road, Dunedin. Organizers call this “the best Highland Games in the country,” and the lineup of activities certainly supports that claim: piping, drumming and pipe band competitions with the best individuals and bands in the country...The Florida Open Highland Dance Championship and the Kilted 5K Trial Run…Scottish Heavyweight Athletics and vendors selling Scottish food, crafts, clothes and whatnot. Celtic Conundrum performs throughout the day Parking offsite at Dunedin High School, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, North Dunedin Baptist Church and Garrison Jones Elementary, free shuttle buses to the gate. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/3ukvk62z

4/5 – Third Annual Gulfport Golf Classic

$150, 7am check-in, 8am shotgun start, Bardmoor Golf and Country Club, 8001 Cumberland Road, Seminole. One hundred percent of the proceeds directly support the capital building campaign of the Gulfport Multipurpose Senior Center. Nineteenth Hole celebration at 1pm with food, music, awards and open bar. Registration and sponsorship information at https://tinyurl.com/23vbyrs4

4/5-6 – Mainsail Art Festival

Free admission, Sat. 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm, Vinoy Park, downtown St. Pete. Mainsail Art Festival is ranked one of the Top 14 Fine Art & Design Shows in the country by Sunshine Artist Magazine, America’s premier art show and festival guide. This is a cashless event. www.mainsailart.org

The Dalí Museum One Dali Blvd., St. Pete 727-823-3767 thedali.org Thur. and Fri. reduced admission after 5pm Advanced-purchase timed tickets recommended Through 5/4 –The Subversive Eye: Surrealist and Experimental Photography

The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art 150 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-892-4200 thejamesmuseum.org Tues. $10 all day Through 5/18 –Survey the West: A CrossContinental Reflection (virtual)

USF Contemporary Art Museum Institute for Research in Art 3821 USF Holly Drive, Tampa 813-974-3503 ira.usf.edu

USF Graphicstudio 3702 Spectrum Blvd., Ste 100, Tampa 813-974-3503, free admission graphicstudio.usf.edu/GS/ gs_about.html

Woodson African American Museum of Florida 2240 Ninth Ave. S, St. Pete 727-323-1104 woodsonmuseum.org One City Chorus – Mon. 7pm Through 3/29 –Invisible Labor: Krystle Lemonias and Sharon Norwood Through 5/10 – iBOMS: Imagine Nation

MUSIC

Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association Jazz Jam, Mon., 7-9pm, Hangar Restaurant, 540 First St. SE, St. Pete. Last Saturdays: Youth Jazz Jam, Pinellas Community Church, 5501 31st St. S, St. Pete aldowningjazz.com

New Horizons Band of Gulfport Gulfport Senior Center 5501 27th Ave. S, Gulfport 727-345-0285 newhorizonsbandgulfport.org Novice, intermediate musicians

School of Rock St. Petersburg 2401 Central Ave., 727-871-7625 schoolofrock.com Guitar, drum, singing, keyboard/piano lessons 4/12 – Open Mic Night

South Pasadena Community Band 727-515-5407 southpasadenaband.com All-volunteer band Rehearsals resumed, at Oleander Hall, Five Towns

St. Petersburg College Gibbs Campus Music Center 6605 Fifth Ave. N, 727-341-4360 spcollege.edu/events

Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Society Cove Cay Golf Club 2612 Cove Cay Drive, Clearwater sdjs2022.org

Tampa Bay Symphony Performances in various locations 727-827-8087 tampabaysymphony.org

TomKats Jazz Orchestra CJ’s Backstage 7022 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg 727-202- 8881 tomkatsjazzorchestra.com

OPERA

Opera Tampa at Straz Center, 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa 813-229-7827 strazcenter.org 3/7, 9 – Pasquale 4/11-12 – La Boheme

Sarasota Opera House 61 N Pineapple Ave., 941-328-1300 sarasotaopera.org Through 3/29 – Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci Through 3/29 –The Barber of Seville 3/8-28 – The Marriage of Figaro 3/15-30 – Stiffelio

St. Pete Opera 2145 First Ave. S, 727-823-2040 stpeteopera.org Various performance locations 3/7-11 – A Little Night Music (Palladium)

St. Petersburg Opera Guild stpeteoperaguild.org

The Pinellas Opera League Thur.: Opera at the Dali pinellasoperaleague.com

ECO

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Pete 727-893-7326 stpeteparksrec.org/ boydhillpreserve

Closed Mon.

