Paradise News Magazine April 2026 Issue || Tampa Bay & Pinellas County
21 Jewelry Makeovers
26 King of the Beach
The 33rd Annual “King of the Beach” Founder’s Day event at Madeira Beach festival combines a major fishing tournament, family-friendly entertainment, and community fundraising, while supporting local charities.
BY AMY VERDANSKY
FEATURES
14 History
Gulf Beaches Historical Museum, origins, significance, volunteer contributions, and recovery. BY PETER ROOS
16 Arts Bloom
Spring Arts in St. Petersburg: Art in Bloom, Exhibitions, and Second Saturday ArtWalk. BY JANET NUMMI
18 Dining
Tune up your tastebuds with fresh Mexican flavors on taco Tuesday –or any day of the week. BY STEPHEN RAFFERTY
20 Earth Month
Green Thumb Festival and community preservation efforts. BY JANET NUMMI
SUBSCRIPTIONS
and
Turn something old into something new with a design makeover by a local jeweler with 42 years of experience. BY PETER ROOS
22 Health
Gut instinct – a guide to keeping it healthy with the right nutrients. BY CLAIRE BRINSDEN JORDAN
24 Sea Turtle Season
Keep them dark, clean and flat. Pinellas County’s sea turtle nesting season highlights the critical role of residents and visitors in protecting endangered turtles by keeping beaches clean, dark, obstacle-free. BY PETER ROOS
34 Artists Spotlight
Exploring the artistic contributions of rapper Rod Wave and sculptor Cecilia Lueza, showcasing how St. Petersburg inspires creativity across music and visual arts. BY ANDREA MARTONE
39 Music Scene
A roundup of local music highlights, featuring jazz performances, blues artist Power Jimi’s cross-cultural journey, upcoming Women of Jazz events, and a major America 250 celebration concert at The Palladium. BY NANETTE WISER
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
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• Two pools, day dock, fishing pier, fitness room
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Marina Bay is the FIRST community in Pinellas County to receive the FORTIFIED Gold™ designation.
To thearchitects andbuildersof MarinaBay,it’s EVERYTHING.
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
Welcome to the April edition of Paradise News magazine. Spring has arrived and we have even already had a taste of what summer might have in store for us. We also got a few days of winter’s chill since New Year, Florida style, introduced with wind and rain. Our “snowbird” season showed just a little bit of life this year. The Canadians and Europeans mostly stayed home this year, unless their winter places needed fixing.
The “shoulder season” from early April (when snowbird and spring break season are done) until June when the summer beachgoer invasion begins, is some of the best time of the year to be here. We can often get by without using HVAC, just by opening a few windows early in the day. It is the perfect time to enjoy your patio and take the top down on the convertible. Restaurants are typically less crowded and happy to see locals again. With smaller crowds, events are less concentrated, but it is much easier to get around on the roads.
One of the most amazing things about life on the coast are our exposures to sea life. Living with a seawall in our backyards, we often see dolphin and manatee up close hunting and playing. Seabird sightings of many species become commonplace. This month we celebrate our neighborhood osprey. Sea Turtle season on the beaches starts this month too, with most nests typically created in May. The young usually hatch in July.
It was the bounty of the sea including sea turtles, that brought the first settlers and visitors to our coast. Pass-a-Grille was a fishing resort before people realized they could live here year-round. Madeira Beach has long been a commercial fishing center. Paradise News is pleased to celebrate the roots of tourism here by once again promoting Old Salt Fishing Foundation’s King of The Beach, the richest kingfish tournament on the Gulf coast. The city of Madeira Beach is partnering with Old Salt on the first Friday in May to celebrate their Founder’s Day, with fireworks and everything. You are invited to join them.
Thank you for reading and responding to the messages in your Paradise News. That’s why keeps it coming. Peter & Renee Roos
www.ParadiseNewsFL.com
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Paradise NEWS
Volume 32 Number 4 • April 2026
PUBLISHERS
Peter Roos | Marketing & Sales
813.230.3965
sales@paradisenewsfl.com
Renee Roos | Creative Director 727.421.0341 info@paradisenewsfl.com
And not just our doctors. Our entire team leads with empathy to deliver personal care you can feel.
TIDBITS
The 2026 St. Pete Beach FREE Spring Concert Series in Horan Park continues on alternate Friday nights! Bring your friends, family and chairs and enjoy a night full of live entertainment! Food, beer, and wine will be available for purchase. Concerts are 7-9pm, dates listed below. See you there!
Friday, April 10 -
Smooth D & The Boyz Friday, April 24 -
Beside Myself (Elton John and Billy Joel Tribute)
Join Lucky Cat Yoga on the third Sundays of each month starting April 19-August 15, 2027, at The Dalí – a remarkable environment where Dalí’s energy infuses the physical, mental and spiritual inspiration of yoga. The Lucky Cats teach vinyasa yoga, an all-levels approach that incorporates an interplay of basic breath work, postures, meditation and relaxation. Held in the Dalí Museum’s Raymond James Community Room, tickets are $15 for non-members and $10 for museum members. Yoga participants can visit the galleries on the same day for just $14.
The Green Thumb Festival, St. Petersburg’s annual celebration of nature, gardening, and environmental education will return on Sat., April 25, and Sun., April 26, from 9am-4pm each day. It will take place at Walter Fuller Park, 7891 26th Ave. N. The weekend-long event is free and open to the public. Hosted by the city of St. Petersburg’s Parks and Recreation Department, the two-day festival is the city’s official Arbor Day celebration and one of the largest gardening events in the Tampa Bay area. More than 120 garden and plant vendors will participate in the event, offering everything from native plants and tropical flowers to trees, herbs, and landscaping supplies.
The festival also features environmental exhibits, educational workshops, and hands-on activities focused on gardening and sustainability. Parking is available at Azalea Middle School, Azalea Youth Soccer League, and behind Walter Fuller Recreation Center. Handicap parking is located at the Walter Fuller Recreation Center’s main parking lot and the Walter Fuller Pool parking lot. Please note: This event is rain or shine with the exception of severe weather. Cancellations due to weather will be announced on the city of St. Petersburg Rec’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ stpeteparksrec
Country Thunder, a weekend long country music event making history by moving to the Gulf shoreline, offering a unique sandy beachfront setting for 2026 takes place May 8-10, at the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach. Headliners for this beachfront festival include Randy Houser, Gretchen Wilson, Shaboozey, Dasha, Max McNown, Braxton Keith, Cole Goodwin, Elizabeth Nichols, Solon Holt, and Jay Webb. Tickets and accommodation options are available now for this all-ages, three-day event. Three-day passes went for $345 initially. Daily options are now available. RFID wristbands will be used, and they must be activated before the festival, notes Country Thunder Music Festivals
If you are parking at the beach, pay attention where you park, and keep your receipts. The cities along the beaches generate a lot of revenue from parking, and rates typically run $4-5 / hour with daily caps in municipal lots, which generally use the ParkMobile App. Street parking in residential neighborhoods is generally reserved for residents whose plates are registered with the city. Fines can be as much as $90 for illegal parking. Private lots are often operated by large corporations, some of whom are known to charge $20 for the first two hours. At least one company has been sued by Attorneys
General in several states for issuing citations before time expired. If you get a ticket on your windshield that is not from the city, be aware that it is not a civil fine and it could be fraudulent.
Freefall Theater, a community theater company, conveniently located for Paradise News readers at 6099 W Central Ave., produces some of the best community theater in the area. Their next show Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank by James Still, is a unique multimedia play that combines videotaped interviews of Holocaust survivors Ed Silverberg and Eva Schloss and live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II. Part oral history, part dramatic action, part direct address, part remembrance… Ed was Anne Frank’s first boyfriend, and she wrote about him in the beginning of her nowfamous diary. Eva Schloss was the same age as Anne Frank and lived in the same apartment building in Amsterdam. Her family went into hiding the
same day as the Frank family. And like the Frank family, they were betrayed. Runs weekends April 10-May 17. Tickets $55 (or included with a $29 per month subscription).
Corey Avenue continues to shine as a vibrant destination.
CABA (the Corey Area Business Asso-ciation) which hosts the art shows and Sunday market on Corey, are now introducing a new monthly Last-Friday Evening event, beginning April 24 (5–8 pm), with shops open late and live music in the street. Throughout April, businesses offer a mix of wellness, creative, and social experiences.
Metaphysically Me hosts weekly meditation and sound baths, along with special events including a Bracelet Making Workshop on April 22 and a Tea Ceremony on April 28. SunDrunk adds to the lineup with hands-on experiences including a pasta-making class on April 16 and a decoupage workshop on April 18, while Elizabeth Bartique offers curated wine tastings. Additional creative workshops from Sail Boutique are also on the way. Nominate Corey Ave. in the 2026 Readers Choice Poll and explore ongoing events at www.coreyave.com
Last October, Paradise News introduced Scott Tate as a candidate for Mayor of St. Pete Beach. We are thrilled to say Scott became the new
By Peter Roos
Mayor of St. Pete Beach on March 10 with 66% of the votes cast, twice the number of votes the incumbent received.
In the same October tidbits column, we introduced Micheal Warner, a Democrat, running for the Florida House of Representatives, District 61.
We met Michael several times at Tampa International Airport, when he was helping people in wheelchairs get from the planes to ground transportation. He told us then he wanted to make a difference in the world and planned to run for office. We believed him.
Last year, Michael published a book about his life and pursuit of his dreams. VOICE FOR CHANGE: The Unbreakable Journey of Michael Warner, is available from Amazon, ($6.99 - $18.99). In Voice for Change, Warner opens up about the defining moments that shaped his life, the setbacks that tested him, the mentors who inspired him, and the community that continues to fuel his mission for a better tomorrow. With honesty, heart, and a deep love for his hometown, Warner takes readers behind the scenes of his rise in public service and his bold campaign for the 2026 election.
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TIDBITS
Parc Center For Disabilities opened their brand new Tom & Mary James Children’s Center for Early Intervention with a ribbon cutting on March 25.
Want to learn to play Mah Jong? The St. Pete Beach Public Library is planning a class on Saturday afternoons at 3pm in the library, for three weeks starting on April 25. Other library services end at 2pm on Saturdays and you need a reservation to participate. Ask a librarian or call 727-363-9238.
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art has something new for visitors to explore: a video game. Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) is an award-winning puzzle platformer that follows the epic journey of a native Eskimo girl named Nuna and her companion Fox as they try to save their home from an eternal blizzard. Developed by E-Line Media in collaboration with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC), an Alaska Native social service organization, Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) aims to share, celebrate and extend Alaska Native culture. This pop-up exhibition will be on view through June 25. (Photo courtesy of E-Line Media and The James Museum.)
The Herrig Art Center, 888 Third Ave. W, Bradenton, presents the second Annual Member Showcase by the member artists of the National Association of Women Artists The association started in 1889 to promote awareness of, and interest in visual art created by women in the United States. This show exhibits the best artwork by its members. The exhibit is open through April 17. Call 941-746-2862 or visit
Creative Clay’s Boundless Expressions Online Art Auction is in full swing. Be a part! This auction has 35 pieces of art. Seven pieces have already sold for the full “Buy it Now” price! The artists will collect half of that as a paycheck and the other half will be reinvested into programming and supplies! One beautiful thing about “Buy it Now” sales is that an additional $100 will be donated to Creative Clay, maximizing your impact. As of now $800 additional dollars have been raised just from this bonus. This awesome match is made possible by longtime Creative Clay supporters Willi Rudowsky & Hal Freedman.
The developers of the Villas of St. Pete Beach subsequently did an amazing job turning an aging 2-star motel just south of Oyster Shucker into The Saint
Hotel, the nicest boutique hotel in the district, with Eighty Two Degrees, a fine dining and craft cocktail restaurant on the second floor, overlooking the sunset at Blind Pass. Their room rates were exceptional and reviews, once they got established, were generally quite amazing. They were a cover story in the June/July 2021 edition of Paradise News, and the owner/operators ran full-page ads for a year to keep the hotel and restaurant busy until established. The property was sold in May 2024 to local real estate investment firm, Luminary Development Company, just months before visits by Hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded and battered the area in the fall of that year. The new owners had financed the $9.98 million purchase with a $5 million loan from a California lender, who is proceeding to bankrupt the property due to a default in the loan. Many other properties were similarly affected by the first major flooding event in over 100 years. If the owner cannot bring the debt current, and the lender is successful, the property will eventually be sold by the bankruptcy court to repay the lender.
An undeveloped stretch of city-owned land along 22nd St. S could soon become a new hub for business and community in south St. Pete. The Pinellas County Urban League has submitted an unsolicited proposal to the city of St. Petersburg outlining a plan for the city to develop the property on the Deuces between Sixth Ave. S. and Fairfield Ave. S, with the organization serving as the anchor tenant and operator. The plan
calls for the construction of a two-story, 28,000-square-foot mixed-use building to be called the Sankofa Empowerment Center, which would bring together a mix of office, retail, food service, and co-working space, along with an incubator-style environment aimed at supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs.
A 6,000-square-foot rooftop terrace, designed to host programming and gatherings throughout the year, would serve as an event space. The Urban League would relocate its headquarters from 333 31st St. N in Kenwood to 3,000 square feet on the second floor, bringing its $8 million annual operations and approximately 50 community events per year to the Deuces corridor.
The Friends of the St. Pete Beach Public Library raise money to support and promote the library and are very grateful that so many patrons shop in their shop on the right as one enters the library. For the first time ever, they are running short of items to share. If you are decluttering your house or condo or apartment, (or even your camper!) and if you have some gently used books, CDs or DVDs you’d like to donate, we will gladly accept them! Just bring them to the front desk and give them to the library.
Here are donations they LOVE to receive:
• Recent fiction and nonfiction (published within 5-10 years)
• Relatively recent magazines in good condition (1-2 years)
• Classics
• Kids books
They accept most types of reading material, but NOT
• Textbooks
• Books with broken spines, water damage, or mildew
• Outdated technical or medical books or encyclopedias
• Damaged CDs and DVDs
So thank you for shopping, and thank you for donating!
In March, 2026, Tampa Bay Watch volunteers completed a living shoreline installation at Fantasy Island! During the two-day event, 73 volunteers collectively installed 10 tons of fossilized shell and 6 tons of recycled shell, completing this years-long project, which marks a significant step forward in enhancing the area’s shoreline resilience and protecting vital fish habitats.
Tampa Bay Watch also strategically places “monotubes,” or monofilament recycling tubes around the Tampa Bay watershed at locations such as boat ramps, fishing piers, and marinas. Monotubes provide a safe, contained system for used fishing gear. Line and tackle, when left in the environment, pose great harm to our local wildlife. Waterbirds such as pelicans, cormorants, and egrets are especially susceptible to hook injuries and line entanglement.
By Peter Roos
Tampa Bay and the Gulf Coast is home and migration ground for over 40,000 breeding pairs and 25 different bird species that nest annually. In an effort to keep our waterways and bird nesting islands free of mono, staff and community volunteers manage 200+ “monotubes” (fishing line recycling bins) and host mono clean-athons a few times a year.
Spring is here and The Wharf Waterfront Restaurant & Bar in Pass-a-Grille is everyone’s favorite clubhouse featuring Happy Hour Mon.-Fri. 3:306pm (bar only), rock music on the patio with Rob Tyre Wed.-Sat. 6-9:30pm., daily specials (Fish Fry Tuesday, Taco Wednesday), seafood dinner specials (Grouper Oscar is a favorite), amazing coconut or peel-n-eat shrimp, and the best grouper sandwich on the beach! Come by boat (new docks), dine alfresco on its updated patio or in the breezy dining room or boisterous bar. Enjoy shrimp, wings, burgers, Reubens, seafood baskets and fish spread and be sure to leave room for our specialty desserts. There’s even a kids’ menu! Cool merchandise & gift certificates available online & at restaurant. www.order.toasttab.com/ egiftcard/the-wharf-pass-a-gril
“Flowers are always beautiful, but there is something unmatched about spring flowers – an awakening, a renewal that fills the air with surreal harmonies of love and joy.” — Bhuwan Thapaliya
coastal American bistro offering an upscale yet casual atmosphere with stunning beachside views. Enjoy indoor and outdoor dining, perfect for relaxing with great food, craft cocktails, and scenic vistas.
