Sugar Cream Clay frequently sells at Indie Flea and other local markets. | Photo by @sugarcreamclay
There are ample ways to make the most of this weekend’s glorious weather, whether you want to take a peek inside some the Burg’s famed bungalows, trek out on a birding quest, or hunt for the perfect Valentine’s gift.
Let’s swoop in:
Historic Kenwood BungalowFest: The 26th Annual Home Tour | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | St. Petersburg High School | $25+ | Did you know that Historic Kenwood is home to 125 blocks of 1920s-era American Craftsman bungalows? Now’s your chance to peek inside some of the neighborhood’s gems.
Raptor Fest | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg | Free | Pull on those binoculars to watch trained raptors take off in flight, learn about Florida’s native raptor species, take pics with live birds of prey, and set off on a bird walks.
Indie Flea presents Ybor City Flea | 12-4 p.m. | Cuban Club, Tampa | Free | Take a trip back in time to the old school venue and check out four floors of local vendors selling everything from vintage goodies to eats.
“This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing” | 7:30 p.m. | American Stage Theatre Company at Raymond James Theater | $23 | This modern fairytale shares the story of three abandoned sisters as they take charge of their own destinies.
Riverdance 30th Anniversary Tour | Friday, Jan. 31-Sunday, Feb. 2 | Times vary | Mahaffey Theater | $25+ | Prepare to be wowed by this renowned show featuring Irish and international dances and music.
Saturday, Feb. 1
Vertical Oyster Garden Building Workshop | 10 a.m.-1 p.m. | Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, St. Petersburg | Free | Help finish assembling oyster gardens that will be deployed back out in the environment.
Latin Dance Class & Salsa Party | 6-9 p.m. | Riverwalk | $1 | Learn some new moves from RELPro Dance, then mingle underneath the Riverwalk’s glow.
Museums On Us Weekend | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa | Free | Bank of America and Merrill Lynch debit and credit cardholders can roam the Ybor City art gallery for free.
Sunday, Feb. 2
Couple Shuffle | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. | Al Lopez Park, Tampa | $15 | Sprint with your sweetheart or jog it out solo at this Valentines-themed race sprinkled with fun photo ops and sweet treats at the finish line.
Christina Clancy | 3:30-5 p.m. | Oxford Exchange | $5+ | Sip champagne and listen to the author discuss her latest novel, “The Snowbirds,” following a couple who flee winter in the Midwest for Palm Springs, and find their marriage at a crossroads.
Barbecue pitmasters will cook up four meats for the competition: pork, chicken, beef, and brisket. | Photo via Pexels
Things are heating upin Davenport, and for once, we’re not talking about the weather.
The second leg of the Florida Triple Crown of BBQ kicks off with Grills Gone Wild on Friday, Feb. 7 + Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Tom Fellows Community Center.
Here are the delicious details:
Sample BBQ from dozens of pitmasters from across the region
Admission is free
Enjoy live entertainment + shop from local vendors
Bonus: Savor your BBQ with a side of timeless rides at the Tom Fellows Classic Car Show.
The Tampa Bay Economic Development Council is kicking off the design phase for its new 65,000-sqft innovation center. The East Tampa center will host culinary school, and production systems and vocational classes. Plus, the site will also house an 117-unit affordable housing complex. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
Business
HSN is closing its St. Pete campus after nearly 50 years in the Burg. Qurate Retail Group is relocating the network to its Philadelphia office later this year. (St. Pete Catalyst)
Eat
We’ll take the mussels, caviar, and actually the whole menu. Cognac, a new French bistro, is opening soon in downtown St. Pete. The latest offering from the owners of Bacchus will serve a daily happy hour brunch, lunch, and dinner. (I Love the Burg)
Real Estate
Sales just launched for The Hotel Ora + Private Residences. The incoming Channel District high rise will boast 627 hotel rooms and 31 residential units. What’s more, the tower will also be outfitted with a rooftop infinity pool, lobby bar, spa, and potentially a 10,000-sqft steak house. (Tampa Bay Times)
Coming Soon
So when is the new Pete’s drive-thru opening? Owners say the former Standard Oil gas station will start slinging bagels and breakfast sandwiches in the next six to eight weeks. Best of all: You’ll also be able to walk up to order at the Old Southeast spot. (I Love the Burg)
Festival
Welcome to Mimosa Land. A new festival pairing the bubbly beverage with R&B tunes takes over Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park on Saturday, Oct. 4. Bring your lawn chair and prepare for a day of chilling on the riverfront with mimosas, music, and food truck eats. Get your tickets.
Outdoors
It will soon cost $15,000 to climb Mount Everest when Nepal raises its permit fee by over 35% in September. Or you could hike one of our perfectly good trails right here in Tampa Bay. (Reuters)
Number
$52,400. That’s the median annual pay in Florida (as of December 2024). Compare that to the median household income in Hillsborough County — $70,612. (ADP Pay Insights)
Eat
Pricey avocado toast isn’t looking so bad these days. Egg prices are expected to increase ~20% in 2025 due to a strain of avian flu and inflation, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Try grabbing eggs at a local market instead of the supermarket, where prices are at record or near-record highs. (CNN)
Drink
Costco is going back to Coke. After switching to Pepsi in 2013, Costco will flip-flop back to Coca-Cola products in its food courts this summer. But which do you drink? Let us know. (USA Today)
Sports
Take a peek at potential Bolts trade candidates. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Lightning with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Shop
Save time (and your hands) with these kitchen hacks: this jar opener is great for arthritic joints, while this chicken shredder does the hard shredding work for you.*
The Buy
The Buy
An organic face scrub and mask with over 10,000 five-star reviews. It’s crafted with manuka honey, orange peel, cehami, and aloe vera to hydrate, brighten, moisturize, and smooth for clearer and more youthful skin.
As the Rays’ deadline to meet obligations to score public funding for the new stadium approaches, the Orlando Dreamers are making their pitch to score the team. Follow us on Instagram for the latest updates.
Answered
Answered
Yesterday, we asked “Which one of these closed theme parks wasn’t in Tampa Bay?”
Ope, it looks like we fooled most of you. About 34% of you correctly guessed Luna Park, a now-shuttered Cleveland amusement park. And it looked like a grand time, with a stadium, carousel, roller coasters, a dance hall, and a roller skating rink.
A large chunk of you, ~38%, incorrectly guessed the Super-Test Amusement Park. The since-closed amusement park was parked right on Dale Mabry Highway and delighted TBAY residents with spinning tubs, a Ferris wheel, the Moon Rocket, and bumper cars.
About 16% of you guessed Treasureland. The pirate-themed park featured a “Pirates of the Caribbean"-esque ride we’d love to take.
And finally, ~13% of you said Safety Village wasn’t in Tampa. The now-defunct attraction was once a part of Lowry Park and taught kiddos about highway, home, and fire safety.
Should we dig into any of these since-closed spots? Let us know.