Environmental education center, Terry Tomalin Campground, Pinellas Pioneer Settlement

3/13 – The Florida Panther: Our Endangered Big Cat. Presented by Christopher Satter, FWC biologist 4/10 – Invasive Plants of Florida presented by Brian Lane, ecologist.

Brooker Creek Preserve

3940 Keystone Rd., Tarpon Springs 727-453-6800 brookercreekpreserve.org Tram Tours Sat.

Fort De Soto Park

3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde 727-552-1862 pinellascounty.org/park Campgrounds, ferry services to Egmont and Shell Keys. Now fully open

Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center

700 Second Ave. NE, at The St. Pete Pier 727-291-4103 tbwdiscoverycenter.org

Daily boat tours of Tampa Bay ecosystem, interactive exhibits, daily talks, guided tours.

Weedon Island Preserve

1800 Weedon Dr. NE, St. Pete 727-453-6500 weedonislandpreserve.org

Guided hikes, birding, and photography tours. Archaeology lectures, classes and webinars.

GARDENS

Florida West Coast Orchid Society

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 10891 102nd Ave. N, Seminole 727-420-7230 fwcos.org 3/15 – Orchid Repotting Clinic at Florida Botanical Gardens

Garden Club of St. Petersburg

500 Sunset Dr. S, 727-381-8920 gardenclubstpetersburg.org

Ikebana International 500 Sunset Drive, St. Pete (Garden Club building) ikebanastpetersburg.com

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 1534 Mound St., Sarasota 941-366-5731 selby.org

Through 8/31 – Patti Smith: A Book of Days (Spanish Point campus) Through 6/29 – George Harrison: A Gardener’s Life

Pinewood Cultural Park 12520 Ulmerton Road, and 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo Heritage Village pinellas.gov/parks/heritage-village Creative Pinellas –creativepinellas.org

Florida Botanical Gardens – Free 100-acre park flbg.org

Third Saturday – Gardens open 7am-5pm; Creative Pinellas open noon-5pm; Heritage Village open 10am-4pm

Sunken Gardens

1825 Fourth St. N, St. Pete Adult and child classes sunkengardens.org

FERRIES

Crossbay Ferry

Connecting Downtown Tampa to Downtown St. Pete Wed.-Sun. through May 727-273-5932 thecrossbayferry.com

Egmont Key Ferry

Fort De Soto Boat Ramp 727-398-6577 hubbardsmarina.com

Shell Key Ferry

Fort De Soto Boat Ramp 727-398-6577

hubbardsmarina.com

See website for overnight camping

Gulf Beaches Public Library

200 Municipal Drive, Madeira Beach 727-391-2828

gulfbeacheslibrary.org Now reopened at regular hours

ARTS & LEISURE

Gulfport Public Library

5501 28th Ave. S, Gulfport 727-893-1074

mygulfport.us/gpl

St. Pete Beach Public Library

365 73rd Ave., St. Pete Beach 727-363-9238

stpetebeach.org/780/Public-Library Mon, Wed: 10am-8pm Tues, Thurs, Friday: 10am-6pm Sat: 10am-2pm Sun: Closed See spblibrary.com for daily events.

President Barack Obama

Main Library

3745 Ninth Ave. N, St. Pete 727-893-7724 splibraries.org Closed for renovation.

SPIRITUAL

Sacred Lands

1700 Park St. N, St. Pete 727-347-0354 sacredlandspreservation.org

Drum circle first Fri.; Sun. tours, meditations, special events

Soothe Our Souls (S.O.S.)

4737 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach 727-360-7411 sootheoursouls.org

Provides complimentary sailing for seriously health-challenged people and their support groups

Spiritual Conditioning Program

153 107th Ave., Treasure Island Pat Jano at 727-324-9222 Small group Bible study

ZOOS/AQUARIUMS

Clearwater Marine Aquarium 249 Windward Passage, Clearwater 727-441-1790 www. cmaquarium.org

Rescue, rehab and release Home of Hope, of Dolphin Tale II 4/5 – Sea Turtle Awareness Day

Florida Aquarium

701 Channelside Drive, Tampa 813-273-4000 flaquarium.org

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota 941-388-4441 mote.org

3/23 – Farm to Fillet

Seaside Seabird Sanctuary

18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores 727-391-6211

seasideseabirdsanctuary.org Free. Donations accepted. Tours.

