Plus, let's look at two USF football stars.
 
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93º | 20% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 7:07 a.m. | Sunset 7:52 p.m.
Tides | Old Tampa Bay | High: 12:17 p.m. | Low: 6:09 a.m. + 8:29 p.m. | Clearwater Beach | High: 9:37 a.m. | Low: 5:03 p.m. | Full Weather Report | Traffic Report
 

Let’s play the name game

Tampa Bay toponymy: The origin of Pinellas County place names
A pelican stands close to the camera on a wooden beam which appears to be part of a pier. There is blue water which is slightly rocky stretching into the distance behind the bird, and a distant landscape with trees + waterfront houses on the horizon. The sky is pale blue with a smattering of clouds.
The pelican is the official mascot of St. Petersburg. | Photo via Canva
What’s in a name? As it turns out, quite a lot.

We’re indulging in some linguistics today, specifically with a look at local toponymy, the study of place names. For the first installment in the series, let’s dive into the name origins of some notable Pinellas County locations.

Pinellas County
The county itself gets its name from the combination of the Spanish punta pinal, which translates to “point of pines.” This was an accurate description of the area’s natural beauty when its first European inhabitants landed in the 16th century.

St. Petersburg
Pinellas’ largest city has fascinating toponymic roots. Legend says St. Petersburg was named by Peter Demens, an exiled Russian aristocrat, thanks to the flip of a coin. However, this myth has been debunked, and history suggests Demens named the city after where he was born. The coin story is more fun.

Safety Harbor
The quaint city’s name has roots in the early 18th century, at which point pirates roamed the seas around the Tampa Bay area. Once boaters traveled up Old Tampa Bay to Safety Harbor, they were no longer in danger.

The pier in Safety Harbor juts out from the left of the screen. A long boater rides along calm dark blue waters as pale sunlight graces the scene. It appears to be sunrise, and there are a few clouds in a mostly blue sky.

A welcome sight for those evading pirates.

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Photo via City of Safety Harbor

Treasure Island
Speaking of pirates, property owners in Treasure Island engaged in an element of skulduggery themselves. During Florida’s land boom of the early 1900s, owners boosted home sales by “burying and then ‘discovering’ wooden chests on the beach” claimed to be full of treasure, enticing folks to the area.

Pass-a-Grille Beach
There are several theories for this one. A popular explanation is that fishermen camped at a stretch of the island called “Passage of the Grillers,” where they grilled up their fresh catches. We took a deep dive into Pass-a-Grille’s history.
 
