Pinellas County

• Children at Alegria Montessori School in St. Petersburg have lost their classrooms. The rooms were completely flooded, and educational equipment was destroyed in the surge. A parent organized the fundraiser on behalf of the school.
• Madeira Beach’s iconic Candy Kitchen has served up ice cream and nostalgic treats for 74+ years. The owners could not afford flood insurance, and Helene devastated their store. Money will go toward new equipment, staff salaries, and replacing the spot’s unique features.
• Wildlife needs our help at Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores. The nonprofit rehabilitation center cares for sick, injured, and orphaned native birds. The sanctuary’s hospital was badly damage in the hurricane, and many of its cages need replacing too.
• The Clearwater Community Sailing Center is also in need. CCSC has helped generations of local sailors learn the ropes, but its future is in doubt after Helene damaged both its docks and crushed multiple boats.

Hillsborough County

• Floodwaters in Town ‘n’ Country entered buildings at Community Montessori School’s Civic Road Campus and its Webb Campus. The school needs to replace learning equipment, computers, musical instruments, furniture, and other essential items needed for students.
• The Davis Island Youth Sailing Foundation offers sailing education and opportunities for young people in the Tampa Bay area. Not only will the money repair the foundation’s facilities and equipment, but it will also benefit local DIYSF families to rebuild their lives.

• Patchwork Pumpkin Platter | Thursday, Oct. 3 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Practically Pikasso, St. Petersburg | $20 | Follow guided instructions to create a paper piece of pumpkin perfection ahead of Halloween.
• Boyz II Men | Thursday, Oct. 3 | 8 p.m. | Seminole Hard Rock, Tampa | $165+ | You’ll wish this show from the legendary R&B group never came to the end of the road.

• Vintage Market Days of Metro Tampa | Friday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 6 | Times vary | Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds, Plant City | $5+ | Head to the Grimes Building and Astin Pavilion for this upscale, vintage-inspired fall market.
• The Seminole Heights Great Pumpkin Patch | Friday, Oct. 4-Wednesday, Oct. 30 | Times vary | Seminole Heights United Methodist Church, Tampa | Price of purchase | It’s the start of the annual fundraiser where you can pick out a gourd, enjoy a movie night, and grab some food + drinks — proceeds go back into the community.
• Morgan Wallen | Friday, Oct. 4 | 6 p.m. | Raymond James Stadium | $70+ | Let’s hope it’s second time lucky as the country superstar returns to TBAY to perform his rescheduled “One Night At A Time” tour.

• Full Body Workout with MMFitness | Saturday, Oct. 5 | 9 a.m. | Armature Works | Free | Get moving by the Hillsborough River to start your weekend right — bring a towel and water.
• Atsuko Okatsuka | Saturday, Oct. 5 | 7 p.m. | Tampa Theatre | $39 | The up-and-coming comedian brings her relatable social skits to the Cigar City stage.
• Nicki Minaj | Saturday, Oct. 5 | 9 p.m. | Amalie Arena | $36+ | Don’t go to the beach, go to the downtown venue as the “Pink Friday 2 World Tour” comes to TBAY.

• The estimated damage caused by Hurricane Helene amounts to at least $2 billion in Pinellas County alone. Commissioners extended a local state of emergency through next week after the initial damage assessment, which includes 27,000+ flooded homes. (St. Pete Catalyst)

• $150,000. That’s how much new Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman and his family are donating to Helene victims. “I’ve been here 15 years and pretty much grew up here,” said Hedman. “I know what it means for people to call this home.” (WFTS)

• The Tampa Bay area is helping those in need. Restaurants, coffee shops, small businesses, and generous locals are all stepping up to do their part. See for yourself.

• Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine. Grove Surf and Coffee is cracking jokes in the face of its Helene-related adversity. And here’s a pro tip: Grove has a GoFundMe too.

• Pssst, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play tonight. The Bucs are in Atlanta for Thursday Night Football, where Baker Mayfield and company hope to make it four wins out of five after an impressive start to their season. The game starts at 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime.

• So nice they named it twice. The plant-based Rabbit Rabbit cafe is now open in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. The spot serves up smoothie bowls, coffee, teas, a range of vegan and gluten-free sandwiches, and will transform into a mocktail lounge by night. (I Love the Burg)

• Babe Zaharias Golf Course is fully operational again after a lengthy renovation project. The $1 million plan replaced all 18 greens at the municipal course with new high-quality certified Bermuda grass. The local favorite is one of many stellar courses in Tampa Bay. (City of Tampa)

• Dunedin ranks among the best small cities to live in across the country, according to WalletHub. The demure seaside spot ranked in the 78th percentile for factors like local health, economic strength, and quality of life.

• Can the Bolts bring home some hardware this season? Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Lightning with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
  

• Central Florida Food Fest is coming to Bonnet Springs Park on Saturday, Oct. 19. Indulge your culinary senses with exclusive dishes from 25+ Polk County restaurants, curated drink pairings, live music, a marketplace + more. Reserve your tickets (psst: this event is 21+).*

• $432. That’s the average price of a roundtrip flying out of Tampa. Sign up for Going’s Premium plan + never miss a great deal again.*