ZooTampa at Lowry Park 1101 W Sligh Ave., Tampa 813-935-8552 zootampa.org

CLUBS-SERVICE/SOCIAL

Gulfport Lions Club

Second and fourth Tues. 6:30pm Gulfport Lions Clubhouse 4630 Tifton Dr. S, Gulfport 727-709-6694 facebook.com/Gulfport-Lions-Club

Pass-A-Grille Shuffleboard

January through March Tues./Thurs./Sat., 10am–noon

Pass-A-Grille Park, 1000 Pass-a-Grille Way Member $20/yr., open to public.

Preserve The ‘Burg 727-824-7802 preservetheburg.org

Rotary Club of Gulf Beaches

Tues., Noon. Frabotta’s Beach Kitchen, 15031 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach facebook.com/RotaryGulfBeaches

Second Saturday Singers

Second Sat. 9am–noon, Oct-April

Pasadena Community Church, 227 70th St. S, St. Pete bobd@pccumc.org

St. Petersburg Audubon Society 727-753-9731

Regularly scheduled field trips stpeteaudubon.org

St. Petersburg Chess Club

540 Fourth Ave. N, St. Pete

Open every Fri. for members 6-11pm; Sun. 2-4pm group lessons and friendly games. stpetersburgchessclub.com

St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club

559 Mirror Lake Drive N, St. Pete Fri., 7-10pm, Free. stpeteshuffle.com

Suncoast Bonsai Society

Seminole Recreation Center 9100 113th St., Third Sat. 10am suncoastbonsaisociety.org

Suncoast Quilting Circle

Works to preserve and promote the art of quilt making. suncoastquiltingcircle.org

Swiss Club St. Petersburg

Welcomes new members. Inquire via website: SwissClubStPetersburg.com

Tampa Bay Surface Guild

Good Samaritan Church 6085 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park. Second Mon., 6:30-8:30pm Coloring, patterning, structuring and transformation of fabric, fiber, and other materials surfacedesignguild.com

Tampa Bay Women In Tourism Third Fri. various venues. tampabaywomenintourism.com

The Contemporaries

Support group of members of Museum of Fine Arts. Monthly lectures, gatherings and field trips supporting contemporary artists of Tampa Bay. mfastpete.org

Treasure Island

Historical Society

Treasure Island Community Center Garden Room, 154 106th Ave. Sept.-April, Second Mon., 5pm facebook.com/ treasureislandFLhistoricalsociety

Treasure Islettes

Treasure Island Community Center, 154 106th Ave.

Bingo Thursdays 6:30pm treasureislettes.weebly.com Supports charity and college scholarships.

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 78, 299 Boca Ciega Dr., Madeira Beach

Safe Boating Program, Tues. 7pm $70/person wow.uscgaux.info/content. php?unit=070-07-08

CLUBS – ATHLETIC

Clearwater/St. Petersburg Ski Club

Mike’s Pizza & Deli Station, 13560 49th St., Clearwater. Second Tues. 6:30pm, Sept.-May 727-743-3108 snowshark.org

Pinellas County’s only ski club.

Mad Dogs Triathlon Club

Wed. night swims through summer, 6pm, Hurley Park Shelter, Pass-AGrille Beach. stpetemaddogs.org

Tampa Bay Beach Bums Gulfport 727-437-2867 https://tinyurl.com/5n8s8f2k

St. Pete Road Runners Walkers, joggers, non-competitive & competitive runners. facebook.com/StPeteRoadRunners

Wednesday Walkers

Second and fourth Wed. 9am, varying locations. 727-893-1244. Sponsored by Gulfport Senior Center, 5501 27th Ave. S, Gulfport THRIFT SHOPS

Anona Thrift Shoppe 12025 Indian Rocks Road, Largo Mon., Wed.-Sat. 10am-3pm handsofhealinginc.org/thrift-shoppe

Attic Shoppe

316 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach facebook.com/albansministry Temporarily closed

CASA Thrift Shop 1011 First Ave. N, St. Pete casa-stpete.org

Creative Thrift Art Store (at Creative Clay) 1846 First Ave. S, St. Pete creativeclay.org/creative-thrift