Who’s Really in Charge When You’re Gone? VAUGHN VOYAGE
By Danielle L. Vaughn, Esq., B.C.S., LL.M.
When you make an estate plan, one of the biggest choices you’ll make is picking a personal representative – sometimes called an executor. This is the person who steps in after you pass away and makes sure everything gets handled the right way.
Think of a personal representative as the “captain of the ship” for your estate.
Here’s what they do:
• File your will with the probate court
• Notify family membrs, beneficiaries, and creditors
• Pay your debts and taxes
• Distribute your belongings and property according to your wishes
Here’s something many people don’t realize: this job can take months, sometimes over a year. It involves paperwork, deadlines, court filings, and working closely with attorneys and accountants. That’s why choosing the right person matters so much.
Most people choose a trusted spouse, adult child, or close friend. In more complex estates, some people choose a professional, like an attorney or trust company, to handle the role.
The most important step? Talk to the person before naming them. Many people are surprised by how much work is involved. Making sure they’re willing and ready can save your family a lot of stress later.
At Vaughn Law, we help you think through every detail of your estate plan, including who should be in charge. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Vaughn Law Free Estate Planning Workshops
How to protect your Home, Savings and Family from costly mistakes
April 7 1-3:00pm
April 15 10am-12:00pm
May 5 1-3:00pm
Location: Beach Theatre, 315 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach Contact us to register 727-223-6080
Danielle L. Vaughn, Esq., B.C.S., LL.M. Board Certified Real Estate Attorney VAUGHN LAW, PLLC
350 Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach Phone: 727-223-6080
www.dvaughnlaw.com
Vaughn Law offers its clients a different, more personalized and service orientated approach, by tailoring its representation to its client’s needs. At Vaughn Law, we understand that this may be an overwhelming, unfamiliar and stressful time for our clients, therefore we strive to help our clients understand the intricacies of the legal system and to keep them informed throughout the process.
350 Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706 | (727) 363-6100 fax (727) 645-4226 | Reception@dvaughnlaw.com | dvaughnlaw.com
THE GULF BEACHES HISTORICAL MUSEUM ONLINE
The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum in Pass-a-Grille has not yet reopened since Helene’s flood of 2024. The museum artifacts are safely stored at the Heritage Village in Pinellas County. Originally an outstanding domestic beach resort and fishing destination, Pass-a-Grille has long been a sought-after home and vacation spot.
The dock and pier with the “bait shop” on the east side of Pass-a-Grille, a block east and south of the museum was known as Merry’s Pier for many years. Captain Kenneth Merrry ran the bait shop and general store and served as Passa-Grille’s first postmaster. It was where steamers landed on their way from Gulfport (then Disston City) to the Mississippi and elsewhere. It was also a popular fishing dock, and the place many fish catches were
photographed. Wilson Hubbard was quite a successful fishing guide, who renamed Merry Pier after himself, before he decided Pass-a-Grille was too congested and he moved a few miles north and established John’s Pass. To connect with a pioneering family who are continuing the traditions of their ancestors, go fishing with Hubbard‘s Marina at John’s Pass, or take their ferry ride from the Fort Desoto Park boat ramp to Shell Key. They are also in the process of taking over management of the Cross Bay Ferry from St. Petersburg to Tampa.
The history of the museum is fascinating. Joan M. Haley, a “Washington Socialite,” wrote a social column for the Washington Star. A preservationist at heart, the widow had moved to the St. Petersburg Beach in 1952 and in 1957, bought the island’s first church (circa 1917), as her home, to save it from the wrecking ball. Haley wanted to leave nothing to chance when she died, so she left everything to Pinellas County,
said Virginia Harris, her friend for a quartercentury. For two years before her death, Mrs. Haley worked with lawyers, historians and preservationists to ensure that her beloved home, the 75-year-old former Pass-a-Grille Beach Community Church, be preserved as a historic landmark. Mrs. Haley had chosen to leave her home to the county, Harris said, because she became discouraged with St. Petersburg Beach city officials, over an unsuccessful fight to preserve Pass-a-Grille’s Sunshine School in the 1970s.
It took quite a while for the county to renovate the property originally and open it as a museum. Thirty years ago, the infamous July 4th weekend “Spin Doctors” concert was held on St. Pete Beach, across from the legendary Hurricane Seafood restaurant, raising $16,000 in four hours, to replace the church’s leaky roof. The Spin Doctors were a fairly unknown band until their first and biggest hit was released two
weeks in advance of the concert. The traffic trying to get to the site was epic. Five thousand made it. Five thousand more trying to get there were stuck on I-275, the Bayway and St. Pete Beach’s streets.
Virtually everything at the Museum, from the collection to the displays and greeting visitors was and is still done by volunteers. Paradise News’ founder, Renee Roos, was responsible for most of the displays. Her experience publishing Office Guide magazine before computers took over prepared her well with the skills needed for museum layout and design. She had also been publishing Pass-a-Grille’s newsletter, Grille Bits, for the Pass-a-Grille Community Association. Sally Yoder, a lifelong St. Pete Beach resident who, at the time, produced the Vina Del Mar Community’s newsletter, became the museum’s archivist.
Sally and Renee met at the museum and lunched together many Fridays at
the Hurricane Seafood Restaurant. They eventually decided all of St. Pete Beach needed a newsletter, and Paradise News was born.
Gerry Ingram was one of the most amazing volunteers in St. Pete Beach when we moved there. Gerry’s daughter, Sandie Lyman, was a board member of the Friends of the Museum and coordinator of docents when she and Renee first discussed the idea of hosting a “Chowder Challenge” as a fundraiser. Local restaurants and hotels competed for bragging rights and a huge, “golden ladle.” The first two annual events were held in Pass-a-Grille’s Hurley Park. Then it moved to Horan Park, which could accommodate a bigger crowd and offered plenty of parking. The funds raised by these events were used on museum displays, advertising and web development. The Museum’s excellent website, www.gulfbeachesmuseum.org can give you an amazing virtual tour that takes you inside
By Peter Roos
the museum as it was before the flood.
The Friends of Gulf Beaches Historical Museum are actively fundraising to purchase display cases, office supplies, and computer equipment in preparation for the museum’s reopening. They invite you to become a member, follow their Facebook page for updates, and consider making a donation to support this effort.
Additionally, the Friends team is organizing monthly events to stay connected with our community. Stay tuned by following us on Facebook or becoming a member for the latest news. They look forward to welcoming you back soon. In addition, there is a “Pass-a-Grille History” Facebook group headed by Jon Charles Butler that regularly shares some great old images of the beach’s history. If you are a history buff, join us.
ARTS BLOOM
In St. Petersburg, spring does not arrive quietly – it opens like a gallery night. The weather softens, patios fill, and the city’s arts calendar seems to step outside all at once, turning April and May into something more than a run of separate events. For locals, it is the season when museum-going starts to feel social again. For visitors, it is when St. Pete makes its strongest case that art here is not a side attraction but part of the city’s everyday rhythm. This year, that rhythm is especially easy to see. The Museum of Fine Arts’ Art in Bloom returns April 16-19, the MFA is rolling out several new exhibitions in April and May, and the citywide Second Saturday ArtWalk continues linking galleries, studios and districts into one recurring creative evening.
What makes St. Pete’s spring arts season work is not just the quality of the programming. It is the way the city layers institutions, neighborhoods and habits on top of one another. One weekend might begin with a museum show on Beach Drive, continue with an evening wandering through studios in the Warehouse Arts District, and finish the next morning with coffee and a return trip for a class, talk or opening reception somewhere else in town. The result feels less like a formal “arts district” model and more like a civic pattern: art woven into how people move through the city. The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance explicitly positions itself as an advocate for artists, arts organizations and creative businesses, and its monthly ArtWalk doubles as an economic strategy to support small businesses as much as a cultural tradition.
The season’s most graceful anchor may be Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. Running from April 16, through April 19, the annual event pairs works from the MFA collection with floral interpretations by professional florists,
hobbyists and members of The Stuart Society. It is a format that suits St. Pete especially well: polished but approachable, beautiful without being intimidating, and social in a way that invites both art regulars and first-time visitors. This year’s schedule includes general admission floral viewing across all four days, plus special events including a luncheon, an Art After Dark evening on April 16, Flowers After Hours on April 17 and Conversations with the Designers on April 19.
Art in Bloom also arrives at a moment when the MFA’s broader calendar is unusually active. The museum’s exhibitions page lists upcoming exhibitions, including The Last Library IV; Written in Water and Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist both opening April 11, and Babs Reingold; After Venus opening May 16. That kind of sequencing matters. It means spring is not just one marquee weekend at the museum; it is a rolling season of reasons to come back, whether you are a resident looking for a repeat habit or a visitor trying to build a fuller weekend around one major stop.
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg –Art in Bloom, exhibitions, tickets, calendar: www.mfastpete.org/programs/art-inbloom-2026
Just as important is the fact that St. Pete’s arts spring is not confined to its museums. Second Saturday ArtWalk, coordinated by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, remains one of the city’s best recurring civic rituals. On the second Saturday of every month, the Central Arts District, Grand Central District, Warehouse Arts District, Uptown Arts District, Deuces Live District, Edge District and Waterfront Arts District operate as what the Arts Alliance calls “one arts destination,” with galleries and studios open from 5-9pm. Some participating venues are only open to the public during ArtWalk, which helps explain why the event still feels discoverable even to longtime residents. It is part exhibition crawl, part neighborhood tour, part casual reminder that St. Pete’s creative life extends well beyond its headline institutions.
St. Petersburg Arts Alliance/Second Saturday ArtWalk – districts, map and participating venues: www.stpeteartsalliance.org/ experience-arts/artwalk
By Janet Nummi
The supporting cast this spring is strong, too. At the Morean Arts Center, April programming includes opening receptions on April 11 for Fresh Squeezed 10 and June Bunch State Flower Ladies as well as a clay exhibition featuring Jenny Day and Alexia Benavent, with the center’s Spring Class Session beginning April 13. The Morean matters because it rounds out the season with something hands-on: not just viewing art, but making it, learning it and wandering between fine art, glass and clay in a way that feels distinctly St. Pete.
Morean Arts Center –exhibitions, classes, event calendar: www.moreanartscenter.org
Meanwhile, The Dalí Museum helps extend the spring story from downtown into the waterfront museum corridor. Through April 19, visitors can still catch Alberto Giacometti & Salvador Dalí: Through & Beyond Surrealism, the first comparative exhibition of the two artists in the United States, along with Dalí & Harpo Marx, which also runs through April 19. Then, beginning May 2, the museum’s
The Architecture of The Dalí opens, giving the city another reason to keep the cultural momentum going into late spring.
The Dalí Museum – current and upcoming exhibitions, tickets, visitor info: www.thedali.org/exhibit/ alberto-giacometti-and-salvador-dali
That is really the story of spring arts in St. Pete. The city keeps turning a season into a scene. Not because one museum mounts one good event, but because multiple institutions, districts and artist spaces create a steady handoff from one experience to the next.
For residents, that means spring is a good time to rediscover neighborhoods and institutions that can disappear into routine the rest of the year. For visitors, it means the best way to experience St. Pete is not to pick a single venue, but to let the city’s creative geography lead you from one stop to another. In spring, St. Pete does not just present art. It behaves like a place organized around it.
LaBare 607-760-8483 4916 S 83rd St., Tampa - Spacious, move-in-ready 4BR/2BA. Newly remodeled baths, updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances. No HOA or CDD fees. New roof. Close to 301 & Selmon Expressway. Deanna-Sapp Phillips 727-422-0715
2452 Enterprise Road #15, Clearwater -
located in a community that offers convenience, accessibility and amenities for an active lifestyle. Low-maintenance. Well kept grounds. Stephanie Sittman 727-748-6080
900 Pinellas Bayway S #109, Tierra
DINING
Here in our beautiful beach and bay community, we didn’t exactly receive a long period of cold this winter (just ask my brother in New York!), still we can feel the season changing and bringing us more warmth. So, after a day at the beach or the park, let’s also heat up some spicier sustenance from our neighbors to the south.
AGAVE
If you enjoy the sensation of feeling like you’ve been invited into someone’s home for dinner, Agave on St. Pete Beach should be immediately added to your list of destinations to frequent. This family run spot has been a favorite of mine and especially my family and friends from overseas for years.
Based on northern Mexican cuisine, the options to satiate your spicy desires begin with the flavorful appetizers you’re presented with. Along with quesadillas, empanadas and tostadas, the Chile Jalapeño Relleno always make their way to our plates. A cheese lover, the queso is my go to: melted Asadero cooked with your choice of Mexican sausage, roasted poblano peppers, shrimp or mushrooms. With tacos you can opt for hard (Dorados) or soft (Campana) shells. Fill these with roasted or marinated pork, fresh shrimp, the ever tasty
pescado (fish) and a yummy chipotle chicken; none of them let you down. Two of the choices battle for my attention on each visit: their taco Barbacoa, with its tender barbecued beef brisket; and another maybe less popular but just as delicious, the Lengua, marinated beef tongue stewed in Mexican herbs, garlic and onions.
Add to this all of your regularly expected fare of burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, enchiladas, a substantial wine list along with four different margaritas and you’ve got all the trappings for a casual evening snack or a night out with your significant other.
Along the ever-expanding busy artery that is Central Avenue, nestled in the Grand Central District and another on Fourth Street, is one of the tastiest and popular Mexican destinations in St. Pete: Casita Taqueria.
Casita’s menu centers on tacos, bowls, burritos, and small plates made with fresh ingredients and house-made staples. The tacos are the real highlight. Favorites like carne asada, barbacoa, infused with bold seasoning and topped with fresh cilantro, onion, and vibrant sauces. A special mention needs to go to their blackened fish tacos, an explosive delight for the senses. These are spiced just right, flavorful and with what is without question some extremely fresh pescados. The queso is another standout – rich, creamy, and perfect with their light, crispy tortilla chips. Many regulars also swear by the pollo verde and the casita bowl for a satisfying meal that still feels fresh and balanced.
Casita Taqueria captures what makes the St. Pete food scene so enjoyable: fresh ingredients, relaxed vibes, and food that’s simple but consistently delicious. It’s the kind of neighborhood taco spot you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again.
Situated on 28th Street just north of 22nd Avenue, Casa 28 blends American favorites with many piquant Mexican dishes, as well as serving up stand-alone meals we all love from south of the border, setting in a tempting space sure to please just about everyone. You could always start with their juicy empanadas, chips and creamy guac or a quesadilla, but for me I’m going with the Camarones Ala Diabla, sauteed shrimp in homemade chipotle sauce with yuca fries.
In entrees a skirt steak with sautéed onions, mushrooms and shrimp accompanied with rice and sweet plantains will hit the spot! Another pleaser is the Churrasco Al Chimichurri – steak smothered in a delectable chimichurri sauce along with roasted potatoes. They offer some quite amazing BBQ Guajillo pork ribs as well as shredded pork items that melt in your mouth.
Sometimes there’s an item on a menu so good I have to signal it out and the Quesabirria is exceptional. Three crispy but tender tacos filled with some of the best birria beef I’ve had the pleasure tasting and packed with rich melted cheese all served with a birria broth so tasty I could literally drink it.
Don’t miss this delightful hideaway, even if that means before you can get there in person you check out their menu to enjoy at home. Did I mention the birria tacos?!
Oftentimes you find yourself looking for a place that just feels right for the type of food that has you salivating – Nueva Cantina on Fourth Street S is that kind of place. It offers everything you want in bold flavors, original cocktails, and a lively neighborhood atmosphere.
The menu at Nueva Cantina goes beyond the typical Mexican restaurant lineup. While classics like tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas are all available, the kitchen puts extra care into presentation and flavor that includes a tremendous birria pizza
By Stephen Rafferty
shareable. Street tacos are a highlight, served on fresh tortillas with well-seasoned meats and bright toppings, the chorizo taco being a highlight here. Their queso dip and guacamole are crowd favorites and make the perfect starters to share. With a real focus on ingredients that stand out, the seafood options, including shrimp tacos and ceviche, also shine. I may have even closed my eyes while biting into a grilled fish tacos!