Events
Friday, Aug. 30
  • Hurricane Preparedness Show | Friday, Aug. 30 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Florida State Fairgrounds | $12 | Learn from experts on how to take steps to protect your home from hurricanes with vendors + demonstrations.
  • National Dog Day | Friday, Aug. 30 | 1-10 p.m. | Two Shepherds Taproom, Tampa | $6 | Bring your dog down to enjoy half-off entry — make sure to register with vaccine info.
Saturday, Aug. 31
  • Gulfport Geckofest | Saturday, Aug. 31 | 10 a.m.-10 p.m. | Downtown Gulfport | Free | Celebrate the end of summer with the beach town’s family-friendly street festival featuring live music, eats, a parade, and lots of whimsy.
  • The Original Wailers | Saturday, Aug. 31 | 7-11 p.m. | Jannus Live | $42 | Catch reggae tunes performed by two of Bob Marley’s old band mates.
Sunday, Sept. 1
  • Sunday Tour September | Sunday, Sept. 1 | 1-1:45 p.m. | Henry B. Plant Museum | $10-$12 | Marvel at the historic museum, led by a docent at this monthly event.
  • Sunday Public Skate | Sunday, Sept. 1 | 1:30-4:30 p.m. | United Skates of America, Tampa | $11-$15 | Get your skate on for a nostalgic afternoon at the rink.
  • Imagine Dragons | Sunday, Sept. 1 | 7-11 p.m. | MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre | $123+ | Send off August with some outdoor tunes from the the pop rock band on their “Loom World Tour.”
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Open
  • Ybor City partygoers can now get a frozen marg from Fat Tuesday, the New Orleans-inspired national chain. Open in the former Big Easy Bar location at 1704 E. 7th Ave., the spot also serves up beers, cocktails, and eats. (That’s So Tampa)
Announced
  • An ultra-premium cruise ship will sail from Port Tampa Bay. “The Insignia” belongs to Oceania Cruises and will take a maximum of 670 guests around the Caribbean for up to 20 nights starting in March 2026, including trips to Panama City via the Panama Canal. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Coming Soon
  • Guy Fieri is bringing Flavortown to Wesley Chapel. Chicken Guy is one of the celebrity chef’s numerous concepts, and specializes in fast-food chicken sandwiches, tenders, mac and cheese, shakes, and fries. An official opening date isn’t set, but there are rumblings it could open in October. (Creative Loafing Tampa Bay)
Film
  • A Tampa Bay-based production company is filming a pilot episode around town. Talon Entertainment recently hired local cast + crew for “The Feather Detectives,” a show set in the 1960s. The University of Tampa is one spot that you’ll be able to recognize when the program airs. (WFTS)
Ranked
  • Excuse me? Tampa just ranked No. 3 among the country’s rudest cities in a study by Preply. Factors in the study included a lack of self-awareness, being loud in public places, and ignoring basic rules of the road. The last one definitely checks out.
Real Estate
  • A Snell Isle estate fetched $9.65 million. It’s Pinellas County’s third-highest residential home sale of 2024. The ~7,000-sqft property boasts 100 ft of water frontage, and a luxurious pool + backyard area with skyline views. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Today Is
  • The first Jimmy Buffett Day. Officials in Tallahassee declared Aug. 30 the day of celebration earlier this year to honor the life + legacy of the man who epitomized Sunshine State living. Buffett died last year at the age of 76. The new Fat Tuesday calls. (WFLA)
Sports
  • How will FSU bounce back after last week’s disappointment? Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Florida State Seminoles with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Giveaway
  • Have you entered our Lakeland Summer Road Trip Giveaway in partnership with Welcome Canary? You have until midnight tonight to grab your chance at winning a weekend getaway to Lakeland, including $1,650 worth of local sips, bites, stays, and spending. Enter to win on our Instagram.*
Finance
  • Rates just dropped. Now could be the perfect time for you to tap into your home equity — calculate your payment.*
Learn
  • Calling all lifelong learners. Just 13 hours of study with Rosetta Stone is equivalent to a full semester of college Spanish. Ready to hone your skills between meetings, on your commute, or even replace some mindless social media scrolling? Get 50% off.*
 
Sports

The Bulls are back

The Bulls are back: Here are some USF football stars to keep an eye out for this season
USF Bulls fans celebrate in the stands at Raymond James Stadium. They are dressed in green and gold and are making the Bulls hand signal.
Bulls fans had reason to celebrate on Senior Night. | Photo by @celly_sports_photography
As the Tampa Bay Times wrote, “for the first time this decade, lofty expectations loom over the Bulls program.” It’s hardly a surprise coming off USF’s first winning football season in half a decade.

Here are two players carrying that expectation on their padded shoulders:

Byrum Brown, quarterback
Brown threw for 3,000+ yards in 2023, the first Bulls player to ever do so. He also rushed for 800+ yards, a combined feat matched only by Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels last year, who is now prepping for his NFL debut.

Sean Atkins, wide receiver
Watch out for No. 38, who also broke USF records in 2023 with the most receptions (92) and yards (1,054) in a season. Atkins + Brown could become an even more effective duo in 2024.

The Bulls’ season starts tomorrow, Aug. 31 vs. Bethune-Cookman, one of six home games at Raymond James Stadium.
The Buy

The Buy 8.30.24 (Affiliate)
A car charger adapter strong enough to provide a full-speed charge to two phones at once. Psst — it’s 35% off for Labor Day.
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The Wrap
 
Patrick Sidwell.jpeg

Today’s edition by:
Patrick
From the editor
If you saw our piece on local Paralympic athletes from earlier this week, you may be familiar with the story of Plant City native Tracy Otto, who is competing in para archery for Team USA.

As it turns out, the BBC took notice of her tale too. Editor’s note: The article covers sensitive topics relating to domestic violence.
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