Events

• Hiking with Heroes: Honoring Memorial Day | Friday, May 26 | 9-11 a.m. | Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Dr. NE, St. Petersburg | Free | Join fellow veterans and their families for a guided hike — remember to wear clothing or a hat showing your branch of service.
• 26th Annual Memorial Day Remembrance | Sunday, May 28 | 10 a.m. | Veterans Memorial Park, 3602 US 301 N., Tampa | Free | Hillsborough County’s annual celebration includes patriotic music, a fallen hero name reading of Garden of Gold flags, and a rifle salute.
• CrossFit9 Memorial Day Murph 2023 | Monday, May 29 | 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | CrossFit9, 2727 6th Ave. S., St. Petersburg | $25 | Enjoy a CrossFit workout benefiting Signatures for Soldiers + a free drink at Bayboro Brewing Company.
• Memorial Day BBQ | Monday, May 29 | 11 a.m. | 2390 5th Ave. S., St. Petersburg | Free+ | Kick off the afternoon with a performance from Cross Junction, a raffle, a silent auction, and an exhibition by No Good Deeds Art — veterans enjoy an open tab.
• Memorial Day Solemn Salute | Monday, May 29 | 6-7 p.m. | Crest Lake Park, 301 S. Glenwood Ave., Clearwater | Honor fallen soldiers with a salute + remarks from retired 12th Sergeant Major of the Army, Jack Tilly.

Nonprofits

• Heavendropt, a Largo-based nonprofit, employs people with developmental disabilities and veterans with disabilities to repurpose military parachutes into drawstring bags, bracelets, and other products.
• Signatures for Soldiers raises money for programs like Arts of Valor so vets can take classes at the Morean Arts Center. You can check out and buy their work at Bayboro’s Memorial Day event.
• Operation Helping Hand of Tampa provides wounded or injured servicepeople’s families with gas gift cards, cellphones, and other everyday needs.

• Rhythmic Exhibits: A Symphony of Strings | Tuesday, May 23 | 5-8 p.m. | Imagine Museum, 1901 Central Ave., St. Petersburg | $0-$10 | Violinist Charity Ann Brady performs with the backdrop of the glass collection.
• “Unloose My Heart” | Tuesday, May 23 | 7-8 p.m. | Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg | Free | Dr. Marcia E. Herman-Giddens shares from her debut memoir “Unloose My Heart: Reckoning with the Twisted Roots of My Southern Family Tree.”
• Nat Geo Live: Alicia Odewale | Tuesday, May 23 | The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. MacInnes Pl., Tampa | $36-$46 | Archaeologist Alicia Odewale shares some of her work recovering lost stories of resilience from the attack on Black Wall Street in the Tulsa’s historic Greenwood district.
• Blue Jays vs. Rays | Tuesday, May 23-Thursday, May 25 | Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg | $10-$147 | Head over to the Trop to root on the Rays and maybe nosh on a little soft serve.

• Yoga at Sunken Gardens | Wednesday, May 24, Thursday, May 25, Monday, May 29 | 10:30-11:45 a.m. | Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg | $18-$20 | Get your flow on in the scenic botanical garden.
• Melissa Coss Aquino | Wednesday, May 24 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Oxford Exchange, 420 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa | $5-$32 | Join author Melissa Coss Aquino for an in-person book discussion + signing of her coming of age novel.

• Beethoven x Coldplay | Thursday, May 25 | 8 p.m. | Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S, St. Petersburg | $21-$50 | Join conductor Steve Hackman as he melds “Fix You,” “Paradise,” and “The Scientist” with Beethoven’s “Eroica Symphony.”
• Voices of the Community Town Hall | Thursday, May 25 | The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. MacInnes Pl., Tampa | Free | Members of the indigenous community discuss their experience, their history, and navigating a path forward — join the livestream on Facebook.

• The Doobie Brothers | Friday, May 26 | 8 p.m. | Mahaffey Theater, 400 First St. S., St. Petersburg | $282-$858 | Take a night off to “Listen to the Music.”
• Dodgers vs. Rays | Friday, May 26-Sunday, May 28 | Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg | $40-$187 | Chow down on a ballpark frank while watching the teams face off.

• We’re flying high with PIE. TSA just announced St. Pete-Clearwater International is its Airport of the Year in the small to medium-sized airports group. Judges noted the airport’s “low passenger wait times despite a record-breaking number of passengers.”(WFLA)

• Dex Imaging’s Dan Doyle Jr. has his eye on purchasing the Rays. The Tampa CEO also owns Belleair’s Pelican Golf Club. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
• Let’s make it a summer of fun. St. Pete Parks & Recreation just opened registration for adult kickball, pickleball, softball, flag football, and basketball leagues. Register now through Tuesday, June 13.

• The return of summer thunderstorms is nigh. Rain chances are back up this week, with Tampa’s chance of rain up to 70% on Wednesday, May 25. (Tampa Bay Times)

• St. Pete’s one time Standard Oil service station will see another life as a coffee + snack drive-thru. Last week, city council unanimously voted to designate the 100-year-old spot as a historic landmark. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

• USF is now offering a free class tackling mental health in the workplace. The program, put on with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, covers symptoms of common mental and behavioral disorders, resources to help attract and keep workers, and how to approach employees. The course starts in June — register online.

• #TerraceTabletop: Looking for a place to host a business meeting or event? Downtown’s Terrace Hotel & Grille offers historic charm in a beautifully designed space that provides everything you need for an unforgettable business event — including a restaurant with a variety of menus + private venues with endless possibilities.*

• What does your child want to be when they grow up? St. Christopher’s Project City Play at Florida Children’s Museum is a child-sized version of a real city where kids can “try on” different careers for the day, from firefighting to weather forecasting to sales. (Bonus: It’s extremely cute.)^

• Contemplating an e-bike purchase? Upway — the No. 1 certified e-bike provider — sells top-quality electric bikes up to 60% cheaper than retail. Shop top e-bike brands in new or like-new condition. Bonus: Your bike will ship right to your door, so you can immediately experience the sheer joy of effortless travel.*