Service here is what you’d hope for at a small and comfy locale; friendly and attentive, contributing to the welcoming neighborhood feel. Nueva Cantina delivers a vibrant dining experience that blends traditional Mexican flavors with a modern twist.
Sages Bistro is the delicious affordable choice for diners seeking a fresh family-style Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of downtown Largo. Patty and Mike Shade and their team expertly craft each dish using only the freshest ingredients. www.sagesbistro.com
885 West Bay Drive, Largo Tues.-Thurs. 11am - 8am • Friday 11am - 9pm • Sat. 12 - 9pm
SEE MENU
EARTH MONTH
In St. Petersburg, Earth Month is not just a calendar theme. It is a practical local story about how a coastal city tries to protect its shoreline, modernize aging infrastructure and keep everyday environmental habits visible to residents. On its official sustainability pages, the city says resilience and sustainability are central priorities, with work focused on sea-level rise, stronger storms, hotter days, flood mitigation, water planning, urban forestry, waste reduction and greener building practices. Mayor Ken Welch’s administration also places “Environment, Infrastructure and Resilience” among its core governing priorities.
That bigger policy picture is what makes spring feel especially local in St. Pete. Earth Month here is not only about recycling reminders and beach cleanups; it is also about how climate planning shows up in neighborhoods, parks and public events. The city’s Resilient St. Pete initiative says the goal is to protect neighborhoods, natural resources and the coastal lifestyle that defines the city, while the St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan says it is accelerating resiliencerelated infrastructure work and anticipates advancing more than $545 million in investments over five years.
The most visible expression of that spirit each April is the Green Thumb Festival, the city’s long-running Arbor Day celebration. St. Petersburg’s official festival coverage from last year described it as the city’s largest plant festival, organized by Parks and Recreation with city departments and local sustainability partners. Last year brought more than 120 plant and garden vendors, environmental exhibitors, educational workshops, the St. Petersburg Garden Club flower show, a tree giveaway, a mulch raffle and family activities at Walter Fuller Park. The city also lists Green Thumb Festival among St. Pete’s major annual festivals.
GREEN THUMB FESTIVAL
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 & SUNDAY, APRIL 26
9AM - 4PM
WALTER FULLER PARK 7891 26th Ave. N, St. Petersburg (727) 893-7441
greenthumb@stpete.org
By Janet Nummi
For residents and visitors, that makes Earth Month one of the easiest times of year to connect civic issues with everyday life. Enjoy shopping for native plants, asking an arborist about tree care, learning how to conserve water at home or simply seeing how much of the city’s resilience work depends on resident participation as much as public spending. In a waterfront city where environmental policy can often sound abstract, this gives St. Pete a chance to make it tangible, neighborly and useful.
Useful websites:
City of St. Petersburg Sustainability & Resilience www.stpete.org/residents/sustainability/index.php
Resilient St. Pete www.stpete.org/residents/sustainability/resilient_st_pete.php
St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan (SPAR) www.stpete.org/government/initiatives___programs/spar.php
Green Thumb Festival www.stpeteparksrec.org/programs___ events/events/green_thumb/index.php
Garden Club of St. Petersburg www.gardenclubstpetersburg.org
“ALL ABOARD!” AN NGC STANDARD FLOWER SHOW
Presented By THE GARDEN CLUB OF ST. PETERSBURG, INC. Held at City of St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Department’s
Green Thumb Festival
Walter Fuller Park Community Center 7891 26th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, Florida 33710 (727) 893-7441
Saturday, April 25, 2026 9AM – 4PM Sunday, April 26, 2026 9AM – 3PM
Sunday, April 26, 2026 3PM - Awards Ceremony
Admission Free and Open to the Public Handicap Accessible Free Parking
A Proud Member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. & District VIII of The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.
www.gardenclubstpetersburg.org
Jewelry Makeover Expert
by Peter Roos
We first introduced Beverly J. Gianna to Paradise NEWS readers in the spring of 2016. Her jewelry store in Wisconsin has been successful for over 42 years. Ten years ago, Beverly acted on her dream to open a shop on our beautiful beaches. She made quite a number of long-lasting friends in town that she considers like family.
She is a highly trained, trusted, and respected jeweler that enjoys people and life. Bev is also a diamond expert with contacts in Antwerp, Belgium. She has visited them to buy diamonds directly for stock and to fill orders. Beverly’s team is dedicated to continuous satisfaction with every individual experience. Her talents are many, but her favorite talent is refurbishing old jewelry that just sits in a jewelry box for her clients. “Women are bringing me jewelry that was in their families and asking me to turn their beloved piece into a more modern design, by recycling these older gems and precious metals,” said Beverly.
With over 42 years of experience in the industry, she can help to restore, redesign and repurpose items that have sentimental value. Jewelry connoisseurs are especially welcome to contact her. Bring in any gold or jewelry that you would like to use as a trade-in, trade-up, or sell. She offers in-house financing with deferred interest.
Call 727-513-3469 or visit her website www.BeverlyGianna.com or stop in to visit her at Beverly Gianna Luxury Jewelry & Design 6647 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
before after after
HEALTH & WELLNESS
GUT INSTINCT
Although the immune system gets all the credit for keeping us healthy, it’s often overlooked that 70% of the immune system resides in the gut. In fact, your GI tract is the largest immune organ in the body at 30 feet long. That’s the length of a school bus or a humpback whale! Our health relies on trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes, collectively called the microbiome, to aid digestion, prevent chronic inflammation, and most importantly, regulate immunity. Your microbiome is as unique to you as your fingerprint, and the more microbial diversity in your gut, the better your health.
The microorganisms in your GI tract, mostly in the large intestine, help train immune cells to distinguish between helpful bacteria and harmful bacteria, allowing you to successfully fight off infections. They also optimize the absorption of nutrients from your food, especially vitamins and minerals. Dysbiosis, or an unbalanced microbiome, weakens your immune system, leading to infections, autoimmune issues, and eventually disease.
Guide to a Good Gut
If you experience digestive upset, bloating and gas, fatigue, food intolerance, skin irritations, or have an autoimmune disease, these are all signs that your gut needs help. Americans have a less diverse microbiome than people from more rural, less industrialized areas, probably due to the separation from natural environments. Plus, our exposure to ultra-processed foods containing detergent-like emulsifiers may damage the intestinal lining, leading to “leaky gut” and inflammation. Common medications like antibiotics, acid-reducers, antidepressants, and NSAIDs reduce the diversity of microbes in the gut and kill beneficial bacteria, causing long-lasting disruption to the microbiome and lowering immunity. Viral infections like COVID-19 disrupt the microbiome and allow bad bacteria to thrive in your gut. All these things are literally gut-wrenching!
You can boost your microbiome by exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and eating a diet high in fiber, prebiotics and probiotics. High fiber foods include brown rice, quinoa, pears and apples with their skin on, leafy greens, broccoli and carrots. Polyphenol-rich foods like berries, green
tea, and dark chocolate are also helpful. Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that help to feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut and include onions, garlic, asparagus, leeks, and underripe bananas. Probiotics are live bacteria that can help restore balance to your microbiome, and include sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, yogurt, and kefir. Adding these gut-friendly foods to your diet is easier than you think. Instead of a post-meal dessert, I have a square of dark chocolate to appease my sweet tooth. For afternoon tea, I have green tea instead of black tea, and when eating out, I usually ask to replace pasta or white rice with broccoli or asparagus for extra fiber. Dietary supplements like turmeric and collagen also help by reducing gut inflammation and strengthening the gut
lining. As if we need another reason to love dogs, there is evidence that having a dog around alters the gut microbiome in a positive way, offering protection against airway allergies and respiratory viruses.
The Gut-Brain Axis
Emerging research suggests a healthy gut is also important to your mental health due to what healthcare providers call the “gutbrain axis.” In addition to the brain in your head, you also have a second brain in your gut, and these two brains are connected by a network of nerves that send signals back and forth. This bi-directional communication allows the brain to influence intestinal activity, and the gut to influence mood, cognition, and mental health. It explains
why those with mood disorders often have GI disruptions, and those with GI disorders like irritable bowel syndrome also have psychological challenges. A recent study found that those who are more resilient to stress have a microbiome that manages brain neurotransmitters differently than people prone to anxiety. Interestingly, recent findings suggest that microbes in the gut may have even played a role in the evolution of the human brain. When human/primate microbes were transplanted into mice, they boosted brain energy and learning pathways.
The Mightiest Microbes
In February, a huge global study identified a group of bacteria known as CAG-170 which were consistently found in healthy individuals across 39 different countries. These mighty microbes were depleted in those with chronic diseases like Crohn’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. The CAG-170 microbes produce high levels of vitamin B12 and break down dietary fibers that support other gut bacteria. Though these mighty microbes cannot be cultured in a laboratory yet, they may lead to more potent probiotics in the future to repair imbalanced microbiomes.
By Claire Brinsden Jordan
This year researchers also released a list of 100 specific gut species – 50 “good” and 50 “bad – that serve as reliable markers for heart and metabolic health. This microbe ranking system helps to accurately predict someone’s risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes based on their unique microbiome.
Our unique microbiome first develops while we are in the womb, becomes more diverse with a vaginal birth and the prebiotics in breast milk, and continues developing until age 2-3 years. From there a fiber-rich diet, minimizing antibiotic use, and spending time outside maintains a healthy microbiome into adulthood. It’s clear that our gut health is essential to overall health, and there is so much more that we need to learn about the microbiome. The therapeutic potential of “good” gut microbes via fecal transplantation is promising, and yes, it involves “poop sharing” from a healthy individual to one with disease – a treatment that dates back 1,000 years to ancient Chinese medicine. Instead of taking our gut for granted, we can protect it and feed it for better physical and mental health. So go with your gut!
SEA TURTLE SEASON
Pinellas beaches enter nesting months with a simple ask –keep them dark, clean and flat.
During spring, sea turtle nesting season is underway in Pinellas County, marking the start of a six-month stretch when one of the area’s oldest natural rituals plays out after dark on local beaches. County officials say nesting and hatching run from May 1 through Oct. 31, and that the loggerhead is the species most commonly found nesting in Pinellas. All seven sea turtle species are listed as threatened or endangered.
For beach towns from St. Pete Beach north through Clearwater, that makes early summer more than tourism season. It is also the period when female turtles come ashore at night, dig nests with their rear flippers and lay 100 to 150 eggs at a time. A single female may lay three to eight nests in one season. After roughly 45 to 70 days,
By Peter Roos
hatchlings emerge and instinctively head toward the brightest natural horizon – traditionally the moonlight and starlight reflecting off the water. County guidance says only about one in 1,000 hatchlings survives to adulthood, which is why even small disruptions matter. The biggest human-made problem is light. Pinellas County warns that bright lights and illuminated objects visible from the beach can disorient hatchlings, drawing them inland instead of toward the Gulf. Florida wildlife officials say artificial lighting can also discourage nesting females from coming ashore at all, or push them toward less suitable nesting spots. In a county defined by condos, hotels, roadways and late-night beach activity, that makes lighting one of the most consequential issues of the season.
That is why the seasonal message for residents, renters and visitors is so direct: keep it low, keep it long, keep it shielded. Under Pinellas County and Florida Fish and Wildlife guidance, beachfront lighting should be mounted low, aimed downward and shielded from the beach, while bulbs should use long-wavelength light in the amber, orange or red range. The county also advises property occupants to turn off lights visible from the beach after sunset and use approved amber lighting when light is necessary. Florida Fish and Wildlife says the preferred standard is light at 560 nanometers or greater, with unnecessary decorative lighting shut off entirely.
The rules are not just suggestions in many places. Pinellas County says 12 of its 13 barrier-island municipalities have lighting ordinances intended to help hatchlings find their way to the water. On St. Pete Beach, city guidance also tells beachgoers not to shine lights at
turtles, not to use flash photography around them, and never to interfere with marked nests, which are protected under state law.
Beyond lighting, the public’s role is remarkably practical. St. Pete Beach promotes the phrase “Clean, Dark, Flat” as the easiest way to remember what helps most. “Clean” means removing trash, food waste, toys and gear. “Dark” means avoiding artificial light on the beach at night. “Flat” means filling in holes and knocking down sandcastles before leaving. Those small obstacles can trap hatchlings or block nesting females, and county officials similarly urge beachgoers to pick up trash and cover holes to create a clear path to the water.
Monitoring the season is a countywide effort. In north Pinellas, Clearwater Marine Aquarium says it begins patrols on April 15 and monitors about 21 miles of beach, with staff, interns and volunteers searching just before sunrise for tracks, nests and false crawls. In the southern part of the county, Sea Turtle Trackers says its volunteers patrol St. Pete Beach, Shell Key and Outback Key every day from May through October, marking and protecting new nests and responding year-round to stranded turtles. Together, those patrols form the quiet, early-morning backbone of local sea turtle protection. Pinellas County notes that it recorded a record 669 sea turtle nests in 2019, though officials say nesting numbers have declined since then, making each nest more significant. The broader outlook can also be shaped by storms and beach conditions. Clearwater Marine Aquarium reported that along the beaches it monitors, the 2024 season produced 271 nests, up from 227 in 2023, but many active nests were later washed out by hurricanes. That mix of resilience and vulnerability is exactly why local officials return to the same message every spring: protecting sea turtles is not abstract conservation policy, but a set of nightly decisions made by the people who live near the beach and the people who visit it.
For anyone who encounters a turtle, hatchling or disturbed nest, the guidance is simple: keep your distance, do not touch, and report injured, stranded or harassed animals to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. In a place that markets its sunsets and shoreline as everyday pleasures, sea turtle season is a reminder that the beach belongs to more than the people on it. For the next several months, a darker, cleaner, flatter beach could mean the difference between a lost hatchling and one that makes it home. www.pinellas.gov/sea-turtle-protection
How to find Wildlife friendly Lighting
Three Rules of Wildlife Friendly Lighting: Keep It Low • Keep It Shielded • Keep It Long
Walk your property and determine what lights are needed for safety vs. lights that are purely decorative. Remove unnecessary lights and all remaining lights should use the following guidelines:
Spring King of the Beach… Tournament, Festival, Kids Slam and Founders Day Celebration
Join us at Madeira Beach’s exciting festival celebrating King Mackerel Fishing, Founders Day, and more. Experience the vibrant local culture with thrilling fishing contests, delicious food, lively music, and fun games. Each day offers unique events that showcase the true spirit of our community. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration –everything you love about Madeira Beach is here!
“Bringing together a community food festival and live music into our tournament seemed natural to us. Fishing is part of our community, and we warmly welcome everyone to join us,” shares Old Salt President Tom Verdensky.
Don’t miss the FRIDAY NIGHT FOUNDERS DAY CELEBRATION with a Kids Seawall Tournament, some community awards and of course live music. The event features three days of fun carnival-style games such as Inflatable Axe Throwing, Giant Darts, Mullet Toss, and more. Attendees can enjoy a variety of local foods, including Snappers Sea Grill and seven other vendors.
There will be live music each night, and on Friday, fireworks will light up the sky! The Old Salt team will be ready to assist the kids in fishing and measuring their catches during the kids’ seawall fishing, and we have exciting prizes for each age group. Everyone has a shot at winning in our Kids Only Raffle, and the first 500 sign-ups will receive a free rod/reel combo to fish with!
THE TOURNAMENT
Have you ever tried tournament fishing? If so, you already know about the legendary “King of the Beach.” If you haven’t had the chance yet, this is your moment – this is the best tournament in town!
This spring, Old Salt celebrates its 33rd Annual Tournament, and we’re taking the excitement to a whole new level with even more opportunities to win! This year, there’s some great prizes to go with the prize money ... Suzuki 300hp engine for Single Engine winner and an Owen & Sons Aluminum Slide On Trailer with a whopping 10,000lb capacity, worth $10,200, awarded to the fish weighed in closest to 20.26 lbs. And guess what? Any team can snag this prize! This prize is winnable from any division, including youth.