HEP Thrift Store 1212 N Betty Lane, Clearwater Facebook.com/hepthriftstore

St. Vincent’s Thrift Store

180 34th St. N, St. Pete https://tinyurl.com/yc4kjb2u

United Women in Faith Thrift Store

6942 First Ave. S, St. Pete Open Wed. & Sat. 9am-1pm pasadenauwfthriftstore.org

ARTS & LEISURE

VOLUNTEERING

AARP

Various volunteer opportunities aarp.org/giving-back

Daystar Life Center

1055 28th St. S., St. Pete Needs volunteers 727-825-0442 facebook.com/DaystarLifeCenter

Empath Health Suncoast Hospice Training provided empathhealth.org

Friends of St. Pete Beach Library 727-363-9238 spblibrary.com/359/Supporters

Friends of Strays

2911 47th Ave. N, St. Pete 727-522-6566

Nonprofit, no-kill shelter friendsofstrays.com/home

Hope Villages of America, Inc. 727-587-7747 rcspinellas.org/Volunteer/

Keep Pinellas Beautiful Conducts frequent cleanup events. kpbcares.org/upcoming-events

Marine Exploration Center Needs volunteers 727-209-7115 mecstpete.org

Meals on Wheels

Needs volunteer drivers throughout Pinellas County. 727-573-9444 neighborly.org

St. Petersburg Arts Alliance 100 Second Ave. N, Suite 150 727-754-6404 stpeteartsalliance.org

St. Pete Free Clinic 863 Third Ave. N thespfc.org

State of Florida Guardian ad

Litem Program

Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of FL, 14250 49th St. N, Suite 4000, Clearwater. guardianadlitem.org

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

263 13th Ave. S., Suite 350, St. Pete 727-893-2765 tbep.org/get-involved/volunteer

Tampa Bay Watch

3000 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde tampabaywatch.org Restoration and educational programs, field trips

Beach Yoga Pinellas Beachyogapinellas.com

Salty Souls Yoga saltysoulsyoga.com

Silver Sneakers Yoga Community Center, St. Pete Beach Fri. 11:15am spbrec.com

South Pasadena Yoga

• Gentle Yoga: Thursdays, 9:30-10:30am

• Yoga Flow: Thursdays, 10:40-11:40am, South Pasadena City Hall, 7047 Sunset Drive S barbmoeller1@gmail.com

Sunken Gardens

1825 Fourth St. N, St. Pete 727-560-7317 Mon. & Wed. 10:30am

Sun Sea Air Yoga & Wellness 2321 49th St. S, Gulfport 727-220-0231 sunseaairyoga.com/ sun-sea-air-yoga Booking ahead recommended.

Sunset Yoga at The St. Pete Pier First Wed. 7-8pm. Free https://tinyurl.com/3m2wbmc6

The Centre of St. Pete Beach 7525 Blind Pass Road, 727-258-2001 thecentreSPB.com/calendar1

Yoga at The Dali Dali Museum, third Sun., 9-10am https://tinyurl.com/bd6e88mz

MARKETS

TUESDAYS

Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market 9am-3pm, Oct. through April 9am-2pm, May through Sept. Beach Blvd. below 28th Ave. S, First Tues. Clothing Swap: Russian Club, 2920 Beach Blvd. S visitgulfportflorida.com

WEDNESDAYS

Madeira Beach Market Nov.-May 10am-3pm 15000 Madeira Way

FRIDAYS

Sunset Market

First and third Fri. nights, 5-10pm, parking lot of Imagine Museum, 1901 Central Ave., St. Pete.

Creative Clay Outdoor Art Market

First Fridays, 10am-2pm 1846 First Ave. S, St. Pete

Treasure Island Friday Market Dec.-April, 9am-2pm Community Center Park islandneighborschamber.org

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

Dunedin Downtown Market 9am-1pm, Pioneer Park, 420 Main St., Fri. market Nov.-May until 2pm; Sat. market year-round.

