05.09.2025

From our friends at

Today’s Forecast

Asked

What kind of spots would you like to see more of?

A. Casual eateries
B. Rooftop bars
C. Coffee shops
D. Fancy restaurants

Take your pick

Events

Friday, May 9

Food Truck Friday: Small Business Week | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Williams Park | Free entry | Keep the Small Business Week party goin’ by picking up some local eats from Strokes Seafood, Good Eating, Son of a Brisket, and Jenny Martinez.

St. Pete Tacos and Tequila Festival | Friday, May 9-Saturday, May 10 | Times vary | Vinoy Park | $7+ | Crunch on 100+ taco options from 25+ vendors and sip on craft margaritas and palomas while enjoying lucha libre wrestling, live music, mariachi bands, and mural artists.

Greyson Grand Opening | 6-9 p.m. | Hyde Park Village | Free entry | Head to Hyde Park Village’s newest boutique to shop the latest collections, sip free drinks from Forbici, and check out the custom “build your own hat” station + live music.

Saturday, May 10

Resonance Flow: Yoga, Sound Bowls + 15th Street Farm-Fresh Brunch | 9-11 a.m. | 15th Street Farm, St. Petersburg | $40 | Tow along your mat for breath-centered movement + Tibetan sound bowls, followed by a seasonal vegetarian brunch crafted by the farm’s in-house chef.

Garden Design and Companion Planting | 9:30-10:30 a.m. | Tampa Family Health Center | Free | Dig into garden design practices, companion planting, and which vegetables and flowers grow best together — plus, take home a free vegetable or herb plant for your edible landscape.

“Cinderella” | 5 p.m. | Palladium Theater | $20+ | Let the Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg whisk you away with an enchanting performance of Charles Perrault’s fairytale.

Sunday, May 11

Haitian Flag Day Cinema Celebration | 1:30-5:30 p.m. | Tampa Theatre | Free | Celebrate with the local Haitian community with performances and community networking, followed by a screening of the film “Mountains” at 3 p.m.

It's Mother's Day weekend

Click here to have your event featured.

Travel

Five reasons to visit St. Pete-Clearwater this summer

Presented by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

A man and woman cheers cocktails on a rooftop bar by the ocean.

Escape to the scenery, dining, craft cocktails, and culture of a tropical vacation, minus the passport. | Photo provided by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

If you haven’t booked summer travel yet, don’t fret. We’ve got your perfect trip planned, with all the excitement of an international vacation and none of the travel stress.

Here are five reasons we’re headed to St. Pete-Clearwater:

Top museums + attractions
Dining options from Michelin-level meals to fish shacks
Shopping at outdoor markets
Sunny beaches and boating adventures
When you book before Saturday, May 31, you’ll score up to a $100 Visa Gift Card

Book your getaway

News Notes

Try This

Are you all caught up on “The Last of Us”? No spoilers, but if you’re preparing for the zombie apocalypse, maybe work on your swing at one of these golf clubs.

The Word

Ailurophile. According to linguists, the word that means “cat lover” is one of the most beautiful in the English language. If you’re an Ailurophile yourself, check out adoptable cats at the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. (Word Smarts)

Outdoors

Looking for a spot to soak up the sun (or laze in the shade)? This tool allows users to find cafes in the sun or in the shade at different times of day — simply type in an address and look around. We think it’s the perfect supplement to our outdoor dining guide.

Pets

Luna, Bella, and Max. Those are the three most-popular dog names in Florida, and we bet you’ll meet a few pups with those names while exploring dog-friendly spots in the Tampa area. (U.S. News & World Report)

Sports

With the Lightning already up against the salary cap limit, how many more signings can they make this offseason? Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Lightning with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Announced

Spots in our 2025 Parents’ Gift Guide are full ahead of Mother’s Day. Luckily for you, we’ve added a few more for Father’s Day. Hurry — save 20% with code PGG2025 when you secure your spot now.

Tech

AI won’t take over the world — people who know how to use AI will. Subscribe to Superhuman AI for free and learn AI skills in just three minutes a day.*

Play

Make it a memorable May

The neighborhood has already hosted a few similar events, like October’s Weekend in Water Street. | Photo via Water Street Tampa

Lucky you. You just found TBAYtoday’s Plan Ahead, a list of some of the biggest events to plan for taking place throughout Tampa Bay each month.

Take out your calendar, grab your day planner, or text all your friends — these are the top events we recommend heading to this month.

Theater

“The Butterfly’s Evil Spell” | Wednesday, May 7-Sunday, June 1 | Times vary | Shimberg Playhouse, Tampa | $36+ | Sit back for the English-language adaptation of “El Maleficio de la Mariposa,” which fuses live music, visual art, and puppetry to share the tale of a wounded butterfly entering a dewdrop paradise.

Seasonal

The Market: Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration | Sunday, May 18 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Water Street Tampa | Free entry | This month’s market features local artists creating works inspired by AAPI culture, AAPI-themed arts and crafts, tons of vendors, and Wagamama samples.

City Guides are presented by Water Street Tampa.

Dozens more ideas

The Buy

Support small businesses and artisans across the country when you shop Amazon Handmade. The marketplace features thousands of unique products and gifts, like this etched rolling pin that can transform your homemade baked goods into genuine works of art.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

With all of the new restaurant and small biz openings, I’m always adding to my TBAY bucket list. My latest addition: Birdette’s.

The new art cafe delivers house-made watercolors, collage buffets, and other DIY moments to your table. You can also order snacks and non-alcoholic drinks — much like a typical cafe.