Here are three compelling reasons why you simply must fish the King:
**LEVEL PLAYING FIELD:** Thanks to the Old Salts, our competition is one of the fairest for all anglers out there. We maintain a 30-mile boundary to ensure boats of any size can compete, and we provide additional opportunities for single-engine vessels. Plus, forget about intimidating checkouts or shotgun starts – this is all about fun!
**OVER 60 PLACES TO WIN:** With six divisions – Overall, Single Engine, Spanish Mackerel, Traveling Angler, Ladies, and Youth – there’s something for everyone! Each division boasts cash and/or prizes, with approximately $300,000 up for grabs. Our first-place prize for the single-engine division is a stunning new 300hp Suzuki with a repower package valued at over $26,250.
**LOW ENTRY FEES:** You can enter this fantastic tournament for as little as $300 – almost half the cost of most Kingfish tournaments! That means less risk for you and far greater rewards. The overall firstplace winner will be awarded approximately a whopping $50,000!
Join us at the Madeira Beach Recreation Complex, located at 200 Rex Place, Madeira Beach. Be sure to visit their website for the latest updates on everything you need to know – from the hottest fishing spots to the best places to stay with your boat! Don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience! The Old Salt Fishing Foundation hosts this semi-annual event to benefit several local charities. This spring, it will present checks to P.A.R.C., Celma Mastry Ovarian Cancer Foundation, and its very own Youth Summer Camp Programs.
To find out more information or to register for the tournament, go to www.OldSaltFishing. org, email amy@OldSaltFishing.org or call 727-216-6601.
ECO
By Peter Roos
The Osprey (Fish hawk)
Along Florida’s coast, the osprey is one of the most recognizable birds of sky and shoreline. Often called the “fish hawk,” this large raptor thrives anywhere saltwater meets abundant prey – over bays and estuaries, along barrier islands, and above rivers that spill into the Gulf and Atlantic. When flying, you can pick one out by its long, narrow wings, bent slightly at the “wrist,” its white underparts, and the bold dark stripe that runs through the eye like a mask.
Ospreys are built for fishing. Their outer toes can swivel to help grip slippery prey, and the undersides of their feet have rough spicules that act almost like traction. When an osprey spots a fish near the surface, it may hover briefly, then plunge feet-first, sometimes disappearing in a splash before beating back into the air. Many coastal anglers have watched an osprey carry its catch away headfirst – an aerodynamic trick that reduces drag in flight.
Just as striking as their hunting is their nesting behavior. Along Florida’s coast, ospreys readily use both natural snags and human-made platforms – channel markers, light poles, and purpose-built nest stands near marinas. A nest can become enormous over time as pairs add sticks, seaweed, and debris year after year. In many areas, you can see adults bringing fish to begging chicks in spring and early summer, while by late summer, young birds begin testing their wings over the same waters they’ll soon learn to hunt.
Florida’s mild climate means ospreys are present year-round in many places, though numbers swell during migration. Their comeback is also a conservation story: after declines linked to pesticide contamination in the mid-20th century, protections and cleaner waterways helped populations rebound. Today, spotting an osprey coursing above the surf is a reminder of how closely coastal wildlife – and our own choices – are tied to the health of Florida’s waters.
Others summer in cooler climes. In 2024, we took a road trip from Colorado to Montana and we stayed at Dunrovin Ranch, an equestrian facility 10 miles south of Missoula, near Lolo Springs. It was a magical spot, including a number of webcams on the property. One of the webcams, which is focused on a nest where a pair of ospreys perennially raise their young each summer, is popular, especially among shut-ins with wifi throughout the US and Canada. www.daysatdunrovin.com
GULFPORT MATTERS
Gulfport is a place where community involvement still matters –from elections to everyday efforts that help protect our neighborhoods. Congratulations to Jennifer Webb (Ward 3) and Jennifer Daunch (Ward 1) on their election wins. Thank you to Joe Guenther, Keri Nelson, and all of the candidates for stepping forward and running positive campaigns. And thank you to everyone who cast a ballot. Every vote helps strengthen our community voice and shape the future of our city.
While there is much more to write about, I would be remiss not to highlight two important community efforts. The Adopt-A-Drain initiative on Gulfport Connects (www.mygulfport.us) that helps keep storm drains clear, reduces neighborhood flooding, and protects water quality and local wildlife by keeping debris out of our waterways. And as hurricane season approaches, residents can take the Pledge to Evacuate, also at mygulfport.us – a simple commitment that helps ensure safer evacuations and protects first responders.
Now, for What’s Happening
SPOTLIGHT EVENT OF THE MONTH -
April 13-18: The 7th Annual Gulfport Plein Air Festival. Presented by the Gulfport Merchants Chamber, the festival culminates with the Exhibition & Collector’s Sale on April 18 from 4-6pm at the Gulfport Welcome Center. For more information, contact art@ visitgulfportflorida.com or visit www.visitgulfportflorida.com/events
Each April, Gulfport transforms into an open-air studio as artists set up easels along sidewalks, beneath shady oaks, and beside the waterfront. For residents and visitors who happen upon them, it can feel like discovering a hidden moment of creativity – a painter capturing the marina, colorful cottages, or the changing light over the bay.
“Plein air,” a French phrase meaning in the open air, refers to painting outdoors directly from life. Instead of working from photographs, artists immerse themselves in the scene – the shifting light, the breeze off the water, and the everyday rhythm of the town.
As canvases slowly fill with color, familiar views begin to emerge: the curve of the shoreline, a banyan tree’s shade, a cottage porch, or boats rocking gently in the marina. It’s a rare chance to watch art take shape in real time while experiencing Gulfport through an artist’s eyes.
April 11: Beyond the Beach Cleanup, with organizers Gulfport Grassroots and Keep Pinellas Beautiful, 9-11am. Meet at Beach Pavilion #4. Supply bags, pickers, pails, gloves, water, and more are provided. www.facebook.com/events/1666123201428582
April 11: Swap & Drop, 9am-12pm, at the Gulfport Recreation Center, 5730 Shore Blvd. S. Residents can dispose of unwanted household items and swap usable goods with neighbors to help reduce waste and encourage reuse and sustainability. For instructions, questions or additional details: 727.893.1118.
April 12: New Horizons Concert Band of Gulfport presents a “A Spring Concert,” at the Hickman Theater, 3-5pm. There is no charge for admissions; donations are welcome. www.NewHorizonsBandGulfport.org
April 16: Gulfport Poetry Open Mic Night (third Thursdays) at the Gulfport Public Library, 5501 28th Ave. S, from 6-7pm.
April 18: Free Community Tree Giveaway, 9-11am, at Clymer Park (Greenway), 23rd Ave. S and Beach Blvd. S. Residents, please bring ID or a utility bill. Exploring the Future of Gulfport Beach team members will also be present to share information about nature-based solutions for coastal resiliency and to collect community surveys as we work to learn more about residents’ concerns regarding our beach. FMI: 727.892.1092.
*Every day: Residents and visitors are invited to explore the Discover Gulfport Walking Trail, a marked and self-guided route that highlights many of the places that make Gulfport special. The trail connects parks, historic sites, public spaces, and the waterfront, offering a relaxing way to experience the city step by step. With routes ranging from a shorter neighborhood loop to a longer path through parks and along the waterfront, walkers can choose their own pace while discovering familiar landmarks and hidden corners of the community. Lace up your walking shoes and come discover Gulfport from a new perspective. Maps and trail details are available through the city of Gulfport at: www.mygulfport.us/discover
A LOOK AHEAD…
April 5: Easter Sunrise Service at the Gulfport Beach (Pavillion #6), Shore Blvd. S, 7-8am.
May 20: Gulfport Neighborhood Watch, 6-8pm, at a new location, City Hall (Council Chambers)
May 25: Memorial Day Commemoration, at Veteran’s Park, 5350 31st Ave. S, 2:30-3:30pm.
May 28: City of Gulfport Hurricane Preparedness Seminar at the Hickman Theater, 5501 27th Ave. S, 6-8pm.
By Marlene Shaw
The Geckos have started whispering…
It’s the moment each year when the community begins to ask: What will the geckos dream up this time?
The Gulfport Merchants Chamber has been preparing to reveal the theme for this year’s Gecko Ball and official artwork – the first exciting glimpse of the creativity that will shape the upcoming season of Gecko fun.
The unveiling also launches the call for candidates for the next Gecko Queen, inviting community members with imagination, enthusiasm, and a love of Gulfport’s quirky traditions to step forward and take part in one of Gulfport’s most colorful traditions.
Gulfport Galleries & Art Openings…
Brenda McMahon Gallery
First Friday art opening receptions with music, plus Third Friday art events and special events. FMI: www.brendamcmahongallery.com 727-454-0453 / Facebook
DRV Gallery
First Friday art openings with music and Third Friday art events throughout the year. FMI: www.drvgallery.com / 727-382-7004 / Facebook
First Friday Art Openings and Receptions –Catherine A. Hickman Theater (Lobby Gallery) FMI: www.mygulfport.us
Third Saturday Art Openings & Reception
Hosted by the Gulfport Merchants Chamber, 5317 Gulfport Blvd. S, 4-6pm. FMI: www.visitgulfportflorida.com
Live Music, Open Mics & Jams
Gulfport’s got rhythm! Here’s where to catch weekly open mic nights. See Gulfport Matters on Facebook for other music throughout the week:
· Mon. - North End Taphouse, 5:30-7:30pm
· Tues. - North End Taphouse, 7-10pm
· Thurs. - Gulfport Brewery, 6-9pm
· 1st & 7th - Blueberry Patch Open Mic
· 11th - Blueberry Patch Open Jam
*For more information, follow Gulfport Matters on Facebook and stay connected.
HANGING AROUND
By Caron Schwartz
Of all the familial traits I inherited – mother’s hair, father’s eyes – the shopping gene looms large. My sisters have it too. Shopping does not imply buying. It’s window shopping, chatting with strangers, petting dogs, trying on shoes you have no intention of taking home, and enjoying a little cafe life. Buying, as everyone knows, is best done online.
Recently, I had an appointment in Tampa where recreational shopping abounds. International Mall is high-end fun. Westshore Plaza, mid-range, similar to St. Pete’s Tyrone Square. I settled on Hyde Park Village; a historic neighborhood dotted with upscale shops. The narrow streets and brick storefronts remind me of the downtown of my childhood (until so-called “Urban Renewal” of the 1960s replaced the charm with a parking garage and ring road).
The windows range from the usual suspects – like Anthropology and lululemon – to the fun – like Downtown Dogs and Little Words Project – with every manner of posh beauty bar and eatery imaginable. Instead of shoes, I tried on way-out-of-myleague hats at Coastal Cowgirls Collective. The friendly stranger relaxing on a comfy chair in front of West Elm had an even friendlier dog that didn’t give me a sniff before stretching out to invite a tummy rub.
Neither of the tiny tastes of Coffee Crunch or Sea Salt Pistachio at Oddfellows Ice Cream tickled my taste buds enough for the calories. So for the requisite coffee break, I gave Capital One Cafe a try. I immediately recognized the cappuccino machines behind the counter, but “Where’s the bank?” I asked the guy who greeted me as I walked in. “This is the bank,” he said. Then I noticed his Capital One-branded polo. The banker explained the relaxed financial services concept, then I scooted down the hall to use the facilities. When I returned to order, the barista told me he had comped my beverage, a Cherry Vanilla Matcha Latte. Outside on a bench, I sipped and people watched. Now that’s my kind of bank/cafe.
ART NEWS
Stop & sniff the snapdragons at Padme Flower Farm. Mallika Nair is transforming an empty lot tucked into the Warehouse Arts District into a palette of color planted with hand-tended, organic flowers from anemones to phlox. Admire, pick, order a bouquet. www.padmeflowerfarm.com
Surreal space The Dali Museum’s major expansion will break ground this fall. Expect new galleries, learning spaces, and immersive art experiences in the $65 million, 35,000-square-foot addition. https://thedali.org
Thinking ahead
The St. Petersburg Arts Alliance offers Funding Futures, a grant program to help talented, lowincome emerging artists attend
the St. Pete arts camp of their choice. Application deadline 4/30. https://bit.ly/spaa-futures
Creative thinking camps
Have your child join the Art of Science summer camps for days of science exploration and hands-on learning. Choices include No-Tech Gamers Week, the imaginative world of video games without the need for a console! Or Keep Our Planet Green, where campers learn about recycling, environmental conservation, renewable energy, reducing waste, and protecting plants and animals.
https://bit.ly/science-summer
Hey kids, dive in to the amazing world of Tampa Bay with Estuary Quest Summer Camp. Each week there’s a different animal theme and snorkeling, science experiments, games, boat rides, eco-friendly art, and tons of exciting activities. Two fun locations: Auer Marine Education Center in Tierra Verde andt the Discovery Center on the St. Pete Pier. www.tbwdiscoverycenter.org/ summer-camp
Sew what’s new? Summer camps at Sew Pinellas offer week-long sewing and fashion design camps that are the perfect mix of skill-building, self-expression, and fun. Each camp focuses on a different theme – from fashion design and garment making to bags, costumes, and creative accessories.
https://bit.ly/sewing-camp
Hokey hockey Tampa Bay History Center presents History as a Joke: Hockey with comedians Johnny B, John J. Murray, and Matt Fernandez, pointing out the humorous side of hockey history. 4/16 @ 7pm.
https://bit.ly/joke-hockey
Let’s go Lealman! Creative Pinellas and Lealman Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) selected six artists for their annual partnership of art supporting community beauty, safety, and identity. Hanna Eriksson Patry, Paulina Casati, Charli Regel, Chris Dyer, and Nia Mitchell will create wraps for five signal boxes. Frankie G. will paint a 900-square-foot mural. Since 2019, Creative Pinellas has managed and installed 65 public art projects across Pinellas County. https://bit.ly/lealman-mural
Wite-Out like an Egyptian While studying a 3,300-yearold papyrus, curators at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, England, noticed the outline of a jackal had been
modified with a white fluid to make the animal appear thinner. Apparently, the hieroglyphics copyeditor thought the manuscript needed a correction. https://bit.ly/papyrus-fix
Gulfport’s beloved John Prine is remembered in How Lucky Can One Man Get, a documentary featuring previously unreleased footage of Prine performing and reminiscing about his roots. All proceeds from this screening benefit the Hello in There Foundation. 4/10 @ 7pm, Beach Theatre in St. Pete Beach. www.thebeachtheatre.org
Step away from the screen
A new bookstore called Pages and Perks is preparing to open at 914 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street S near Historic Roser Park. The lounge area will welcome readers of all ages, where parents can enjoy adult beverages at a six-seat bar while children spend time in a kid-friendly area. www.pagesandperks.com
My flower lady The Morean Arts Center presents State Flower Ladies, June Bunch’s transformation of 50 US state flowers into botanical ballerinas. on display thru 5/2. Opening reception 4/11, 5-8pm; gallery talk with the artist 4/23, 5:30-7pm.
www.junebunch.com/illustration
ART HEALS Suncoast Center
Inc. presents ART HEALS, an exhibit of artwork created by survivors of sexual violence, opening during the 4/11 Second Saturday Art Walk at ArtsXchange Tully-Levine Gallery. The exhibition remains open during April, Sexual Assault Awareness and Child
Never forget freeFall Theatre presents And Then They Came for Me, a multimedia play that combines videotaped interviews of Holocaust survivors Eva Schloss and Ed Silverberg, Anne Frank’s first boyfriend, and live actors recreating scenes from their lives during World War II. 4/10-5/17. www.freefalltheatre.com
Get OUT your art OUT Arts & Culture seeks submissions from LGBTQ+ artists for the ninth annual ArtOUT this June. The juried exhibition showcases visual art through an LGBTQ+ lens. Application deadline 5/15. https://bit.ly/artout-exhibit
HEAR HEAR Congress has approved an extension of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, a 2016 law that makes it easier for families to recover art stolen during the Holocaust. The original law gave heirs up to six years to file a claim once they found the artwork. The new bill limits time-based defenses, pushing more cases
to be decided on their merits rather than procedural grounds. https://bit.ly/holocaustart-recovery
Sunshine sells For more than a century, tourism has shaped St. Pete’s identity. Learn more at Wish You Were Here! on display at the St. Pete Museum of History. Through hand-tinted postcards to exotic citrus crate labels, northern visitors discovered our beaches, palm trees, and oranges. www.spmoh.com
Feelin’ groovy Join the Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement for a live concert by soul-jazz trio Groove Merchant, Phil Magallanes, Andrew Jankura, and Eric Roberts. Special guest: GRAMMY Award-winning saxophonist Kenny Anderson. 4/25 @ 7:30pm. https://my. museumaacm.org/3230/3709
Patience, Grasshopper Next time you visit the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete, the first thing you’ll see is Yvette Mayorga’s Magic Grasshopper,
By Caron Schwartz
a 30-foot-long opulent carriage drawn by carousel-style horses and loaded with 90’s nostalgia. Now thru 7/26. https://bit.ly/ magic-grasshopper
Rite of spring Art in Bloom returns to the MFA 4/16-19. This annual tradition brings together a diverse array of floral designs, based on artwork throughout the museum, created by a mix of professionals, hobbyists, and members of The Margaret Acheson Stuart Society. https://bit.ly/art-in-bloom-mfa
Muzic, muzic, muzic GCAA ArtWorks in St. Pete hosts Vernal Equinox 2026, an exhibition by Muzicianist, an interdisciplinary artist whose work merges music composition, multiinstrumentalism, and lightpainting videography. Vibe with Muzicianist as he performs during GCAA’s reception for Vernal Equinox 2026 4/11 from 5-9pm. On view 4/2-25.