SATURDAYS

Crossroads Market

Third Saturdays, 10am-2pm, Crossroads Christian Church 1645 Seminole Blvd., Largo

St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market Oct.-May, 9am-2pm

Al Lang Stadium parking lot, 230 First St. SE

June-Sept. 9am-1pm, Williams Park, 350 Second Ave. N saturdaymorningmarket.com

The Market Marie Second Saturdays, 10am-3pm Coachman Park, 300 Cleveland St., Clearwater

Mezzo Market

One Saturday a month Oct.-May, Baum Avenue between Intermezzo Coffee & Green Bench Brewing, St. Pete mezzomarket.co

SUNDAYS

49th Street

Makers/Growers Market First Sunday, 10am-2pm Red Feather Studios, 1301 49th St. S, Gulfport

Corey Avenue Sunday Market 10am-2pm/June-Oct. 9am-1pm Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach coreyave.com

Indian Shores Sunday Market Nov.-April, 9am-1pm Indian Shores Town Hall, 19305 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores facebook.com/ IndianShoresSundayMarket

St. Pete Sunday Market Third Sun. of the month, Noon-6pm Arts Xchange 515 22nd St. S, St. Pete

Sunday Market St. Pete Weekly, 10am-5pm, St. Petersburg High School, 2501 Fifth Ave. N

SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS

Art Mart at Pass-a-Grille Sat. & Sun., 9am-2pm (+ Fridays through April) 900 Gulf Way, St. Pete Beach

YOGA

CLASSIFIED

ACCOUNTING / BOOKKEEPING & TAX SERVICES

David J. Strickler, CPA, PA, djscpa1@aol.com 727.906.9600

ACUPUNCTURE

Ancient Healing Acupuncture & Herbs

Authentic oriental healing arts are still the foremost healing methods in China. 6600 31st. Terrace N., St. Pete. 727.384.4826

ANNUAL HOME RENTAL

Keyrenter property management takes the worry out of being a land lord. KeyrenterStPete.com or call Sam 727.202.2700

BOAT CLUB

Limited Membership Boat Club with Premium Boats. All day usage for a fraction of the cost of ownership. SovereignBoatClub.com

Tierra Verde – 727.200.3474

BOAT FOR SALE

Live aboard ready! Classic ‘83 Catalina C-36 sailboat. Complete re-fit at the factory. Too many extras to list...wind gen., solar, custom radar arch w/davits, ac) $50k Call Ron 917.243.2087

BLINDS & SHUTTERS

Do Your Shutters need some TLC?

Hurricane Shutters Sold, Installed, Cleaned, Maintained & Repaired. The Shutterman 727.810.4606

Shopping for Window Treatment? Call for a free in-home consult. See ad for 30% off next purchase. Call Budget Blinds 727.821.0976 and/or Service First Installers CAREGIVER/COMPANION

In-home aid, dementia/companion care, meals, laundry, groceries, pets, appointments. St. Petersburg / S. Pinellas. References available. Maritza Palmucci 813.230.9392

Companionship, errands, transportation to appointments, light cooking, cleaning, and laundry, medication reminders. Call Gail 260.242.0246, email gail@compassionatecompanioncare forseniors.com, compassionate companioncareforseniors.com

CARPETS & RUGS

Professional Rug Cleaning & Invisible Repairs – Free pick-up and delivery. Also, the largest selection of imported Handmade works of art you can walk on. Oriental Rug Bazaar 727.726.8787

COLLEGE ADMISSION

FL-based College Counselor Helping students with college admissions www.ic-prep.com

CLOSET DESIGN & INSTALLATION

Get organized. Maximize the space you have in closets, pantries, laundry rooms & more. newclosettoday.com

Call for a free consult 727.641.6448

CenturyDental.org 727.367.3313

Pier Dental, 8351 Blind Pass Rd., SPB Family-owned General and Cosmetic Dentistry with Personalized Care. Florida native Dr. Brittany Pierpont. PierDental.net 727.363.6169

DRY CLEANERS & LAUNDRY

Home Pick-up & Delivery-Dry Clean, Wash-Dry-Fold, Alterations, Patio Cushion Cleaning, Shoe & Handbag Repair, Pick-up 2x weekly Sacino’s Cleaners free pickup/delivery wash-dry-fold, drycleaning sacinoscleaners.com 727.471.0573

Laundry Wash-Dry-Fold Service

Laundromat 7815 Blind Pass Rd., SPB, call Laura 727.458.1412

ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Your contact for all things electrical. Solar hookup, generators, wiring and rewiring homes and businesses. Red Royal Electric 727.228.1065 HEALTH & FITNESS

Ancient Healing Acupuncture & Herbs Seasonal Allergies, Hip & Back Pain April Wang 727.384.4826

Certified Chinese MD, (Tyrone Area) 6600 31st Terrace, St. Pete Worried About Your Memory?