Cedar’s canvas Brenda McMahon Gallery in Gulfport celebrates the latest works of award-winning painter Cedar Kindy with Kindy’s exhibit, Heaven, Earth & Gulfport, on display throughout April. Kindy will return to the gallery on 4/18 from 6-8pm for a Meet & Greet to discuss her career, her style, and what keeps her inspired as a creator. www. brendamcmahongallery.com
Sacred scroll An icon of American letters – the original 120-foot typewritten scroll of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road – sold for $12.1 million at auction, setting a record for a literary manuscript. The Beat Generation classic is a benzadrine-fueled stream-ofconsciousness recounting of the adventures of Sal Paradise (a Kerouac stand-in) and Dean Moriarty (modeled after Neal Cassady) across America. https://bit.ly/on-the-road-scroll
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
ARTISTS SPOTLIGHT
St. Petersburg: One City, Many Mediums St. Petersburg’s creative scene is booming, and two local artists – sculptor Cecilia Lueza and famous rapper Rod Wave shaped by the city’s vibrant venues – show how one Gulf Coast city can contain entire worlds of imagination.
From South St. Pete Pain to Platinum Fame
Rod Wave is a nationally known rapper and singer from St. Petersburg, whose real name is Rodarius Marcell Green. He was born and raised in St. Petersburg and first gained major attention with his emotionally raw, melodic rap single “Heart on Ice,” which went viral on YouTube and TikTok and later charted on the Billboard Hot 100. His early albums, including “Ghetto Gospel” and “Pray 4 Love,” reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and helped establish him as one of the leading voices in so-called “trap-soul” or melodic hip-hop.
Rod Wave’s early life in St. Petersburg was marked by close family ties, sudden instability, and a lot of time spent between school, church-type arts programs, and the streets. Rodarius Marcell Green wa born on August 27, 1998 (often reported as 1998 or 1999) in St. Petersburg.
He grew up around 13th Street S in the Cromwell Heights area, one of the poorest and most violent parts of St. Petersburg, in modest bungalows where extended family lived close by. His grandmothers and aunts were key figures, and his “Nana” ran Starlights Performing Arts, a local troupe for girls, reflecting how community arts and family overlapped in his upbringing.
He attended Lakewood Elementary and Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, where teachers noticed his strong voice early; he made a rap about bones in fourth
grade and was selected for Florida All-State Elementary Chorus in 2009 and 2010. As money got tighter, he started hustling and committing burglaries as a teenager, saying he was trying to help relieve the financial pressure on his mom.
He was arrested around age 15 for a break-in and had multiple run-ins with the juvenile system, which he later framed in his music as part of the “hard times” he was trying to rise above. He lost a close childhood friend, Daijha (the daughter of a family friend), to cancer when she was 17 and he was about 14, and he has said she was “the only one who understood my pain,” a theme that appears in his lyrics. The combination of his father’s incarceration, poverty, grief, and neighborhood violence gave him the raw emotional material he later poured into songs about heartbreak, trauma, and trying to escape street life.
His older half-brother first encouraged him to write songs after school, and in high school a classmate/producer helped him start recording in makeshift setups, including in a Lakewood High classroom.
A friend gave him the name “Rod Wave,” and by 17 he was performing in local strip clubs and dropping early mixtapes like “Hunger Games Vol. 1,” while still living in or just outside the same south St. Pete neighborhoods he raps about.
Many songs revolve around leaving his hometown to chase success while feeling pulled back by memories, guilt, and responsibility to people still in St. Petersburg. That tension produces recurring themes of loneliness on the road, survivor’s remorse, and a desire to show his city that escape is possible without glorifying the streets he came from www.official-rodwave.com
Cecilia Lueza: Sculpting the Movement of Water
Walk into downtown and you might meet St. Pete’s story in steel and color before you ever talk to a single person – that story often belongs to sculptor Cecilia Lueza.
By Andrea Martone
Known for large-scale public works inspired by nature, light, and motion, Lueza’s newest commission is a waterfront-inspired sculpture greeting residents and guests at the 42-story Art House condominium tower on First Avenue S. Rising like a spiral of blue, the work captures the rolling energy of the Gulf, translating waves into a sweeping vertical form that seems to move even when the air is still.
Lueza, who came to Florida from Argentina more than two decades ago, has quietly become one of the visual anchors of the city’s streetscape. Her mural “The Blue Hour,” created during the SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival, turns an ordinary surface into a meditation on the moment when day gives way to night, mirroring the transitions and tensions she explores in three dimensions. In both sculpture and mural, she leans into saturated color and fluid geometry, inviting passersby to think about space, movement, and the thin line where land meets sea.
Her work suits a city that has built a reputation as an open-air gallery. St. Petersburg’s embrace of public art means Lueza’s pieces are not tucked away in quiet corners but placed directly in the paths of commuters, dog-walkers, and evening strollers. The result is that her sculptures are less like monuments and more like neighbors – part of the daily rhythm, part of the way locals navigate their own stories against a coastline in constant, shimmering motion. www.lueza.com
Venues are listed, alphabetically clubs within category, in the following sequence of categories. Each listing includes address and web link, if available. Most web links are active when you are online at www.paradisenewsfl.com 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
THRIFT SHOPS
SPIRITUAL
ZOOS/AQUARIUMS
VOLUNTEERING
YOGA
Listings for the following categories can be viewed online at www.paradisenewsfl.com
CLUBS – SERVICE/SOCIAL CLUBS – ATHLETIC
(Events are subject to change. Please visit website or call to confirm.)
Local chapter of National Society of Decorative Painters
727-244-4321
www.hpdafl.com
Morean Arts Center
719 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-822-7872
www.moreanartscenter.org
Contemporary art gallery. Art classes year-round.
4/3-5/2 – June Bunch: State Flower Ladies
4/11-5/29 – Pinellas County Center for the Arts Senior Show
4/11-6/25 – Emerging Artists in Florida Exhibition (Part 2)
Morean Center for Clay
420 22nd St. S, St. Pete 727-821-7162 ext 2311
www.moreanartscenter.org
Largest pottery studio in the Southeast 4/11-5/2 – Alexia Benavent: De aquí, De allá - Connecting with Home 4/11-5/2 – Jenny Day: Happy Birthday Stinky!
Morean Glass Studio
714 First Ave. N, St. Pete 727-822-7872
www.moreanartscenter.org
Studio hours 12-5pm, daily demonstrations. Classes available.
Muddy Potter Art & Clay Studio
1140 Main St. #5 Dunedin 813-476-2836 www.muddypotter.info Classes, open studio
Painting with A Twist 5625 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park www.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
7770 52nd. St. N, Pinellas Park
Classes, workshops, open studio
727-331-5558
Meets third Saturdays, 11am-noon www.pinellasparkartsociety.org
Arts & Leisure
Saint Paint Arts
Artist/muralist Derek Donnelly 727-342-2593
Studios @ 5663
5663 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park 727-313-2250
Art gallery, event space First Saturday Art Party www.studios5663.com
Suntan Art Center
411 19th St. S, St. Pete www suntanart.org
Classes, Art Mart every weekend 727-367-3818
Swartz Art Gallery
5609 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park 727- 421-0553
www.claytonswartz.com
Metal sculpture
The Clay Co-Op 2724 Sixth Ave. S, St. Pete 727-321-2071
www.claycoopstpete.com
Classes, workshops, kiln firing
The Hive Community Clay 2200 22nd Ave. S, St. Pete 727-290-6515
www.thehivecommunityclay.com
Classes, open studio, pottery, jewelry sales
Treasure Island Art Guild
154 106th Ave., Treasure Island, www.treasureislandartguild.org
Weekly classes, workshops, open studio at various venues. Monthly meetings with show, awards, demonstrations. Questions to: theartguild.board@gmail.com
Veterans Art Center
6798 Crosswinds Drive N, St. Pete 813-504-3092
www.vactb.org
Using alternative therapies through art
Through 4/30 – “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” exhibit (Ybor City)
Zen Glass Studio & Gallery
600 27th St. S, St. Pete 727-323-3141 www.zenglass.com
Classes and workshops.
ART GALLERIES
Art at 400 Studios
400 23rd St. S, St. Pete www.art-at-400.com
Where local artists go to work. By appointment, Art Walk
ARTicles Fine Art Services
Leslie Curran Gallery
1234 Dr. MLK Jr St. N, St. Pete 727-898-6061 www.articlesstpete.com
Artists of Elements
2638 Sixth Ave. S, St. Pete 727-420-7438 www.artistsofelements.com
Hosts exhibitions, performances, and workshops By appointment or Art Walk
ArtLofts
Florida CraftArt Gallery (second floor)
10 Fifth St. N, St. Pete 727-504-8788 www.theartlofts.com
Open to the public every second Saturday 5-9pm and then by appointment, or by chance.
ARTpool Gallery
2030 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-324-3878 www.artpoolrules.com Open Wed.-Sun., noon-5pm
ArtsXchange
515 22nd St. S, St. Pete Open Fri.-Sat., 11am-5pm www.warehouseartsdistrict.org 4/11-5/9 – Member Show: Signs of Hope
Atelier de SoSi
2380 Sixth Ave. S, St. Pete 727-370-4192 Tues-Thurs 1-5pm www.atelierdesosi.com
Brenda McMahon Gallery
2901 Beach Blvd. S #104 Gulfport 518-692-7742 www.brendamcmahongallery.com
Buddy Baker | Events, Arts & Leisure Coordinator
ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS
Scan the QR code for all event listings to take with you or online at paradisenewsfl.com/april-2026
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
Saturday & Sunday • 7am-1pm Pinellas Farmers & Flea Bazaar, Win Derby, 10490 Gandy Blvd., St. Pete
2nd Saturday • 8:30am, Beach Cleanup, Suncoast Sailing, 11165 Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island • 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. 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
CONTINUING
Through 4/19 – Alberto Giacometti & Salvador Dalí: Through and Beyond Surrealism
$12-$32/under 5 free, 10am-6pm, Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd., St. Pete. The exhibition features a rich selection of works by Alberto Giacometti, drawn from the collections of Fondation Giacometti. These are displayed alongside works by Salvador Dalí from The Dalí Museum’s collection. Together, they illuminate the surprising similarities in the artists’ visions, despite their distinct stylistic approaches. www.thedali.org/visit/buy-tickets
Chihuly Collection 720 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-822-7872 ext 5102 www.moreanartscenter.org Pre-purchase of tickets recommended Admission includes a live glass demonstration at Morean Glass Studio. Through 7/19 – Emerging Artists in Florida Exhibition (Part One)
Big Cypress Gallery 52388 Tamiami Trail E, Ochopee 239-695-2428
Cobb Gallery
Eckerd College, Library Circle, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete www.eckerd.edu/visualarts/program Senior Thesis Exhibitions 4/12-17 – Anne Katherine Hobak 4/26-5/1 – Nyla Muskovin The 55th Annual Sophomore Show Visual Arts Portfolio Exhibition 4/5-10 – Part II Arts Students Showcase 4/19-24 Visual and Interdisciplinary Arts The Eckerd Review 5/3-13 – Works Selected for Publication
Craftsman House
2955 Central Ave., St. Pete www.craftsmanhousegallery.com Gallery-Café-Pottery Studio
Creative Clay Cultural Arts Center 1846 First Ave. S, St. Pete 727-825-0515 www.creativeclay.org Ongoing studio and performing arts opportunities for individuals with disabilities. 4/11 – Art Walk 5/1 – First Friday Art Market 5/9 – Art Walk
St. Petersburg College, 2464 Drew St., Clearwater Open Mon-Thurs: 9am-5pm; Fri: 9am-2pm
D Gallerie
1234 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N, Unit C, St. Pete www.d-gallerie.com
DRV Fine Art Studios & Gallery
5401 Gulfport Blvd. S, Gulfport www.drvgallery.com 4/18 – Gulfport in the House featuring DRV Gallery Artists
Duncan McClellan Gallery 2342 Emerson Ave. S, St. Pete 813-760-6600 www.dmglass.com
4/6-5/2 – Eli Cecil Solo Exhibition 4/12 – Artist Lecture and Hot Glass Demonstration with Eli Cecil
Dunedin Fine Art Center 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin 727-298-3322 www.dfac.org Through 5/3 – SMF ’26 (Students, Members, Faculty) exhibitions
Ekeko Gallery 2620 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-685-5577 Facebook
Five Deuces Galleria 2101 & 2135 Third Ave. S, #5, St. Pete 813-489-9741 Open by appointment & Art Walk Facebook
Florida CraftArt Gallery 501 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-821-7391 www.floridacraftart.org
Sat. Mural Walk/Bike tours Through 4/22 – The Makers Who Made Us
FloridaRAMA
2606 Fairfield Ave. S, St. Pete Immersive art experience and events venue www.floridarama.art 4/24 – A One in a Million Pajama Party
Gulf Coast Artists Alliance
St. Pete ArtWorks, 5546 First Ave. N St. Pete
727-738-8010
www.gcaa-fl.org
Art gallery, art classes and meeting place for artists
4/19 – GCAA Networking Meet-up for Artists
Heiress
2622 Fairfield Ave S, Bldg. 7,
Studio A, St. Pete www.heiressgallery.com
Contemporary gallery and art advisory
Luis Sottil Studios
400 Beach Drive NE, Suite 150, St. Pete 727-220-1567
Facebook
Mirella Cimato Art Gallery
2145 First Ave. S, St. Pete (inside St. Petersburg Opera) 727-543-9190
Facebook
Nielsen Center for Visual Arts
Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete 800-454-9009
www.eckerd.edu/visualarts/program
Senior Thesis Exhibitions
4/5-10 – Myles Roven
4/12-17 – Leo Dutkewych, Pearse Gorman
4/19-24 – Grace Adler, Dante Bouchard
4/26-5/1 – Tida Bagby, Lele Colon, Jessie Lotze
5/3-8 – Aidan Drummond, Kinga Michalska
Red Cloud Indian Arts
214 Beach Dr. NE, St. Pete 727-821-5824
www.redcloudindianarts.com
Representing authentic Native American arts.