Alzheimer’s Association –Offers FREE & Confidential Memory Screenings, CALL to schedule 727.893.5657

HAULING - DELIVERY

HB Hauling Demo, junk removal, dump trailer rental & more. 727.793.5816

Hot Momma’s Hauling does pick-ups and delivery, including shell, sand, and pavers. Trailer rentals, junk removed, clean outs. Call Ashlie 727.678.3156

LetMommahelpyou.com

HEALTH & NUTRITION

Gulfport Nutrition - 5012 Gulfport Blvd. S, Cardio Drumming Classes. Call Marlene for info 305.619.9734 HEARING CARE

Pasadena Hearing Care Anne S. Carter, Ph.D. 727.329.8852

Don’t let Hearing Loss impact your life. HOME ASSISTANT

Home Care and Maintenance

Personal & Virtual Assistance Arriving / Departing Services

Home Decor, Declutter, Design, & Organization. Lisa loves Projects. Call 502.419.1498

NestWatchHome.com

HOUSEKEEPING & CLEANING Dependable European Lady15+yrs

CREMATION

Family Cremation Plot - 49th St., $12K, Memorial Gardens 727.381.5363

DENTAL SERVICES

Century Dental, Advanced Dental Technology, Implants,Reconstructive, Cosmetic & Laser Dentistry, 617 75th Ave., St. Pete Beach, 40 Years Experience – Free 2nd opinions

Home & Office Cleaning -

Experienced, Efficient European Cleaning LadyFree Estimates, Great local references, 10+ years Irina 727.481.1364

INSURANCE

Bentley DeNight Insurance Services

can save $$$ on Flood Insurance and can quote Homeowners, Auto & Business Insurances 727.344.4500

IV THERAPY

IV Lounge@ The Centre SPB

See AD Page 7. Ask about getting your infusion where you are, or at 7525 Blind Pass Rd., 727.258.2001 thecenterspb.com

LOCKSMITH SERVICES

COVID SAFE Lock Repair Service during daytime hours, weekdays. Vet owned. Tommy Locksmith 727.755.3975

LUMBER

Need wood to match your old house? If it isn’t in stock, ask if we can make it for you. Anderson Lumber 666 49th St. S 727.321.3111

MARINE CONSTRUCTION

Island Marine Construction

Docks, Boat Lifts, Service, since 1997. Licensed Marine Contractor, C-8463 727.363.7282

MARKETING SERVICES

Janet Nummi, Graphic Design info@janetnummi.com

Buddy Baker, Copyediting melvin.baker@gmail.com

MASSAGE SERVICES

Helios Health – Zoe (MA31664) offers massage and Infrared sauna therapy on West Central Ave. at 57th St., St. Petersburg 727.322.8883

PAINTING SERVICES

Residential or Commercial Painting Flo-Pro Painting 727.337.6888

PICKLEBALL/TENNIS LESSONS

Private/group lessons for all ages/skill levels. 727.481.6375 brian@sunshinecitytennis.com

PLASTIC SURGERY

Coundouriotis Facial Plastic Surgery and Laser Center 727.525.9900

“Reverse the Signs Of Aging Anywhere on your body, Rebuild collagen & reduce wrinkles.”

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

Marina Bay – New Construction Near Eckerd. More than beautiful. Resilient, Private, Peaceful, Protected FORTIFIED 727.906.3300

MarinaBaystPete.com

Amazing Marina Bay homes for sale NOW! 10 Bayfront Court S, St. Pete, $2,875,000, 4 BR/3.5BA, 3,239sf of waterfront elegance karabrookshomes.com/10bayfront 16B Franklin Court S., St. Pete

$1,695,000, 3 BR/2.5BA 2,334sf of effortless waterfront convenience karabrookshomes.com/16bfranklin by www.KaraBrooksHomes.com, Premier Sothebys

Real Estate For SALE

Completely Renovated 2BR 1.5 BA, 5503 80th St. N #209 1139 sf $239K (see Leverocks Realty ad page 23) 727.422.3483

Amazing Marina Bay homes seek new owners!

18A Franklin Court S., St. Pete

$1,749,000, 3BR, 25BA 2,374sf of effortless waterfront convenience

26 Jefferson Ct. S, 3BR, 2BA 2,000sf

PENDING 10 Bayfront Court S, St. Pete, $2,875,000

karabrookshomes.com/18AFranklin karabrookshomes.com/26Jefferson by www.KaraBrooksHomes.com

Premier Sothebys

727.313.1233

Marina Bay New ConstructionBuilt like its Fortified

Call the developer 727.906.3300

Visit www.MarinaBaySt.Pete.com

(see their ad on page 5)

RESIDENTIAL PROTECTION

Insurance Companies are now rejecting claims if no one has been there in 14 days.

Property Watch Ninja’s are your boots on the ground

When you’re not around.

PropertyWatchNinja’s.com or Call 727.620.2620

SCREEN REPAIR

Screen Repair for Pool Cages, Patios and Lanais, call or text for a FREE Estimate.

Rescreen Rescue 727.348.4307

SEO & WEBSITES

Advanced Digital Media Services develops websites with SEO built-in to get your company to the top on Google. Text or call 727.509.6930

Create and Improve Your Online Presence, customerloyaltyagency.com

Call Dean at 941.323.1402

SLIDING DOOR REPAIR

Stop struggling with old sliding doors. We fix it to open for a fraction of the cost of a new door. We replace windows too. Lic. C1050, YouTube.com/user/SliderRepairs

Slider Repairs 727.493.2644

TERMITES

Cameron Termite & Pest Control Inspections, Treatments and Tenting Camerontermite.com 727.577.0789

TOURS & TRANSPORTATION

Paradise Tours & Transportation

Call us 1st for your transportation needs. We will take you where you want to go! Sightseeing tours and transportation around Tampa Bay. 727.417.8036

Free Beach Rides 727.776.7553

TUTORING

Portuguese & French Tutoring Conversational-Grammar-Literature parigitropicale@gmail.com 727.301.5917

Piano lessons your home or my studio. All ages & styles, affordable, 25 years of experience. 727.688.2782

French lessons by French nativeAll levels. Text or call 571.435.5606

Reading tutor. Certified. Grades 2-8. 1:1 Zoom or in-person. 941.962.5782 actuallylearnit.com

WINDOW CLEANING

See Life More Clearly, 30 yrs. exp., Residential, Commercial. Estimates are free. Call Tim 727.488.8516

On the Gulf Coast’s premier boating water with 5 bedrooms 5 1/2 baths, and over 5,600 sqft of living space. This Vina del Mar waterfront home has it all: Great views, superior boating, and a walkto-beach location.

High and dry single-level home that delights in every corner. 4 beds, 3 baths, pool, 3-car garage in gated community.

Best Views in St.

An absolutely gorgeous and spacious unit right on the beach with 2/2.5 plus a bonus space and a 2-week min rental.

Top-floor, single-level living with elevator, featuring great water views and superior boating, with slip and lift.

This direct Gulf-front unit is an amazing hands-off income generator with the most coveted views and a great layout.

Island Living High and dry single-level home that is beyond delightful with absoutely amazing outdoor living on huge lot. $1,250,000

Waterfront Townhome
loft, den
bonus space on the very best boating water.

Incredible Views and Elegance

This 3rd-floor condominium home in the coveted community of Bacopa Bay has it all: Views, quality, location, and views.

Experience Tierra Verde in this beautifully furnished townhome, with a picturesque view overlooking the shimmering pool.

Dreamy Water Views for Less

In one of Tierra Verde’s most desired complexes, this unit offers great views and a very lovely updated interior.

Gorgeous and Turn-Key

A beautifully updated corner unit with incredible views over the Pass-a-Grille channel and fantastic amenities.

The island lifestyle awaits in this Isla del Sol condo in the coveted Club Bahia neighborhood.

Balmy bay breezes and exquisite views for miles captivate in this gorgeous and fully furnished condo.

Enjoy everything that Gulfport has to offer in this stunning 3 / 2.5 home in an amazing location with great amenities..

We are thrilled to be celebrating our 31st year of helping people buy and sell the finest Tampa Bay properties by providing exceptional marketing, international reach, and local expertise.

Now we are honored to have been chosen to be the exclusive representatives to the Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate Board of Regents for the entire Tampa Bay Area. Call us to learn what this can mean for your success.

Angela Mathias, Andrew Salamone, Ron Salamone, Libby Salamone
Gorgeous in Gulfport
Live the Isla del Sol Dream
Tierra Verde Townhome
Bahia Vista Charmer

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