Soft Water Gallery
515 22nd St. S, St. Pete
727-327-3473
www.softwatergallery.com
Through 4/5 – A Lifetime Plus Half an Hour: Watercolors by Carol Carter
Through 5/17 – On a Knife’s Edge: Florida’s Beauty in Peril
Stirling Art Studios & Gallery
730 Broadway (second floor)
Studio 12, Dunedin
Facebook
Open Thurs-Sun 11am-3pm,
Second Saturdays #4 place to visit in Dunedin
–Trip Advisor
4/11 – Reception for “Traces, Spaces and Faces” w/ Fran Failla & Markissia Touliatos
5/9 – Reception for “Animal House”
The Domingo Studio
2620 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport 727-821-2315
Facebook
The Werk Art Gallery & Object Lab
2210 First Ave. S., St. Pete 727-289-8685 www.thewerk.gallery
Uniquely Original Art Studio
915 24th St. S, St. Pete 727-239-3696 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
www.fineartamerica.com/art/ vince+anthony
Wild Space Gallery
2606 Fairfield Ave. S, St. Pete, Bldg. 7
www.floridawildlifecorridor.org/wildspace-gallery Open Wed-Sat 2-6pm, until 9pm on Art Walk
ARTS PERFORMING
American Stage
Raymond James Theatre
163 Third St. N, St. Pete 727-823-7529
www.americanstage.org Through 4/26 – Into The Woods (Demens Landing Park)
Asolo Repertory Theatre
5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 800-361-8388 www.asolorep.org
4/14-5/24 – Fiddler on the Roof 5/6-31 – Marie and Rosetta
Benchmark International Arena 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa 813-301-2500
www.benchmarkintlarena.com
4/8 – Billy Strings
4/10 – Gabriel Iglesias 4/11 – Eric Church & Ashley McBryde
ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS
Through 4/25 – I Will… Word + Image 2025-2026
Free, Morean Art Center, 719 Central Ave., St. Pete. Each year, local students are challenged to create works of art based on a particular theme, and to incorporate a written statement within the piece. This year’s theme I WILL… is the students’ “projection” of their future possibilities and imagination of what awaits them, what their potential roles could be in the real world, and how they might prepare to make a difference. The work is exhibited by grade level. Submissions by high school students were exhibited in November. The remaining schedule is: Through 4/25 – Elementary School Exhibition (N-W)
Through 4/30 – Where Have All the Flowers Gone exhibit
4/12 – B2K, Bow Wow, Waka Flocka Flame & Jeremih
4/18 – Peso Pluma
4/26 – Romeo Santos & Prince Royce
4/28 – Florence & The Machine
5/8 – Kid Cudi
5/9 – WWE Backlash
5/15 – Journey
Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
405 Cleveland St., Clearwater 727-791-7400
www.rutheckerdhall.com
Central Park
Performing Arts Center
105 Central Park Dr., Largo 727-587-6793
www.largoarts.com
4/11 – PlayCon 2026: Gaming & Comic Convention
4/18-19 – Cinderella
5/1-10 – Crazy for You
5/14 – Vintage Vinyl Live: Boston – 1976 Boston Album
Free, Marcolina Gallery, 1517 E Seventh Ave. Suite B, Tampa (Historic Ybor City). The Veterans Art Center Tampa Bay, in partnership with Marcolina Gallery, will present an exhibition featuring the work of Vietnam veteran Ray Lawler, headlined by his monumental 13-foot-6-inch masterpiece, “Where Have all the Flowers Gone.” A visual interpretation of the classic anti-war song, the work spans six fully integrated canvas panels, serving as a timeline of human conflict and the propaganda that fuels it. Reception 4/24, 6-9pm. Open by appointment, email info@marcolinas.com. RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/3wrwthpy UPCOMING
4/16 – Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
4/17 – Eric Johnson
4/18 – Saigon Kick
4/20 – The Rush Tribute Project
4/21 – Alyssa Edwards
4/22 – Graham Nash
4/24 – Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra
4/25 – Justin Hayward
5/2 – 6 Guitars
5/6 – Devon Allman’s Blues Summit
5/7 – 10,000 Maniacs
4/10 & 24 – St. Pete Beach Spring Concert Series
Free, 7-9pm, Horan Park, 7701 Boca Ciega Drive. Enjoy a familyfriendly atmosphere while listening to crowd-favorite hits performed by talented live bands. St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue will be on-site serving hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill. Beer and wine will be available for purchase with donations benefiting the Suntan Art Center and the Veterans of South Pinellas. Free parking; bring lawn chairs or blankets.
• 4/10 – Smooth D and the Boyz
• 4/24 – Beside Myself – Elton John and Billy Joel Tribute Band
5/8 – Heroes Off Duty Comedy Tour
5/9 – Killer Queen: Tribute to Queen
5/15 – Ruslan KD
Bininger Theater for Performing Arts
Eckerd College, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete 727-867-1166
www.eckerd.edu/theatre
4/8-11 – The Wolves, written by Sarah DeLappe, directed by Gavin Hawk
4/22-25 – Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare, directed by Grace DeClerk
4/6 – New Horizons Flute Choir & Jazz Band Concert
4/11 – Spring Fever: A Broadway Cabaret Celebration
4/12– New Horizons Concert Band: Spring Concert
4/18 – Tom Petty Tribute Band
5/1 – Art Reception & Exhibit
5/2 – Comedy & Magic Night w/ Erick Olson & Dan Sperry
5/9 – Performing Arts
Early Bird Dinner Theater 13355 49th St. N, Clearwater 727-446-5898
www.earlybirddinnertheater.com/site Through 4/12 – Baggage, by Sam Bobrick
4/25-6/7 – Becky’s New Car, by Steven Dietz
Eckerd College International Film Series
Free, 7pm, Miller Auditorium, 4200 54th Ave. S, St. Pete 727-867-1166
www.eckerd.edu/ international-cinema
4/10 – Natchez (U.S.)
4/17 – The President’s Cake (Iraq, Qatar, U.S.)
4/24 – The Mastermind (U.S.)
5/1 – Father Mother Sister Brother (U.S., Ireland, France, Italy, Japan)
Eight O’Clock Theatre
105 Central Park Drive, Largo 727-587-6793
www.eightoclocktheatre.com
5/1-10 – Crazy for You
Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill
1320 Central Ave., St. Pete
www.fergsevents.com 5/14 – Foghat and Nazareth
Floridian Social 687 Central Ave., St. Pete
727-322-4600
www.thefloridiansocial.com
A private 21+ venue
Francis Wilson Playhouse
302 Seminole St., Clearwater 727-446-1360
www.franciswilsonplayhouse.org
4/4-5 – Hooray for Hollywood: Concert Fundraiser 4/30-5/17 –Grease
MUSIC SCENE
HIGH NOTES Arenas, Lasky & Nash performed brilliantly around town and the Suncoast Jazz Festival, giving Burt Bacharach’s songbook a stellar and sultry new coat of paint. Now pianist Simon Lasky, bassist Alejandro Arenas & vocalist Allison Nash are working on recording their debut album “The Bacharach Book” with special guests including Mark Feinman & Patrick Bettison. Catch Simon Friday nights in his residency at the lobby bar in The Birchwood Hotel and for Sunday brunch at Circo Italian Kitchen.
From Serbia With Love Do you like Jimi Hendrix? Then you will love Milovan Dudic, also known as Power Jimi, a blues guitarist, composer, producer and multiinstrumentalist originally from Serbia who now calls Paradise in Florida home. His journey with blues music began at the age of fourteen, playing guitar on the streets of his Serbian hometown. A year later I founded The Petting Blues Band, where he was bandleader, composer, arranger, producer and manager. The band quickly moved from local clubs to festival stages, building a strong reputation while performing American blues and roots music throughout Europe.
Says Power Jimi: “At the same time I had the opportunity to perform alongside one of the most influential rock bands in the former Yugoslavia, YU Grupa, as well as collaborate with legendary keyboardist and organist Tihomir “Pop” Asanović, widely recognized for his work with artists such as Frank Zappa and Ray Charles. Over the course of my career my discography has
grown to more than twenty album releases. In addition to performing, I have composed, arranged and produced numerous recordings both for my own projects and for other artists. In Serbia I was also granted the official status of an independent artist, a professional recognition awarded for contributions to the country’s cultural scene.”
His most recent album, Kontinenti, which he composed, recorded and produced, brings together musicians from the United States and Serbia. The project connects American roots music traditions with Serbian poetic heritage, creating a unique cross-cultural musical dialogue. “After moving to the United States I quickly began collaborating with respected blues artists, including veteran musician Sarasota Slim, and have continued performing and recording while carrying forward the American blues tradition that shaped my musical identity from the very beginning,” says Power Jimi, who regularly plays around Pinellas County and has appeared on the Florida Folk Show and with Sarasota Slim at Sanding Ovations. Power Jimi plays every Monday at Ka’Tiki with Sarasota Slim and Kid Royal. Follow him on social https://bit.ly/4dvwhLF
WOMEN OF JAZZ On April 19 @ 4pm, the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association will celebrate the rich and lasting contributions women have made to our history and culture at The Palladium. Valerie Gillespie leading this year’s Women of Jazz XIX concert, featuring an exceptional ensemble of artists including Judi
Glover on piano, Holly Cordero on bass, Jean Bolduc on drums, and Valerie Gillespie on saxophone and vocals. Vocalists Belinda Womack, Theo Valentin, and Allison Nash will take the lead in sharing their powerful talents throughout the evening. This year, Women of Jazz proudly honors Rose Bilal and presents a dynamic program of instrumental and vocal jazz composed or made famous by women as well as the Young Women of Jazz Youth Group.
AMERICA 250 @ The Palladium
July 1 the celebration continues from the St. Petersburg Museum of History to libraries and historical societies around the county. On July 8, Heritage Village will host a festive reading of the Declaration of Independence with Americana delights, from ice cream to old fashioned music; stay tuned for more about this. The Palladium is also lighting up the skies with an incredible concert that is sure to sell out.
Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with a spectacular evening of music that spans the nation’s history. America 250: Together in Harmony is a vibrant big band concert featuring acclaimed vocalist Allyson Briggs and bandleader Dan Gabel with a thrilling 18-piece orchestra, bringing the All-American big band tradition to life. Presented as St. Petersburg College’s official America 250 celebration, this special event takes audiences on a musical journey through the sounds that helped shape the American story. From early patriotic melodies of the 1700s to the swing era that energized the nation during World War II, the program explores how music has reflected, and united, generations of Americans. Through beloved standards and rediscovered classics, Briggs and Gabel highlight the composers, performers, and cultural moments that defined American music. Selections span more than two centuries and include favorites such as “Yankee Doodle,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Over There,” “We’ll Meet Again,” “God Bless America,” and “Sentimental Journey.” Bringing together two artists devoted to preserving the golden age of American music, this unforgettable evening blends dazzling big band energy with a rich sense of history, celebrating the spirit, resilience, and harmony of America through song.
ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS
4/11-6/25 – Fresh Squeezed 10: Emerging Artists in Florida
Free, Morean Arts Center, 719 Central Ave. Now in its 10th year, the exhibition nurtures and advances the careers of emerging visual artists while also giving our community the opportunity to discover exciting new art being made in our region. The exhibition has been extended to feature two additional artists in the Chihuly Collection special exhibition space. Opening reception for the Chihuly artists is also 4/11, 5-8pm, and is on display through 7/19 Participating artists are Alberto Alonso of Winter Haven, Ysabel Flores of Tallahassee, Angelina Palmisano of Maitland, Clancy Riehm of Largo, Jamie Rodriguez of West Palm Beach, Kimberly Vorperian of St. Petersburg, Gwen Mehler of Fleming Island, and Gillian Probert of St. Petersburg. Sponsored by The Gobioff Foundation and Lisa and Perry Everett.
4/11-5/29 – Pinellas County Center for the Arts Senior Show
Free, 10am-5pm, Mon.-Sat., The Morean Center for the Arts, 719 Central Ave., St. Pete. The work of three seniors in the Pinellas County Center for the Arts program at Gibbs High School will be highlighted. Seniors in the visual art department must develop a cohesive body of work that describes an in-depth exploration of a particular artistic concern or visual idea. The three students chosen are given their own solo shows on the following dates: Finn Reddick, 4/11-23; Aiden Evans, 4/25-5/7; and Khloe Temple, 5/9-29.
4/14 – Live Music Night: Afro Opera
$10 (included w/admission), 5:30-7:30pm, James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, 150 Central Ave. Maiya Stevenson, founder of Afro Opera Productions, voices the soul of her heritage through opera and classical arrangements. Space is limited; advance registration recommended. Register: https://tinyurl.com/38jum5uz
4/17-18 – Breakaway Music Festival
$119 and up/$225 two-day ticket, Raymond James Stadium North Grounds, Tampa. Breakaway, the largest national touring festival, brings two dozen globally recognized artists to this two-day 18-plus celebration.. Tickets: www.breakawayfestival.com/festival/tampa-2026
freeFall Theatre Company
6099 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-498-5205
www.freefalltheatre.com 4/10-5/17 – And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank 4/30 – Film: To Be or Not to Be (1942)
5/10 – Mama I’m Coming Home
Green Light Cinema
221 Second Ave. N. St. Pete 508-816-8968
www.greenlightstpete.com
80-seat art house theater
4/3-9 – Fantasy Life (2025)(R)
4/11 – Hell on Heels: Rocky Horror (Live)
4/15 – Our City, Our Airport 4/16 – Sorcerer (R) 4/17-23 – The Christophers (R)
Gulfport Casino
5500 Shore Blvd. S, Gulfport 813-840-3715
Weekly dancing/instruction Closed until further notice.
Gulfport Community Players Back Door Theater 1619 49th St. S, Gulfport 727-322-0316 www.gulfportcommunityplayers.org
Jannus Live
200 First Ave. N, St. Pete 727-565-0550 www.jannuslive.com
4/23 – Zoso: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience (all ages)
4/24 – Elysian Space Dust IPA presents Nu-Metal Mayhem (21+)
4/25 – Ramirez (all ages)
4/28 – The Maine (all ages)
5/1 – G-Space & Patches (all ages)
5/2 – Purity Ring (all ages)
5/7 – Aaron Hibell (all ages)
5/8 – Soulja Boy (all ages)
5/10 – Exodus w/ Biohazard (all ages)
5/15 – Cold & Alien Ant Farm (all ages)
LAB Theater Project
812 E. Henderson Ave., Tampa 813-586-4272
www.labtheaterproject.com
Produces only works from emerging playwrights.
4/16-5/3 – X ≠ X, by Steven Patrick
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
www.madtheatre.com
Manatee Performing Arts Center
502 Third Ave. W, Bradenton 941-748-5875
www.manateeperforming artscenter.com
4/7 – The Elvis Presley Experience 4/9-26 – And Then There were None 4/23-5/10 – Big Fish 4/25 – Alice in Wonderland Jr. Show
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Florida State Fairgrounds
4802 US Hwy. 301 N, Tampa 813-740-2446
tinyurl.com/52rmv4ex
Music4Life Living Arts Center 1204 Rogers St., Clearwater All tickets advance sale only www.wileyhouseconcerts.org
4/11 – Carl Wockner 4/18 – Bunco! 4/25 – Telephone Tag
New Tampa Performing Arts Center
8550 Hunters Village Road, Tampa 813-829-2760
www.newtampaartscenter.org
4/11-12 – Tampa City Ballet presents Emerging & Resident Artists
4/14 – New Tampa Piano &. Pedagogy Academy’s All-Faculty Chamber Music Festival
4/15 – The Feisty Flamingos (TYA) 4/19 – Moonflower: The Spirit of Santana
4/25 – New Tampa Jazz Nights: Jazz Guitarist Dave Stryker 4/26 – New Tampa Unplugged: Lisa Casalino
5/2-3 – Tampa Repertory Theatre presents Every Brilliant Thing
5/4 – Tampa Bay Symphony: Fate and Fantasies
5/10 – Spheres Bubble Show presents Orbs
5/14 – Kuumba Dancers & Drummers (TYA)
Patel Conservatory
1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, Dance / Theater / Music / Adult Classes 813-229-7827 www.strazcenter.org/ patel-conservatory
4/23-26 – High School Musical Jr.
4/28 – Spring Music Spectacular
5/1 – Patel Theater Ensemble Showcase
5/2 – Beginning Dance 1 Recital
5/2 – Spring Into Dance
5/2 – Breakin’ Out
5/9 – Spring Jazz Jam
Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center
4951 78th Ave. N, Pinellas Park 727-369-5746 https://tinyurl.com/mv2d99dj
4/25 – Greggy and the Jets: Elton John Tribute
5/9 – Tribute to the Disco Era starring Disco 54
Raymond James Stadium 4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa 813-350-6500 www.raymondjamesstadium.com
4/17-18 – Breakaway Music Festival
4/25-28 – BTS World Tour “Arirang”
Riverwalk Tampa www.thetampariverwalk.com Latin Thursdays
Second Sundays – 11am-3pm: Market + Art Walk, Armature Works 5/1-2 – Riverfest
Ruth Eckerd Hall 1111 N McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater 727-791-7400 www.rutheckerdhall.com
4/1-5 – Moulin Rouge! The Musical
4/9 – Leonid & Friends
4/10 – Santana
4/12 – TFO: Beethoven’s Symphony No 7
4/15 – TFO: Femme Fatale
4/17 – Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers
4/19 – UB40 feat. Ali Campbell
4/24 – Jeff Foxworthy
4/25 – Alton Brown
5/1-2 – Brit Floyd
5/3 – TFO:
Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2
5/6 – TFO: Czech It Out
Safety Harbor Art & Music Center
706 Second St. N, Safety Harbor 727-725-4018
www.safetyharborart andmusiccenter.com
4/9 – Curtis Salgado
4/17 – Bob Schneider
4/18 – North of Argyll
4/24 – Rory Block
4/26 – Damon Fowler
5/1 – Will Johns
5/2 – Seth Walker
Seminole Hard Rock
Event Center
5223 Orient Rd., Tampa 813-627-6649
www.seminolehardrocktampa.com
All 21+ events unless noted
4/19 – Breakaway Recovery Party feat. CamelPhat
4/21 – Maren Morris 4/22 – Boys Like Girls
Skipper’s Smokehouse
910 Skipper Rd., Tampa 813-971-0666
www.skipperssmokehouse.com
4/18 – American Aquarium
4/25 – North Mississippi All Stars
Sparkman Wharf
615 Channelside Drive, Tampa www.sparkmanwharf.com
St. Petersburg City Theatre
4025 31st St. S, 727-866-1973
www.spcitytheatre.org
Through 4/5 – The Prince of Egypt: The Musical
Stageworks Theater
1120 E Kennedy Blvd., West Bldg., #151, Tampa 813-374-2416
www.stageworkstheatre.org
4/17-5/3 – The Meeting
4/26 – The Light Bringer
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa 813-229-7827
www.strazcenter.org
4/5 – Easter Brunch
4/6 – Urgant Live
4/9-5/31 – The Magician’s Table
4/10 – TFO:
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7
4/11 Demetri Martin
4/15 – Open Rehearsal: Macbeth
4/18 – TASTE of Straz Center
4/22 – Forever K-Pop
4/23-26 – High School Musical Jr.
(Patel Conservatory)
4/23 – Chris Tucker
4/24 & 26 – The Thorn
4/24 – Arts Legacy Remix
4/24 – Opera Tampa: Macbeth (w/TFO)
4/28 – Spring Music Spectacular
4/28-5/3 – Stereophonic
5/1 – Patel Theater Ensemble Showcase
5/1 – TFO: Sibelius Symphony No. 2
5/2 – Beginning Dance 1 Recital
5/2 – Spring Into Dance
5/2 – Breakin’ Out
5/3 – Jess Hilarious
5/6-31 – Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
5/9 –Spring Jazz Jam
5/9-10 – Next Generation’s Ballet’s Coppella
5/10 – Mother’s Day Brunch
5/10 – Leoni Torres
5/12 – Tampa Bay Symphony: Fate and Fantasies
5/12-17 – Six 5/15 – TFO: Brahms’ Symphony No. 4
Studio Grand Central 2260 First Ave. S, St. Pete 727-202-7019 www.theoffcentral.com 4/9-19 – Ripcord
Sunshine City Comedy Club 5501 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach 727-435-0327 www.sunshinecitycomedyclub.com
Tampa Theatre 711 N Franklin St. Tampa www.tampatheatre.org 813-274-8286
One of America’s most elaborate movie palaces Films
4/29 & 5/3 – Power to the People: John & Yoko Live
Tarpon Springs Cultural Center 101 S Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs 727-942-5605 www.tarponarts.org 4/10-19 – Boeing, Boeing
Tarpon Springs Performing Arts Center 324 Pine St., Tarpon Springs 727-942-5605 www.tarponarts.org
5/2 – Turnstiles: The Ultimate Tribute to the Music of Billy Joel 5/15 – Six One Five Collective
The Baycare Sound Coachman Park 301 Drew St., Clearwater
727-791-7400
www.rutheckerdhall.com
4/11 – Dwight Yoakum
4/17 – Goose
4/18 – Foreigner
4/24 – Satchvai Band feat. Joe Satriani & Steve Vai
4/30 – Alabama Shakes
5/13 – Bush
The Beach Theatre 315 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach Built in 1940 and restored in 202425, now a classic movie theatre and live entertainment venue www.thebeachtheatre.org
727-340-2866
4/5-6 – Conclave
4/10 – John Prine: How Lucky Can One Man Get (documentary) 4/20 – The Green Flash
The Mahaffey Theater
400 First St. S, St. Pete 727-300-2000 www.themahaffey.com
4/4 – Ali Wong
4/6-7 – The Lightning Thief TYA Edition
4/8 – Blessd 4/11 – TFO: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 4/15 – Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive The Bus 4/16 – TFO presents Femme Fatale 4/18 – Bugs Bunny at the Symphony 4/23 – Theresa Caputo Live 4/26 – Penn & Teller
5/9 – Killers of Kill Tony 5/10 – One Night of Queen 5/13 – Luka Sulic
The Palladium
253 Fifth Ave. N, St. Pete 727-822-3590 www.mypalladium.org 4/9 – Tampa Bay Blues Fest Kickoff w/ GA-20 & Jackie Venson 4/11 – Gulf Coast Ballet Theater presents Cinderella 4/15 – Palladium Chamber Series: Schubert, Shostakovich & Mendelssohn
4/17 – Road to Nowhere 4/18 – The Moody Blues Go Now! 4/19 – Women of Jazz XIX
4/23 – Diego Figueredo
4/24 – Steelin’ Peaches: Allman Brothers Revue
4/29 – Love & Bossa Nova: Daniela Soledade & Nate Najar 4/30 – Sit Down for Stand Up! Live Comedy Show
ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS
4/23-25 –Bucs Beach Bash at Tradewinds Island Resort
Whether you’re here for the football, the drinks, or just a great time, this is one beach bash you don’t want to miss. Watch the first round of NFL draft picks on 4/24; the big event is 4/25 with live concerts, a Bucs activity zone, a cornhole tournament and a Tailgate Fest. Room packages are available; purchase a one-day ticket for 4/25 activities: details at https://tinyurl.com/urf4yyh2
4/25-26 – Green Thumb Festival
Free, 9am-4pm, Walter Fuller Park, 7891 26th Ave. N, St. Pete. St. Petersburg’s annual Arbor Day celebration brings together more than 120 garden, plant and flower vendors and exhibitors for a fun family weekend. Parking is available at Azalea Middle School, Azalea Youth Soccer League, and behind Walter Fuller Recreation Center. Handicap parking is located at the Walter Fuller Recreation Center’s main parking lot and the Walter Fuller Pool parking lot.
4/30-5/3 – Sunscreen Film Festival
$15 (single film)/four-day passes start at $100. Mix and mingle with filmmakers, actors, writers, producers, and celebrities in an open and relaxed atmosphere. There’s films documentary and narrative, short films, anime and international, workshops and noted speakers. Movies will be shown at Sundial AMC 12 Theatres, 153 Second Ave. N, and Greenlight Cinema and Lounge, 221 Second Ave. N, St. Pete. Tickets and more info at https://tinyurl.com/ycxfyn6n
4/30-5/2 – Spring King of the Beach Fishing Tournament
$250/$350 per team, Madeira Beach Recreation Complex, 200 Rex Place Madeira Beach. 4/30: Captains Meeting & Registration, Team Check-in, 5/1: Kids Fishing Slam and Community Party; 5/2: Tournament Fishing & Weigh-in & Crown The Fall KING. Registration: https://tinyurl.com/5ehez3u3
5/2-3 – Academy of Ballet Arts Spring Show
5/7-8 – Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story
5/10 – Tampa Bay Symphony Spring 2026: Fate & Fantasies
5/11 – Kings Kaleidoscope w/ Hollyn 5/14 – Sit Down for Stand Up! Live Comedy Show
The Studio@620 620 First Ave. S, St. Pete 727-895-6620
www.thestudioat620.org 4/16-26 – A Streetcar Named Desire
USF Yuengling Center 12499 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa 813-974-3111
www.yuenglingcenter.com
4/18 – October London
5/1 – The Kid Lardi
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall 777 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota 941-953-3368
www.vanwezel.org
4/9 – Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Hollywood
4/10-11 – The Music Man 4/14-15 – Mrs. Doubtfire 4/17-19 – Masterworks: Bernstein and Mahler 4/22 – The Naked Magicians 4/24-25 – Pops: Bond and Beyond 4/26 – Elmo’s Got the Moves 5/1 – America
5/2 – Jerry Seinfeld
5/8 – Almost Eagles 5/9 – Herby Hancock
West Coast Players 21905 US 19 N, Clearwater 727-437-2363
www.wcplayers.com
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe 1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota 941-366-1505
www.westcoastblacktheatre.org 4/8-5-17 – Lies, Spells, and Old Wives Tales 4/16 – 2002 April Fete: Boogie Wonderland 5/13-24 – Confederates
Zubrick Magic Theatre 1211 First Ave N, Suite 101, St. Pete. Thur.-Sat. 7pm; Sun. 2pm 866-ZUBRICK (866-982-7425) www.zubrickmagic.com
MUSEUMS
Florida Holocaust Museum
55 Fifth St. S, St. Pete 727-820-0100
www.flholocaustmuseum.org
Exhibiting Thor, a Danish fishing vessel used in the 1943 rescue of more than 7,000 Jews.
Through 5/31 – The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacationland
Through 9/26 – I Say the World Should See Them: 80 Years Since Liberation 4/12 – And They Came for me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank 4/14 – Yom HaShoah 2026: Holocaust Remembrance Day
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
1630 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City, Tampa 813-221-2222
www.fmopa.org
Through 4/26 – Beth Belaschky: Echoes of the Luminous 4/9-7/19 – Cigars! Photography, Industry, and Identity in Ybor City
Children’s Museum
110 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa 813-443-3851
www.glazermuseum.org
Created specifically for children 10 and under.
Home of Big John, the world’s largest fossil Triceratops
Great Explorations
Children’s Museum
1925 Fourth St. N, St. Pete 727-821-8992 www.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.
4/10 – A Night at the Brewseum 5/3 – Mommy and Me
Princess Tea Party
Gulf Beaches Historical Museum
115 10th Ave., St. Pete Beach 727-552-1610
www.gulfbeachesmuseum.org
Closed until further notice, but holding events in community.
Gulfport History Museum
5301 28th Ave. S, Gulfport
727-201-8687
www.gulfporthistoricalsociety.org
4/17 – More Than Orange Blossoms: Feisty, Fabulous Females of Florida
4/18 – The Original Gulfport Walking Tour
Henry Plant Museum
401 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa 813-254-1891
www.plantmuseum.com
A National Historic Landmark Live classical music performances every third Thur.
Most Sundays – Upstairs/ Downstairs at the Tampa Bay Hotel Through 8/30 – Gaspar’s Gold: Carnival and Community in a New South City
Heritage Museum
100 Beekman Lane, Tarpon Springs
727-942-5605
www.tarponarts.org
History and culture of the Greek community 4/7 – Tarpon Talks: Dive Into the Mystery, Mayhem and Marvelous Art Form of Opera (Part 2)
Imagine Museum
1901 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-300-1700
www.imaginemuseum.com
Contemporary American Studio Glass. Thur. $5 after 5pm 4/14 – Laughing Glass: A Night with Dan Bakst 4/28 – Music Night with Sardor Djumaev
John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art 5401 Bay Shore Road., Sarasota 941-359-5700
www.ringling.org
Mon. – Free admission all day Thurs. – Art After 5
One of the preeminent arts institutions in the United States. Through 4/12 – Ancestral Edge Through 5/28 – Joseph’s Coat: Skyspace by James Turrell
Through 5/31– Juana Romani: Forgotten No More Through 8/23 – In the Flesh: The Nude in Japanese Art Through 11/1 – 17th-Century Dutch Paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 4/18 – World Circus Day
4/24-11/1 – Seventeenth-Century
Dutch Paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
600 E Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs 727-712-5762
www.leeparattner.org
Docent tours on Sundays Features work of 20th and 21st century masters. Through 5/3 – State of the Digital Arts: PCS K-8th Grade Student Exhibition
Through 6/14 – David Anderson: Now and Again Through 6/14 – Dallas Jackson Through 7/26 – Richard Heipp: Reliquaries & Artifacts Through 9/13 – Abraham Rattner: French Watercolors
Museum of the American Arts And Crafts Movement
355 Fourth St. N, St. Pete 727-440-4859
www.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
www.mfastpete.org
Thur. $10 after 5pm 4/16-19 – Art in Bloom 4/26 – Art & Nature Sunset Tours
Museum of Motherhood
2606 Fairfield Ave. S, St. Pete, Bldg. 7 877-711-6667
www.mommuseum.org
Thu-Sat Noon-6pm, Sun Noon-3pm
Second Saturday Art Walk. Escape Womb Experience (18+)
Palm Harbor Museum
2043 Curlew Road, Palm Harbor 727-724-3054
www.palmharbormuseum.com
Thur.-Sat. 10am-2pm
Safford House Museum
23 Parkin Court, Tarpon Springs 727-942-5805
www.tarponarts.org
Restored 1883 Victorian home Docent-led tours
ARTS & LEISURE EVENTS
5/1 – The Kids Fishing Slam at The King of The Beach & Madeira Beach Founder’s Day Celebration
Free, 5-10pm, Madeira Beach Recreational Complex, 200 Rex Place
This family fishing “tournament” is held every spring, where Old Salt, local kids and their families fish the seawall at ROC Park. Old Salt provides bait, assistance and free fishing rods. Bring your own and fish the Slam, too. Founders Day - City awards with Live music and Fireworks at 9pm. The Old Salt Kids Fishing Slam & Founders Day is held in conjunction with the Spring King of the Beach Kingfish Tournament.
5/1-2 – Tampa Riverfest
Free admission, 5-10pm, Riverwalk, Tampa. The festival spans the entire length of the Riverwalk and features family-friendly activities and events showcasing Tampa’s cultural institutions, local musicians and restaurants. The festival includes Taste of Riverwalk on Friday night and Taco Fest on Saturday. Regional and local bands will perform on the main stage in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. www.thetampariverwalk.com/events/riverfest.html
5/2 – Fourth Tampa Bay Chalk Fest
Free, 10am-4pm, 22nd St. S between Seventh Ave. S and Ninth Ave. S. More than 25 community artists will create beautiful sidewalk art with the theme “Our Watery Futures 2026.” Community members, children accompanied by caregivers, youth, and art enthusiasts are invited to create with chalk and other mediums alongside professional chalk artists, vendors and viewers.
5/7-8 – Transforming the Beautiful Game: The Clyde Best Story
$35-$85 (VIP), 7:30pm, The Palladium, 253 Fifth Ave. N. This East Coast premiere of the film documentary “Transforming the Beautiful Game” is a first-hand look at the groundbreaking journey and impact of Clyde Best, the first black football superstar of the modern TV era in England, who went on to become a soccer legend in the North American Soccer League. Best was a key member of the Tampa Bay Rowdies team that captured the 1975 NASL Championship, winning Soccer Bowl ’75 in the club’s inaugural season. The evening will include a red carpet and meet-and-greet, sponsorship activation, and post-panel discussion with Clyde and other film stars. Rowdies fans are invited to gather for a screening, discussion, and celebration of all Clyde Best has done for the soccer community. https://tinyurl.com/rzyk2238
ON THE HORIZON
5/16 – Tampa Bay Toy & Comic Expo, Sons & Daughters of Italy Lodge, Tampa
5/29-31 – Pride Kickoff, St. Pete
6/11-28 – Come From Away, M.A.D Theatre, Tampa
8/4 – Derek Hough Symphony of Dance, Seminole Hard Rock Events Center, Tampa
St. Petersburg Museum of History 335 Second Ave. NE 727-894-1052
www.spmoh.com
Trolley Tours: Seating is limited; reserve early –First Saturday: Historic Downtown St. Pete
Second Saturday: Baseball history Third Saturday: West St. Petersburg Rum Runners, Spaniards & Natives 4/4 – History in a Bottle –Rum & Prohibition (fundraiser) Happy Hour with the Historian 4/9 – Dr. Gary Mormino: The Triumphs and Failures of 1930s Florida
5/14 – Magdalena Lamarre: AfroCaribbean Migration to Florida
Sarasota Art Museum 1001 S Tamiami Trail, 941-309-4300
www.sarasotaartmuseum.org Through 4/26 –Janet Echelman: Radical Softness Through 4/26 –Molly Hatch: Amalgam 4/19-9/27 – Something Borrowed, Something New 4/19-9/27 – Maria A. Guzmán Capron: Penumbra
Tampa Bay Automobile Museum 3301 Gateway Centre, Pinellas Park. 727-579-8226 www.tbauto.org
Sundays: Historian guided tours Through 4/30 – The Wankel Rotary Engine: Innovation That Never Went Mainstream
Tampa Bay History Center 801 Old Water St., Tampa 813-226-0097 www.tampabayhistorycenter.org Walking tours of Tampa neighborhoods Through 5/3 – America at the Crossroads: The Guitar and a Changing Nation Through 5/17 – The Sport of Kings and Queens: Florida’s History of Horse Racing
Tampa Museum of Art 120 W Gasparilla Plaza, Tampa 813-259-1720
www.tampamuseum.org Thur. 4-8pm:
pay-as-you-will admission. Houses one of the most significant collections of Greek and Roman antiquities in the southeastern U.S. Through 4/19 – The David Hall Photography Collection Through 8/23 –Jun Kaneko: Silence Before Sound Through 1/31/27 –Here and Now: Selections from the Contemporary Collection
Tarpon Springs Railroad Depot Historical Museum 160 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs 727-943-4624
www.tarponspringsarea historicalsociety.org
The Dalí Museum One Dali Blvd., St. Pete 727-823-3767
www.thedali.org
Thur. and Fri. reduced admission after 5pm Queen Heaven: Now playing in The Dalí Dome on select nights Advanced-purchase timed tickets recommended Through 4/18 –Fashion Design at The Dali Through 4/19 – Gala’s Wines Through 4/19 –Dali and Harpo Marx Through 4/19 – Alberto Giacometti & Salvador Dalí: Through and Beyond Surrealism Through 4/19 –The Endless Garden 4/16 – Lecture: Dorothea Tanning
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art 150 Central Ave., St. Pete 727-892-4200 www.thejamesmuseum.org Tues. $10 all day Through 6/25 – Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) Video Game 4/11 – Jamboree at the James 5/9-9/7 – Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan
One City Chorus – Mon. 7pm Museum closed through 4/30.
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, 1-3pm www.aldowningjazz.com
4/19 – Women of Jazz XIX (at The Palladium)
New Horizons Band of Gulfport Gulfport Senior Center 5501 27th Ave. S, Gulfport 727-345-0285
www.newhorizonsbandgulfport.org
Novice, intermediate musicians
4/6 – Flute Choir & Jazz Band (Hickman Theater, Gulfport)
4/12 – Concert Band (Hickman Theater, Gulfport)
School of Rock St. Petersburg 2401 Central Ave., 727-871-7625
www.schoolofrock.com
Guitar, drum, singing, keyboard/piano lessons
South Pasadena Community Band 727-515-5407
www.southpasadenaband.com
All-volunteer band
St. Petersburg College
Gibbs Campus Music Center 6605 Fifth Ave. N, 727-341-4360 www.spcollege.edu/events
Suncoast Dixieland Jazz Society
Cove Cay Golf Club
2612 Cove Cay Drive, Clearwater www.sdjs2022.org
4/19 – Terry Myers and his Dixie Lizards
Tampa Bay Symphony
Performances in various locations 727-827-8087
www.tampabaysymphony.org
5/8-12 – Fate and Fantasies
5/8 – New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa
5/10 – Palladium Theater, St. Pete
5/12 – Straz Center, Tampa
TomKats Jazz Orchestra
Monday Nights: CJ’s Backstage 7022 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg 727-202- 8881
www.tomkatsjazzorchestra.com
OPERA
Opera Tampa at Straz Center, 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa 813-229-7827
www.strazcenter.org
4/24 & 26 – Macbeth
Sarasota Opera House 61 N Pineapple Ave., 941-328-1300
www.sarasotaopera.org
4/9 – Two Carnivals
4/11 – Sarasota Opera House
Centennial Celebration
4/24 – Music for 18 Musicians
4/25 – Almost ABBA
5/7 – Vintage Vinyl Live Steely Dan Aja Album
St. Pete Opera 2145 First Ave. S, 727-823-2040 www.stpeteopera.org
Various performance locations 4/19 – Bella Voce Annual Gala 2026 5/15 – MWTM Preview to La Boheme
St. Petersburg Opera Guild www.stpeteoperaguild.org
The Pinellas Opera League
Thur.: Opera at the Dali www.pinellasoperaleague.com
ECO
Monthly Treasure Island Beach Cleanup
Second Saturday 8:30am
St. Petersburg Municipal Beach, 11260 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island. Supplies provided mjackson@kpbcares.org 727-533-0402
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Pete 727-893-7326
tinyurl.com/yc3k32ms
Closed Mon.
Environmental education center, Terry Tomalin Campground, Pinellas Pioneer Settlement
3500 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde 727-552-1862 www.pinellascounty.org/park Campgrounds, ferry services to Egmont and Shell Keys. Some areas closed or limited Parking $6/vehicle
Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center
700 Second Ave. NE, at The St. Pete Pier 727-291-4103 www.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 www.weedonislandpreserve.org
3,200-acre natural area. 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 www.fwcos.org
Garden Club of St. Petersburg Azalea Recreation Center, 1600 72nd St. N. St. Pete www.gardenclubstpetersburg.org 4/25-26 – Annual Flower Show (at Walter Fuller Park)
Ikebana International Lealman Exchange Community Center, 5175 45th St. N, St. Pete www.ikebanastpetersburg.com
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens 1534 Mound St., Sarasota 941-366-5731 www.selby.org
Through 5/31 – Alexander Calder: The Nature of Movement Through 8/30 –Robert Louis Stevenson: A Child’s Garden of Verses
Pinewood Cultural Park
12520 Ulmerton Road, and 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo
Heritage Village www.pinellas.gov/parks/ heritage-village/ Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026
Florida Botanical Gardens – Free 100-acre park www.flbg.org
Third Saturday – Gardens open noon-5pm; Heritage Village open 10am-4pm
Sunken Gardens
1825 Fourth St. N, St. Pete
Adult and child classes www.sunkengardens.org 4/25 – Earth Day Scavenger Hunt
6798 Crosswinds Drive N, D-106 St. Pete. 727-459-9178 (text for fastest response) www.saltysoulsyoga.com
Silver Sneakers Yoga Community Center, St. Pete Beach Fri. 11:15am www.spbrec.com
South Pasadena Yoga
• Gentle Yoga: Thursdays, 9:3010:30am
• Yoga Flow: Thursdays, 10:4011:40am, 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 www.sunseaairyoga.com/sun-seaair-yoga Booking ahead recommended.
Sunset Yoga at The St. Pete Pier First Wed. 7-8pm. Free tinyurl.com/3m2wbmc6
The Centre of St. Pete Beach 7525 Blind Pass Road, 727-258-2001 www.thecentreSPB.com/calendar1
Yoga at The Dali Dali Museum, third Sun., 9-10am tinyurl.com/bd6e88mz
Visit www.paradisenewsfl.com and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ParadiseNews for more event listings and weekly top 5 events www.paradisenewsfl.com/category/ weekly-tidbits
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
AIR CONDITIONING / HEATING
Red Royal Services can service your existing HVAC or replace it. 727.315.0793
ANNUAL HOME RENTAL
Keyrenter property management takes the work and worry out of being a landlord.
KeyrenterStPete.com or call Sam 727.202.2700
BLINDS & SHUTTERS
Shopping for Window Treatment? Blinds, shades and shutters from Déco and energy-saving to Storm Protection. Act quick (install by 12/31 to get 30% tax credit) on ALTA Shades.
Call The Shutterman 727-810-4606 or TheShuttermanFL.com
Call for a free in-home consult. See ad for 30% off next purchase. Call Budget Blinds 727.821.0976 or the motorization, automation experts Saphire Shades and Shutters 727.289.1629 sales@SaphireShades andShutters.com
CARPETS & RUGS
DEMOLITION
If Demolition is your next move… visit www.Down2Ground.com Call 239-955-9855, Or email Down2Ground Demo@gmail.com
DENTAL SERVICES
Century Dental, Advanced Dental Technology,bImplants, Reconstructive, Cosmetic & Laser Dentistry, 617 75th Ave., St. Pete Beach,n40 Years Experience – Free 2nd opinions 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
Free Pick-up & Delivery
Dry Clean, Wash-Dry-Fold, Alterations, Patio Cushion Cleaning, Shoe & Handbag Repair, Pick-up at home or office 2x weekly, Sacino’s Cleaners sacinoscleaners.com
EDUCATION
727.471.0573
Hire an advocate to get your child(ren) an education designed to meet their unique needs. Call Bill 302.745.7472 drwilliamlane.com
ELECTRICAL SERVICES
Your contact for all things electrical. Solar hookup, generators, wiring and rewiring homes and businesses. Red Royal Electric 727.228.1065 FITNESS
Top Shape Fitness
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 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
CONDO FOR SALE
Downtown St. Pete Condo @The Beacon on 3rd Eighth floor 1BR/1BA unit with a north view Secure Older building w/good reserves, pool, gym, HOA, Includes Power, A/C, cable, Club Room, Balcony, Pets OK. Assigned Parking Next to USF, Dali, Publix $295,000
Open gym, personal training, in-body testing, infrared sauna. Mention Paradise News for $5 off. 727.338.32694615 Gulf Blvd. #116, St. Pete Beach
HAIR BRAIDING
Get your hair braided by an Expert. Braids by Serina 727.241.3948
HANDYMAN
Yard Work, Concrete, Stucco, Block, Painting, Pressure Washing, Handyman. No Job Too Small! 727.222.7599
HEALTH & NUTRITION
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?
HOUSEKEEPING & CLEANING
Dependable European Lady15+yrs exp., High Quality, Reasonable Rates, References. 727.564.1473
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
SLIDING DOOR REPAIR
Stop struggling with old sliding doors.We fix it to open for a fraction of thecost of a new door. We replace windows too. Lic. C1050, YouTube.com/user/SliderRepairs
Slider Repairs 727.493.2644
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, afford able, 25 years of experience. 727.688.2782
French lessons by French nativeAll levels. Text or call 571.435.5606
Hire an advocate to get your child(ren) an education designed to meet their unique needs. Call Bill 302.745.7472 drwilliamlane.com
WINDOW CLEANING
See Life More Clearly, 30 yrs. exp., Residential, Commercial. Estimates are free. Call Tim 727.488.8516
CLASSIFIED ADS
10 Words 10 issues $100
20 Words 10 Issues $200
Single issue or less than 10 $2.50/word.
Email: sales@paradisenewsfl.com Or call 727-363-6888.
ENCOURAGING WORDS
By Dennis Merritt Jones, DD
WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW
The Quiet Power of Authentic Kindness
“Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are.” –
I have two questions for you:
Harold S. Kushner
1. When was the last time you thought about what the world most needs at this moment?
2. Are you willing to “be” where it begins?
If you are short of ideas, here is a place to begin: Have you noticed how the current political climate – both in the U.S. and around the world – seems increasingly driven by greed, favoritism, corruption, bigotry, manipulation, and self-interest? It’s as if compassion, respect, and generosity of spirit have been thrown under the proverbial bus; all casualties of a harsher, more divided era. The ripple effects of this negative mindset are everywhere: resentment, anger, distrust, and apathy have become a default setting for so many.
And yet, amid all this noise and division, one truth feels clearer than ever: what the world needs right now is more authentic kindness. What makes kindness “authentic”? When it is extended with no agenda. Not the curated, performative kind, but real, unfiltered kindness – no hidden motives, no viral moments, just genuine care. Authentic kindness flows quietly from people who understand they’re part of something greater than themselves – that there is really only One of us here. Integrity, respect, compassion, courage, and
selflessness are what it embodies. It doesn’t demand recognition or payback. It might go unnoticed by many, but to the person on the receiving end, it can feel like everything. That’s the beauty of it – it’s gentle, understated with no agenda, and yet profoundly powerful.
As Harold Kushner inferred, when we come from authentic kindness, we don’t treat others kindly because of who they are – but who we are. And here’s the best part: Authentic kindness isn’t something we have to earn before we can extend it to others. It’s already in us; it came imbedded in our souls. When we choose to be authentically kind, we’re not just being pleasant or putting on a show – we’re affirming the unseen threads of oneness that connect us all.
In a world addicted to speed, status, and self-promotion, kindness may seem old-fashioned. But don’t underestimate it – some of humanity’s most powerful transformations have been sparked not by force, but by empathy, selflessness, and kindness. Think about it: true revolutions often begin with small, quiet acts. Holding a door open; letting someone merge in traffic without the need to assert your place; mindfully choosing kindness over sarcasm, even when it’s the easier path. These moments may seem insignificant, but they have the potential to shift the emotional climate around us.
It’s about initiating a different type of ripple effect – one that benefits our world. Mindfulness allows us to spot these everyday chances to show up with authentic kindness – in how we talk to ourselves, how we respond when others fall short, and how we treat the strangers crossing our path. When we lead with grace rather than judgment, we become little lighthouses in a world often lost in stormy seas.
THE TAKEAWAY: Kindness doesn’t need a spotlight or a grand occasion. The time to practice it is always now – in the middle of a messy, ordinary day. So don’t wait. Offer a smile. Take a deep breath. Lend an ear. Speak gently. These things won’t go viral, but they will matter.
At the end of the day, authentic kindness may be the most sacred, most human gift we can offer one another – and that is what the world most needs. May the ripple effect of kindness begin with you and me.
This extraordinary property is set on 2 1/2 lots just one block from the white sands of Pass-a-Grille beach. A one-of-a-kind opportunity in an outstanding location.
3 beds, 3 ba. In-law Suite w/Private Entrance
$3,600,000
Bayway Isles Beauty
Supreme elegance in an island paradise. Constructed on a built-up lot and having experienced no flooding, this exquisite Bayway Isles retreat is a designer’s masterpiece.
4 beds, 3 baths, pool
$1,395,000
Grand Canal Beauty with Direct Gulf Access
Exceptional luxury in fully renovated waterfront living on the highly desirable island community of Tierra Verde with direct boating access to the Gulf.
2 beds, 2/1 baths, slip with lift
$949,000
THE SALAMONE GROUP
Angela Mathias, Andrew Salamone
Ron Salamone, Libby Salamone
Helping people buy and sell the finest St. Petersburg Properties for over 30 years.
info@stpete.pro www.stpete.pro (727) 456-8093
Discover luxury coastal living
Water Views Over the Pass-a-Grille Channel
This elegant and spacious condo lives like a single-family home, all on one level in a boutique association of only 8 units. Some of the best water views on the island.
4 beds/3 ba. Boat slip, storage, must see. $1,695,000
3rd Palm Point Waterfront Paradise
Enjoy sunsets like this every night from this 4 bed, 2 bath home in a St. Pete Beach enclave, just blocks from the white sands and blue waters of the Gulf.
Dock with lift, gorgeous sunsets $1,735,000
Utterly Astounding Isla Key Water Views
Expansive corner penthouse positioned to capture sweeping, unobstructed views of Boca Ciega Bay, the outlook is nothing short of extraordinary.
